‘Representatives from 17 Pacific states, including Kiribati President Anote Tong, have been meeting leaders and experts in Wellington this week as part of Victoria University’s Pacific Climate Change Conference.
The university’s Professor James Renwick said there had been a sense of “alarm and panic” from Pacific delegates, whose low-lying nations were facing between 50cm and 1m of sea level rise by the end of this century.
While New Zealand had contributed $3 million to the fund, Professor Sims said, this was little compared to its annual fossil fuel subsidies of around $80 million — something which earned it the first “Fossil of the Day” award to be presented by activists at the Paris conference.’
“Climate change activists have to be prepared for a confrontation with oil companies that will “flat out lie”, says environmental leader Bill McKibben.
“McKibben, a professor of environmental journalism at Middlebury College and founder of the Pacific Climate Warriors, he was speaking yesterday to the In the Eye of the Storm conference from his office in Vermont, USA.
“Noting how high the stakes were, he said there were “absolute survival risks in this century if we let the temperature go up even a little bit more”. ”
—————
“Oil companies “will flat out lie,” he said, singling out Exxon for particular criticism.
“Despite having known about global warming 25 years ago, the firm had used that knowledge only to prepare its oil rigs for the rising sea level.” [emph added]
I think that is the main point of the TPP in its present form – its raison d’etre. As people start to wake up to climate change, and to see the need for urgent change and especially for an end to Big Oil, it is ONLY something like the TPP that will slow their demise.
It’s one of the major points of the TPP. One other is the goal of the US economically isolating Russia and China, two rival countries which it believes may be becoming geopolitical competitors for itself on the world stage.
Russia and China are two huge economies which face the Pacific Rim – but yet are deliberately excluded from the TPP.
No it’s not. It is one of YOUR fears about the TPPA. However there is nothing in the TPPA that would preclude nations from legislating to tackle climate change.
“New Zealand needs to acknowledge that Pacific Island nations face an “ecological holocaust” and “ecocide” thanks to climate change, says Dr Pala Molisa.
“Molisa, a lecturer in accounting at Victoria University, will be leading the open forum at the In the Eye of the Storm Pacific climate change conference, which started today. Dr Molisa is also the MC of the conference.
” “One of the reasons we call this … conference In the Eye of the Storm,” Molisa says, “is that the Pacific is one of the places where the impacts of climate change will be most severely felt and first felt.
” “We’re going to lose islands – we’re going to lose whole countries – because of rising sea levels … The Pacific is one of the most vulnerable areas to these super storms and extreme weather events.” “
if you google the Pentagon Papers on Climate Change from 2003 you will see that this was addressed amidst mass evacuation/migration of people living in low lying areas, mass evacuation/migration in areas of drought, etc etc etc. It is an impressive read. Have fun
In Germany at the beginning of the eighties, we had newspapers print ‘artists impressions’ of a tropical Germany.
We have known for a long time, we have just and still are not ready yes to give up on a few of our comforts to a. prevent it from happening, or b. at least buy some time.
And the impacts of the depletion of cheap, easy oil reverberate far and wide, not justr regionally but globally.
Our elites have depended on this cheap easy energy for their oversize profits and to distribute enough income around the western population to keep things held together.
But as that pool shrinks, and our leadership elite refuse to share with the rest of us a little more of that shrinking pool, the bottom 80% of western society is going to be put under a harder and harder squeeze.
I see the same happening here as we export our wealth in exchange for worthless money. It is the inevitable result of being a ‘trading nation’ where we try to support an economy greater than the resources we have can sustain.
Our resources are disappearing through massive extraction. We will have nothing at the end of it – not even the money as that would have been spent trying to maintain our society in the face of the economic destruction we brought about.
Nothing Stuff or Herald online this morning either. If it was Labour every author would have put the boot in next day, in fact would have feasted on it for weeks.
Am so very disappointed in Cameron Bennett and all the other judges for NZer of the year – not that we are allowed to know who these faceless people are. We have a woman who is and has been for a large number of years holding up the mirror to NZ to try and change the culture that says its OK to be have sex with a person who is smaller and weaker than you, and for most of the time is not paid, and a man who plays the sport that typifies that culture and the culture that violence is good, drinking to excess is good, beating up anyone smaller than you is good, and is well paid for it the man wins. Shows what qualities the judges admire and why NZ it is great to be a man and lousy to be a woman!
Couldn’t agree with you more Lucy. Misuse of alcohol and violence – not just against women – are built in to the NZ culture, and our national game plays a very large part in that through sponsorship, thuggery on the field and after-match booze-ups. Ritchie McCaw is a great guy, but he exemplifies the rugby scene and has been well paid for his ‘sportsmanship.’ So the result is simply reflecting how kiwis feel about their game and women – disappointing, but not surprising.
Very good look at how the MSM are using and misusing social media as sources from a journalist at the coal face. It’s looking at ethics in a changing world, including to what extent social media are public spaces and where there needs to be a more subtle understanding of how the public uses them and what they expect (or don’t see coming).
Twitter and Facebook are public spaces. And conversations you have in public spaces are by nature public. You want privacy? Email, text, phone. It seems fair. But apply this to the offline world and things crumble quickly. Don’t want me butting in on your conversation at McDonalds? Should have gone to your bedroom. Don’t want me rifling through your rubbish bag – filled with prescription bottles, condoms, notes? Maybe you shouldn’t have put it in a public street.
The boundary between private and public is blurry. It always has been. We do private stuff in public and while, legally, technically, we can violate the privacy of those moments – grieving, an intimate conversation, having a breakdown – mostly we don’t. Because it’s universally understood as hugely rude.
That point about private in public – while we can’t help overhearing some things if close by or said in a loud voice, there actually is a rule of courtesy and respect for others that is allied to the ‘Do as you would be done by’ golden rule, that though people live in a community they also have private lives within that community, even when in public.
And reasonable, good and fair people recognise that basic principle, and feel ashamed at overwhelming curiosity, unless there is an important and desperate need to know relating to safety.
I hate papparazzi stalkers, and gawkers when there is an argument or a fight, these gawkers aren’t usually the ones who stop and help someone having an epiliptic fit or a faint or heart attack. When there is something happening that actually requires attention and interest along with a helping hand, they will pass by averting their eyes, even step over that person and pass on.
I assume from what you and weka have said here that both of you now accept that the Herald reporter who “accidentally” left his recorder on the table in a café where John Key and John Banks were having a private chat is therefore a total shithead?
I’m sure you are not going to claim that there was “an important and desperate need to know relating to safety”?
And I’m sure weka would say it shouldn’t have happened “Because it’s universally understood as hugely rude”?
Or have you suddenly changed your minds?
You can hold any view on the matter you like. It wasn’t you who made the comments I was replying to and you are not therefore going to be judged.
His action was, however, completely opposite to the sentiments expressed by weka and greywarshark.
They should either agree with the judgement I propose about the reporter and show that they are consistent in their views, regardless of who is involved, or else admit that they are being hypocritical and that they have different rules for “them” and “us”.
I think your analogical extension fails since Banks and Key were, at that moment, elected public officials performing part of their public function as MPs and party leaders during an election campaign.
While, for whatever reason, they may have wished the conversation to be ‘private’ (in the wake of a public event they had gone to some trouble to arrange as an event of high media interest) the content of that conversation was certainly likely to have been in the public interest since it would likely have had some bearing on party political positioning and strategy during an election campaign.
Further, it is reasonable to assume that they sat together in that cafe in full sight of the reporters and camera people who had been ushered outside just in order to make a political and very public point – that they had things to say to each other and that they were on good and friendly terms. That is, the moment in which they supposedly were having a ‘private conversation’ was likely itself part of the public and political event they had staged and that they wished to be recorded – visually at least – for the public to witness.
In that circumstance, if this was a case of deliberate eavesdropping it has some public interest defence even if, personally, one finds the journalistic method distasteful. (Banks and Key were simply being incautious and unwise in the execution of their political agendas if they truly wished to speak privately in such a context.)
The same cannot be said of going out of one’s way to eavesdrop on private citizens attempting to converse privately in public spaces. There is no defence – short of suspecting, on good evidence, some nefarious or criminal purpose – to eavesdrop on such conversations.
Have a look at my first comment and my first response to b waghorn.
I wasn’t trying to re-open the general subject of the recording.
What I am saying is that if weka and greywarshark really believe the things they put in their comments they MUST, unless they are hypocrites, condemn his actions.
Unless you agree with their expressed opinions you can take any view you like about the reporter’s actions.
I mean to say, was the casual political chat between Key and Banks something of which ” there is an important and desperate need to know relating to safety”.
This has nothing to do with whether I think Key and Banks should have expected someone to try and tape them. Of course they should have been more careful. On the other hand I felt like blowing a raspberry when the clown who did the taping tried to claim it was an accident and that he didn’t mean to leave an active recorder there.
Such actions come into the category of way over the top frankly.
There certainly wasn’t anything of great national security importance on it.
On the other hand the holier-than-thou attitude of journalists is a load of crap. Fearless supporters of the publics right to know my foot.
You would think responsible governments would be looking at how to stop tax avoidance and corporate welfare via global trade deals instead of adding more corporate welfare!
this link has examples of how corporates like Vodaphone vs India, Perenco vs Ecuador: Micula vs Romania: US agribusiness vs Mexico: Tullow Oil vs Uganda: are using ISDS to sue against paying taxes to governments.
European Groups Expose ‘Terrifying Extent of Corporate Grab’ Within TTIP
‘The ability to enact effective and fair tax systems to finance vital public services is one of the defining features of sovereignty,’ says Global Justice Now—one that is threatened by corporate trade deals
But in terms of systematic, state-sponsored, formalized punishments for speech and activism, nothing compares to the growing multi-nation effort to criminalize activism against Israeli occupation. Rafeef Ziadah, a Palestinian a member of the Palestinian BDS National Committee, told The Intercept: “Israel is increasingly unable to defend its regime of apartheid and settler colonialism over the Palestinian people and its regular massacres of Palestinians in Gaza so is resorting to asking supportive governments in the U.S. and Europe to undermine free speech as a way of shielding it from criticism and measures aimed at holding it to account.”
It is, needless to say, perfectly legitimate to argue against BDS and to engage in activism to defeat it. But only advocates of tyranny could support the literal outlawing of the same type of activism that ended apartheid in South Africa merely on the grounds that this time it is aimed at Israeli occupation (some of Israel’s own leaders have compared its occupation to apartheid). And whatever else is true, commentators and activists who prance around as defenders of campus free speech and free expression generally — yet who completely ignore this most pernicious trend of free speech erosion — are likely many things, but an authentic believer in free speech is not among them.
It seems that many nations of the world are working tirelessly to legitimate Israel’s ongoing invasion of Palestine even as they spout rhetoric about ending it.
Remember ponytailgate? Prime Minister John Key repeatedly bullied and sexually harassed a cafe waitress, then when his pet dirty politics smear operative Rachel Glucina expose the victim as punishment for speaking out, publicly denied any involvement. Oddly though, when asked about it under the OIA, he clammed up, refusing to release any information because “it is not the practice of the media team or the Prime Minister to divulge details of the communications with journalists”.
Well, it might not be the practice, but its the law, and (having lodged a request of my own specifically to generate an appealable refusal) I now have the Ombudsman’s ruling to prove it. The key lines:
[image in link]
Further, the Ombudsman rejected the use of s9(2)(a) (privacy) and s9(2)(ba) (confidentiality) in this case, and noted that even if they had applied, they would have been trumped by the public interest. In my case, that means I get to know whether Key had communicated with Glucina about pony-tail pulling incident or victim (the answer to which, from the Ombudsman’s ruling, appears to be “yes”). As for the original requester (who had complained as well), this should mean that they will be receiving the content of that communication shortly.
As for the supposed consequences on the relationship between Ministers and journalists, there’s exactly zero public interest in protecting the ability of the powerful to smear using media proxies. And if Key is so ashamed of his contact with Rachel Glucina that he will blatantly ignore the law to avoid admitting it, maybe he shouldn’t talk to her in the first place.
Ritchie has been, for many years, a member of both the Council and the Health Board. Far too many years, but she is the trougher incarnate.
Some years ago she was (very seriously) ill. She stopped attending Council meetings but kept turning up to the DHB ones.
Does anyone believe it was only a coincidence that the Council paid her regardless of attendance but the DHB only paid for meetings attended?
Did you just say that it’s ok to eliminate child poverty so long as it doesn’t involve anyone paying more tax?
As for how much, how about enough so that they can afford housing, healthy food, transport, clothing and healthcare? If you don’t know how much that is, your income is too high.
Tolley also said the best way out of poverty is getting people into work, yet she is clearly overlooking around half those currently in poverty are already in work.
it is cheaper to pay minimum wage than it is to keep a slave
your system alwyn is fucked in the head
a man should be able to support himself and family off a decent days work – otherwise we are barbaric heathens neaderthals philistines uncivilised wankers
Utter rubbish. People should earn what their labour is worth.
If it is not enough for them, or their family, to live on it should be made up by the state from taxes.
I don’t regard benefits paid to individuals by the state as being support for their employers.
That is a totally stupid interpretation of the situation.
A number of contributors to this site are in favour of a ubi.
Do they regard that as being “a subsidy for employers”?
Draco T Bastard is a great fan of a ubi. He is also opposed to benefits paid by the state, stating just below here that if a business can’t pay people enough to live on it should go out of business.
How can someone hold such diametrically opposed views?
As for vto’s view, again just below
“You are distorted and have no idea about the human community”.
It is vto that has no idea of community. People in the community should work to the best of their ability. If that work does not provide them with enough to live on they shouldn’t be dumped on the scrapheap as vto desires. Their community should support them at an acceptable standard of living.
That is community. Not the distorted approach vto proposes.
alwyn “Utter rubbish. People should earn what their labour is worth.
If it is not enough for them, or their family, to live on it should be made up by the state from taxes.”
That is wrong in so very many ways.
You are distorted and have no idea about the human community
Glad to have helped.
_________________________________________
Housing intensification debate deferred
Thursday, 18 February 2016
The New Zealand Herald
Len Brown has postponed the housing intensification debate after recognising the need to take the views of the community on board.
By Bernard Orsman
Auckland Mayor Len Brown is deferring the controversial issue of rezoning thousands of homes for intensification until next Wednesday.
The issue was down to be debated at today’s governing meeting, but after a delegation of five councillors met with Mr Brown last night the mayor decided to delay the issue.
Mr Brown said he recognised the need to reflect the views of the community and the need to be a “little bit flexible in this space”.
“This is the most significant plan change this city has every seen, or likely to see,” Mr Brown said.
Councillors are receiving a briefing on the Unitary Plan this afternoon, which will help inform what happens at next Wednesday’s extraordinary governing body meeting.
Next week’s meeting will allow for public input from groups such as Auckland 2040, which has accused the council of abandoning the consultative process in the Unitary Plan.
….
_____________________
Do ‘Generation Zero’ support the ‘out of scope’ changes passed behind closed doors, at the 9 December 2015 Unitary Plan Committee meeting – which both excluded the public, and did not go to the Auckland Council Governing Body before being submitted to the Auckland Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel?
Does ‘Generation Zero’ support lawful ‘due process’ and the ‘Rule of Law’ regarding the development, amendment and implementation of the Auckland ‘spatial plan’ –
yes or no?
But urban environmental group Generation Zero supported the reduction of the Single House zone.
“Auckland has a serious housing shortage, we need to allow new houses to be built in existing suburbs across the city,” Auckland convener Leroy Beckett said.
“This is the best option as it prevents sprawl and allows people to be closer to where they live, work and socialise.”
He pointed out that under the proposed changes a quarter of the city was still Single House, “a zone that totally restricts any development”.
“We are disappointed that still only 5 per cent of the city is zoned for terrace housing and apartment buildings – this is not enough to meet demand for this type of living.”
Penny, sorry but you are mistaken if you think the residents of the leafy suburbs are going to let the council infill and build 3 storey buildings in their ‘burbs. Its okay for the rest of us to have high density housing plans foisted on us without considering how we feel about it but they will come up with excuses like “heritage value” etc. In a real world these inner city suburbs would be sensible because people would be close to their working environment and transport links, but this isn’t a real world. Do you honestly think they are going to give up their huge sections and the luxury of privacy so close to the inner city – I think not. It isn’t going to happen. There’s an old saying “you cannot beat city hall” and money talks, it still applies today
The ABC produced a news article on the ChCh earthquake last week and did a follow up on the recovery after five years, disappointing to see the very slow rate of improvement.
The link below was shown a few days ago on the 7 o’clock news.
I’ve been saying for years that democracy is anathema to democracy. The selling of our assets and the signing of the TPPA against our will is proof enough of that.
NZ’s parliamentary democracy doesn’t have sufficient oversight to be a democracy, there is no “upper” house to rationalise the govts activities.
The Turnbull govt has just rejected raising the GST to 15% (a 50% increase), stating that there was NO evidence that it would provide any economic benefits, it would increase unemployment and take money out of the economy, even though the chamber of commerce pushed very hard for the change.
Turnbull polled the idea and found 70% of the population rejected the idea, he recognised that raising the GST would have seen him lose the election in 6 months time.
Even if Turnbull had proceeded with the GST increase and made legislation for it’s provision, the upper house (the senate) would have rejected it outright anyway.
Democracy can work when there are enough checks and balances in place.
“Actual democracy would prevent the government acting against our wishes as we would be the government.”
A democracy, as in NZ only requires a majority to pass any legislation they like, whether it’s good, bad or ugly for society, having two houses, at least, in most cases, weeds out the undesirable aspects of autocratic ruling govts.
The style of govt presently operating in NZ is akin to a “banana republic”
…having two houses, at least, in most cases, weeds out the undesirable aspects of autocratic ruling govts.
But that just it – it doesn’t. As I said – look to the US and UK which both have upper houses and you can see both poor legislation getting passed and good legislation getting stopped all depending on if the same party controls both houses or one house.
The style of govt presently operating in NZ is akin to a “banana republic”
Correct, NZ isn’t a democracy. Democracy is rule by the people, not rule by a few that are owned by the corporations.
Watching Parliament TV on Tuesday, I found this exchange interesting:
… Dr Kennedy Graham: Will the Prime Minister commit not to introduce and pass any Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement-related legislation until the US Congress has ratified the agreement?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No.
… Dr Kennedy Graham: If the US Congress does not pass the TPP agreement, will he guarantee to reverse all the changes that his Government may have made to our legislation?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: This might come as a shock to the member, but this is a free-trade agreement between, in this particular instance, 12 countries. One of those countries is the United States—the member is clearly very wound up about that—but if the United States does not ratify the legislation then it is null and void with the United States, in which case we do not have anything to worry about.
My understanding is that if the US has not ratified within 2 years then the whole deal is cancelled, because the 85% of GDP threshold has not been reached.
I would then assume that if the deal is cancelled, trade barriers/tariffs (and any benefits) will not change.
If we have changed our laws (copyright, pharmaceuticals etc) and the Government does not reverse the law changes if the agreement fails, then we end up with the costs but none of the benefits?
Please correct any of my incorrect assumptions.
Also, are the details of the proposed law changes public yet? I had a quick search around but couldn’t find anything.
I heard commentary on that the other day too, and I basically think two things. One is that National have an undeclared agenda in putting the legislation through now, and two, they’re liars so anything Key says should be taken with a grain fo salt.
“but if the United States does not ratify the legislation then it is null and void with the United States, in which case we do not have anything to worry about.”
Not sure if this is Freudian slip but it would imply that if the USA does ratify the tppa ,we should be worried.
I have an MP who will present the following petition to the House, when it gets back from recess on 1 March 2016.
“That the House conduct an urgent inquiry into the alleged failure of Auckland Council to comply with their statutory duties regarding spatial planning, particularly the requirement to involve and consult with the communities of Auckland, regarding amendments to the spatial plan, as outlined in the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009.”
This should help focus the minds of those on Auckland Council who wish to keep ‘defending the indefensible’?
Submissions open on all the TPP legislation requirements now (including “International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the purposes of Patent Procedure… recognises the deposit of microorganisms to enable patent protection” What is that??? Sounds hideous. Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee… Anyway its all up now rolling on the after hours parliament tv… they all close on 11 March tho so get your skates on.
Patents Amendment Bill
International Treaty examination of the TPPA
International Treaty examination of the WIPO Copyright Treaty
International Treaty examination of the Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
Patents TPP Attorneys and Other Matters Bill … amendment to the grounds on which someone can oppose the grant of a patent under TPPA
All close 11 March!
Also tucked in there is the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill “…resource managment system that achieves sustainable management…efficient way” you can only guess what National thinks that is. (closes 24 March)
And if that wasn’t enough they are also asking for submissions to the ‘inquiry into the future of NZ mobility… changing transport techology…enhance productivity in the economy..” Let me just presume this isn’t about helping NZ Railways.. (got till April fools day for this one).
And if the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade committee weren’t busy enough then there is all this other for consideration… how many people are they employing right now?
The link to the pdf files of the TPPA (they actually have it up instead of the normal ‘contact the owner’ thing that is normally there so yay for that…
3 weeks to do 7 submissions, on some 16,000 pages of treaty…
In other words, not near enough time for the people of NZ to actually read and discuss what’s happening. Another rush job by this government for the benefit of offshore corporations.
Thanks Gael for that extensive and helpful comment.
And thanks DTB for putting the situation so clearly. Heartbreaking that we have this situation for ordinary citizens. Neo liberalism as I understand says that the decision of the public guides what is done commercially, and that decision will be correct when the public is fully informed about the product or action being planned.
So with absolute certainty that we can never get through all this guff or understand it, and with a sly understanding that the politicians themselves don’t understand it all, and even the lobbying corporations who drew up most of the legals don’t understand all the ramifications, except that they will be maintained as a wealthy powerful corporations, we get this farce. It is similar to releasing thousands of flag designs to the public when the puppet master knows that the in-group favour three or four which will be promoted as The People’s Choice in due time.
Whatever we do in all sincerity and anxiety, we cannot get to the dark heart of this legal maze. When Harry Potter succeeded in his task of getting to the centre of his maze, he was magically whipped away by Voldermoort? and was on the edge of extinction, but kept his strength and humanity to get away and also take back his dead friend to his parents. What will we manage to do to cope with the dark lords in power? And don’t laugh and say how fanciful, that would only label you immediately as a fool; thoughtless, stupid, ignorant.
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Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
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Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
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Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
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Pacific nations desperate for climate action
‘Representatives from 17 Pacific states, including Kiribati President Anote Tong, have been meeting leaders and experts in Wellington this week as part of Victoria University’s Pacific Climate Change Conference.
The university’s Professor James Renwick said there had been a sense of “alarm and panic” from Pacific delegates, whose low-lying nations were facing between 50cm and 1m of sea level rise by the end of this century.
While New Zealand had contributed $3 million to the fund, Professor Sims said, this was little compared to its annual fossil fuel subsidies of around $80 million — something which earned it the first “Fossil of the Day” award to be presented by activists at the Paris conference.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11591295
And the biggest fight they face is with Big Oil: http://asiapacificreport.nz/2016/02/17/climate-change-action-faces-fight-with-big-oil-says-mckibben/
“Climate change activists have to be prepared for a confrontation with oil companies that will “flat out lie”, says environmental leader Bill McKibben.
“McKibben, a professor of environmental journalism at Middlebury College and founder of the Pacific Climate Warriors, he was speaking yesterday to the In the Eye of the Storm conference from his office in Vermont, USA.
“Noting how high the stakes were, he said there were “absolute survival risks in this century if we let the temperature go up even a little bit more”. ”
—————
“Oil companies “will flat out lie,” he said, singling out Exxon for particular criticism.
“Despite having known about global warming 25 years ago, the firm had used that knowledge only to prepare its oil rigs for the rising sea level.” [emph added]
And I’m assuming some big oil companies were privy to the TPP, thereby ensuring future governments’ hands are tied in preventative action.
I think that is the main point of the TPP in its present form – its raison d’etre. As people start to wake up to climate change, and to see the need for urgent change and especially for an end to Big Oil, it is ONLY something like the TPP that will slow their demise.
It’s one of the major points of the TPP. One other is the goal of the US economically isolating Russia and China, two rival countries which it believes may be becoming geopolitical competitors for itself on the world stage.
Russia and China are two huge economies which face the Pacific Rim – but yet are deliberately excluded from the TPP.
No it’s not. It is one of YOUR fears about the TPPA. However there is nothing in the TPPA that would preclude nations from legislating to tackle climate change.
Says who? Your word isn’t worth squat.
And plenty of credible people who don’t have a track record of mendacity, unlike you, say the opposite.
OK Read the whole 6000 pages, and got legal opinions on them all.
Just to be sure!!!
“We’re going to lose Islands, whole countries…” http://asiapacificreport.nz/2016/02/15/were-going-to-lose-islands-whole-countries-says-pacific-climate-advocate/
“New Zealand needs to acknowledge that Pacific Island nations face an “ecological holocaust” and “ecocide” thanks to climate change, says Dr Pala Molisa.
“Molisa, a lecturer in accounting at Victoria University, will be leading the open forum at the In the Eye of the Storm Pacific climate change conference, which started today. Dr Molisa is also the MC of the conference.
” “One of the reasons we call this … conference In the Eye of the Storm,” Molisa says, “is that the Pacific is one of the places where the impacts of climate change will be most severely felt and first felt.
” “We’re going to lose islands – we’re going to lose whole countries – because of rising sea levels … The Pacific is one of the most vulnerable areas to these super storms and extreme weather events.” “
if you google the Pentagon Papers on Climate Change from 2003 you will see that this was addressed amidst mass evacuation/migration of people living in low lying areas, mass evacuation/migration in areas of drought, etc etc etc. It is an impressive read. Have fun
http://www.climate.org/PDF/clim_change_scenario.pdf
and this guy has been writing a book about this in 1995 (and he even includes the ‘refugee’ Islands)
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1416715.Mother_of_Storms
In Germany at the beginning of the eighties, we had newspapers print ‘artists impressions’ of a tropical Germany.
We have known for a long time, we have just and still are not ready yes to give up on a few of our comforts to a. prevent it from happening, or b. at least buy some time.
Ugo Bardi resources expert argues that Saudi Arabia will be the next failed state following Syria in the Middle east.
http://cassandralegacy.blogspot.co.nz/2015/11/the-syrian-sickness-what-crude-oil.html?m=1
And the impacts of the depletion of cheap, easy oil reverberate far and wide, not justr regionally but globally.
Our elites have depended on this cheap easy energy for their oversize profits and to distribute enough income around the western population to keep things held together.
But as that pool shrinks, and our leadership elite refuse to share with the rest of us a little more of that shrinking pool, the bottom 80% of western society is going to be put under a harder and harder squeeze.
+1
I see the same happening here as we export our wealth in exchange for worthless money. It is the inevitable result of being a ‘trading nation’ where we try to support an economy greater than the resources we have can sustain.
Our resources are disappearing through massive extraction. We will have nothing at the end of it – not even the money as that would have been spent trying to maintain our society in the face of the economic destruction we brought about.
Media Bias? No coverage of the Flag leaked email in my print edition of today’s Dom Post.
Nothing Stuff or Herald online this morning either. If it was Labour every author would have put the boot in next day, in fact would have feasted on it for weeks.
It’s online on stuff but not in the print edition. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/the-flag-debate/76997506/prime-minister-john-key-denies-crisis-within-national-caucus-over-flag
Am so very disappointed in Cameron Bennett and all the other judges for NZer of the year – not that we are allowed to know who these faceless people are. We have a woman who is and has been for a large number of years holding up the mirror to NZ to try and change the culture that says its OK to be have sex with a person who is smaller and weaker than you, and for most of the time is not paid, and a man who plays the sport that typifies that culture and the culture that violence is good, drinking to excess is good, beating up anyone smaller than you is good, and is well paid for it the man wins. Shows what qualities the judges admire and why NZ it is great to be a man and lousy to be a woman!
Couldn’t agree with you more Lucy. Misuse of alcohol and violence – not just against women – are built in to the NZ culture, and our national game plays a very large part in that through sponsorship, thuggery on the field and after-match booze-ups. Ritchie McCaw is a great guy, but he exemplifies the rugby scene and has been well paid for his ‘sportsmanship.’ So the result is simply reflecting how kiwis feel about their game and women – disappointing, but not surprising.
Very good look at how the MSM are using and misusing social media as sources from a journalist at the coal face. It’s looking at ethics in a changing world, including to what extent social media are public spaces and where there needs to be a more subtle understanding of how the public uses them and what they expect (or don’t see coming).
http://thespinoff.co.nz/17-02-2016/jess-mcallen-if-its-public-is-it-fair-game-why-we-as-media-need-to-change-the-way-we-report-on-social-media/
Another one here I’m just about to read,
http://thespinoff.co.nz/18-02-2016/a-journalist-is-someone-who-leaves-the-office-and-actually-talks-to-people/
I’m more and more impressed by The Spin Off.
That point about private in public – while we can’t help overhearing some things if close by or said in a loud voice, there actually is a rule of courtesy and respect for others that is allied to the ‘Do as you would be done by’ golden rule, that though people live in a community they also have private lives within that community, even when in public.
And reasonable, good and fair people recognise that basic principle, and feel ashamed at overwhelming curiosity, unless there is an important and desperate need to know relating to safety.
I hate papparazzi stalkers, and gawkers when there is an argument or a fight, these gawkers aren’t usually the ones who stop and help someone having an epiliptic fit or a faint or heart attack. When there is something happening that actually requires attention and interest along with a helping hand, they will pass by averting their eyes, even step over that person and pass on.
I assume from what you and weka have said here that both of you now accept that the Herald reporter who “accidentally” left his recorder on the table in a café where John Key and John Banks were having a private chat is therefore a total shithead?
I’m sure you are not going to claim that there was “an important and desperate need to know relating to safety”?
And I’m sure weka would say it shouldn’t have happened “Because it’s universally understood as hugely rude”?
Or have you suddenly changed your minds?
Of course he left it there on purpose and good on him ,it was a polititical meeting in a public place so we had a right to know what was being said.
You can hold any view on the matter you like. It wasn’t you who made the comments I was replying to and you are not therefore going to be judged.
His action was, however, completely opposite to the sentiments expressed by weka and greywarshark.
They should either agree with the judgement I propose about the reporter and show that they are consistent in their views, regardless of who is involved, or else admit that they are being hypocritical and that they have different rules for “them” and “us”.
Ah fair enough
I think your analogical extension fails since Banks and Key were, at that moment, elected public officials performing part of their public function as MPs and party leaders during an election campaign.
While, for whatever reason, they may have wished the conversation to be ‘private’ (in the wake of a public event they had gone to some trouble to arrange as an event of high media interest) the content of that conversation was certainly likely to have been in the public interest since it would likely have had some bearing on party political positioning and strategy during an election campaign.
Further, it is reasonable to assume that they sat together in that cafe in full sight of the reporters and camera people who had been ushered outside just in order to make a political and very public point – that they had things to say to each other and that they were on good and friendly terms. That is, the moment in which they supposedly were having a ‘private conversation’ was likely itself part of the public and political event they had staged and that they wished to be recorded – visually at least – for the public to witness.
In that circumstance, if this was a case of deliberate eavesdropping it has some public interest defence even if, personally, one finds the journalistic method distasteful. (Banks and Key were simply being incautious and unwise in the execution of their political agendas if they truly wished to speak privately in such a context.)
The same cannot be said of going out of one’s way to eavesdrop on private citizens attempting to converse privately in public spaces. There is no defence – short of suspecting, on good evidence, some nefarious or criminal purpose – to eavesdrop on such conversations.
Have a look at my first comment and my first response to b waghorn.
I wasn’t trying to re-open the general subject of the recording.
What I am saying is that if weka and greywarshark really believe the things they put in their comments they MUST, unless they are hypocrites, condemn his actions.
Unless you agree with their expressed opinions you can take any view you like about the reporter’s actions.
I mean to say, was the casual political chat between Key and Banks something of which ” there is an important and desperate need to know relating to safety”.
This has nothing to do with whether I think Key and Banks should have expected someone to try and tape them. Of course they should have been more careful. On the other hand I felt like blowing a raspberry when the clown who did the taping tried to claim it was an accident and that he didn’t mean to leave an active recorder there.
alwyn, what are your views on the police raiding newsrooms to retrieve copies of the recording?
Such actions come into the category of way over the top frankly.
There certainly wasn’t anything of great national security importance on it.
On the other hand the holier-than-thou attitude of journalists is a load of crap. Fearless supporters of the publics right to know my foot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5P9J1wCgNM
RIP Boutros Boutros Gali
I did like the Ali G interviews of ze important People
🙂
You would think responsible governments would be looking at how to stop tax avoidance and corporate welfare via global trade deals instead of adding more corporate welfare!
this link has examples of how corporates like Vodaphone vs India, Perenco vs Ecuador: Micula vs Romania: US agribusiness vs Mexico: Tullow Oil vs Uganda: are using ISDS to sue against paying taxes to governments.
http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/resources/taxes-on-trial-how-trade-deals-threaten-tax-justice-global-justice-now.pdf
European Groups Expose ‘Terrifying Extent of Corporate Grab’ Within TTIP
‘The ability to enact effective and fair tax systems to finance vital public services is one of the defining features of sovereignty,’ says Global Justice Now—one that is threatened by corporate trade deals
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/02/15/european-groups-expose-terrifying-extent-corporate-grab-within-ttip
The zombie ISDS
Rebranded as ICS, rights for corporations to sue states refuse to die
http://corporateeurope.org/international-trade/2016/02/zombie-isds
Thanks savenz for this important background reading.
Claire Trevett sighs in relief. Her hero came bacK!
“So it was some relief to find Judith Collins, the twice-risen minister, was unaffected by her time in the wilderness.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11591314
if a beneficiary would use their ‘government sponsored credit card’ fraudulently that poor person would be in purgatory for ever.
However National PM Paul Bennet “Pull’s her Benefit” is allowed to blame a staffer and claims, no biggie….we paid it back.
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/answers-demanded-over-bennetts-ministerial-credit-card/
Greatest Threat to Free Speech in the West: Criminalizing Activism Against Israeli Occupation
It seems that many nations of the world are working tirelessly to legitimate Israel’s ongoing invasion of Palestine even as they spout rhetoric about ending it.
Pressure must be starting to be felt…..the counter attack has begun
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11591376
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2016/02/a-useful-precedent.html
do you know if the information has been released to the original complainant yet?
scratch that….just read the Ombudsman’s letter to the complainant and noted the date
http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/news/77023614/wellington-city-councillor-caught-parking-across-a-pedestrian-crossing-in-a-car-with-her-name-on-it
A Wellington City Council spokesman said that because the pedestrian crossing was on health board land she was “probably in the clear.
I bet if it was a member of the public it’d be towed pretty damn quickly and/or fined
Lotsa Wilson paring, like i have to used when in hospital!!!
No PR. Your car would have been crushed.
Ritchie has been, for many years, a member of both the Council and the Health Board. Far too many years, but she is the trougher incarnate.
Some years ago she was (very seriously) ill. She stopped attending Council meetings but kept turning up to the DHB ones.
Does anyone believe it was only a coincidence that the Council paid her regardless of attendance but the DHB only paid for meetings attended?
Ann Tolley reckons child poverty can’t be solved overnight.
It quite literally can.
It’s called a “bank transfer”.
Can you explain further?
poverty is a lack of funds.
Give the poor money, they are no longer poor. Not even as a proportion of median income, in case you’d forgotten basic maths.
Then whatever problems remain are not due to poverty.
True but how much do you give until someone isn’t considered poor and is there a way this can be done that doesn’t involve raising taxes?
Did you just say that it’s ok to eliminate child poverty so long as it doesn’t involve anyone paying more tax?
As for how much, how about enough so that they can afford housing, healthy food, transport, clothing and healthcare? If you don’t know how much that is, your income is too high.
1: that’s between them and (most likely) the IRD.
2: who gives a shit.
Sorry, why would we not raise taxes to get this done?
Never happen.
Not under National, not under Labour.
I dunno.
I reckon the world might be coming around once again to the idea that children being killed by poverty is something we shouldn’t permit.
Or it might be coming around to the idea that entire cities and countries, even entire peoples, are disposable in the pursuit of geopolitical aims.
lol
thanks, smiler
Yep. Labour’s formerly proposed $60/week payment per child under one – which should be extended up to at least 3 years of age – was a great start.
I hope Labour does not abandon the policy but instead extends it.
Tolley also said the best way out of poverty is getting people into work, yet she is clearly overlooking around half those currently in poverty are already in work.
That is why they have working for families, among other benefits.
taxpayer subsidising business
it is cheaper to pay minimum wage than it is to keep a slave
your system alwyn is fucked in the head
a man should be able to support himself and family off a decent days work – otherwise we are barbaric heathens neaderthals philistines uncivilised wankers
Utter rubbish. People should earn what their labour is worth.
If it is not enough for them, or their family, to live on it should be made up by the state from taxes.
I had to check the calendar there. Come on alwyn, it’s not April 1st yet.
Surely you don’t believe private employers are a charity entitled to taxpayer funds.
I don’t regard benefits paid to individuals by the state as being support for their employers.
That is a totally stupid interpretation of the situation.
A number of contributors to this site are in favour of a ubi.
Do they regard that as being “a subsidy for employers”?
Draco T Bastard is a great fan of a ubi. He is also opposed to benefits paid by the state, stating just below here that if a business can’t pay people enough to live on it should go out of business.
How can someone hold such diametrically opposed views?
As for vto’s view, again just below
“You are distorted and have no idea about the human community”.
It is vto that has no idea of community. People in the community should work to the best of their ability. If that work does not provide them with enough to live on they shouldn’t be dumped on the scrapheap as vto desires. Their community should support them at an acceptable standard of living.
That is community. Not the distorted approach vto proposes.
I’m in favour of a UBI too. The ‘U’ bit takes out the the notion of a subsidy to employers.
Until then, in general, I think employers should be responsible for paying a living wage to their employees, not the taxpayer.
Labour should pay enough to live on. If it doesn’t then the business should go out of business. It should not be subsidised by the government.
alwyn “Utter rubbish. People should earn what their labour is worth.
If it is not enough for them, or their family, to live on it should be made up by the state from taxes.”
That is wrong in so very many ways.
You are distorted and have no idea about the human community
“That is why they have working for families, among other benefits.”
Yes, that’s why we have so many working people in poverty.
Well Ann how about the 6 years you’ve had already!!!!
“Ann Tolley reckons child poverty can’t be solved overnight.”
How long have National been in govt?
Why is Tolley talking about CYFS solving poverty? I thought their job was juggling crap after poverty hadn’t been solved.
When she’s blamed them enough it’ll be time to suggest that the private sector would do a better job.
I suppose she’s half right, it did take a few years for the govt to create child poverty in the first place.
Good.
Glad to have helped.
_________________________________________
Housing intensification debate deferred
Thursday, 18 February 2016
The New Zealand Herald
Len Brown has postponed the housing intensification debate after recognising the need to take the views of the community on board.
By Bernard Orsman
Auckland Mayor Len Brown is deferring the controversial issue of rezoning thousands of homes for intensification until next Wednesday.
The issue was down to be debated at today’s governing meeting, but after a delegation of five councillors met with Mr Brown last night the mayor decided to delay the issue.
Mr Brown said he recognised the need to reflect the views of the community and the need to be a “little bit flexible in this space”.
“This is the most significant plan change this city has every seen, or likely to see,” Mr Brown said.
Councillors are receiving a briefing on the Unitary Plan this afternoon, which will help inform what happens at next Wednesday’s extraordinary governing body meeting.
Next week’s meeting will allow for public input from groups such as Auckland 2040, which has accused the council of abandoning the consultative process in the Unitary Plan.
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Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Do ‘Generation Zero’ support the ‘out of scope’ changes passed behind closed doors, at the 9 December 2015 Unitary Plan Committee meeting – which both excluded the public, and did not go to the Auckland Council Governing Body before being submitted to the Auckland Unitary Plan Independent Hearings Panel?
Does ‘Generation Zero’ support lawful ‘due process’ and the ‘Rule of Law’ regarding the development, amendment and implementation of the Auckland ‘spatial plan’ –
yes or no?
Is this still the position of ‘Generation Zero’?
http://i.stuff.co.nz/auckland/75219048/Aucklands-controversial-new-residential-zoning-maps-released
But urban environmental group Generation Zero supported the reduction of the Single House zone.
“Auckland has a serious housing shortage, we need to allow new houses to be built in existing suburbs across the city,” Auckland convener Leroy Beckett said.
“This is the best option as it prevents sprawl and allows people to be closer to where they live, work and socialise.”
He pointed out that under the proposed changes a quarter of the city was still Single House, “a zone that totally restricts any development”.
“We are disappointed that still only 5 per cent of the city is zoned for terrace housing and apartment buildings – this is not enough to meet demand for this type of living.”
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Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Penny, sorry but you are mistaken if you think the residents of the leafy suburbs are going to let the council infill and build 3 storey buildings in their ‘burbs. Its okay for the rest of us to have high density housing plans foisted on us without considering how we feel about it but they will come up with excuses like “heritage value” etc. In a real world these inner city suburbs would be sensible because people would be close to their working environment and transport links, but this isn’t a real world. Do you honestly think they are going to give up their huge sections and the luxury of privacy so close to the inner city – I think not. It isn’t going to happen. There’s an old saying “you cannot beat city hall” and money talks, it still applies today
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/assignments/share-your-news-and-views/13955089/Richie-McCaw-is-not-my-New-Zealander-of-the-Year
Couldn’t agree more. Makes a complete mockery of the NZders of year. Glad someone has written this on Stuff
Me too anker. Good bloke Ritchie but people like Helen are working tirelessly for NZers.
Couldn’t agree more
Sport in this country is rapidly following John Key to the laughing stock stocks
What a fikkin’ joke
This government gives a knighthood to the evil Talley
And completely ignores Helen Kelly
Loathsome is what these people are.
And their supporters
The ABC produced a news article on the ChCh earthquake last week and did a follow up on the recovery after five years, disappointing to see the very slow rate of improvement.
The link below was shown a few days ago on the 7 o’clock news.
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2015/s4408012.htm
TED Talk: Capitalism will eat democracy — unless we speak up
I’ve been saying for years that democracy is anathema to democracy. The selling of our assets and the signing of the TPPA against our will is proof enough of that.
Draco
NZ’s parliamentary democracy doesn’t have sufficient oversight to be a democracy, there is no “upper” house to rationalise the govts activities.
The Turnbull govt has just rejected raising the GST to 15% (a 50% increase), stating that there was NO evidence that it would provide any economic benefits, it would increase unemployment and take money out of the economy, even though the chamber of commerce pushed very hard for the change.
Turnbull polled the idea and found 70% of the population rejected the idea, he recognised that raising the GST would have seen him lose the election in 6 months time.
Even if Turnbull had proceeded with the GST increase and made legislation for it’s provision, the upper house (the senate) would have rejected it outright anyway.
Democracy can work when there are enough checks and balances in place.
Upper Houses don’t actually do that. Just look to the US and UK for proof of that.
Actual democracy would prevent the government acting against our wishes as we would be the government.
“Actual democracy would prevent the government acting against our wishes as we would be the government.”
A democracy, as in NZ only requires a majority to pass any legislation they like, whether it’s good, bad or ugly for society, having two houses, at least, in most cases, weeds out the undesirable aspects of autocratic ruling govts.
The style of govt presently operating in NZ is akin to a “banana republic”
But that just it – it doesn’t. As I said – look to the US and UK which both have upper houses and you can see both poor legislation getting passed and good legislation getting stopped all depending on if the same party controls both houses or one house.
Correct, NZ isn’t a democracy. Democracy is rule by the people, not rule by a few that are owned by the corporations.
Watching Parliament TV on Tuesday, I found this exchange interesting:
…
Dr Kennedy Graham: Will the Prime Minister commit not to introduce and pass any Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement-related legislation until the US Congress has ratified the agreement?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No.
…
Dr Kennedy Graham: If the US Congress does not pass the TPP agreement, will he guarantee to reverse all the changes that his Government may have made to our legislation?
Rt Hon JOHN KEY: This might come as a shock to the member, but this is a free-trade agreement between, in this particular instance, 12 countries. One of those countries is the United States—the member is clearly very wound up about that—but if the United States does not ratify the legislation then it is null and void with the United States, in which case we do not have anything to worry about.
http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/41510
My understanding is that if the US has not ratified within 2 years then the whole deal is cancelled, because the 85% of GDP threshold has not been reached.
I would then assume that if the deal is cancelled, trade barriers/tariffs (and any benefits) will not change.
If we have changed our laws (copyright, pharmaceuticals etc) and the Government does not reverse the law changes if the agreement fails, then we end up with the costs but none of the benefits?
Please correct any of my incorrect assumptions.
Also, are the details of the proposed law changes public yet? I had a quick search around but couldn’t find anything.
I heard commentary on that the other day too, and I basically think two things. One is that National have an undeclared agenda in putting the legislation through now, and two, they’re liars so anything Key says should be taken with a grain fo salt.
+1
“but if the United States does not ratify the legislation then it is null and void with the United States, in which case we do not have anything to worry about.”
Not sure if this is Freudian slip but it would imply that if the USA does ratify the tppa ,we should be worried.
+1
BREAKING NEWS!
I have an MP who will present the following petition to the House, when it gets back from recess on 1 March 2016.
“That the House conduct an urgent inquiry into the alleged failure of Auckland Council to comply with their statutory duties regarding spatial planning, particularly the requirement to involve and consult with the communities of Auckland, regarding amendments to the spatial plan, as outlined in the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009.”
This should help focus the minds of those on Auckland Council who wish to keep ‘defending the indefensible’?
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
Submissions open on all the TPP legislation requirements now (including “International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the purposes of Patent Procedure… recognises the deposit of microorganisms to enable patent protection” What is that??? Sounds hideous. Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee… Anyway its all up now rolling on the after hours parliament tv… they all close on 11 March tho so get your skates on.
Patents Amendment Bill
International Treaty examination of the TPPA
International Treaty examination of the WIPO Copyright Treaty
International Treaty examination of the Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
Patents TPP Attorneys and Other Matters Bill … amendment to the grounds on which someone can oppose the grant of a patent under TPPA
All close 11 March!
Also tucked in there is the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill “…resource managment system that achieves sustainable management…efficient way” you can only guess what National thinks that is. (closes 24 March)
And if that wasn’t enough they are also asking for submissions to the ‘inquiry into the future of NZ mobility… changing transport techology…enhance productivity in the economy..” Let me just presume this isn’t about helping NZ Railways.. (got till April fools day for this one).
And if the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade committee weren’t busy enough then there is all this other for consideration… how many people are they employing right now?
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/sc/details/foreign-affairs/00DBHOH_BBSC_SCFDT_1/business-before-the-foreign-affairs-defence-and-trade
The link to the pdf files of the TPPA (they actually have it up instead of the normal ‘contact the owner’ thing that is normally there so yay for that…
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/presented/papers/51HOHTPPAdocs1/trans-pacific-partnership-agreement-tppa
3 weeks to do 7 submissions, on some 16,000 pages of treaty… Good luck and God Bless each and every one of you!
In other words, not near enough time for the people of NZ to actually read and discuss what’s happening. Another rush job by this government for the benefit of offshore corporations.
Thanks Gael for that extensive and helpful comment.
And thanks DTB for putting the situation so clearly. Heartbreaking that we have this situation for ordinary citizens. Neo liberalism as I understand says that the decision of the public guides what is done commercially, and that decision will be correct when the public is fully informed about the product or action being planned.
So with absolute certainty that we can never get through all this guff or understand it, and with a sly understanding that the politicians themselves don’t understand it all, and even the lobbying corporations who drew up most of the legals don’t understand all the ramifications, except that they will be maintained as a wealthy powerful corporations, we get this farce. It is similar to releasing thousands of flag designs to the public when the puppet master knows that the in-group favour three or four which will be promoted as The People’s Choice in due time.
Whatever we do in all sincerity and anxiety, we cannot get to the dark heart of this legal maze. When Harry Potter succeeded in his task of getting to the centre of his maze, he was magically whipped away by Voldermoort? and was on the edge of extinction, but kept his strength and humanity to get away and also take back his dead friend to his parents. What will we manage to do to cope with the dark lords in power? And don’t laugh and say how fanciful, that would only label you immediately as a fool; thoughtless, stupid, ignorant.