Just been scared of the implications of a Bill rushed through Parliament yesterday regarding the Payment of Families caring for Severely Handicapped Act. (Paraphrased)
Andrew Geddis on Pundit explains it well:
You simply tell the Human Rights Review Tribunal and the courts that they are not allowed to look at the policy and decide whether or not it is unlawfully discriminatory. That’s just what the Government is seeking to get Parliament to do under section 70E(2):
[When this law kicks in], no complaint based in whole or in part on a specified allegation [that the policy unlawfully discriminates] may be made to the Human Rights Commission, and no proceedings based in whole or in part on a specified allegation [that the policy unlawfully discriminates] may be commenced or continued in any court or tribunal.
Yeah it’s crazy. It’s the same bullying, cartel-loving psychology, that Torys are so comfortable with,
which we keep seeing in this 2nd term over and over again. Same with the GCSB law changes. Same with the reaction to NZPower. Same with offshore mining protest laws, etc.
You ain’t seen nothing yet, they’ve got their media mates onside and their chosen leader out front of labour so they will go from strength the strength with every move emboldening them for the next one.
A hitch appears to be how unhinged Shonkey gets all too easily, he wouldn’t know what serious pressure was and buckles under the power puff efforts the nz MSM toss in his direction.
I see this as another foot on the neck of advocacy for better government support of people struggling with getting fair resources. The government wants to silence the ordinary people from asking for more, because it distracts them and diverts money away from ..dah dah ‘the job and wealth creators’.
This is a piece that David Farrar put up about advocacy groups being put out of the Charities Act. (Recently applied to SST I think, and probably similar to the cases in the USA where the IRS was scrutinising the loony Right too much for gaining unfair tax advantages.)
Greens support lobby groups being charities
November 18th, 2012 at 7:00 am by David Farrar
On the one hand the Greens rail against lobbyists, yet on the other hand they say they should be able to be tax free charities. I guess the difference is whether or not they agree with them.
Green MP Denise Roche blogs::
Community organisations already spend much of their time advocating. They shouldn’t be excluded from getting charitable status (and tax exemption) because of this. Organisations of long standing repute including the National Council of Women have been denied charitable status on the basis that advocacy is their primary purpose. Advocacy is not currently deemed a ‘charitable purpose’ under the Act, and therefore they are denied tax exemption for donations.
And this is how it should be. Lobby groups should not be escaping tax. The National Council of Women is one of the most prolific lobby groups in New Zealand. It puts in a submission on almost every single bill before Parliament. Now good on them for being politically active, but allowing them to be a registered charity would be allowing any organisation to be a charity. Would we accept Business NZ being a registered charity?
On the back of the government’s announcement I have drafted a simple Private Member’s Bill to write advocacy into the definition of charitable purpose in the Charities Act as an ancillary purpose. I’ve been holding off for ages because I kept hearing that there would be a review and this would be the main focus of it.
That will make it open slater for every political lobby group in New Zealand to gain charitable tax status.
So government cannot discriminate for those wanting consideration for the strugglers, but no doubt has it’s door wide open to the robber barons and the fatnecks.
The Act comes into force in October. The use of urgency is an absolute affront. And it is that bad that Finlayson actually certified it breached the NZBOR.
Where is Farrar and Slater? I thought they were concerned about unconstitutional behaviour. The issues they jumped up and down about were minor in comparison.
Kim Hill had some good interviews today, started with Jeremy Scahill, and a brave Russian journalist who has been living in Boston and was a mine of information.
Something you can’t get much of in Russia. If the powers that be don’t like your reportage of them they take over your television station or exile you. One such exile went to Britain was found hanged in March this year apparently. The guy who was given radioactive polonium was a failure of that assassination project. He didn’t die quickly enough and lived for a week, which gave the boffins time to check all known possibilities. They found out the cause on his last day. Poor bloke! Society in Russia has been broken down so much over so many years that it is hard for better human standards to come to the fore then prevail.
I guess that’s the modern way. In Britain Margaret Thatcher was announcing a goal as a present reality when she said that there is no such thing as society.
Something you can’t get much of in Russia. If the powers that be don’t like your reportage of them they take over your television station or exile you.
Indeed, in the USA the Justice Dept simply takes journalists’ phone records and tracks down media informants and sources.
btw opposition political party views, coverage of protests and criticisms of Putin’s govt is common on Russian media. As long as you don’t go too far 🙂
Already banned in St Petersburg. And Pussy Riot etc etc So it would appear “too far” isn’t very far at all. Nor am I aware of the US making a habit of assassinating exiled dissidents (if they even have such a thing) with Polonium 210.
interesting review of a biography of Putin on RNZ this morning; “he picks ‘brawls’, withdraws, then starts the fight again at a later time”, was the interesting characterization.
No, Obama uses drones for individuals he doesn’t like, or military coups for governments that try the wrong sort of democracy. In the case of Bradley Manning, I’m sure he’d love to be exiled.
Matt
The USA is a different country, but their methods are not too dissimilar to those of Russia, and have been deteriorating I think since Russia threw out its form of communism. Now the USA doesn’t have to have better standards than the communists – the slogan is Let’s go for maxing the money, who cares what we do. Same in Britain.
When Washington stars taking over TV stations and exiling dissidents, you might have a point, but nah. Certainly the US is nowhere as free as its propaganda would have the world believe, but it’s considerably less violent and oppressive of its citizens than Russia is.
It’s a moot point that USA is less violent than Russia. It just has a different way of doing things. They thought up extraordinary rendition themselves. Declaring war on others. Driving citizens into criminals with harsh drug laws. Accepting prison rape as regular behaviour, kidnapping girls, shooting too many people. I don’t know how the stats mount up compared to other advanced, civilised countries.
So for all those champions of the U-S-A. Keep chanting, if it makes you feel better
Appeared to work in Boston, while the city was being used to test the reaction of deliberate overkill, via the military complex take-over on the streets!
“Kim Hill had some good interviews today, started with Jeremy Scahill, and a brave Russian journalist who has been living in Boston and was a mine of information”
She did – then some vacuous silly bitch called Nancy popped up and tried (unsuccessfully) to derail her – asking Kim to provide her with the giblets she wanted to hear (from a nuZull spektiv).
(Kim persevered with the email – as listener-feedback. I’m afraid it was all about Nancy)
Nancy only wants to hear things that DIRECTLY affect her from a Nu Zull spektiv). Thankfully Natrad has apparently lost Nancy’s undivided attention – she’ll probably have to slum it on talk-back radio.
Natrad is Natrad – except between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
I’m picking Nancy will find solace with the utterly exceptional, EVERY person’s best friend: Jim MORA – and probably, of geatest interest: The Panel, or perhaps that lady with isss yoos – whatshername?…. dear old Keth – ladyskin of the Parliamentary 4th Estate Gallery, who we can trust to represent our best interests.
Not much left on the MSM aye! (Bee!). Thank Christ for weekends, and nights on Natrad.
.
Tim
Yeah Kim is a feisty thing. I love her even when there is something I don’t. A lot of people have never heard or thought about what a good interview is, and how they are done so they are all interesting and not just a list of questions with ten second replies – and which is your favourite whatever?
And it is funny and sad to hear the various moaning minnies and vicious vernons who want to cut her off at the knees. Nancy wasn’t my fancy. Silly woman was talking about wanting information of importance to NZs! Who make our money from selling goods – Overseas, so we can buy just about everything we use from- Overseas. I heard that when you travelled through international airports you had your shoes checked and you couldn’t carry liquids more than 100ml after the terrorist attacks by people from Overseas. Yes, Nancy there are all sorts of reasons to think that Overseas matters from non-fashionable countries are worth noting by us.
Tim don’t be too hard on 9to Noon, some good stuff there. And don’t forget Checkpoint after work. Just turn on at 10 to five and suffer the last of Jim Mora’s panel of beauts, and there may be a gem if you look hard enough, and then the lemonade goes away and the hard stuff gets served.
I attended a couple of Govt “consultation” meetings recentlyabout their proposed changes to the RMA – and these changes are BIG, prominent on economic growth and allowing business (, developers, mining ?) a much easier pathway through the resource consent process, and dismissive of environmental or social/community concerns. This is a hugely important issue for everyone who cares about the environment and what this Govt intends to do in the future to our lovely land.
Please pass on the details of these RMA information meetings being organised by the Green Party, and their Climate Change conference in Wellington, to anyone you know living in these areas.
Stand up for the Environment: RMA meetings
The Government’s proposed changes to the Resource Management Act undermine local democracy and environmental sustainability.
Join Green MP Eugenie Sage and guest speakers for a panel discussion on changes to the RMA and what they mean for local democracy in your community and New Zealand’s environment.
Hamilton When: Monday, May 20, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:15pm Where: Richardson Room at Child Matters, 480 Anglesea Street Hamilton
Nelson When: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm Where:Trafalgar Park Pavillion, 30 Trafalgar Street Nelson
Invercargill When: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm Where:Central Library, 50 Dee Street (Northern side entrance) Invercargill
Palmerston North When: Thursday, May 30, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm Where: Globe Theatre, 312 Main St. Palmerston North
Whanganui When: Thursday, June 6, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm, Email Eugenie Sage at Parliament for address details
Climate change conference When: Friday, June 7, 2013 – 9:00am – 4.30pm
Where: Legislative Council Chamber, Parliament
Kennedy Graham hosts a one-day climate change conference in Parliament on 7th June, with the aim of fostering cross-party and public dialogue on climate change. The conference will feature leading scientists, policy analysts, civil society, and private sector representatives, and will finish with a cross-party political panel. The conference is open to all who wish to attend. Registration is now open via the following link: http://meetingthechallenge.eventbrite.co.nz/#
from the debate on the Crown Minerals Amendment Act, Amendment Bill, Committee Stage Pt,1;
Chris Hipkins- “Simon Bridges stuffed up”, then “the Labour Party does support exploration”.
(Jacinda appeared intoxicated, not, intoxicating).
Sue Moroney- “an applicant who does not have “expertise” will be granted.
Little- amendment “splits Health and Safety, Environmental, from the Prospecting application stage, with applicants only needing to demonstrate that they are “likely” to have technical and financial capability, onus on the applicant”;effectively permits foot-in-the-door, rig on the ground.
Street- 37,000 submissions, 32,000 on provided forms, 5000 unique submissions, ALL NOT CONSIDERED; “Bridges afraid of public opinion”.
Hughes-“no Select Committee Stage”.
Robertson- effectively “it is now up to the Minister to determine if Health and Safety, Environmental requirements are met by new (unknown) players.
Likely to be a bureaucratic oversight, but be assured that the Chinese are playing this for every advantage. After all, it would be a shame for Chinese authorities to have to order the dumping of $2M worth of NZ red meat outside the harbour due to bad paperwork?
Dv
I noted one of the fast changing government entities on the Budget Roundup the other night. The truth about this Chinese matter is no doubt the old saw that constant restructuring loses efficiency and effectiveness as senior positions go, and institutional methods disappear.
The entry for beehive.govt.nz of 1/6/2010 set out the situation for Wayne Mapp who was the Minister of the Department through its changing monikers. (He is now in Russia, up to what?)
The Minister of Science and Innovation on 1/6/2010 has become –
the Minister of Research, Science and Technology, and from 1 July 2012
this will be the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The government workers can’t provide quality of work and effectiveness when they are being downsized in numbers and re-arranged like pieces in a kaleidoscope.
The trouble is that the political approach has grown to regard the country as a toy, or a potent cocktail that is to be both shaken and stirred. Unfortunately that is dragging up toxic ingredients from the sludge at the bottom of the hourglass.
There was a sugestion one of the reports that the chinese were using the “stuff up” to protect their own markets.
That idea would seem to have some currency as why are the nacts so quiet, guy has not returned any calls, and if it was a ‘simple stuff up,why would it take month to sort?
Dv
Yes that what I thought. The day after they heard about it the gummint trouble shooter for exports to Asia should have had tickets and accommodation for two nights booked and do something to help us sell our things – what we have to do and do and do. F..ks sake thinking she’ll be right and why don’t they read the docs and I’ve explained it over the phone to Mr Li or whoever and he says he understands but then I get another call. It isn’t enough. Some extra effort needed. Go with urgency like the government is using in the House.
Zespri, far from being an innocent party as it has claimed, knew its system for invoicing kiwifruit shipments to China was likely illegal the Star-Times has discovered.
Documents show the Mt Maunganui-based company was worried New Zealand Customs would discover what it was doing and alert its China counterparts.
Sources have revealed that staff tried to warn management that the dual invoicing was a big risk, but were ignored.
Maybe the chinese are now very suspicious ofdocumentation from NZ and that is why the sorting out is slow.
I really wish politicians on the left would put paid to this endless bullshit about taxpayers. Brian Gaynor is another repeating the lies about the top taxpayers;
“The top end of the employment market is strong and this benefits the Crown’s tax take as individuals on $80,000 or more account for 49 per cent of total income tax even though they represent only 11 per cent of the total work force by number”
He likely would have gotten his info from this source;
Those ‘taxpayers’ look to be every individual with an IRD number. It clearly includes all welfare beneficiaries; OAPs, DPB, Dole, Invalids etc. Even a quick glance shows a further 260,000 people with zero income and rather obviously not paying any tax yet these people keep including them all in this so-called ‘workforce’ of 3.375 million.
The true workforce is only around 2million which would make those on $80,000+ around 18% of the workforce by number.
The inclusion of beneficiaries in tax statistics is seriously skewing the numbers because they’ll nearly all appear in the lower income groups and distort the real facts about who pays tax.
Fat Cop
all these Fast-Food workers coming forward confirming how Police accept free fast-food “backhanders” for free security, while the Policeman arrested on P work for the Head Hunters delivered drugs in uniform, in his police-car; his wife a DHB clinician, knowingly spending the proceeds. Bad Boys!
Schools employ Hollywood movies to assist kids to (passively) read. Imagine Dragons ; Radioactive
for example, avoiding paying your student loan can lead to your grades going from 40K to over 100K
(where the bloody hell are ya)
got them High Hopes?
Research finds residential sales, 8% to foreign buyers but “it will grow”.
In Auckland, to address housing, 1/2 of suburbs permitted to be in-filled with buildings of Three Stories (Mixed-Housing Zone) and buildings can exceed 4, 5 and 6 stories in Terraced and Apartment Zones; non-notified, restricted discretionary (regulatory) activity.
Liked this from David Shearer, (National), “full of big-noters, show-boaters and no-hopers”
From Russell Norman- (The Budget) “is a debt train-wreck”!!!
for The Al1en /s (“Cumberbitches”, now there is a generous man) Interestingly, ST, Into Darkness portrays a Shadowplay between the two main protagonists…
Swings and roundabouts; Key knows we’re heading for the bottom, and he’s riding us, yes he’s riding us; The Camptown ladies sing this song Do dah, Do dah. Screaming Trees, “calling me back to my skin”. Isn’t it funny how we dance along the edge of the Pro-lab Dune like Matchstick Men. Thanks for the Trim. Silence is Golden listening to the current On The Radio; Pictures of Lilly, lilly eli Lilly. the Cider House rules, for now Paint the whole world with a Rainbow, Satellite Above. Grease is the word is the word that you heard, it’s got meaning I was walking in the park just the other night Baby (it’s You) , whatta ya think I saw (I’ll leave the light on, easier to feel the fine tolerances), Here, have a banana.
(1)11 is a joke, ring the po-leece and get burgled, double-up, while they come to buy, flavouring the flow, there’s not a minute to spare. Don’t Worry, Be Happy, Swedish House Mafia will “Save The World”, “it’s time that you stop being so important”, We are Scientists, after all, Stylo, is this love electronic? No Problem /s to report on any of the major interchanges, a million miles away you signal in the distance to whom it may concern, learning to walk again, learning to talk again. Those Flaming Lips sing it, yeah, yeah, yeah, Check yo’self ‘fore you wreck yourself, cos shotgun bullets are bad for your health.
-just a little Logo nTherapy, now, Lets Talk About trevor. without Warning, The Wizard walks by, casting his shadow, weaving his spell, funny clothes, tinkling bell. Sleep Comes Down (the Devilskin, never see the light). These are the tells, of love, and loss, and love; love based on a true story, all I do is keep the beat and the Bad Company. Chelsea Princess, Repetition.
-“the world is not a miserable prison; a playground for a non-stop tournament between stupidity and imagination”.
-James Broughton
Show (them) How to Live.
Moby said “we are all made of stars”, and I agree.
ST – The way socialists should want the world to turn out like… After we finish saving it, that is.
Social justice and equality that bypasses nations for the common good.
Why does the future have to taste of dystopia?
cos’ it’s in the ‘scriptures’ and that is what is ingrained in the cultural-historically derived psyches of the collective; “be a good (capitalist, follower of the authorities, individualist, make the Right choices, work hard, gain the credentials, solve the angst of the childless couple with IVF, eat your weeties, fence off those ‘others’ etc) and you will, literally, go to heaven, or damn the lot of you. Nietzsche, the most influential Western philosopher read it before it all unfolded, Confucius and Lao Tzu prescribed what would be necessary, Ellul (amongst others, like Huxley) prophecied what would unfold, Philip K. Dick wrote the story, J.J Abrams directed the film, Jesus Christ offered to set us free (The Kingdom of heaven is within you) and John (alongside others, Greer et al;) watched.
well, the only MPs who appear to have the integrity to stand up to “big corporate” globalization are Green and on the back-burners of Labour; the Right are certainly putting the screws on though, unprecedented High Stakes; wait until the next “Act of God”, environmental disaster “act of man” occurs, then there will be some panic.
Hold all the balls in your mind at once and you can see the Dark Art at work.
I recall hearing a few snippets on the news a few weeks ago re Key suggesting that the government may be willing to finance or part finance a new conference centre in Queenstown. At the time, it seemed weird as there was also indications that the money to build the centre was already sorted. Sorry, don’t have time to find a link right now.
From this latest news item, it seems that “Sky City already owns another casino in Queenstown and is in a consortium which is the preferred group to build a convention centre there.”
So, is the Queenstown situation tied in with the Government’s deal for Auckland?
And they boast about having a bit of a casino monopoly
Entertainment is our core business. SKYCITY has a strong and enviable collection of assets, including some of the most significant urban monopoly casino licences in New Zealand and Australia.
tc
You are right about the eyesore in Christchurch. To get an attractive building in Auckland the citizens up there will have to be in control of the design or it might look like a prison, the one in Christchurch was sterile on the outside.
Nice one Russel Norman. Just referred to Gerry as ‘The Colossus of Roads”. It’s interesting about that petrol tax to be raised. The infrastructure that it should be spent on is public rail and Gisborne line. It’s important that good transport is available to all the regions.
It has been obvious that some people live in a different world than the rest of us.
One where Chicago school economics work! One where you save the village by blowing it up! One where global warming can be stopped, Canute-like, by legislation. One where dropping wages and giving everything to bloated financiers, makes us better off! One where removing money from an economy makes it work better. One where every country is going to get rich by out exporting every other country. One where enabling greater inequality than the dark ages, works!
The one with the trickle down fairy. “Give us the money and we will pee on you”.
The market fairy. “Leave it to the market and we will cut your wages,impoverish your children, and tell you it is a brighter future”.
The Austerity fairy. “We will become better off by becoming poorer”.
The catching-up-with-Australia fairy. “We will catch up with Australia by doing almost the opposite of everything they have done”.
The Democracy fairy. “We will let you vote, to change the names in Government, or on a few social issues which do not affect our making money off you, but not to make any meaningful changes to the way the country is run”.
The privatisation fairy. “We will ensure that the NZ current account is forever in deficit, by selling all the income earning assets”
The debt fairy. “We will cut debt by borrowing $300mill a week, to pay for unaffordable tax cuts, to pay for our Hawaii holidays”.
The Job fairy. ” We will increase the number of jobs by putting thousands out of work, and cutting the unemployment benefit”.
The “We support business” fairy. While ensuring New Zealanders have no money to buy from local businesses, and increasing small businesses costs.
The better future fairy. “We will give you a better future by paying you less, charging you more and cutting services”.
It is pretty obvious which side of the political spectrum is on another planet. Planet Key!
I watched last night, as the government forced through its outrageous anti-protest legislation, formally and preposterously entitled The Crown Minerals Act Amendment Bill 2013 Amendment Bill. Labour and the Greens put up a string of serious, well prepared speakers: Gareth Hughes, Andrew Little, Grant Robertson, Moana Mackey, Chris Hipkins and Maryan Street. After insultingly brief and inadequate speeches by two of its lesser lights, Sam Lotu-Liga and Mark Mitchell, National just sat it out; as well as having no arguments, they had nobody capable of mounting any coherent defence of this assault on our democracy.
The man responsible for this disastrous legislation, Simon Bridges, was in the house, and was asked by every speaker to get up and answer for himself; he was obviously just not up to it. A couple of times the cameras cut to him, furtively shuffling (but not reading) papers, with a perplexed and pained expression.
Mozza, I very much doubt Simon Bridges is responsible for anything, other than bending over on request, being a sock-puppet, a traitor and a coward, who is the servant to the masters…
The masters are not likely to be onshore in NZ, and I would doubt that the core protagonists in the house, see themselves as NZ’ers!
Yeah…….wee Simon’s a puppy who yaps and drools on demand. Not an ounce of balls in him. Former Crown prosecutor you see……it’s all about “winning” and putting people behind bars, deservedly or not, as a reflex. No broad morality. He just follows orders.
Heaps of regard to the perks and the travel and the handsome stipend and the pension however. Prick. Not a gram of principle in him. Lacking balls and principle. Interested only in being a “darling”.
I agree that Bridges is the stooge rather than the instigator; however he is the minister responsible for this, even if it is really Steven Joyce and Peter Goodfellow pulling his strings. If Bridges had an ounce of integrity, he would have resigned by now, but he has stayed on to front this terrible legislation. He will bear the full blame for it eventually, and he doesn’t deserve any sympathy.
And some comments, like “all I can see now are a pair of rubber tits”.
Words fail me. Looking at Roughan’s column, I asked myself, “What kind of animal writes this shit?” and then I read the comments to get the answer: the sort who… never mind, I don’t want to articulate my answer fully.
Roughan…….big fish little pond fuckwit. Intrusiveness is his right…….because he’s big fish little pond fuckwit Roughan with a platform alongside equally egocentric fools. New Zealand is so sick in that regard.
I took it to be largely tongue in cheek. You might remember Clare Curran was thrown out because she wore a football jersey (or some such garment) about a year ago. I thought there might have been a bit of tit for tat going on. Agree though… it was rather stupid.
Andrew Little’s point of order appeared to be quite serious. And for that, ridiculous. The guy needs to get a life. If he wanted to comment on dress, he should have congratulated Gareth Hughes from the Greens who looked particularly fetching (seriously) in his grey suit and black tie, and his speech was impressive too 🙂
Re Little.I was interested that TV3 (I think) picked up on that and costed out the amount that the time taken to deal with the jersey issue would have cost the taxpayer.Can’t remember what it came to, but I don’t understand why the same attention is never given to key when he nuts off on one of his kindy tantrums.Must be costing us a lot more money for the time he wastes.
I wonder why, if Little was gonna raise a point of order about dress at all, he didn’t have a go at Tony-Ryall-Neighbour-Of-Susan.
Note I’m not saying Tones wears a dress. I’m saying that recidivistly he daily commits fashion crime, what with his pinstripes up against checked tablecloth shirts. You gotta go for the real criminals Little.
Not Auchinvole or Sockinhole or whatever his name is. He seemed to love the attention anyway. Compared to Tones he was sartorial inoffensiveness defined.
Re why TV3 made a point of it ? Maybe Mr Bean’s Cuzzy Power (Trip) Gower is personally, darkly, “really angry” about the carry-on in the House and will next cost out the time consumed by ShonKey Python’s rhubarbs, can’t recalls, throat slitting gestures and risible expressions and non-expressions of confidence in Botox Banks.
Oh, Poor Paddy, it’s such a burden being part of the story with the weight of the nation upon him, Gilmore “lying to ME”, Steven Joyce calling HIM aside – “Look PADDY, it’s like this……..”, having to LICK ShonKey’s arse.
Lewis examines a number of hypotheses, from rising incomes to growing female literacy. Those are all moderately correlated with the decline in birthrates and could help explain the shift. But, curiously enough, nothing seems to match up with the trends as neatly as the growth in TV ownership and media exposure.
Television in developing countries is also correlated with:
– reduced acceptability of domestic violence
– reduced son preference
– increased female autonomy
The study thinks it might be more than rising incomes, but television is actually changing cultural norms. (Now there’s a debate that’s been a first world problem for awhile). I wonder if these developing countries have Snookie and ‘The Only Way is Essex’ 😉
Unlike Dave Dobbin, who doesn’t listen to other peoples songs when he’s writing, I will if it’s asked of me 😉
That’s a very spinal tap looking vid. Cut and blow dries for all 😆
The tv series the history of rock (was on prime ages ago at least twice) has an interview with one of the kinks, saying how he used to cut up his speaker cones to get them to distort.
I’d hate to guess what I’d have to slit to get a decent vocal sound.
Thank goodness for software.
“I’m not a number; Ooh, that’s why I’m easy, I’m easy like a Sunday morning.
I’ve paid my dues to make it
I’m not happy when I try to fake it, no
I wanna be free to know
The things I do are right”.
(been some investment)
“Haven’t changed, haven’t much to ‘say’
Plenty of unused thoughts to give away,
Hardly ever Blue, is a greeting from a friend.”
Back in 2016, the Portuguese government announced plans to stop burning coal by 2030. But progress has come much quicker, and they're now scheduled to close their last coal plant by the end of this year: The Sines coal plant in Portugal went offline at midnight yesterday evening (14 ...
The Sincerest Form Of Flattery: As anybody with the intestinal fortitude to brave the commentary threads of local news-sites, large and small, will attest, the number of Trump-supporting New Zealanders is really quite astounding. IT’S SO DIFFICULT to resist the temptation to be smug. From the distant perspective of New Zealand, ...
RNZ reports on continued arbitrariness on decisions at the border. British comedian Russell Howard is about to tour New Zealand and other acts allowed in through managed isolation this summer include drag queen RuPaul and musicians at Northern Bass in Mangawhai and the Bay Dreams festival. The vice-president of the ...
As families around the world mourn more than two million people dead from Covid-19, the Plan B academics and their PR industry collaborator continue to argue that the New Zealand government should stop focusing on our managed isolation and quarantine system and instead protect the elderly so that they can ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 10, 2021 through Sat, Jan 16, 2021Editor's ChoiceNASA says 2020 tied for hottest year on record — here’s what you can do to helpPhoto by Michael Held on Unsplash ...
Health authorities in Norway are reporting some concerns about deaths in frail elderly after receiving their COVID-19 vaccine. Is this causally related to the vaccine? Probably not but here are the things to consider. According to the news there have been 23 deaths in Norway shortly after vaccine administration and ...
Happy New Year! No, experts are not concerned that “…one of New Zealand’s COIVD-1( vaccines will fail to protect the country” Here is why. But first I wish to issue an expletive about this journalism (First in Australia and then in NZ). It exhibits utter failure to actually truly consult ...
All nations have shadows; some acknowledge them. For others they shape their image in uncomfortable ways.The staunch Labour supporter was in despair at what her Rogernomics Government was doing. But she finished ‘at least, we got rid of Muldoon’, a response which tells us that then, and today, one’s views ...
Grigori GuitchountsIn November, Springer Nature, one of the world’s largest publishers of scientific journals, made an attention-grabbing announcement: More than 30 of its most prestigious journals, including the flagship Nature, will now allow authors to pay a fee of US$11,390 to make their papers freely available for anyone to read ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe, Henry Jacoby, Richard Richels, and Benjamin Santer Imagine a major climate change law passing the U.S. Congress unanimously? Don’t bother. It turns out that you don’t need to imagine it. Get this: The Global Change Research Act of 1990 was passed ...
“They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”WHO CAN FORGET the penultimate scene of the 1956 movie classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The wild-eyed doctor, stumbling down the highway, trying desperately to warn his fellow citizens: “They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”Ostensibly science-fiction, the movie ...
TheOneRing.Net has got its paws on the official synopsis of the upcoming Amazon Tolkien TV series. It’s a development that brings to mind the line about Sauron deliberately releasing Gollum from the dungeons of Barad-dûr. Amazon knew exactly what they were doing here, in terms of drumming up publicity: ...
Since Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953, US presidents have joined an informal club intended to provide support - and occasionally rivalry - between those few who have been ‘leaders of the free world’. Donald Trump, elected on a promise to ‘drain the swamp’ and a constant mocker of his predecessors, ...
For over a decade commentators have noted the rise of a new brand of explicitly ideological politics throughout the world. By this they usually refer to the re-emergence of national populism and avowedly illiberal approaches to governance throughout the “advanced” democratic community, but they also extend the thought to the ...
The US House of Representatives has just impeached Donald Trump, giving him the dubious honour of being the only US President to be impeached twice. Ten Republicans voted for impeachement, making it the most bipartisan impeachment ever. The question now is whether the Senate will rise to the occasion, and ...
Kieren Mitchell; Alice Mouton, Université de Liège; Angela Perri, Durham University, and Laurent Frantz, Ludwig Maximilian University of MunichThanks to the hit television series Game of Thrones, the dire wolf has gained a near-mythical status. But it was a real animal that roamed the Americas for at least 250,000 ...
Tide of tidal data rises Having cast our own fate to include rising sea level, there's a degree of urgency in learning the history of mean sea level in any given spot, beyond idle curiosity. Sea level rise (SLR) isn't equal from one place to another and even at a particular ...
Well, some of those chickens sure came home bigly, didn’t they… and proceeded to shit all over the nice carpet in the Capitol. What we were seeing here are societal forces that have long had difficulty trying to reconcile people to the “idea” of America and the reality of ...
In the wake of Donald Trump's incitement of an assault on the US capitol, Twitter finally enforced its terms of service and suspended his account. They've since followed that up with action against prominent QAnon accounts and Trumpers, including in New Zealand. I'm not unhappy with this: Trump regularly violated ...
Peter S. Ross, University of British ColumbiaThe Arctic has long proven to be a barometer of the health of our planet. This remote part of the world faces unprecedented environmental assaults, as climate change and industrial chemicals threaten a way of life for Inuit and other Indigenous and northern ...
Susan St John makes the case for taxing a deemed rate of return on excessive real estate holdings (after a family home exemption), to redirect scarce housing resources to where they are needed most. Read the full article here ...
I’m less than convinced by arguments that platforms like Twitter should be subject to common carrier regulation preventing them from being able to decide who to keep on as clients of their free services, and who they would not like to serve. It’s much easier to create competition for the ...
The hypocritical actions of political leaders throughout the global Covid pandemic have damaged public faith in institutions and governance. Liam Hehir chronicles the way in which contemporary politicians have let down the public, and explains how real leadership means walking the talk. During the Blitz, when German bombs were ...
Over the years, we've published many rebuttals, blog posts and graphics which came about due to direct interactions with the scientists actually carrying out the underlying research or being knowledgable about a topic in general. We'll highlight some of these interactions in this blog post. We'll start with two memorable ...
Yesterday we had the unseemly sight of a landleech threatening to keep his houses empty in response to better tenancy laws. Meanwhile in Catalonia they have a solution for that: nationalisation: Barcelona is deploying a new weapon in its quest to increase the city’s available rental housing: the power ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters, PhD The 2020 global wildfire season brought extreme fire activity to the western U.S., Australia, the Arctic, and Brazil, making it the fifth most expensive year for wildfire losses on record. The year began with an unprecedented fire event ...
NOTE: This is an excerpt from a digital story – read the full story here.Tess TuxfordKo te Kauri Ko Au, Ko te Au ko Kauri I am the kauri, the kauri is me Te Roroa proverb In Waipoua Forest, at the top of the North Island, New ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Coming attraction: IPCC's upcoming major climate assessmentLook for more emphasis on 'solutions,' efforts by cities, climate equity ... and outlook for emissions cuts in ...
Ringing A Clear Historical Bell: The extraordinary images captured in and around the US Capitol Building on 6 January 2021 mirror some of the worst images of America's past.THERE IS A SCENE in the 1982 movie Missing which has remained with me for nearly 40 years. Directed by the Greek-French ...
To impact or not to impeach? I understand why some of those who are justifiably aghast at Trump’s behaviour over recent days might still counsel against impeaching him for a second time. To impeach him, they argue, would run the risk of making him a martyr in the eyes of ...
The Capitol Building, Washington DC, Wednesday, 6 January 2021. Oh come, my little one, come.The day is almost done.Be at my side, behold the sightOf evening on the land.The life, my love, is hardAnd heavy is my heart.How should I live if you should leaveAnd we should be apart?Come, let me ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 3, 2021 through Sat, Jan 9, 2021Editor's ChoiceAfter the Insurrection: Accountability, Reform, and the Science of Democracy The poisonous lies and enablers of sedition--including Senator Hawley, pictured ...
This article, guest authored by Prof. Angela Gallego-Sala & Dr. Julie Loisel, was originally published on the Carbon Brief website on Dec 21, 2020. It is reposted below in its entirety. Click here to access the original article and comments. Peatlands Peatlands are ecosystems unlike any other. Perpetually saturated, their ...
The assault on the US Capitol and constitutional crisis that it has caused was telegraphed, predictable and yet unexpected and confusing. There are several subplots involved: whether the occupation of the Michigan State House in May was a trial run for the attacks on Congress; whether people involved in the ...
On Christmas Eve, child number 1 spotted a crack in a window. It’s a double-glazed window, and inspection showed that the small, horizontal crack was in the outermost pane. It was perpendicular to the frame, about three-quarters of the way up one side. The origins are a mystery. It MIGHT ...
Anne-Marie Broudehoux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Will the COVID-19 pandemic prompt a shift to healthier cities that focus on wellness rather than functional and economic concerns? This is a hypothesis that seems to be supported by several researchers around the world. In many ways, containment and physical distancing ...
Does the US need to strike a grand bargain with like-minded countries to pool their efforts? What does this tell us about today’s global politics? Perhaps the most remarkable editorial of last year was the cover leader of the London Economist on 19 November 2020. Shortly after Joe Biden was ...
Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato and Valmaine Toki, University of WaikatoAotearoa New Zealand likes to think it punches above its weight internationally, but there is one area where we are conspicuously falling behind — the number of sites recognised by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Globally, there are 1,121 ...
An event organised by the Auckland PhilippinesSolidarity group Have a three-course lunch at Nanam Eatery with us! Help support the organic farming of our Lumad communities through the Mindanao Community School Agricultural Foundation. Each ticket is $50. Food will be served on shared plates. To purchase, please email phsolidarity@gmail.com or ...
"Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here." Prisons are places of unceasing emotional and physical violence, unrelieved despair and unforgivable human waste.IT WAS NATIONAL’S Bill English who accurately described New Zealand’s prisons as “fiscal and moral failures”. On the same subject, Labour’s Dr Martyn Findlay memorably suggested that no prison ...
This is a re-post from Inside Climate News by Ilana Cohen. Inside Climate News is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter here. Whether or not people accept the science on Covid-19 and climate change, both global crises will have lasting impacts on health and ...
. . American Burlesque As I write this (Wednesday evening, 6 January), the US Presidential election is all but resolved, confirming Joe Biden as the next President of the (Dis-)United State of America. Trump’s turbulent political career has lasted just four years – one of the few single-term US presidents ...
The session started off so well. Annalax – suitably chastised – spent a pleasant morning with his new girlfriend (he would say paramour, of course, but for our purposes, girlfriend is easier*). He told her about Waking World Drow, and their worship of Her Ladyship. And he started ...
In a recent column I wrote for local newspapers, I ventured to suggest that Donald Trump – in addition to being a liar and a cheat, and sexist and racist – was a fascist in the making and would probably try, if he were to lose the election, to defy ...
When I was preparing for my School C English exam I knew I needed some quotes to splash through my essays. But remembering lines was never my strong point, so I tended to look for the low-hanging fruit. We’d studied Shakespeare’s King Lear that year and perhaps the lowest hanging ...
When I went to bed last night, I was expecting today to be eventful. A lot of pouting in Congress as last-ditch Trumpers staged bad-faith "objections" to a democratic election, maybe some rioting on the streets of Washington DC from angry Trump supporters. But I wasn't expecting anything like an ...
Melted ice of the past answers question today? Kate Ashley and a large crew of coauthors wind back the clock to look at Antarctic sea ice behavior in times gone by, in Mid-Holocene Antarctic sea-ice increase driven by marine ice sheet retreat. For armchair scientists following the Antarctic sea ice situation, something jumps out in ...
Christina SzalinskiWhen Martha Field became pregnant in 2005, a singular fear weighed on her mind. Not long before, as a Cornell University graduate student researching how genes and nutrients interact to cause disease, she had seen images of unborn mouse pups smaller than her pinkie nail, some with ...
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidates for President and Vice President respectively for the US 2020 Election, may have dispensed with the erstwhile nemesis, Trump the candidate – but there are numerous critical openings through which much, much worse many out there may yet see fit to ...
I don’t know Taupō well. Even though I stop off there from time to time, I’m always on the way to somewhere else. Usually Taupō means making a hot water puddle in the gritty sand followed by a swim in the lake, noticing with bemusement and resignation the traffic, the ...
Frances Williams, King’s College LondonFor most people, infection with SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – leads to mild, short-term symptoms, acute respiratory illness, or possibly no symptoms at all. But some people have long-lasting symptoms after their infection – this has been dubbed “long COVID”. Scientists are ...
Last night, a British court ruled that Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the US. Unfortunately, its not because all he is "guilty" of is journalism, or because the offence the US wants to charge him with - espionage - is of an inherently political nature; instead the judge accepted ...
Is the Gender Identity Movement a movement for human liberation, or is it a regressive movement which undermines women’s liberation and promotes sexist stereotypes? Should biological males be allowed to play in women’s sport, use women-only spaces (public toilets, changing rooms, other facilities), be able to have access to everything ...
Ian Whittaker, Nottingham Trent University and Gareth Dorrian, University of BirminghamSpace exploration achieved several notable firsts in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, including commercial human spaceflight and returning samples of an asteroid to Earth. The coming year is shaping up to be just as interesting. Here are some of ...
Michael Head, University of SouthamptonThe UK has become the first country to authorise the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for public use, with roll-out to start in the first week of 2021. This vaccine is the second to be authorised in the UK – following the Pfizer vaccine. The British government ...
So, Boris Johnson has been footering about in hospitals again. We should be grateful, perhaps, that on this occasion the Clown-in-Chief is only (probably) getting in the way and causing distractions, rather than taking up a bed, vital equipment and resources and adding more strain and danger to exhausted staff.Look at ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... SkS in the News... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Many Scientists Now Say Global Warming Could Stop Relatively Quickly After Emissions Go to ZeroThat’s one of several recent ...
The situation in the UK is looking catastrophic.Cases: over *70,000* people who were tested in England on 29th December tested positive. This is *not* because there were more tests on that day. It *is* 4 days after Christmas though, around when people who caught Covid on Christmas Day might start ...
by Don Franks For five days over New Year weekend, sixteen prisoners in the archaic pre WW1 block of Waikeria Prison defied authorities by setting fires and occupying the building’s roof. They eventually agreed to surrender after intervention from Maori party co-leader Rawiri Waititi. A message from the protesting men had stated: ...
Lost Opportunity: The powerful political metaphor of the Maori Party leading the despised and marginalised from danger to safety, is one Labour could have pre-empted by taking the uprising at Waikeria Prison much more seriously. AS WORD OF Rawiri Waititi’s successful intervention in the Waikeria Prison stand-off spreads, the Maori ...
As we welcome in the new year, our focus is on continuing to keep New Zealanders safe and moving forward with our economic recovery. There’s a lot to get on with, but before we say a final goodbye to 2020, here’s a quick look back at some of the milestones ...
Bay Conservation Cadets launched with first intake Supported with $3.5 million grant Part of $1.245b Jobs for Nature programme to accelerate recover from Covid Cadets will learn skills to protect and enhance environment Environment Minister David Parker today welcomed the first intake of cadets at the launch of the Bay ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown have announced passengers from the Cook Islands can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from 21 January, enabling access to essential services such as health. “Following confirmation of the Cook Islands’ COVID ...
Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners to employ staff and contractors in a move aimed at boosting local biodiversity-focused projects, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has announced. It is estimated some 400-plus jobs will be created with employment opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, ...
The Government has approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in stages from April 2021. “Our top priority continues ...
Today’s deal between Meridian and Rio Tinto for the Tiwai smelter to remain open another four years provides time for a managed transition for Southland. “The deal provides welcome certainty to the Southland community by protecting jobs and incomes as the region plans for the future. The Government is committed ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has appointed Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The leader of each APEC economy appoints three private sector representatives to ABAC. ABAC provides advice to leaders annually on business priorities. “ABAC helps ensure that APEC’s work programme is informed by business community perspectives ...
The Government’s prudent fiscal management and strong policy programme in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been acknowledged by the credit rating agency Fitch. Fitch has today affirmed New Zealand’s local currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook and foreign currency rating at AA with a positive ...
The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, it’s clear that ...
$36 million of Government funding alongside councils and others for 19 projects Investment will clean up and protect waterways and create local jobs Boots on the ground expected in Q2 of 2021 Funding part of the Jobs for Nature policy package A package of 19 projects will help clean up ...
The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. “The Battle at Te Ruapekapeka Pā, which took ...
Babies born with tongue-tie will be assessed and treated consistently under new guidelines released by the Ministry of Health, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Around 5% to 10% of babies are born with a tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, in New Zealand each year. At least half can ...
The prisoner disorder event at Waikeria Prison is over, with all remaining prisoners now safely and securely detained, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says. The majority of those involved in the event are members of the Mongols and Comancheros. Five of the men are deportees from Australia, with three subject to ...
Travellers from the United Kingdom or the United States bound for New Zealand will be required to get a negative test result for COVID-19 before departing, and work is underway to extend the requirement to other long haul flights to New Zealand, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. “The new PCR test requirement, foreshadowed last ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has added her warm congratulations to the New Zealanders recognised for their contributions to their communities and the country in the New Year 2021 Honours List. “The past year has been one that few of us could have imagined. In spite of all the things that ...
Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment David Parker has congratulated two retired judges who have had their contributions to the country and their communities recognised in the New Year 2021 Honours list. The Hon Tony Randerson QC has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says the New Year’s Honours List 2021 highlights again the outstanding contribution made by Pacific people across Aotearoa. “We are acknowledging the work of 13 Pacific leaders in the New Year’s Honours, representing a number of sectors including health, education, community, sports, the ...
The Government’s investment in digital literacy training for seniors has led to more than 250 people participating so far, helping them stay connected. “COVID-19 has meant older New Zealanders are showing more interest in learning how to use technology like Zoom and Skype so they can to keep in touch ...
Dairy prices increased by 3.9% across the board at the latest Fonterra global auction. The lift followed rises of 1.3% and 4.3% in the December auctions which took dairy prices to their highest level in 11 months, defying those analysts who believed Covid-19 had disrupted dairy markets. In the latest ...
America's Cup team American Magic has spoken publicly after their boat Patriot capsized when on its way to their first win of the Challenger Selection Series yesterday. Patriot dramatically capsized yesterday, becoming temporarily airborne before crashing back into the water and tipping. The boat, helmed by New Zealander Dean Barker, could not be ...
It’s a seemingly age old question: why do Auckland’s beaches become unswimmable after every single downpour? Stewart Sowman-Lund investigates.Ah, the beach. A staple of the New Zealand summer. Unless, of course, you’re based in Auckland and it’s raining. The start of 2021 has been a lot like every other New ...
We have opened a book, among members of the Point of Order team, on how long it will be before the PM offers to sort out the land dispute at Wellington’s Shelly Bay and (to win the double) how much the settlement will cost taxpayers. Just a few weeks ago ...
Breakfast TV news is back for 2021, and Tara Ward got up early to watch. “Thank god it’s almost Christmas,” John Campbell said during the opening minutes of Breakfast’s premiere episode of the year. “2021’s been rough so far. I’m buggered”. We’re all buggered, to be fair, but I’m worried that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Pearson, Professor of Journalism and Social Media, Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University, Griffith University The blame for the recent assault on the US Capitol and President Donald Trump’s broader dismantling of democratic institutions and norms can be ...
Despite a popular and unifying leader of the governing party, divisions both in policy and culture will test the progressive movement, writes Peter McKenzie.‘I think we’re confused.” Marlon Drake is an organiser for the Living Wage Movement. His job takes him all over Wellington, trying to convince businesses to increase ...
Covid-19 Recovery Minister Chris Hipkins says vaccinations should be available to the public by the middle of the year, but other countries are prioritised. ...
It’s as true now as it ever has been: nowhere else offers an education experience like that of Dunedin. But rather than resting on their laurels, the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic have plans to make the city an even more inspiring place for students.From high in the summit ...
Haggis, neeps and tatties and whisky may not be a traditional spread for a summer gathering in NZ, but trust Auckland city councillor and Kiwi-Scot Cathy Casey on this one. Gie it laldy! Rule one: Hold it on (or near) January 25Robert Burns was born on January 25, 1759. Since the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tuffley, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, Griffith University It could be argued artificial intelligence (AI) is already the indispensable tool of the 21st century. From helping doctors diagnose and treat patients to rapidly advancing new drug discoveries, it’s our ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Kenny, Professor, Australian Studies Institute, Australian National University Through recent natural disasters, global upheavals and a pandemic, Australia’s political centre has largely held. Australians may have disagreed at times, but they have also kept faith with governmental norms, eschewing the false ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Seale, Associate professor, UNSW Health workers are at higher risk of COVID infection and illness. They can also act as extremely efficient transmitters of viruses to others in medical and aged care facilities. That’s why health workers have been prioritised to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jim Orchard, Adjunct Lecturer, Monash University Last week, somewhat overshadowed by the events in Washington, the Democrats took control of the US Senate. The Democrats now hold a small majority in both the House and the Senate until 2022, giving President-elect Joe ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mittul Vahanvati, Lecturer, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University Heatwaves, floods, bushfires: disaster season is upon us again. We can’t prevent hazards or climate change-related extreme weather events but we can prepare for them — not just as individuals ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mandie Shean, Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan University Starting school is an important event for children and a positive experience can set the tone for the rest of their school experience. Some children are excited to attend school for the first ...
Some families in emergency housing are reporting their children are becoming emotionally distressed because of their living conditions. Demand for emergency accommodation has escalated this past year with the number of emergency housing grants increasing by half. Data showed nearly 10,000 people were given an Emergency Housing Special Needs Grant between ...
Summer reissue: Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden are back for a second season of On the Rag, and where better to start than with the mysterious, exhausting world of wellness?First published June 23, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is ...
With few Covid-19 infections and negiligible natural immunity, New Zealand faces being a victim of its own success when it is left till last to get the vaccines, argues Dr Parmjeet Parmar. ...
Steve Braunias reports on a literary cancelling. The Corrections department has refused to allow Jared Savage's best-selling book Gangland inside prison on the grounds that it "promotes violence and drug use". An inmate at Otago Corrections Facility in Dunedin was sent a copy of the book – but it was ...
New data from the CTU’s annual work life survey shows a snapshot of working people’s experiences and outlook heading out of 2020 and into the new year. Concerningly 42% of respondents cite workplace bullying as an issue in their workplace - a number ...
An international player, selector and self-confessed cricket stats nerd, Penny Kinsella has now played a hand in recording the rich history of the women's game in New Zealand. Penny Kinsella’s cricketing career was perched on the cusp of change for the White Ferns. “My first tour to Australia, we ...
The dramatic capsize of American Magic brought out the best in the America's Cup sailing fraternity. But, Suzanne McFadden asks, what does it mean to the crippled New York Yacht Club campaign and to the Prada Cup? It was a scene as unreal as it was calamitous. Right at the moment the ...
The current number of members of parliament is starting to get too low for the job we expect them to do, argues Alex Braae. As a general rule, with the possible exception of their families, nobody likes backbench MPs. But it’s nevertheless time we accepted that parliament should have more of ...
The experience in the Brazilian city of Manaus reveals how mistaken, and dangerous, the herd-immunity-by-infection theory really is. As families around the world mourn more than two million people dead from Covid-19, the Plan B academics and their PR industry collaborator continue to argue that the New Zealand government should stop ...
As New Zealand gears up to fight climate change, experts warn that we need to actually reduce emissions, not just plant trees to offset our greenhouse gases. ...
A nationwide poll has found majority support for the government to continue to closely monitor abortions in New Zealand and the reasons for it, despite the Ministry of Health recently suggesting that there is not a use for collecting much of this information. ...
The out-of-control growth in gangs, gun crime, and violent gang activity is exposing our communities to dangerous levels of violence that will inevitably end in tragedy, says Sensible Sentencing Trust. “The recent incidents of people being shot and ...
Successive governments have paid lip service to our productivity challenge but have failed to deliver. It's time to establish a Productivity Council charged with prioritising efforts. ...
Understanding the connection between chronic fatigue syndrome and ‘long Covid’ might be helpful in treating symptoms that doctors will find all too easy to dismiss.When people began to report signs of “long Covid”, characterised by a lack of full recovery from the virus and debilitating fatigue, I recognised their stories. ...
Nadine Anne Hura, who never considered herself an artist, reflects on what art and making has taught her.I couldn’t clean or cook or wash the clothes, but I could sew. That’s a lie, I’m a terrible sewer, but I left work early to fossick around in the $1 bin of ...
Summer reissue: In the final episode of this season of Bad News, Alice is joined by Billy T award winner Kura Forrester to look at how well we’re honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 2020.First published September 3, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The ...
Lucy Revill’s The Residents is a blog about daily life in Wellington that has morphed into a stylish, low-key coffee-table book featuring interviews and photographic portraits of 38 Wellingtonians. In this extract, Revill profiles Eboni Waitere, owner and executive director of Huia Publishers. The Residents features names like Monique Fiso ...
Pacific Media Watch correspondent The pro-independence conflict in West Papua with a missionary plane reportedly being shot down at Intan Jaya has stirred contrasting responses from the TNI/POLRI state sources, church leaders and an independence leader. A shooting caused a plane to catch fire on 6 January 2021 in the ...
“Last year ACT warned that rewarding protestors at Ihumātao with taxpayer money would promote further squatting. We just didn’t think it would happen as quickly as it is in Shelly Bay” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “The prosperity of all ...
Our kindly PM registered her return to work as leader of the nation with yet another statement on the Beehive website, the second in two days (following her appointment of Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council on Wednesday). It’s great to know we don’t have to check with ...
A Pūhoi pub is refusing to remove a piece of memorabilia bearing the n-word from its walls. Dr Lachy Paterson looks at the history of the word here, and New Zealand’s complicity in Britain’s shameful slave trading past.Content warning: This article contains racist language and images.On a pub wall in ...
Supermarket shoppers looking for citrus are seeing a sour trend at the moment – some stores are entirely tapped out of lemons. But why? Batches of homemade lemonade will be taking a hit this summer, with life not giving New Zealand shoppers lemons. Prices are high at supermarkets and grocers that ...
You’re born either a cheery soul or a gloomy one, reckons Linda Burgess – but what happens when gene pools from opposite ends of the spectrum collide?In our shoeboxes of photos that we have to sort out before we die or get demented – because who IS that kid on ...
Summer reissue: Prisoner voting rights are something that few in government seem particularly motivated to do anything about. Could a catchy charity single help draw attention to the issue?First published September 1, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its ...
Hundreds more Cook Islanders are expected to begin criss-crossing the Pacific, Air NZ will triple the number of flights to Rarotonga next week, and about 300 managed isolation places will be freed up for Kiwis returning from other parts of the world. When Thomas Tarurongo Wynne took a job in Wellington at ...
SPECIAL REPORT:By Ena Manuireva in Auckland It seems a long time ago – some 124 days – since Mā’ohi Nui deplored its first covid-19 related deaths of an elderly woman on 11 September 2020 followed by her husband just hours later, both over the age of 80. The local ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Turnbull, Postdoctoral research associate, UNSW A global coalition of more than 50 countries have this week pledged to protect over 30% of the planet’s lands and seas by the end of this decade. Their reasoning is clear: we need greater protection ...
The Reserve Bank Governor’s apology and claim he will ‘own the issue’ is laughable given the lack of answers and timing of its release. Jordan Williams, a spokesman for the Taxpayers’ Union said: “It’s been five days since they came clean, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olga Kokshagina, Researcher – Innovation & Entrepreneurship, RMIT University Are too many online meetings and notifications getting you down? Online communication tools – from email to virtual chat and video-conferencing – have transformed the way we work. In many respects they’ve made ...
The Reserve Bank acknowledges information about some of its stakeholders may have been breached in a malicious data hack. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has commissioned an independent inquiry into how stakeholders' information was compromised when hackers breached a file sharing service used by the bank. “We ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlin Syme, PhD in Vertebrate Palaeontology, The University of Queensland This story contains spoilers for Ammonite Palaeontologist Mary Anning is known for discovering a multitude of Jurassic fossils from Lyme Regis on England’s Dorset Coast from the age of ten in 1809. ...
A tribute to the sitcoms of old? In the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Yup. Sam Brooks reviews the audacious WandaVision.Nothing sends a chill up my spine like the phrase “Marvel Cinematic Universe”. Since launching in 2008 with Iron Man, the MCU has become a shambling behemoth, with over 23 films (not ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University The alt-right, QAnon, paramilitary and Donald Trump-supporting mob that stormed the US Capitol on January 6 claimed they were only doing what the so-called “founding fathers” of the US had done in ...
The Point of Order Ministerial Workload Watchdog and our ever-vigilant Trough Monitor were both triggered yesterday by an item of news from the office of Conservation Minister Kititapu Allan. The minister was drawing attention to new opportunities to dip into the Jobs for Nature programme (and her statement was the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andreas Kupz, Senior Research Fellow, James Cook University In July 1921, a French infant became the first person to receive an experimental vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), after the mother had died from the disease. The vaccine, known as Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), is ...
The first Friday Poem for 2021 is by Wellington poet Rebecca Hawkes.While you were partying I studied the bladeI your ever-loving edgelord God-emperorof the bot army & bitcoin mine subsistingon an IV drip of gamer girl bathwaterfinally my lonelinessis your responsibility………. you seeI need a girlfriend assigned to me by the ...
The arming of police officers in Canterbury was inevitable with the growing numbers and brazenness of the gangs across the country – this should be a permanent step, says Sensible Sentencing Trust. “It is unfortunate that we have come to the point ...
Celebrations in Aotearoa New Zealand to mark the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) will begin on Thursday 21 January with ICAN Aotearoa New Zealand’s Wellington and online event, and continue on Friday ...
Hardly anyone is using their Covid Tracer app. Something needs to change.As the mercury approaches 30°C in Aotearoa, there is a good deal of slipping and slopping, but, let’s face it, piss-all scanning. As few as around 500,000 QR codes are being scanned by users of the NZ Covid Tracer ...
On the East Coast, a group of Māori-owned enterprises is innovating to create new revenue streams while doing what they love.New Zealand’s remote and sparsely populated regions are typically not the best places to create thriving brick-and-mortar businesses. In small communities miles away from any major centres, there are so ...
As we reach the height of summer, it’s not too late to do a safety check on your gas bottle. The Environmental Protection Authority’s Safer Homes programme has some tips and tricks to keep in mind before you fire up the grill. "If you’ve ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1Troy: The Siege of Troy Retold by Stephen Fry (Michael Joseph, $37)If you’re in any way unsure about ...
“We may as well knock on the gang headquarters around this country and tell them we all give up," says Darroch Ball co-leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust. “It is simply outrageous that violent offender, James Tuwhangai, has been released from ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Ireland, Israel, and Lebanon. Chart by Keith Rankin. The countries with the most recent large outbreaks of Covid19 are those with large numbers of recent recorded cases, but yet to record the deaths that most likely will result. In this camp, this time, are Ireland, Israel ...
RuPaul is in Aotearoa, kicking back in managed isolation to await the filming of an Australasian version of her hugely popular reality show Drag Race. But not everyone is happy about, explains Eli Matthewson. The world’s most famous drag queen, RuPaul, is in New Zealand, the government confirmed earlier this week ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Melleuish, Professor, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong What can we make of Clive Palmer? This week, he announced his United Australia Party (UAP) would not contest the upcoming West Australian state election on March 13. After a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gisela Kaplan, Emeritus Professor in Animal Behaviour, University of New England Have you ever seenmagpies play-fighting with one another, or rolling around in high spirits? Or an apostlebird running at full speed with a stick in its beak, chased by a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Jackson, Program Director, Centre for Policy Development, and Associate Professor of Education, Mitchell Institute, Victoria University Childcare centres across Australia are suffering staff shortages, which have been exacerbated by the COVID crisis. Many childcare workers across Australia left when parents started ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Barrett, Senior Lecturer in Taxation, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Rhetoric plays an important role in tax debate and therefore tax policy. If your side manages to gain traction in the public imagination with labels such as “death ...
*This article was first published on The Conversation and is republished with permission* Whoever leads the Republican Party post-Trump will need to consider how they will maintain the rabid support of his “base”, while working to regain more moderate voters who defected from the party in the 2020 election. In a historic ...
Just been scared of the implications of a Bill rushed through Parliament yesterday regarding the Payment of Families caring for Severely Handicapped Act. (Paraphrased)
Andrew Geddis on Pundit explains it well:
You simply tell the Human Rights Review Tribunal and the courts that they are not allowed to look at the policy and decide whether or not it is unlawfully discriminatory. That’s just what the Government is seeking to get Parliament to do under section 70E(2):
[When this law kicks in], no complaint based in whole or in part on a specified allegation [that the policy unlawfully discriminates] may be made to the Human Rights Commission, and no proceedings based in whole or in part on a specified allegation [that the policy unlawfully discriminates] may be commenced or continued in any court or tribunal.
What! No HRC or Court can examine the legality of this!(Same power as given Brownlie?)
Aren’t you a little bit frightened at this???
http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/i-think-national-just-broke-our-constitution#comment-35209
Yeah it’s crazy. It’s the same bullying, cartel-loving psychology, that Torys are so comfortable with,
which we keep seeing in this 2nd term over and over again. Same with the GCSB law changes. Same with the reaction to NZPower. Same with offshore mining protest laws, etc.
You ain’t seen nothing yet, they’ve got their media mates onside and their chosen leader out front of labour so they will go from strength the strength with every move emboldening them for the next one.
A hitch appears to be how unhinged Shonkey gets all too easily, he wouldn’t know what serious pressure was and buckles under the power puff efforts the nz MSM toss in his direction.
I see this as another foot on the neck of advocacy for better government support of people struggling with getting fair resources. The government wants to silence the ordinary people from asking for more, because it distracts them and diverts money away from ..dah dah ‘the job and wealth creators’.
This is a piece that David Farrar put up about advocacy groups being put out of the Charities Act. (Recently applied to SST I think, and probably similar to the cases in the USA where the IRS was scrutinising the loony Right too much for gaining unfair tax advantages.)
Greens support lobby groups being charities
November 18th, 2012 at 7:00 am by David Farrar
On the one hand the Greens rail against lobbyists, yet on the other hand they say they should be able to be tax free charities. I guess the difference is whether or not they agree with them.
Green MP Denise Roche blogs::
Community organisations already spend much of their time advocating. They shouldn’t be excluded from getting charitable status (and tax exemption) because of this. Organisations of long standing repute including the National Council of Women have been denied charitable status on the basis that advocacy is their primary purpose. Advocacy is not currently deemed a ‘charitable purpose’ under the Act, and therefore they are denied tax exemption for donations.
And this is how it should be. Lobby groups should not be escaping tax. The National Council of Women is one of the most prolific lobby groups in New Zealand. It puts in a submission on almost every single bill before Parliament. Now good on them for being politically active, but allowing them to be a registered charity would be allowing any organisation to be a charity. Would we accept Business NZ being a registered charity?
On the back of the government’s announcement I have drafted a simple Private Member’s Bill to write advocacy into the definition of charitable purpose in the Charities Act as an ancillary purpose. I’ve been holding off for ages because I kept hearing that there would be a review and this would be the main focus of it.
That will make it open slater for every political lobby group in New Zealand to gain charitable tax status.
So government cannot discriminate for those wanting consideration for the strugglers, but no doubt has it’s door wide open to the robber barons and the fatnecks.
The Act comes into force in October. The use of urgency is an absolute affront. And it is that bad that Finlayson actually certified it breached the NZBOR.
Where is Farrar and Slater? I thought they were concerned about unconstitutional behaviour. The issues they jumped up and down about were minor in comparison.
Base server out at 0745 right while I was moving to a new server (damnit) that doesn’t crap out so often. Back (finally) at 1155.
Resuming the move. There will be a period later in the afternoon or evening when the server goes off for a short period to effect the change over.
Thanks lprent Hope all goes smoothly.
Kim Hill had some good interviews today, started with Jeremy Scahill, and a brave Russian journalist who has been living in Boston and was a mine of information.
Something you can’t get much of in Russia. If the powers that be don’t like your reportage of them they take over your television station or exile you. One such exile went to Britain was found hanged in March this year apparently. The guy who was given radioactive polonium was a failure of that assassination project. He didn’t die quickly enough and lived for a week, which gave the boffins time to check all known possibilities. They found out the cause on his last day. Poor bloke! Society in Russia has been broken down so much over so many years that it is hard for better human standards to come to the fore then prevail.
I guess that’s the modern way. In Britain Margaret Thatcher was announcing a goal as a present reality when she said that there is no such thing as society.
Indeed, in the USA the Justice Dept simply takes journalists’ phone records and tracks down media informants and sources.
btw opposition political party views, coverage of protests and criticisms of Putin’s govt is common on Russian media. As long as you don’t go too far 🙂
they are about to ban “gay propaganda”.
Already banned in St Petersburg. And Pussy Riot etc etc So it would appear “too far” isn’t very far at all. Nor am I aware of the US making a habit of assassinating exiled dissidents (if they even have such a thing) with Polonium 210.
interesting review of a biography of Putin on RNZ this morning; “he picks ‘brawls’, withdraws, then starts the fight again at a later time”, was the interesting characterization.
Sort of like the musical chairs he plays with Prime Minister rand President.
Meh, Pussy Riot tried to garner western media and popular support, and that alone went down very poorly with the Russian public.
So the fuck what? What kind of fucking populist Nazi argument is that?
An unforced self Godwin. Hilarious.
Poppy, stand up, take a bow son!
Whatever, you’re still a disgusting hypocrite pissing on human rights in Russia
No, Obama uses drones for individuals he doesn’t like, or military coups for governments that try the wrong sort of democracy. In the case of Bradley Manning, I’m sure he’d love to be exiled.
Well I’m sure he could have defected while he was comitting treason
He hasn’t been charged with treason, let alone convicted of it.
“Indeed, in the USA the Justice Dept simply takes journalists’ phone records and tracks down media informants and sources.”
And then takes over your TV station or exiles or assassinates you! Oh.
Matt
The USA is a different country, but their methods are not too dissimilar to those of Russia, and have been deteriorating I think since Russia threw out its form of communism. Now the USA doesn’t have to have better standards than the communists – the slogan is Let’s go for maxing the money, who cares what we do. Same in Britain.
When Washington stars taking over TV stations and exiling dissidents, you might have a point, but nah. Certainly the US is nowhere as free as its propaganda would have the world believe, but it’s considerably less violent and oppressive of its citizens than Russia is.
US government doesn’t need to use violence to intimidate its citizens. Its citizens are too busy intimidating each other.
It’s a moot point that USA is less violent than Russia. It just has a different way of doing things. They thought up extraordinary rendition themselves. Declaring war on others. Driving citizens into criminals with harsh drug laws. Accepting prison rape as regular behaviour, kidnapping girls, shooting too many people. I don’t know how the stats mount up compared to other advanced, civilised countries.
Yes exactly. Please accept my slight edit. When you count how many foreign persons the USA kills weekly, the picture is quite different.
Also, I believe that USA prison and prison labour camps contain far more citizens than Russian ones.
So for all those champions of the U-S-A. Keep chanting, if it makes you feel better.
Appeared to work in Boston, while the city was being used to test the reaction of deliberate overkill, via the military complex take-over on the streets!
USA-USA-USA
That’s kind of ironic coming from someone who claims to be a nationalist
“Kim Hill had some good interviews today, started with Jeremy Scahill, and a brave Russian journalist who has been living in Boston and was a mine of information”
She did – then some vacuous silly bitch called Nancy popped up and tried (unsuccessfully) to derail her – asking Kim to provide her with the giblets she wanted to hear (from a nuZull spektiv).
(Kim persevered with the email – as listener-feedback. I’m afraid it was all about Nancy)
Nancy only wants to hear things that DIRECTLY affect her from a Nu Zull spektiv). Thankfully Natrad has apparently lost Nancy’s undivided attention – she’ll probably have to slum it on talk-back radio.
Natrad is Natrad – except between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
I’m picking Nancy will find solace with the utterly exceptional, EVERY person’s best friend: Jim MORA – and probably, of geatest interest: The Panel, or perhaps that lady with isss yoos – whatshername?…. dear old Keth – ladyskin of the Parliamentary 4th Estate Gallery, who we can trust to represent our best interests.
Not much left on the MSM aye! (Bee!). Thank Christ for weekends, and nights on Natrad.
.
Tim
Yeah Kim is a feisty thing. I love her even when there is something I don’t. A lot of people have never heard or thought about what a good interview is, and how they are done so they are all interesting and not just a list of questions with ten second replies – and which is your favourite whatever?
And it is funny and sad to hear the various moaning minnies and vicious vernons who want to cut her off at the knees. Nancy wasn’t my fancy. Silly woman was talking about wanting information of importance to NZs! Who make our money from selling goods – Overseas, so we can buy just about everything we use from- Overseas. I heard that when you travelled through international airports you had your shoes checked and you couldn’t carry liquids more than 100ml after the terrorist attacks by people from Overseas. Yes, Nancy there are all sorts of reasons to think that Overseas matters from non-fashionable countries are worth noting by us.
Tim don’t be too hard on 9to Noon, some good stuff there. And don’t forget Checkpoint after work. Just turn on at 10 to five and suffer the last of Jim Mora’s panel of beauts, and there may be a gem if you look hard enough, and then the lemonade goes away and the hard stuff gets served.
Is my ban over yet?
[lprent: 12th of June according to the ban notes. ]
I attended a couple of Govt “consultation” meetings recentlyabout their proposed changes to the RMA – and these changes are BIG, prominent on economic growth and allowing business (, developers, mining ?) a much easier pathway through the resource consent process, and dismissive of environmental or social/community concerns. This is a hugely important issue for everyone who cares about the environment and what this Govt intends to do in the future to our lovely land.
Please pass on the details of these RMA information meetings being organised by the Green Party, and their Climate Change conference in Wellington, to anyone you know living in these areas.
Stand up for the Environment: RMA meetings
The Government’s proposed changes to the Resource Management Act undermine local democracy and environmental sustainability.
Join Green MP Eugenie Sage and guest speakers for a panel discussion on changes to the RMA and what they mean for local democracy in your community and New Zealand’s environment.
Hamilton When: Monday, May 20, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:15pm Where: Richardson Room at Child Matters, 480 Anglesea Street Hamilton
Nelson When: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm Where:Trafalgar Park Pavillion, 30 Trafalgar Street Nelson
Invercargill When: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm Where:Central Library, 50 Dee Street (Northern side entrance) Invercargill
Palmerston North When: Thursday, May 30, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm Where: Globe Theatre, 312 Main St. Palmerston North
Whanganui When: Thursday, June 6, 2013 – 7:30pm – 9:30pm, Email Eugenie Sage at Parliament for address details
Climate change conference When: Friday, June 7, 2013 – 9:00am – 4.30pm
Where: Legislative Council Chamber, Parliament
Kennedy Graham hosts a one-day climate change conference in Parliament on 7th June, with the aim of fostering cross-party and public dialogue on climate change. The conference will feature leading scientists, policy analysts, civil society, and private sector representatives, and will finish with a cross-party political panel. The conference is open to all who wish to attend. Registration is now open via the following link: http://meetingthechallenge.eventbrite.co.nz/#
from the debate on the Crown Minerals Amendment Act, Amendment Bill, Committee Stage Pt,1;
Chris Hipkins- “Simon Bridges stuffed up”, then “the Labour Party does support exploration”.
(Jacinda appeared intoxicated, not, intoxicating).
Sue Moroney- “an applicant who does not have “expertise” will be granted.
Little- amendment “splits Health and Safety, Environmental, from the Prospecting application stage, with applicants only needing to demonstrate that they are “likely” to have technical and financial capability, onus on the applicant”;effectively permits foot-in-the-door, rig on the ground.
Street- 37,000 submissions, 32,000 on provided forms, 5000 unique submissions, ALL NOT CONSIDERED; “Bridges afraid of public opinion”.
Hughes-“no Select Committee Stage”.
Robertson- effectively “it is now up to the Minister to determine if Health and Safety, Environmental requirements are met by new (unknown) players.
3 News had an interesting item last where lamb shipments are being held at the chinese boarder.
Also on dompost, but not on line.
Apparently it is because the paperwork is not correct after the import certification was changed when the Ministry of Primary Industries was formed.
The Nats have known about it for a month, but have been very quiet.
Is there more to this?, or is it just an ‘oversight’?
Likely to be a bureaucratic oversight, but be assured that the Chinese are playing this for every advantage. After all, it would be a shame for Chinese authorities to have to order the dumping of $2M worth of NZ red meat outside the harbour due to bad paperwork?
Dv
I noted one of the fast changing government entities on the Budget Roundup the other night. The truth about this Chinese matter is no doubt the old saw that constant restructuring loses efficiency and effectiveness as senior positions go, and institutional methods disappear.
The entry for beehive.govt.nz of 1/6/2010 set out the situation for Wayne Mapp who was the Minister of the Department through its changing monikers. (He is now in Russia, up to what?)
The Minister of Science and Innovation on 1/6/2010 has become –
the Minister of Research, Science and Technology, and from 1 July 2012
this will be the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The government workers can’t provide quality of work and effectiveness when they are being downsized in numbers and re-arranged like pieces in a kaleidoscope.
The trouble is that the political approach has grown to regard the country as a toy, or a potent cocktail that is to be both shaken and stirred. Unfortunately that is dragging up toxic ingredients from the sludge at the bottom of the hourglass.
Cv and prism
There was a sugestion one of the reports that the chinese were using the “stuff up” to protect their own markets.
That idea would seem to have some currency as why are the nacts so quiet, guy has not returned any calls, and if it was a ‘simple stuff up,why would it take month to sort?
Dv
Yes that what I thought. The day after they heard about it the gummint trouble shooter for exports to Asia should have had tickets and accommodation for two nights booked and do something to help us sell our things – what we have to do and do and do. F..ks sake thinking she’ll be right and why don’t they read the docs and I’ve explained it over the phone to Mr Li or whoever and he says he understands but then I get another call. It isn’t enough. Some extra effort needed. Go with urgency like the government is using in the House.
The delay may be related to the kiwifruit/zespri scam
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/8690353/Suitcases-of-cash-in-kiwifruit-scandal
Zespri, far from being an innocent party as it has claimed, knew its system for invoicing kiwifruit shipments to China was likely illegal the Star-Times has discovered.
Documents show the Mt Maunganui-based company was worried New Zealand Customs would discover what it was doing and alert its China counterparts.
Sources have revealed that staff tried to warn management that the dual invoicing was a big risk, but were ignored.
Maybe the chinese are now very suspicious ofdocumentation from NZ and that is why the sorting out is slow.
RNZ National has covered this in most news over the last 24 hours. This is their latest
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/rural/135469/farmers-confident-about-stranded-meat
I really wish politicians on the left would put paid to this endless bullshit about taxpayers. Brian Gaynor is another repeating the lies about the top taxpayers;
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10884402
To quote;
“The top end of the employment market is strong and this benefits the Crown’s tax take as individuals on $80,000 or more account for 49 per cent of total income tax even though they represent only 11 per cent of the total work force by number”
He likely would have gotten his info from this source;
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/budget/2013/taxpayers/b13-taxpayers.pdf
Those ‘taxpayers’ look to be every individual with an IRD number. It clearly includes all welfare beneficiaries; OAPs, DPB, Dole, Invalids etc. Even a quick glance shows a further 260,000 people with zero income and rather obviously not paying any tax yet these people keep including them all in this so-called ‘workforce’ of 3.375 million.
The true workforce is only around 2million which would make those on $80,000+ around 18% of the workforce by number.
The inclusion of beneficiaries in tax statistics is seriously skewing the numbers because they’ll nearly all appear in the lower income groups and distort the real facts about who pays tax.
Fat Cop
all these Fast-Food workers coming forward confirming how Police accept free fast-food “backhanders” for free security, while the Policeman arrested on P work for the Head Hunters delivered drugs in uniform, in his police-car; his wife a DHB clinician, knowingly spending the proceeds.
Bad Boys!
Schools employ Hollywood movies to assist kids to (passively) read.
Imagine Dragons ; Radioactive
for example, avoiding paying your student loan can lead to your grades going from 40K to over 100K
(where the bloody hell are ya)
got them High Hopes?
Research finds residential sales, 8% to foreign buyers but “it will grow”.
In Auckland, to address housing, 1/2 of suburbs permitted to be in-filled with buildings of Three Stories (Mixed-Housing Zone) and buildings can exceed 4, 5 and 6 stories in Terraced and Apartment Zones; non-notified, restricted discretionary (regulatory) activity.
Liked this from David Shearer, (National), “full of big-noters, show-boaters and no-hopers”
From Russell Norman- (The Budget) “is a debt train-wreck”!!!
Jack , free from 21 😀
Institutions, not only the police, are heavily involved in NZ narcotics *market*, along with some very high profile *professionals*!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8689407/Police-officer-accused-of-working-with-gang
an award winning one at that!
Is anyone else on here NOT surprised?
Tip of the iceberg!
Another low level operator, takes the wrap, as if operating in silo, without any *support*!
Muldoon, was *friendly* with the gangs, this goes back a very long way, and it goes to the top!
for The Al1en /s (“Cumberbitches”, now there is a generous man) Interestingly, ST, Into Darkness portrays a Shadowplay between the two main protagonists…
Swings and roundabouts; Key knows we’re heading for the bottom, and he’s riding us, yes he’s riding us; The Camptown ladies sing this song Do dah, Do dah. Screaming Trees, “calling me back to my skin”. Isn’t it funny how we dance along the edge of the Pro-lab Dune like Matchstick Men. Thanks for the Trim. Silence is Golden listening to the current On The Radio; Pictures of Lilly, lilly eli Lilly. the Cider House rules, for now Paint the whole world with a Rainbow, Satellite Above. Grease is the word is the word that you heard, it’s got meaning I was walking in the park just the other night Baby (it’s You) , whatta ya think I saw (I’ll leave the light on, easier to feel the fine tolerances), Here, have a banana.
(1)11 is a joke, ring the po-leece and get burgled, double-up, while they come to buy, flavouring the flow, there’s not a minute to spare. Don’t Worry, Be Happy, Swedish House Mafia will “Save The World”, “it’s time that you stop being so important”, We are Scientists, after all, Stylo, is this love electronic? No Problem /s to report on any of the major interchanges, a million miles away you signal in the distance to whom it may concern, learning to walk again, learning to talk again. Those Flaming Lips sing it, yeah, yeah, yeah, Check yo’self ‘fore you wreck yourself, cos shotgun bullets are bad for your health.
-just a little Logo nTherapy, now, Lets Talk About trevor. without Warning, The Wizard walks by, casting his shadow, weaving his spell, funny clothes, tinkling bell. Sleep Comes Down (the Devilskin, never see the light). These are the tells, of love, and loss, and love; love based on a true story, all I do is keep the beat and the Bad Company. Chelsea Princess, Repetition.
-“the world is not a miserable prison; a playground for a non-stop tournament between stupidity and imagination”.
-James Broughton
Show (them) How to Live.
“for The Al1en /s”
Moby said “we are all made of stars”, and I agree.
ST – The way socialists should want the world to turn out like… After we finish saving it, that is.
Social justice and equality that bypasses nations for the common good.
Why does the future have to taste of dystopia?
cos’ it’s in the ‘scriptures’ and that is what is ingrained in the cultural-historically derived psyches of the collective; “be a good (capitalist, follower of the authorities, individualist, make the Right choices, work hard, gain the credentials, solve the angst of the childless couple with IVF, eat your weeties, fence off those ‘others’ etc) and you will, literally, go to heaven, or damn the lot of you. Nietzsche, the most influential Western philosopher read it before it all unfolded, Confucius and Lao Tzu prescribed what would be necessary, Ellul (amongst others, like Huxley) prophecied what would unfold, Philip K. Dick wrote the story, J.J Abrams directed the film, Jesus Christ offered to set us free (The Kingdom of heaven is within you) and John (alongside others, Greer et al;) watched.
There’s no point in having two ends to a candle if you’re not going to burn them, we just got to work harder and smarter to make sure we win.
Old red green eyes is back in town.
well, the only MPs who appear to have the integrity to stand up to “big corporate” globalization are Green and on the back-burners of Labour; the Right are certainly putting the screws on though, unprecedented High Stakes; wait until the next “Act of God”, environmental disaster “act of man” occurs, then there will be some panic.
Hold all the balls in your mind at once and you can see the Dark Art at work.
Whitechapel to follow.
Control the cue ball and you control the game.
In amerika, they call spin English, don’t you know?
distortion ist wunderbar; Ramm it home Bass.
Just found this on the RNZ website
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/135436/casino-in-queenstown-bought-by-sky-city
I recall hearing a few snippets on the news a few weeks ago re Key suggesting that the government may be willing to finance or part finance a new conference centre in Queenstown. At the time, it seemed weird as there was also indications that the money to build the centre was already sorted. Sorry, don’t have time to find a link right now.
From this latest news item, it seems that “Sky City already owns another casino in Queenstown and is in a consortium which is the preferred group to build a convention centre there.”
So, is the Queenstown situation tied in with the Government’s deal for Auckland?
So with this, hamilton, the eyesore in akl and chch do they now have a monopoly or is chch owned by another.
Also Adelaide and Darwin.
And they boast about having a bit of a casino monopoly
It’s all a board game really!
Government granted licence to print money at the expense of the poor and struggling.
tc
You are right about the eyesore in Christchurch. To get an attractive building in Auckland the citizens up there will have to be in control of the design or it might look like a prison, the one in Christchurch was sterile on the outside.
Nice one Russel Norman. Just referred to Gerry as ‘The Colossus of Roads”. It’s interesting about that petrol tax to be raised. The infrastructure that it should be spent on is public rail and Gisborne line. It’s important that good transport is available to all the regions.
The magical world of New Zealand’s Neo-Liberal right wing
by KJT
http://kjt-kt.blogspot.co.nz/
It has been obvious that some people live in a different world than the rest of us.
One where Chicago school economics work! One where you save the village by blowing it up! One where global warming can be stopped, Canute-like, by legislation. One where dropping wages and giving everything to bloated financiers, makes us better off! One where removing money from an economy makes it work better. One where every country is going to get rich by out exporting every other country. One where enabling greater inequality than the dark ages, works!
The one with the trickle down fairy. “Give us the money and we will pee on you”.
The market fairy. “Leave it to the market and we will cut your wages,impoverish your children, and tell you it is a brighter future”.
The Austerity fairy. “We will become better off by becoming poorer”.
The catching-up-with-Australia fairy. “We will catch up with Australia by doing almost the opposite of everything they have done”.
The Democracy fairy. “We will let you vote, to change the names in Government, or on a few social issues which do not affect our making money off you, but not to make any meaningful changes to the way the country is run”.
The privatisation fairy. “We will ensure that the NZ current account is forever in deficit, by selling all the income earning assets”
The debt fairy. “We will cut debt by borrowing $300mill a week, to pay for unaffordable tax cuts, to pay for our Hawaii holidays”.
The Job fairy. ” We will increase the number of jobs by putting thousands out of work, and cutting the unemployment benefit”.
The “We support business” fairy. While ensuring New Zealanders have no money to buy from local businesses, and increasing small businesses costs.
The better future fairy. “We will give you a better future by paying you less, charging you more and cutting services”.
It is pretty obvious which side of the political spectrum is on another planet. Planet Key!
http://kjt-kt.blogspot.co.nz/
Excellent.
“The DoC will run better fairy, by cutting it’s budgets and sacking all it’s experienced and specialist staff'”
Hi Morrissey
100% bang on right mate. If our current leaders had another brain and heart both would be lonely the soulless ideological scumbags!
Thank you john, but all the credit goes to KJT. I simply reprinted that from his excellent blog.
Pretty good filibuster in the house this avo. Anyone else been following?
Starting up again at 7.
What’s the bill?
Petrol tax blah blah amendment something?
OK Thanks.
I watched last night, as the government forced through its outrageous anti-protest legislation, formally and preposterously entitled The Crown Minerals Act Amendment Bill 2013 Amendment Bill. Labour and the Greens put up a string of serious, well prepared speakers: Gareth Hughes, Andrew Little, Grant Robertson, Moana Mackey, Chris Hipkins and Maryan Street. After insultingly brief and inadequate speeches by two of its lesser lights, Sam Lotu-Liga and Mark Mitchell, National just sat it out; as well as having no arguments, they had nobody capable of mounting any coherent defence of this assault on our democracy.
The man responsible for this disastrous legislation, Simon Bridges, was in the house, and was asked by every speaker to get up and answer for himself; he was obviously just not up to it. A couple of times the cameras cut to him, furtively shuffling (but not reading) papers, with a perplexed and pained expression.
This bill is proceeding under the cover of post-budget urgency???!!!
Mozza, I very much doubt Simon Bridges is responsible for anything, other than bending over on request, being a sock-puppet, a traitor and a coward, who is the servant to the masters…
The masters are not likely to be onshore in NZ, and I would doubt that the core protagonists in the house, see themselves as NZ’ers!
Yeah…….wee Simon’s a puppy who yaps and drools on demand. Not an ounce of balls in him. Former Crown prosecutor you see……it’s all about “winning” and putting people behind bars, deservedly or not, as a reflex. No broad morality. He just follows orders.
Heaps of regard to the perks and the travel and the handsome stipend and the pension however. Prick. Not a gram of principle in him. Lacking balls and principle. Interested only in being a “darling”.
I agree that Bridges is the stooge rather than the instigator; however he is the minister responsible for this, even if it is really Steven Joyce and Peter Goodfellow pulling his strings. If Bridges had an ounce of integrity, he would have resigned by now, but he has stayed on to front this terrible legislation. He will bear the full blame for it eventually, and he doesn’t deserve any sympathy.
Agree with that Moz – Was not looking to relieve the coward of responsibility, in any way.
No sympathy, here, for any of them!
There you go, some thing that unites us all.
Who’d have thought it would be simon bridges, minister for himself.
Keep fighting M and M 😉
Lotu-Liga…….another up-himself shithead little lawyer. Helping Shonkey Python to shit on his own people. Great guy……
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10884359
Ew. That’s just disgusting.
And some comments, like “all I can see now are a pair of rubber tits”.
Words fail me. Looking at Roughan’s column, I asked myself, “What kind of animal writes this shit?” and then I read the comments to get the answer: the sort who… never mind, I don’t want to articulate my answer fully.
Roughan…….big fish little pond fuckwit. Intrusiveness is his right…….because he’s big fish little pond fuckwit Roughan with a platform alongside equally egocentric fools. New Zealand is so sick in that regard.
Get your nose out of others’ business, dog !
Can someone explain why Andrew Little made a stupid complaint about clothing in Parliament?
If one ever had any doubts about whether Little is a dick, they were laid to rest today.
He appears to have his hang-ups.
I took it to be largely tongue in cheek. You might remember Clare Curran was thrown out because she wore a football jersey (or some such garment) about a year ago. I thought there might have been a bit of tit for tat going on. Agree though… it was rather stupid.
Andrew Little’s point of order appeared to be quite serious. And for that, ridiculous. The guy needs to get a life. If he wanted to comment on dress, he should have congratulated Gareth Hughes from the Greens who looked particularly fetching (seriously) in his grey suit and black tie, and his speech was impressive too 🙂
More interested why TV3 made such a fuss about it… Like we didn’t know.
More likely, Andrew Little is looking for any way to get himself some publicity. Looks like he succeeded.
Re Little.I was interested that TV3 (I think) picked up on that and costed out the amount that the time taken to deal with the jersey issue would have cost the taxpayer.Can’t remember what it came to, but I don’t understand why the same attention is never given to key when he nuts off on one of his kindy tantrums.Must be costing us a lot more money for the time he wastes.
I wonder why, if Little was gonna raise a point of order about dress at all, he didn’t have a go at Tony-Ryall-Neighbour-Of-Susan.
Note I’m not saying Tones wears a dress. I’m saying that recidivistly he daily commits fashion crime, what with his pinstripes up against checked tablecloth shirts. You gotta go for the real criminals Little.
Not Auchinvole or Sockinhole or whatever his name is. He seemed to love the attention anyway. Compared to Tones he was sartorial inoffensiveness defined.
Re why TV3 made a point of it ? Maybe Mr Bean’s Cuzzy Power (Trip) Gower is personally, darkly, “really angry” about the carry-on in the House and will next cost out the time consumed by ShonKey Python’s rhubarbs, can’t recalls, throat slitting gestures and risible expressions and non-expressions of confidence in Botox Banks.
Oh, Poor Paddy, it’s such a burden being part of the story with the weight of the nation upon him, Gilmore “lying to ME”, Steven Joyce calling HIM aside – “Look PADDY, it’s like this……..”, having to LICK ShonKey’s arse.
A bit of a freako-demographics moment?
Why are birthrates falling around the world? Blame television
Television in developing countries is also correlated with:
– reduced acceptability of domestic violence
– reduced son preference
– increased female autonomy
The study thinks it might be more than rising incomes, but television is actually changing cultural norms. (Now there’s a debate that’s been a first world problem for awhile). I wonder if these developing countries have Snookie and ‘The Only Way is Essex’ 😉
I’ve been there, trust me, the only Essex you’ll ever want is David, and only then when he wants to make you a star.
Hah! I had a picture of him on my wall way back when I was about 12 – him and Marc Bolan who doesn’t want to fool the kids.
Yeah its tv’s fault /sarc!
I call those Waterloo sunset moments
I am in paradise 🙂
Eruption; “I’m ya Ice-cream man, stop me when I’m passing by”. 😉
Unlike Dave Dobbin, who doesn’t listen to other peoples songs when he’s writing, I will if it’s asked of me 😉
That’s a very spinal tap looking vid. Cut and blow dries for all 😆
The tv series the history of rock (was on prime ages ago at least twice) has an interview with one of the kinks, saying how he used to cut up his speaker cones to get them to distort.
I’d hate to guess what I’d have to slit to get a decent vocal sound.
Thank goodness for software.
I like the second-to-bottom line.
One out of seven, that’s nearly more popular than Labour 😆
+1 nice 🙂
“I’m not a number; Ooh, that’s why I’m easy, I’m easy like a Sunday morning.
I’ve paid my dues to make it
I’m not happy when I try to fake it, no
I wanna be free to know
The things I do are right”.
(been some investment)
“Haven’t changed, haven’t much to ‘say’
Plenty of unused thoughts to give away,
Hardly ever Blue, is a greeting from a friend.”
Ah ! A Kinks fan 🙂