Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
It was -2 degrees in Christchurch last night.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a car.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a container.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a garage.
Not very warm to be sleeping on the street.
The media may think John Banks’ ‘multi-million dollar Auckland CBD penthouse’ , Dagg’s ‘eureka moment’,and Kylie Jenner struggling with the Kiwi accent are all important news items, but they are not.
The majority of the media is doing everything they can to support Paula Bennett and move homelessness off the headlines.
“Try walking in my shoes, it’s not actually that easy.”
This was the challenge TA set to Prime Minister John Key. But really it’s a challenge for us all.
+1 Paul. Love how it was a US citizen that nobody had previously heard off and without a new trial, that got Banks off – justice seems so different for politicians than the Teina Pora case. sarc.
Banks also sold off the Auckland council housing when he was Mayor and pushed through Charter schools.
Lucky now with Keys 0% tax havens no question asked dodgy anonymous donations to politicians are so much easier!
No wonder Key is so popular around the world!
Although I have to say considering how ‘popular’ Key is supposed to be, he is surprisingly ineffective at getting any good deals for NZ or helping NZ citizens around the world.
He has never served the public. He has served the interests of big business – which he has desperately tried to be part of. He has been involved with small businesses, he was a co-owner of part of the Tony’s restaraunts when there were quite a few of them in Auckland, and he hit the headlines with connections to some bunch selling some sort of bee products. He has made money from business. I worked in one of his restaurants in the 1970’s. The chef had Sunday nights off and Banks used to come in and try and do the grill cooking himself. It was a drams ‘cos if he got more than 3 steaks on the grill at once – he panicked and gave everyone around him a hard time. Sunday nights we worked hard to recommend anything but steak.
Other delights from the New Observer – FL Homo Shootings: “Hoist on own Petard” or Cox Murder: Democratic Hypocrisy and Germany: Invaders Have Multiple Wives but my absolute fav is “Transgender” Mental Illness Spreads.
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I read the attachment. Following the uprising by the Syrian people the US lead by Obama was very consistent in saying Assad had to go. This email adds noting new to that narrative.
It was the Syrian people who started the uprising against Assad and it was he who has brutally put them down.
The Syrian uprising was not caused by the US, despite what Kevin Hestor says. This is just more disinformation by the Hilliary haters.
Kevin Hester needs to wake up. Assad is a mass murder. Who has secured Israel’s northern border and allowed his country to be used as destination for CIA special rendition for the purpose of torturing suspects held in CIA custody, because the US constitution forbids torture in the US.
Assad was the favourite of the West being the only Middle Eastern ruler to overnight as a guest of the Queen in Buckingham palace. For his service to Western imperialism in the Middle East, Tony Blair once tried to lobby parliament to give a British Night Hood to Assad.
Assad has been slaughtering his people from the safety of the air since 2011 after his people revolted and many of the army refused to follow Assad’s orders to shoot them down and instead joined the people and turned their guns on the regime.
This war could have been ended long ago if the west had allowed the Syrian people access to anti aircraft weapons. Instead the west has stood by while Assad has carried out his genocide.
Salisbury School facing closure: ‘My daughter has nowhere to go’
A parent of a pupil at Salisbury School has spoken of his anger and disappointment over the proposal to close the special needs school saying his daughter has “nowhere else to go”.
It follows the announcement yesterday that the Ministry of Education had initiated consultation over the future of the school, due to a declining roll and the financial viability of the residential Nelson girls school.
Matt Clayton, himself a secondary teacher, said Salisbury School was an “amazing” facility, that had turned his 14-year-old daughter’s life around in the year-and-a-half she had attended. He was “disgusted” the Ministry could consider closing it, he said.
……
“In my opinion, they’ve set this up from the beginning to close it, and I’m just disgusted with them,” he said.
“What kind of society do we live in where we’re always prioritising money over the welfare of the citizens?”
Ms Parata denied she had been intent on closing Salisbury School, or that she had tweaked the process to ensure its falling roll.’
Yes Paul. It was always going to happen because of the school having won the case to stay open in 2014, caused a Ministry backlash. Parata does not like being foiled so the Ministry made it almost impossible for new pupils to be enrolled. Hence the roll dropping to 14. This will justify the closure and as Smith says the land in a central location is very valuable. Money before the kids being front and centre.
20 billions dollars spent on ‘defence’ – and yet we have no homes to live in to be defended in.
‘Imagine the number of state houses and affordable apartments this country could build over the next 15 years with even half the $20 billion currently promised to the NZ Defence Force. Surely, in a democratic state, it is the adequate provision of health, education, housing and employment that should take priority over the vast sums required to purchase the most up-to-date weapons of war? If national defence does not mean ensuring the basic welfare of every citizen – then what does it mean?’
As an Auckland Mayoral candidate – I strongly recommend that Auckland citizens focus disapproval of Auckland Council (and CCOs) performance, in the form of submissions to the Local Government and Environment Select Committee on this latest proposed legislation to spread the CCO model and Council amalgamations:
Seize the moment!
Email your complaints and experiences about Auckland Council and CCOs directly to the ‘law makers’.
“Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 2)
Should your local authorities work together more?
Does your community need more options when it comes to reorganising the council, and should councils make greater use of joint council-controlled organisations for services?
Tell us what you think.
The closing date for submissions is Thursday, 28 July 2016 ”
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
“Activists – get things done.”
It seems that my nine year, one person ‘rates revolt’ for transparency in the spending of public rates monies on private consultants and contractors by Auckland Council (formerly Auckland City Council) and CCOs, is finally getting the attention from the lawmakers that it deserves?
“Conclusion
We would like to thank the OAG for its report on the governance and accountability of CCOs. The report provided us with useful information that helped us consider Ms Bright’s petition.
We also would like to thank the petitioner for coming down from Auckland to speak to us about her petition.
We agree that ratepayers should be able to easily access information about how public money collected through rates is spent.
We support the petitioner’s plea for transparency and standardisation of the information that Auckland CCOs provide to the public. …”
Go Penny ! I think maybe when Ze-Good-Lord was handing out Ze-Balls he/she missed Ze-Non-Man-Key and you ended up wiv’ Ze-Balls meant for him. And Ze-Good-Lord made a very good choice……because why would you waste Ze-Balls on Ze-Non-Man-Key and further he/she knew that you would use Ze-Balls much better than Ze-Non-Man-Key. Whom he/she nevertheless bleezed wiv’ Ze-Defining-Arsehole. Go Penny !
Carbon dioxide has been steadily rising since the start of the Industrial Revolution, setting a new high year after year. There’s a notable new entry to the record books. The last station on Earth without a 400 parts per million (ppm) reading has reached it.
The Green Party held an AGM where they marginalised debate on climate change, in favour of a “Centrepiece Swimmable Rivers Campaign”
Ignoring the fact that warmer air holds more moisture and is responsible for record flooding events around the world which have turned normally placid rivers into raging deadly torrents. Will destroy all their efforts.
The Green Party need to wake up. As the climate crisis deepens, having somewhere nice to swim will be the least of our worries.
While the Green Party are busy wading in the environmental shallows, unseen and not mentioned on the signs warning against swimming, is a monster waiting to eat them whole.
The horses need to be scared, they need to be terrified.
That is, if we are to mobilise the forces we need to fight climate change. The sort of fear that saw society mobilise to fight terrorist bogeymen like Isis, or Al Qaeda, (remember them?)
The threat presented to humanity by climate change is far greater by many magnitudes than that presented by these little terror groups.
When it comes to climate change our political leaders are so, Ho Hum; cleaning up dirty rivers so that we can swim in them are our priority.
So who is going to supply it? not the Green Party who are busy prioritising swimmable rivers. Not National who are committed to business as usual. Not Labour who support deep sea oil drilling fracking and opening new coal mines.
“I am told that the Greens understand the true scope and crisis of the climate emergency we are facing…” Colonial Viper
Many years ago I remember reading a startling quote from a German intellectual and academic who had fled the Nazis.
He said that he could forgive even some of the top leaders of the fascist regime. (They were ignorant brutes). But, he said those he couldn’t forgive, were his fellow intellectuals and academics in the universities, who knew fascism was wrong, and could have spoke up, but said nothing and went along with it. Some of them even lending the regime false credibility they knew had no factual base.
In his opinion it was the educated intellectuals who knew better who should have been on trial at Nuremburg. Who because they knew fascism was all based on intellectual falsehoods racism and lies should have been the ones on trial and held to account.
When millions are dying from the extreme weather and climatic events predicted by the scientists, and if a Nuremburg type hearing is ever called to afford blame and try the guilty for this man made tragedy. Those politicians and leaders with foreknowledge old enough to have acted to prevent the tragedy, and who were in in a position to do so, but instead did and said nothing, these are the people who should be the first in the dock to be held to account.
I recommend this talk very highly – What happens to the people we save.
This is about gunshot wounds and the US and obviously relevant to recent events. It is also relevant to us here in this country because we also patch people up and send them off to fend for themselves. After trauma people need help – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually if they are that way inclined – families and whānau need help, communities need help, the people that support all of these people need help. EMPATHY via active and genuine listening. That helps.
[FYI, it seems you’re among a clutch of commenters who are dropping into moderation (Hell, I’m dropping there myself if I’m not signed in!). Don’t know why it’s happening and won’t be around for the rest of the day to release stuff. Anyway, thought you should know] – Bill
“Nothing to see here……” as they say. Man made a mistake. Apologises. Effete Non-Man doesn’t have the balls to apologise. Course this will be seen differently by the MSM arse-suckers. But doesn’t alter the fact. Effete Non-Man doesn’t have the balls to apologise. Ever ! Oh, except to Slater Porn.
Tomorrow afternoon, if things go really really badly, I may find myself down to one eye. People who used to sneer at me on Twitter will no doubt say So what's changed? Nothing, that's what, you one-eyed lefty.I don’t mean to be dramatic, it’s just a routine bit of cataract ...
A few weeks ago an invitation dropped into my email inbox to attend a joint Treasury/Motu seminar on recent, rather major, changes that had apparently been made to the discount rates used by The Treasury to evaluate proposals from government agencies. It was all news to me, but when ...
All your life is Time magazineI read it tooWhat does it mean?PressureI'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationaleBut here you are with your faithAnd your Peter Pan adviceYou have no scars on your faceAnd you cannot handle pressureSongwriter: Billy Joel.Christopher Luxon is under pressure from all sides. The reviews are ...
After seeing yet-more-months of political debate and policy decisions to ‘go for growth’ by pulling the same old cheap migration and cheap tourism levers without nearly-enough infrastructure, or any attempt to address the same old lack of globally conventional tax incentives for investment, I thought it would be worth issuing ...
The plans for the buildings that will replace the downtown carpark have been publicly notified giving us the first detailed glance at what is proposed for one of the biggest and best development sites in the city centre. The council agreed to sell the site to Precinct Properties for $122 ...
With the Reserve Bank expected today to return the Official Cash Rate to where it was in mid-2022 comes a measure of how much of a psychological impact the rate has. Federated Farmers has published its latest six-monthly farm confidence survey, which shows that profit expectations have fallen and risen ...
Kiwis Disallowed From Waiting Lists Based on Arbitrary MeasuresWellington hospital are now rejecting patients from specialist waiting lists due to BMI (body mass index).This article from Rachel Thomas for The Post says it all (emphasis mine):A group of Porirua GPs are sounding alarm bells after patients with body mass indexes ...
The Prime Minister says he's really comfortable with us not knowing the reoffending rate for his boot camp programme.They asked him for it at yesterday’s press conference, and he said, nah, not telling, have to respect people's privacy.Okay I'll bite. Let's say they release this information to us:The rate of ...
Warning 1: There is a Nazi theme at the end of this article related to the disabled community. Warning 2: This article could be boring!One day, last year, I excitedly opened up a Substack post that was about how to fight back, and the answer at the end was disappointing ...
This may be rhetorical but here goes: did any of you invest in the $Libra memecoin endorsed and backed by Argentine president and darling of the global Right Javier Milei (who admitted to being paid a fee for his promotion of the token)? You know, the one that soared above ...
Last week various of the great and good of New Zealand economics and public policy trooped off to Hamilton (of all places) for the annual Waikato Economics Forum, one of the successful marketing drives of university’s Vice-Chancellor. My interest was in the speeches delivered by the Minister of Finance and ...
The Prime Minister says the Government would be open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine if a ceasefire was reached. The government has announced a $30 million spend on tourism infrastructure and biodiversity projects, including $11m spent to improve popular visitor sites and further $19m towards biodiversity efforts. A New Zealand-born ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler “But what about when the sun doesn't shine?!” Ah yes, the energy debate’s equivalent of “The Earth is flat!” Every time someone mentions solar or wind power, some self-proclaimed energy expert emerges from the woodwork to drop this supposedly devastating truth bomb: ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission.In this article I look into data on how well the rail network serve New Zealanders, and how many people might be able to travel by train… if we ran more than a ...
Hi,Before we get into Hayden Donnell’s new column about how yes, Donald Trump is definitely the Antichrist, I wanted to touch on something feral that happened in New Zealand last week.Members of Destiny Church pushed and punched their way into an Auckland library, apparently angry it was part of Pride ...
Despite delays, logjams and overcrowding in our emergency departments, funding constraints are limiting the numbers of nurses and doctors being trained. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, February 18 are:A NZ Herald investigation ...
Now that the US has ripped up the Atlantic alliance, Europe is more vulnerable now than at any time since the mid-1930s. Apparently, Europe and Ukraine itself will not have a seat at the table in the talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin that will ...
Olivia and Noah and Hana are going to the library!It is fun to go to the library. It has books and songs and mat time and people who smile at you and say, Hello Olivia, what have you been doing this morning?The library is more fun than the mall. At ...
New World Orders: The challenge facing Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins is how to keep their small and vulnerable nation safe and stable in a world whose economic and political climate the forty-seventh American president is changing so profoundly.IT IS, SURELY, the ultimate Millennial revenge fantasy. Calling senior Baby-Boomer and Gen-X ...
“This might surprise you, Laurie, but I reckon Trump’s putting on a bloody impressive performance.”“GOODNESS ME, HANNAH, just look at all those Valentine’s Day cards!”“Occupational hazard, Laurie, the more beer I serve, the more my customers declare their undying love!”“Crikey! I had no idea business was so good.” Laurie squinted ...
In 2005, Labour repealed the long-standing principle of birthright citizenship in Aotearoa. Why? As with everything else Labour does, it all came down to austerity: "foreign mothers" were supposedly "coming to this country to give birth", and this was "put[ting] pressure on hospitals". Then-Immigration Minister George Hawkins explicitly gave this ...
And I just hope that you can forgive usBut everything must goAnd if you need an explanation, nationThen everything must goSongwriters: James Dean Bradfield / Sean Anthony Moore / Nicholas Allen Jones.Today, I’d like to talk about a couple of things that happened over the weekend:Brian Tamaki’s Library Invasion and ...
New reporting highlights how Brooke van Velden refuses to meet with the CTU but is happy to meet with fringe Australian-based unions. Van Velden is pursuing reckless changes to undermine the personal grievance system against the advice of her own officials. Engineering New Zealand are saying that hundreds of engineers ...
The NZCTU strongly supports the Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill. This Bill represents a positive step towards addressing serious issues around unlawful disparities in pay by protecting workers’ rights to discuss their pay and conditions. This Bill also provides welcome support for helping tackle the prevalent gender and ...
Years of hard work finally paid off last week as the country’s biggest and most important transport project, the City Rail Link reached a major milestone with the first test train making its way slowly though the tunnels for the first time. This is a fantastic achievement and it is ...
Engineers are pleading for the Government to free up funds to restart stalled projects. File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, February 17 are:Engineering New Zealand CEO Richard Templer said yesterday hundreds of ...
It’s one of New Zealand’s great sustaining myths: the spirit of ANZAC, our mates across the ditch, the spirit of Earl’s Court, Antipodeans united against the world. It is also a myth; it is not reality. That much was clear from a series of speakers, including a former Australian Prime ...
Many people have been unsatisfied for years that things have not improved for them, some as individuals, many more however because their families are clearly putting in more work, for less money – and certainly far less purchase on society. This general discontent has grown exponentially since the GFC. ...
A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, February 9, 2025 thru Sat, February 15, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report shows worsening food poverty and housing shortages mean more than 400,000 people now need welfare support, the highest level since the 1990s. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and ...
You're just too too obscure for meOh you don't really get through to meAnd there's no need for you to talk that wayIs there any less pessimistic things to say?Songwriters: Graeme DownesToday, I thought we’d take a look at some of the most cringe-inducing moments from last week, but don’t ...
Please note: I’ve delayed my “What can we do?” article for this video.The video above shows Destiny Church members assaulting staff and librarians as they pushed through to a room of terrified parents and young children.It was posted to social media last night.But if you read Sinead Boucher’s Stuff, you ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is sea level rise exaggerated? Sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate, not stagnating or decreasing. Warming global temperatures cause land ice ...
Here is a scenario, but first a historical parallel. Hitler and the Nazis could well have accomplished everything that they wanted to do within German borders, including exterminating Jews, so long as they confined their ambitious to Germany itself. After all, the world pretty much sat and watched as the ...
I’ve spent the last couple of days in Hamilton covering Waikato University’s annual NZ Economics Forum, where (arguably) three of the most influential people in our political economy right now laid out their thinking in major speeches about the size and role of Government, their views on for spending, tax ...
Simeon Brown’s Ideology BentSimeon Brown once told Kiwis he tries to represent his deep sense of faith by interacting “with integrity”.“It’s important that there’s Christians in Parliament…and from my perspective, it’s great to be a Christian in Parliament and to bring that perspective to [laws, conversations and policies].”And with ...
Severe geological and financial earthquakes are inevitable. We just don’t know how soon and how they will play out. Are we putting the right effort into preparing for them?Every decade or so the international economy has a major financial crisis. We cannot predict exactly when or exactly how it will ...
Questions1. How did Old Mate Grabaseat describe his soon-to-be-Deputy-PM’s letter to police advocating for Philip Polkinghorne?a.Ill-advisedb.A perfect letterc.A letter that will live in infamyd.He had me at hello2. What did Seymour say in response?a.What’s ill-advised is commenting when you don’t know all the facts and ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff has called on OJI Fibre Solutions to work with the government, unions, and the community before closing the Kinleith Paper Mill. “OJI has today announced 230 job losses in what will be a devastating blow for the community. OJI needs to work with ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff is sounding the alarm about the latest attack on workers from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden, who is ignoring her own officials to pursue reckless changes that would completely undermine the personal grievance system. “Brooke van Velden’s changes will ...
Hi,When I started writing Webworm in 2020, I wrote a lot about the conspiracy theories that were suddenly invading our Twitter timelines and Facebook feeds. Four years ago a reader, John, left this feedback under one of my essays:It’s a never ending labyrinth of lunacy which, as you have pointed ...
And if you said this life ain't good enoughI would give my world to lift you upI could change my life to better suit your moodBecause you're so smoothAnd it's just like the ocean under the moonOh, it's the same as the emotion that I get from youYou got the ...
Aotearoa remains the minority’s birthright, New Zealand the majority’s possession. WAITANGI DAY commentary see-saws manically between the warmly positive and the coldly negative. Many New Zealanders consider this a good thing. They point to the unexamined patriotism of July Fourth and Bastille Day celebrations, and applaud the fact that the ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: and on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump’s administration over Gaza and Ukraine; on the ...
Up until now, the prevailing coalition view of public servants was that there were simply too many of them. But yesterday the new Public Service Commissioner, handpicked by the Luxon Government, said it was not so much numbers but what they did and the value they produced that mattered. Sir ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guests and ...
In a moment we explore the question: What is Andrew Bayly wanting to tell ACC, and will it involve enjoying a small wine tasting and then telling someone to fuck off? But first, for context, a broader one: What do we look for in a government?Imagine for a moment, you ...
As expected, Donald Trump just threw Ukraine under the bus, demanding that it accept Russia's illegal theft of land, while ruling out any future membership of NATO. Its a colossal betrayal, which effectively legitimises Russia's invasion, while laying the groundwork for the next one. But Trump is apparently fine with ...
A ballot for a single member's bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Employment Relations (Collective Agreements in Triangular Relationships) Amendment Bill (Adrian Rurawhe) The bill would extend union rights to employees in triangular relationships, where they are (nominally) employed by one party, but ...
This is a guest post by George Weeks, reviewing a book called ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin AshtonBook review: ‘How to Fly a Horse’ by Kevin Ashton (2015) – and what it means for Auckland. The title of this article might unnerve any Greater Auckland ...
This story was originally published by Capital & Main and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Within just a week, the sheer devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires has pushed to the fore fundamental questions about the impact of the climate crisis that have been ...
In this world, it's just usYou know it's not the same as it wasSongwriters: Harry Edward Styles / Thomas Edward Percy Hull / Tyler Sam JohnsonYesterday, I received a lovely message from Caty, a reader of Nick’s Kōrero, that got me thinking. So I thought I’d share it with you, ...
In past times a person was considered “unserious” or “not a serious” person if they failed to grasp, behave and speak according to the solemnity of the context in which they were located. For example a serious person does not audibly pass gas at Church, or yell “gun” at a ...
Long stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, February 13 are:The coalition Government’s early 2024 ‘fiscal emergency’ freeze on funding, planning and building houses, schools, local roads and hospitals helped extend and deepen the economic and jobs recession through calendar ...
For obvious reasons, people feel uneasy when the right to be a citizen is sold off to wealthy foreigners. Even selling the right to residency seems a bit dubious, when so many migrants who are not millionaires get turned away or are made to jump through innumerable hoops – simply ...
A new season of White Lotus is nearly upon us: more murder mystery, more sumptuous surroundings, more rich people behaving badly.Once more we get to identify with the experience of the pampered tourist or perhaps the poorly paid help; there's something in White Lotus for all New Zealanders.And unlike the ...
In 2016, Aotearoa shockingly plunged to fourth place in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Nine years later, and we're back there again: New Zealand has seen a further slip in its global ranking in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). [...] In the latest CPI New Zealand's score ...
1. You’ve started ranking your politicians on how much they respect the rule of law2. You’ve stopped paying attention to those news publications3. You’ve developed a sudden interest in a particular period of history4. More and more people are sounding like your racist, conspiracist uncle.5. Someone just pulled a Nazi ...
Transforming New Zealand: Brian EastonBrian Easton will discuss the above topic at 2/57 Willis Street, Wellington at 5:30pm on Tuesday 26 February at 2/57 Willis Street, WellingtonThe sub-title to the above is "Why is the Left failing?" Brian Easton's analysis is based on his view that while the ...
Salvation Army’s State of the Nation 2025 report highlights falling living standards, the highest unemployment rates since the 1990s and half of all Pacific children going without food. There are reports of hundreds if not thousands of people are applying for the same jobs in the wake of last year’s ...
Mountain Tui is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Correction: On the article The Condundrum of David Seymour, Luke Malpass conducted joint reviews with Bryce Wilkinson, the architect of the Regulatory Standards Bill - not Bryce Edwards. The article ...
Tomorrow the council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee meet and agenda has a few interesting papers. Council’s Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport Every year the council provide a Letter of Expectation to Auckland Transport which is part of the process for informing AT of the council’s priorities and ...
All around in my home townThey're trying to track me down, yeahThey say they want to bring me in guiltyFor the killing of a deputyFor the life of a deputySongwriter: Robert Nesta Marley.Support Nick’s Kōrero today with a 20% discount on a paid subscription to receive all my newsletters directly ...
Hi,I think all of us have probably experienced the power of music — that strange, transformative thing that gets under our skin and helps us experience this whole life thing with some kind of sanity.Listening and experiencing music has always been such a huge part of my life, and has ...
Business frustration over the stalled economy is growing, and only 34% of voters are confidentNicola Willis can deliver. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 12 are:Business frustration is growing about a ...
I have now lived long enough to see a cabinet minister go both barrels on their Prime Minister and not get sacked.It used to be that the PM would have a drawer full of resignations signed by ministers on the day of their appointment, ready for such an occasion. But ...
“The ACT Party can’t be bothered putting an MP on one of the Justice subcommittees hearing submissions on their own Treaty Principles Bill,” Labour Justice Spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
The Government’s newly announced funding for biodiversity and tourism of $30-million over three years is a small fraction of what is required for conservation in this country. ...
The Government's sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand's universities. ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
Today Te Pāti Māori MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, released her members bill that will see the return of tamariki and mokopuna Māori from state care back to te iwi Māori. This bill will establish an independent authority that asserts and protects the rights promised in He Whakaputanga ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Ngāi Tahu wants to introduce contamination charges to address contamination in Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere, the High Court has been told.In the second week of the two-month case against the Attorney-General over wai māori (freshwater), Dr Elizabeth Brown, the Rangatira of Taumutu, which sits on the lake’s edge, told Justice Melanie ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra ASIO chief Mike Burgess has warned that over the next five years Australia’s security environment will become more dynamic, diverse and degraded, with “more security surprises” in the second half of the decade than in ...
There is certainly plenty of room for better police training for dealing with protest activity that starts with a rights-based approach to ensuring people can fully exercise their human rights. ...
“We are thrilled that this Bill is making its way through the House and looks set to become law,” said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Isaac Gross, Lecturer in Economics, Monash University Gumbariya/Shutterstock The Reserve Bank’s decision to cut interest rates for the first time in four years has triggered a round of celebration. Mortgage holders are cheering the fact their monthly repayments are now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Housing supply in Australia will be a key battleground in the election campaign. With home ownership more and more out of reach for young and not so young Australians, red tape and low productivity are ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Korolev, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, UNSW Sydney The United States and Russia agreed to work on a plan to end the war in Ukraine at high-level talks in Saudi Arabia this week. Ukrainian and European representatives were pointedly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karleen Gribble, Adjunct Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University BaLL LunLa/Shutterstock Sleep is the holy grail for new parents. So no wonder many tired parents are looking for something to help their babies sleep. A TikTok trend claims ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ranjana Gupta, Senior Lecturer, Accounting Department, Auckland University of Technology Jirsak/Shutterstock The profit made on every breakfast bowl of weet-bix is tax exempt, giving Sanitarium Health Food Company, owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, an advantage over other breakfast food companies. ...
A closer look at some of the homegrown talent currently commanding television screens around the globe. The new season of The White Lotus hit our screens this week, and with it a familiar face in New Zealand actor Morgana O’Reilly. To secure a role in one of the world’s most ...
"This is a crisis of the Government’s own making and the unit is another sign of desperation," said PSA acting national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Francesca Perugia, Senior Lecturer, School of Design and the Built Environment, Curtin University Australia’s housing crisis has created a push for fast-tracked construction. Federal, state and territory governments have set a target of 1.2 million new homes over five years. Increasing housing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ash Watson, Scientia Fellow and Senior Lecturer, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock When we’re uncomfortable we say the “vibe is off”. When we’re having a good time we’re “vibing”. To assess the mood we do a “vibe check”. And when the atmosphere in ...
What’s up with the man from Epsom? The leader of the Act Party has been in plenty of headlines in the last two weeks, ranging from a controversial letter to police on behalf of constituent Philip Polkinghorne (written before David Seymour was a minister) to an attempt to drive ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Stephenson, Deputy Director, Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, Australian National University Newly published research has found clear evidence that openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and queer+ (LGBTIQ+) Australian politicians were disproportionately targeted with personal abuse on social media at the ...
Gilmore Girls, Schitt’s Creek, even The Vampire Diaries – they’re all set in tight-knit neighbourhoods where everyone knows everyone. So what is it like to actually know your neighbours? My favourite television shows are set in tight-knit neighbourhoods where everyone knows everyone. Characters attend town meetings where they debate local ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yanyan Hong, PhD Candidate in Communication and Media Studies, University of Adelaide IMDB On the surface, Ne Zha 2: The Sea’s Fury (2025), the sequel to the 2019 Chinese blockbuster Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child, is a high-octane, action-packed and ...
Wellington travellers say their buses are so hot they’re often forced to get off early and walk. Shanti Mathias explores the impact of non-functioning air conditioning on public transport. When Bella, a young professional living in Wellington, thinks about taking the bus, her first thought is “Ugh”. The bus might ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Annette Kroen, Research Fellow Planning and Transport, RMIT University The cleanup is underway in northern Queensland following the latest flooding catastrophe to hit the state. More than 7,000 insurance claims have already been lodged, most of them for inundated homes and other ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Subha Parida, Lecturer in Property, University of South Australia Carl Oberg/Shutterstock Houses and fire do not mix. The firestorm which hit Los Angeles in January destroyed nearly 2,000 buildings and forced 130,000 people to evacuate. The 2019–20 Australian megafires destroyed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania Tasmania has been burning for more than two weeks, with no end in sight. Almost 100,000 hectares of bushland in the northwest has burned to date. This includes the Tarkine rainforest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Loosemore, Professor of Construction Management, University of Technology Sydney This week, the Productivity Commission released its much-awaited report into productivity growth in Australia’s housing construction sector. It wasn’t a glowing appraisal. The commission found physical productivity – the total number ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Pascale Lubbe, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Molecular Ecology, University of Otago Royal spoonbills are among several new species that have crossed the Tasman and naturalised in New Zealand. JJ Harrison/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA When people arrived on the shores of Aotearoa ...
Stats NZ’s head is stepping down over the agency’s failure to safeguard census data, and more officials may soon be in the firing line, writes Catherine McGregor in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. An ‘absolutely unacceptable’ failure Stats NZ chief ...
Health NZ is under greater government scrutiny, with the new health minister setting up a unit he says will "drive greater accountability and performance". ...
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
It was -2 degrees in Christchurch last night.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a car.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a container.
Not very warm to be sleeping in a garage.
Not very warm to be sleeping on the street.
The media may think John Banks’ ‘multi-million dollar Auckland CBD penthouse’ , Dagg’s ‘eureka moment’,and Kylie Jenner struggling with the Kiwi accent are all important news items, but they are not.
The majority of the media is doing everything they can to support Paula Bennett and move homelessness off the headlines.
“Try walking in my shoes, it’s not actually that easy.”
This was the challenge TA set to Prime Minister John Key. But really it’s a challenge for us all.
Is it naive of me to wonder how a life time public servant like banks can afford a luxury apartment with silk wallpaper?
John Banks can’t recall.
+1 Paul. Love how it was a US citizen that nobody had previously heard off and without a new trial, that got Banks off – justice seems so different for politicians than the Teina Pora case. sarc.
Banks also sold off the Auckland council housing when he was Mayor and pushed through Charter schools.
No wonder he can afford a plush apartment.
A lot of dodgy millionaires and billionaires appreciate politicians like Banks.
Lucky now with Keys 0% tax havens no question asked dodgy anonymous donations to politicians are so much easier!
No wonder Key is so popular around the world!
Although I have to say considering how ‘popular’ Key is supposed to be, he is surprisingly ineffective at getting any good deals for NZ or helping NZ citizens around the world.
But maybe that is not the point.
He has never served the public. He has served the interests of big business – which he has desperately tried to be part of. He has been involved with small businesses, he was a co-owner of part of the Tony’s restaraunts when there were quite a few of them in Auckland, and he hit the headlines with connections to some bunch selling some sort of bee products. He has made money from business. I worked in one of his restaurants in the 1970’s. The chef had Sunday nights off and Banks used to come in and try and do the grill cooking himself. It was a drams ‘cos if he got more than 3 steaks on the grill at once – he panicked and gave everyone around him a hard time. Sunday nights we worked hard to recommend anything but steak.
+1 Visubversa
John Banks is a capable businessman, he has owned a number of very successful companies and has accumulated wealth – there you go.
I understand his oldman was quite a business man as well .!!
Kevin Hester on Hilary Clinton.
http://newobserveronline.com/clinton-destroy-syria-israel/
Other delights from the New Observer – FL Homo Shootings: “Hoist on own Petard” or Cox Murder: Democratic Hypocrisy and Germany: Invaders Have Multiple Wives but my absolute fav is “Transgender” Mental Illness Spreads.
/
I read the attachment. Following the uprising by the Syrian people the US lead by Obama was very consistent in saying Assad had to go. This email adds noting new to that narrative.
It was the Syrian people who started the uprising against Assad and it was he who has brutally put them down.
The Syrian uprising was not caused by the US, despite what Kevin Hestor says. This is just more disinformation by the Hilliary haters.
Kevin Hester needs to wake up. Assad is a mass murder. Who has secured Israel’s northern border and allowed his country to be used as destination for CIA special rendition for the purpose of torturing suspects held in CIA custody, because the US constitution forbids torture in the US.
Assad was the favourite of the West being the only Middle Eastern ruler to overnight as a guest of the Queen in Buckingham palace. For his service to Western imperialism in the Middle East, Tony Blair once tried to lobby parliament to give a British Night Hood to Assad.
Assad has been slaughtering his people from the safety of the air since 2011 after his people revolted and many of the army refused to follow Assad’s orders to shoot them down and instead joined the people and turned their guns on the regime.
This war could have been ended long ago if the west had allowed the Syrian people access to anti aircraft weapons. Instead the west has stood by while Assad has carried out his genocide.
Your plan is to give anti aircraft weapons to Islamic State? Of not them, then who?
Nobody seriously believes that, not even you
PNAC
Swiss Parliament terminates long standing EU application
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-06-17/switzerland-withdraws-application-join-eu-only-lunatics-may-want-join-now
I don’t blame them. Would you want to join the German Empire as things stand?
Funny you should choose to word it that way…
Cruel, uncaring
Salisbury School facing closure: ‘My daughter has nowhere to go’
A parent of a pupil at Salisbury School has spoken of his anger and disappointment over the proposal to close the special needs school saying his daughter has “nowhere else to go”.
It follows the announcement yesterday that the Ministry of Education had initiated consultation over the future of the school, due to a declining roll and the financial viability of the residential Nelson girls school.
Matt Clayton, himself a secondary teacher, said Salisbury School was an “amazing” facility, that had turned his 14-year-old daughter’s life around in the year-and-a-half she had attended. He was “disgusted” the Ministry could consider closing it, he said.
……
“In my opinion, they’ve set this up from the beginning to close it, and I’m just disgusted with them,” he said.
“What kind of society do we live in where we’re always prioritising money over the welfare of the citizens?”
Ms Parata denied she had been intent on closing Salisbury School, or that she had tweaked the process to ensure its falling roll.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11658541
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11658541
Yes Paul. It was always going to happen because of the school having won the case to stay open in 2014, caused a Ministry backlash. Parata does not like being foiled so the Ministry made it almost impossible for new pupils to be enrolled. Hence the roll dropping to 14. This will justify the closure and as Smith says the land in a central location is very valuable. Money before the kids being front and centre.
+1 Paul – I hear Scenic hotels are short of money, like Sky City and Saudi Businessmen.
There is also plenty of money for convention centers in Christchurch that after 60 million still have not got anywhere in the build. NO problem!
Brighter futures for Real Estate NOT families
should be the Natz new slogan.
20 billions dollars spent on ‘defence’ – and yet we have no homes to live in to be defended in.
‘Imagine the number of state houses and affordable apartments this country could build over the next 15 years with even half the $20 billion currently promised to the NZ Defence Force. Surely, in a democratic state, it is the adequate provision of health, education, housing and employment that should take priority over the vast sums required to purchase the most up-to-date weapons of war? If national defence does not mean ensuring the basic welfare of every citizen – then what does it mean?’
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/80986483/Chris-Trotter-How-many-houses-could-we-get-for-20-billion-spent-on-defence
20 billions dollars spent on ‘defence’ – to defend our sovereignty and yet we give it away by signing the TPP.
I predict this won’t be news in the western media.
http://www.activistpost.com/2016/06/new-chemical-weapons-attack-ghouta-syria.html
As an Auckland Mayoral candidate – I strongly recommend that Auckland citizens focus disapproval of Auckland Council (and CCOs) performance, in the form of submissions to the Local Government and Environment Select Committee on this latest proposed legislation to spread the CCO model and Council amalgamations:
Seize the moment!
Email your complaints and experiences about Auckland Council and CCOs directly to the ‘law makers’.
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/sc/make-submission/51SCLGE_SCF_00DBHOH_BILL69266_1/local-government-act-2002-amendment-bill-no-2
“Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 2)
Should your local authorities work together more?
Does your community need more options when it comes to reorganising the council, and should councils make greater use of joint council-controlled organisations for services?
Tell us what you think.
The closing date for submissions is Thursday, 28 July 2016 ”
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
“Activists – get things done.”
Reposting this (from Paul the other day I think)
Ten Ways to fix NZ’s Welfare State.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11657642
2. Make the reduction of poverty the aim of social welfare, rather than the current focus on reducing the number of beneficiaries.
@ Paul exactly
How about the elimination of poverty
Fair point.
It seems that my nine year, one person ‘rates revolt’ for transparency in the spending of public rates monies on private consultants and contractors by Auckland Council (formerly Auckland City Council) and CCOs, is finally getting the attention from the lawmakers that it deserves?
“Conclusion
We would like to thank the OAG for its report on the governance and accountability of CCOs. The report provided us with useful information that helped us consider Ms Bright’s petition.
We also would like to thank the petitioner for coming down from Auckland to speak to us about her petition.
We agree that ratepayers should be able to easily access information about how public money collected through rates is spent.
We support the petitioner’s plea for transparency and standardisation of the information that Auckland CCOs provide to the public. …”
http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/51DBSCH_SCR69296_1/924613ec7fb831c4e74bd062f73287ac2ceb5081
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate
“Activists – get things done.”
Excellent result, Penny! Here’s hoping Parliament acts on the recommendations and the council takes note, too.
Thank you te reo putake.
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
+1 Penny
Go Penny ! I think maybe when Ze-Good-Lord was handing out Ze-Balls he/she missed Ze-Non-Man-Key and you ended up wiv’ Ze-Balls meant for him. And Ze-Good-Lord made a very good choice……because why would you waste Ze-Balls on Ze-Non-Man-Key and further he/she knew that you would use Ze-Balls much better than Ze-Non-Man-Key. Whom he/she nevertheless bleezed wiv’ Ze-Defining-Arsehole. Go Penny !
The great news keeps a’comin.
We’re officially living in a new world.
Carbon dioxide has been steadily rising since the start of the Industrial Revolution, setting a new high year after year. There’s a notable new entry to the record books. The last station on Earth without a 400 parts per million (ppm) reading has reached it.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/antarctic-co2-hit-400-ppm-for-first-time-in-4-million-years/?WT.mc_id=SA_TW_ENGYSUS_NEWS
396, 397, 398, 399….
400
Arbitrary values
The Green Party held an AGM where they marginalised debate on climate change, in favour of a “Centrepiece Swimmable Rivers Campaign”
Ignoring the fact that warmer air holds more moisture and is responsible for record flooding events around the world which have turned normally placid rivers into raging deadly torrents. Will destroy all their efforts.
The Green Party need to wake up. As the climate crisis deepens, having somewhere nice to swim will be the least of our worries.
https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/a-climate-of-apathy/
Can you spot the missing two words?
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11651056
While the Green Party are busy wading in the environmental shallows, unseen and not mentioned on the signs warning against swimming, is a monster waiting to eat them whole.
I am told that the Greens understand the true scope and crisis of the climate emergency we are facing…
A citation for that would be nice CV.
CV even if you were to find a citation describing the Green Party’s understanding of the true scope of the crisis; (which I hope you can).
Understanding the true nature of the climate emergency is still not the same as wanting to do something about it.
When there is so much they could be doing….
The Green Party as an organisation have shown very little political will to face up to the climate crisis.
The Greens don’t wanna scare the horses?
The horses need to be scared, they need to be terrified.
That is, if we are to mobilise the forces we need to fight climate change. The sort of fear that saw society mobilise to fight terrorist bogeymen like Isis, or Al Qaeda, (remember them?)
The threat presented to humanity by climate change is far greater by many magnitudes than that presented by these little terror groups.
When it comes to climate change our political leaders are so, Ho Hum; cleaning up dirty rivers so that we can swim in them are our priority.
A sober look at the possibility of moving to 100% renewable economy.
http://ecowatch.com/2016/06/15/our-renewable-future-heinberg/
It seems that it is possible.
All that is missing is the political will.
So who is going to supply it? not the Green Party who are busy prioritising swimmable rivers. Not National who are committed to business as usual. Not Labour who support deep sea oil drilling fracking and opening new coal mines.
Many years ago I remember reading a startling quote from a German intellectual and academic who had fled the Nazis.
He said that he could forgive even some of the top leaders of the fascist regime. (They were ignorant brutes). But, he said those he couldn’t forgive, were his fellow intellectuals and academics in the universities, who knew fascism was wrong, and could have spoke up, but said nothing and went along with it. Some of them even lending the regime false credibility they knew had no factual base.
In his opinion it was the educated intellectuals who knew better who should have been on trial at Nuremburg. Who because they knew fascism was all based on intellectual falsehoods racism and lies should have been the ones on trial and held to account.
When millions are dying from the extreme weather and climatic events predicted by the scientists, and if a Nuremburg type hearing is ever called to afford blame and try the guilty for this man made tragedy. Those politicians and leaders with foreknowledge old enough to have acted to prevent the tragedy, and who were in in a position to do so, but instead did and said nothing, these are the people who should be the first in the dock to be held to account.
https://www.rt.com/news/347111-nazi-auschwitz-trial-hanning/
I recommend this talk very highly – What happens to the people we save.
This is about gunshot wounds and the US and obviously relevant to recent events. It is also relevant to us here in this country because we also patch people up and send them off to fend for themselves. After trauma people need help – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually if they are that way inclined – families and whānau need help, communities need help, the people that support all of these people need help. EMPATHY via active and genuine listening. That helps.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXSqOQ1odNI&w=560&h=315%5D
[FYI, it seems you’re among a clutch of commenters who are dropping into moderation (Hell, I’m dropping there myself if I’m not signed in!). Don’t know why it’s happening and won’t be around for the rest of the day to release stuff. Anyway, thought you should know] – Bill
thanks bill – I had noticed 🙂 made a couple of convos a bit difficult but all good – thanks
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11659052
“Nothing to see here……” as they say. Man made a mistake. Apologises. Effete Non-Man doesn’t have the balls to apologise. Course this will be seen differently by the MSM arse-suckers. But doesn’t alter the fact. Effete Non-Man doesn’t have the balls to apologise. Ever ! Oh, except to Slater Porn.