Open mike 18/10/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 18th, 2013 - 189 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…

189 comments on “Open mike 18/10/2013 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. mickysavage 1
    18 October 2013 at 6:47 am

    So Bevan Chuang appears to have wisely backed away from Slater. The money trail would be interesting to see because Slater said he was paying Chuang’s accommodation expenses and I do not believe that Stephen Cook would be doing this out of his perception of what is in the public good.

    Is there a frustrated Woman’s day deal in the pipeline? Is Slater’s frustration because the pay day will not now happen?

    • andy (the other one) 1.1
      18 October 2013 at 7:17 am

      Mr Wewege had also been involved in the campaign for Simon O’Connor, the National MP for Tamaki.

      Others described him as an acolyte of Simon Lusk, a campaign strategist for right-wing political candidates, saying he had attended several of Mr Lusk’s summer camp training sessions.

      All roads lead to Lusk/Slater

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141900

      • Paul 1.1.1
        18 October 2013 at 7:55 am

        Summer camps? Youth movements?
        Next we’ll be hearing albout the colour of shirts Lusk gets them to wear.
        Our New Democratic right wing – New Zealand’s tea party

        • phillip ure 1.1.1.1
          18 October 2013 at 9:38 am

          instead of ‘tea-party’..

          ..should we call then nzs’ ‘coffee-clutch’..?

          phillip ure..

          • phillip ure 1.1.1.1.1
            18 October 2013 at 11:33 am

            a len brown question..

            ..if as claimed..sky city was providing on-call/free bonking-rooms to len brown..

            ..does this..and their obvious knowledge of his extra-marital bonking..

            ..do both/either of these facts..provide some explanation for why brown supported that pokie-deal..?

            ..did they already ‘own’ brown..?

            ..surely not..!

            ..eh..?

            phillip ure..

            • red rattler 1.1.1.1.1.1
              18 October 2013 at 1:36 pm

              phillip, just heard on RNZ news that Brown and Key met today at the Skycity Hotel and scoped out the political bonking schedule for the next month.

  2. miravox 2
    18 October 2013 at 6:59 am

    “exhausted, unwell, disillusioned, depressed and haunted”.

    Son, husband, father and by all accounts one of the good guys.

    Greg King. A man with all that intellect couldn’t see a way to work through his crisis of values, physical ill-health and depression.

    So very, very sad.

    • Chooky 2.1
      18 October 2013 at 9:32 am

      +1…Greek tragedy….if he hadn’t been so good….. ( at his job defending the ……) ….it wouldnt have been so bad

      ….many things can be solved with a holiday away from everything to get some perspective and get some insight as to what needs changing, where to go next, how to get balance etc

      • Ennui 2.1.1
        18 October 2013 at 12:15 pm

        Agree with both Chooky and Miravox. With a society so focused on the individual and upon performance / success / other pressures, what chance do we have?

        As a society / community we are so self obsessed that we don’t look around and take the strain from those who need it. And those in pressure positions guard the gates to their life’s / professions to stay where they are against competitive elements….

        And then we all go through the dark moments of the soul, on our own. We don’t need to.

    • Tracey 2.2
      18 October 2013 at 10:21 am

      VERY. We actually need more criminal lawyers like him… not ones who feel nothing about what they do.

      • McFlock 2.2.1
        18 October 2013 at 12:58 pm

        aye.

        the trouble is that it’s a fine line between being deeply scarred by becoming acquainted with some of the stuff that people do to each other, and becoming defensively calloused.

    • Rogue Trooper 2.3
      18 October 2013 at 5:01 pm

      I was moved, and a little surprised, when I read about these findings the other day. Still, depression (and ill-health, a million ‘obese’ New Zealanders now) are epidemic.

  3. Paul 3
    18 October 2013 at 7:03 am

    Planet Key

    $500 rounds of golf
    Helicopter rides
    5 start luxury resorts

    Yup, just your ordinary kind of guy, John.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/australiaandpacific/newzealand/10382216/John-Keys-Queenstown-My-Kind-of-Town.html

  4. North 4
    18 October 2013 at 7:35 am

    Thanks Andrea Vance for the pap piece on Super Botox Man. Thought by now you’d be chary about piffling on for seedy old hypocrites.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9295606/Banks-comes-out-swinging

    • Paul 4.1
      18 October 2013 at 7:49 am

      Corporate puppet.

    • miravox 4.2
      18 October 2013 at 7:56 am

      As for Jane Clifton…

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/9297151/Testing-Speakers-temper-ill-advised

      What’s going on there?

      …Three of the MPs walked out in protest yesterday after Speaker David Carter first put co-leader Metiria Turei on the naughty step and then turfed her out – without explaining why.

      All she had done was to ask a question in which she described the Government’s SkyCity casino deal as “sleazy”. Carter disallowed the question, so Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia asked whether the word – a great favourite on all sides of the House – was now unparliamentary.

      Carter said it wasn’t. But when she asked what had been wrong with her question, Carter tersely told her not to challenge his ruling…

      …After a series of tetchy exchanges, Carter’s seeming inability to specify the nature of the sin was getting embarrassing. Acting Leader of the House Anne Tolley obliquely tossed him a lifeline, saying she believed Turia’s phrasing of the question had fallen foul of Section 377 (1)(b) of Standing Orders, which forbade using imprecations, invective, sarcasm and the like in parliamentary questions.

      But Carter didn’t grab the rope, and after a further polite but unwelcome inquiry from Turia, he threw her out

      • karol 4.2.1
        18 October 2013 at 8:04 am

        Broken link. It’s here.

        • miravox 4.2.1.1
          18 October 2013 at 8:10 am

          Hmm – not a broken link – they’ve edited it. Glad I copied it instead of just linking.

          Btw, isn’t it meant to be good form to list edits to a published article rather than deleting it and putting up a corrected copy?

          • karol 4.2.1.1.1
            18 October 2013 at 8:21 am

            The url changed. It’s now under dominion-post/news instead of national.

            • miravox 4.2.1.1.1.1
              18 October 2013 at 8:32 am

              Yeah, that’s the new version. The old one is deleted. Take a look at the text I copied and the equivalent sentences at the new url.

              Clifton’s original piece confused Turei with Turia e.g.

              article 1:
              “Carter disallowed the question, so Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia asked whether the word – a great favourite on all sides of the House – was now unparliamentary.”

              article 2:
              “Carter disallowed the question, so Turei asked whether the word – a great favourite on all sides of the House – was now unparliamentary.”

              Bit of a big deal for a seasoned political journalist. Does she get someone else to take notes or write her stuff? And why did Stuff just change it without mentioning the edits?

              • karol …
                18 October 2013 at 8:44 am

                Yes I noticed the appalling errors in the bits you quoted.

              • karol …
                18 October 2013 at 8:52 am

                Hmmm…. just looked at the scan of today’s Dom Post on Press Display – the glaring Tariana Turia errors are there in print. Jane Clifton

                • Tigger …
                  18 October 2013 at 9:50 am

                  It’s all edited offshore now, yes? Do we suspect a simple spelling error caused the subeditor to add the explanation of who Turia is? That is, Clifton has mistyped ‘so Turia asked…’ instead of ‘so Turei asked…’ and the editor has added the rest thinking they are being helpful…

                  • miravox …
                    18 October 2013 at 9:56 am

                    Maybe. I’d like to blame it on off-shoring the subs.

                    They should have issued a correction, not deleted and relocated the corrected article without explanation. Bad manners that, and a bad look for Jane Clifton.

  5. phillip ure 5
    18 October 2013 at 7:35 am

    so..we have one million people people who are obese..

    ..next landmark 1.5 mill..?

    ..and still no reason to reconsider the nz-‘diet’/’food’-marketing practices…?

    ..and..bacon and saussies for breakfast..?

    ..a big mac/fries for lunch..?

    ..a pizza/ice-cream dinner..?

    ..mmm!!..

    ..big/blubby fat..!

    ..eh..?

    ..and lots of it..

    ..you do know it’s driving you to an early grave..

    ..eh..?

    ..we do all know that that much is not in any doubt..

    ..eh..?

    ..so..what to do..?

    ..over to you..!

    ..eh..?

    ..phillip ure..

  6. karol 6
    18 October 2013 at 7:44 am

    Congratulations Ross Clow, councilor for Whau – lead has held by 51 votes. Bye bye Raffills.

    Final Auckland Council results.

    • muzza 6.1
      18 October 2013 at 7:52 am

      I know little about Clow, but alot about the politics of Raffills, who will not be missed by anyone paying attention, and who cares for men and women.

      Bravo!

    • Not a PS Staffer 6.2
      18 October 2013 at 7:57 am

      +5
      Ross’s five fellow Labour candidate for the Whau Local Board also got in.
      That gives Labour five of the seven seats on that board.
      This is the first time a Labour slate was run there.
      For those ouside of West Auckland the Whau rhymes with Clow.

      “The Whau Local Board comprises the suburbs of New Lynn, Green Bay and Kelston, Rosebank, Waterview, Avondale, New Windsor and Blockhouse Bay. The name Whau is from the estuarine arm of the Waitemata Harbour, which extends into the area.”

      It is predominantly in David Cunliffe’s New Lynn electorate with parts in David Shearer’s Mt Albert and Phil Goff’s Mt Roskill.

      http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/representativesbodies/LocalBoards/Whaulocalboard/Pages/default.aspx

      • karol 6.2.1
        18 October 2013 at 8:07 am

        “For those ouside of West Auckland the Whau rhymes with Clow.”

        Actually these days it’s usually officially pronounced “foe”. Said to be the pronunciation of local iwi. Though not all people accept that.

        • bad12 6.2.1.1
          18 October 2013 at 8:31 am

          i would pronounce Whau as Faa-u, the u pronounced as you without the Y,of course my bones are from Whanga-nui-a-tara where different emphasis might be placed on different letters…

          • karol 6.2.1.1.1
            18 October 2013 at 8:42 am

            Yes. I think it’s hard to recreate the exact pre-European pronunciation of the Whau area, as the river was largely a transit route and location of seasonal camps used by several iwi.

            Older New Lynn residents do pronounce it “Wow”, and it’s possible that for some iwi it did/does rhyme with Clow.

            • felix 6.2.1.1.1.1
              18 October 2013 at 9:28 am

              My family always pronounced it “Wow”.

              But then they also said “Wockatarny” and “Wongaray” so I wouldn’t put much stock in that.

              • North …
                18 October 2013 at 2:19 pm

                I recall as a 50s kid my mother at the end of her tether loudly exclaiming at the naughty antics of me and my brother – “You’ll have me in the bloody Wow !”

                I later understood this to be a reference to a psychiatric hospital in “Avondale” (1950s – whisper whisper – “Oh, so and so’s in Avondale”). Near enough to the Whau. Might in fact have been the later Carrington, part of it now the Mason Clinic.

                While we’re on this can just tolerate “Wongaray” used by many of the successive generations of Northland Pakeha – habit etc.

                What really gets me as a well intentioned but poor effort is the one used by a member of the Northland Judiciary – “Fongaray”. “Faaarng-are-rare-e”, please !

        • Not a PS Staffer 6.2.1.2
          18 October 2013 at 9:31 am

          And Clow rhymes with Foe!

          • karol 6.2.1.2.1
            18 October 2013 at 9:37 am

            Oh. I always read Clow as rhyming with Wow. Thanks, Not a PS. Now I will not embarrass myself by mis-pronouncing Clow.

    • karol 6.3
      18 October 2013 at 10:11 am

      Maybe it’s also a good thing that most of the old Whau Board are gone. I see Bevan Chuang coordinated/s the New Lynn Night Markets in conjunction with the Whau Board – I think as contract work for her company. The Herald is raising questions about that.

      Mr Brown and Mr McKay also refused to say if Ms Chuang had a council contract at the New Lynn market. She claimed to be paid $500 a week by the council as a co-ordinator at the market.

      Would Len Brown have anything to do with such local initiatives? Derek Battersby -still on the Whau Board – seems to have had a lot to do with it.

      Western Leader:

      Mr Battersby has met the mayor’s 32-year-old former mistress. Miss Chuang has been the co-ordinator of the New Lynn Night Markets since they first opened in June this year.

      Auckland Council spokesman Glyn Walters says Miss Chuang was employed through the Community Development Project and the Whau Local Board was keen to support the markets.

      “She would have been appointed a few months ago when the project started,” he says. “It was a normal procurement process for a contractor and there is no evidence to suggest mayoral involvement.”

      However Mr Battersby says the initial idea of the ethnic night markets had little support from the board as it had plans for its own Saturday market.

      Mr Battersby says they had no choice in the matter. “We accepted it and got on with it. It was a bit tongue in cheek and we weren’t particularly chuffed.”

      Mr Battersby says now that Miss Chuang has become a public person she might need review her position.

    • Tracey 6.4
      18 October 2013 at 10:25 am

      never upset to see a raffills out of politics

    • Rogue Trooper 6.5
      18 October 2013 at 5:15 pm

      and to Tom Belford, elected to the HBRC following counting of the ‘specials’ (in by 61 😉 from memory) ; now Four of the Nine councillors a re opposed to the RWSS, :-D. Now, that’s democracy, of sorts.

  7. Red Horse 7
    18 October 2013 at 7:48 am

    At least Mr Brown seems to have paid for the rooms where he was having sex with Bevan.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141904

    • Colonial Viper 7.1
      18 October 2013 at 8:02 am

      NZ’s proudest daily paper of journalism.

      • Te Reo Putake 7.1.1
        18 October 2013 at 8:07 am

        NZ’s Journal of Record (toryness).

      • tinfoilhat 7.1.2
        18 October 2013 at 8:09 am

        Salacious sex sells.

        One of my grandchildren is covering Brave New World and 1984 at school at the moment… both still as relevant today as they ever were.

        • Colonial Viper 7.1.2.1
          18 October 2013 at 8:45 am

          Brave New World AND 1984 at the same time? OMG, what are they trying to do to these poor kids? 🙂

          • miravox 7.1.2.1.1
            18 October 2013 at 8:53 am

            A whole lot better than Atlas shrugged, which is apparently on the way in Idaho.

            • greywarbler 7.1.2.1.1.1
              18 October 2013 at 10:29 am

              Look what happens when the whacko pollies powered by that fabulous fuel mix booster Money and Religion get into power. The guy introduced the bill, but wasn’t really serious about it.

              A Republican state senator in Idaho has introduced legislation that would require all high school students in the state to read an Ayn Rand novel that has become popular with the Tea Party movement.

              State Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde (R-Coeur d’Alene) introduced legislation Tuesday that would require the reading of Rand’s 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged by every high school student in the state, and the passage of a test on the book, in order to graduate, The Spokesman-Review reported. Goedde said that he only introduced the bill as a way to send a message to the state over a series of recent decisions, and not to force the reading of Rand’s book

              And to show some of the other thinking and events in this country of large historic democracy and huge intellectual and philosophical capability –
              Huffington Post side headings –
              * 10 Things only women with big boobs can understand.
              * Men got us into the shutdown women got us out
              * Stenographer removed for shouting on House floor
              * Principal raped boy in office while parent was outside: Cops

            • Paul 7.1.2.1.1.2
              18 October 2013 at 5:14 pm

              So neo-liberal Randism is a religion now.
              The gospel according to Ayn.

  8. Te Reo Putake 8
    18 October 2013 at 8:09 am

    Probably time to ban rugby. All those ACC claims are killing us taxpayers.

    http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/oct/17/rugby-union-nfl-lawsuit-concussion

    • The Al1en 8.1
      18 October 2013 at 8:28 am

      If they won’t ban Richie Mccaw for persistent cheating at the breakdown, it’ll take a lot more than a few more brain damaged kiwis to halt the game.

      Though a precedent has been set with the motorbikers and acc levies, or did the government capitulate? I can’t recall, and it has nothing to do with heading a football.

      • Ennui 8.1.1
        18 October 2013 at 12:22 pm

        I played for years, explains a lot…head knocks and all that. That was a lot more dangerous than riding a bicycle, which I am forced to wear a stupid bloody helmet on. Who will save me from meddling “safety” commissars from OSH and ACC?

        • Morrissey 8.1.1.1
          18 October 2013 at 4:56 pm

          Ennui, you do know that wearing helmets in American football only makes that game MORE dangerous, indeed lethal? Certainly rugby is terribly dangerous, and there is no one thing in sport more dangerous than a rugby scrum, but wearing helmets is NOT the way to go…..

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poXs1pWV0qs

  9. karol 9
    18 October 2013 at 8:38 am

    Sleaze oil – making friends and influencing people wherever he goes. From the (now Slaterless Truth, yesterday:

    […] Fact: Slater’s father John was also on Palino’s campaign staff.

    Fact: Slater (junior) has a hard on of hate for Brown.

    Fact: Slater (junior) is calling on Brown to resign from the mayoralty.

    Fact: ACT Leader John Banks has been ordered to stand trial for electoral fraud.

    Fact: Instead of lambasting him, Slater (junior) has patted him on the back for resigning from his Ministerial Portfolios, saying Banks has “more integrity” than Brown.

    Question: If Brown is expected to resign from the mayoralty then, by the same standards set by Slater (junior), should Banks resign from Parliament?[…]

    And what is this incident that is referred to on the paepae blog yesterday?

    We know the true-blue Slaters, er … dislike lefty Len Brown* and are, as a family, great friends of John Banks, whom Mr Brown so robustly defeated for the first Auckland ‘super city’ mayoralty three years ago (and who, it was announced today, will stand trial on charges of [allegedly] filing a false electoral return. Tsk.)

    We shouldn’t, I guess, be surprised that the fetid swamp that is Slater junior’s hate blog will never, ever get around to ‘reporting’ (gag) — with or without affidavits — a pattern of night-time disturbance (‘No, this isn’t the right apartment’) which apparently so miffed Jenny Shipley back in the days her Wellington apartment was in proximity to that of one of her Parliamentary colleagues.

    No, of course not. There are lines that shouldn’t be crossed.

    Aren’t there, Cameron?

    • felix 9.1
      18 October 2013 at 9:17 am

      Well this just proves that Slater is the victim of an attack campaign. And it’s even worse that he first thought, with tentacles reaching far beyond the entire Herald staff.

      Either that or he’s just a gutless horrible worm and no-one has any time for him. Who knows?

  10. Outofbed 10
    18 October 2013 at 9:00 am

    That’s the trouble if the line gets crossed, politicians private lives are now fair game.
    We should try and not descend to that level.
    Except of course in the case of Nick Smith . He needs an extension to his wardrobe for all those skeletons 🙂

  11. northshoreguynz 11
    18 October 2013 at 9:42 am

    Brian Rudman in fine form. Maybe the rights grip on Auckland really is on the slippery slope.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11141823

    • ianmac 11.1
      18 October 2013 at 10:07 am

      OOps. Sorry Northshoreguynz. Posted below before reading your post. Saw the same thing. Very funny and shrewd is Mr Rudman.

      • North 11.1.1
        18 October 2013 at 2:38 pm

        He’s actually having a serious go at Auckland’s Mad Right. Watch out Rudman ! The elephant without a trunk (well, some say not when he’s up to HIS “fun”), SlaterPorn that is, he and his ilk never forget a slight.

        • newsense 11.1.1.1
          18 October 2013 at 2:49 pm

          Glad that Rudman is fronting up. There are precious few in the media have the opportunity, ability or will power…Note also according to todays business ‘news’ or that funky little bs gossip section that Bridges is a National hero for taking it to John Campbell.

          • North 11.1.1.1.1
            18 October 2013 at 8:50 pm

            True. I saw/heard that somewhere too Newsense. About which I don’t give a shit because THEY would. They’d stoutly maintain all sorts of kaka to maintain the “born to rule” psychosis. That’s the way it is in these days of ShonKey Python’s “higher standards”.

            Cleverly, you just deny. If hard pressed you just forget. Never mind. Ugly I know but have pity. They’re just consoling themselves in the niggling knowledge that the Great Feet are now the Clay Feet. Truth is most of the canned laughetr behind him have never picked up such fat salaries. Greedy little wannabee Geckos are shitting. Seriously.

            Thing is Wee Simon didn’t look good in the eyes of those who’ve not sipped the KoolAid. Shouty little Mini-Matthew Hooton. A very shouty little boy minister.

            It’s ANOTHER intimation of how fucked and spiralling down is the ShonKey Python Flying Circus. Just like the early 60s bodgie the “Out Of His Depth Mr Speaker Carter”. He exemplifies it. ShonKeyness.

            This government is a bunch of tired, dying, malevolent, incompetent, fucks.

  12. risildowgtn 12
    18 October 2013 at 9:58 am

    I know this is a couple of days old but I aint sure if anyone has covered this:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141685

    Rolinson is 1 class act . NOT

    Backed by 1 Jenny Bloxham ex MP ,ex CHCH Independant Councillor hopeful

    Both are vile and a friend of mine has some shit on these 2

  13. bad12 13
    18 October 2013 at 10:01 am

    Labour MP’s are now openly ‘toying’ with the House Speaker during the Parliament’s Question Time, the Speaker,(snigger, in my honest opinion), is having trouble differentiating His political leanings form His duty as Speaker to deliver impartial rulings from within the Parliaments Standing Orders,

    Metiria in the face of a Government who to all extents and purposes are all functional idiots either by design or birth, has taken to openly giggling at the stupidity contained in answers being given in the Chamber by Government Ministers,

    If there is one thing that the stuffed shirts of the right cannot abide by it’s having their own views of themselves as the ‘power’ in the land being openly laughed at…

    • bad12 13.1
      18 October 2013 at 10:13 am

      Ooops, how did this get here, was supposed to be in the ‘Point of order Mr Speaker’ Post…

  14. ianmac 14
    18 October 2013 at 10:04 am

    A very funny piece by Brian Rudman ties in with the Herald Cartoon.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11141823

    The cartoon from (Emmerson?) “I know Nothing.”
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11141862

  15. bad12 15
    18 October 2013 at 10:24 am

    Winston Peters telling unintended funnies via RadioNZ National news this morning, it’s ‘Conference time’ for NZFirst this weekend and Winston appears to be G-ing up the troops with a rousing declaration that NZFirst will decide who the next Government will be, balance of power stuff and all that,

    On another planet He also goes on to declare NZFirst will double it’s numbers in the House after November 2014,

    The first of course would depend entirely on the second as far as coming to pass is concerned and as NZFirst has largely become an irrelevancy in the last few months as a resurgent Labour has hogged all the political airtime just getting across the 5% thresh-hold for NZFirst is likely to become to big an ask,

    Given the latest Roy Morgan, NZFirst’s very survival after 2014 may depend upon it being able to show in the Parliament that it can work in a Labour/Green coalition…

    • millsy 15.1
      18 October 2013 at 11:36 am

      I’m actually picking that next year will be the last election that WP will contest. If he doesnt get tipped out (this depends on the political climate this time next year), he will retire in 2017.

  16. Penny Bright 16
    18 October 2013 at 10:49 am

    FYI

    Latest developments with the private prosecution of ACT Leader, MP for Epsom, John Banks.

    http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/corruption/solicitor-general-to-take-over-case/

    (Please read carefully Cameron Slater?

    ‘vexatious’ litigation by Graham McCready?

    Can I respectfully suggest that you don’t use words you apparently don’t understand? )

    Kind regards,

    Penny Bright

    • Tracey 16.1
      18 October 2013 at 11:00 am

      Can’t be vexacious if two different judges have seen cause to proceed AND the SG is looking at taking over.

      • marsman 16.1.1
        18 October 2013 at 11:14 am

        I wondered about the SG taking over, heard it on the news last night. Wonder what the reasoning for that is Tracey?

        • veutoviper 16.1.1.1
          18 October 2013 at 11:43 am

          marsman, i suggest you read the link in Penny Bright’s comment at 16 for background.

          The S-G was requested to take over the case by McCready and co in June; but deferred a decision on this until the case was committed for trial. Hence the S-G is now considering taking over.

          Back in june IIRC Penny provided a link to the formal request for the S-G to take over, but I don’t have time to find that link. It will no doubt be somewhere on the blog site of the link at 16, but the Archives list doesn’t seem to include June 2013.

          • karol 16.1.1.1.1
            18 October 2013 at 11:55 am

            I think NRT tweeted that he had some concerns about the SG taking over the prosecution – worried about some bias or cover up to protect Banks.

            Idiot/Savant ‏@norightturnnz

            Solicitor-General taking over the Banks case smells like a stitch-up.

            • veutoviper 16.1.1.1.1.1
              18 October 2013 at 3:23 pm

              I also have concerns that if the S-G takes over the case that this could lead to bias or cover-up , Karol.

              However, it was McCready who formally requested that the S-G take over the case back in June in line with legal provisions for this to happen IIRC. (Haven’t had time today to track down McCready’s formal request to verify the reasons, legal provisions etc – but it will be there somewhere on the blogsite Penny linked to). Legal costs obviously would be a major reason as stated/implied in McCready’s latest release on Penny’s link.

            • RedBaronCV 16.1.1.1.1.2
              18 October 2013 at 9:12 pm

              I don’t really understand the system but does the SG have any power to refer this back to the Police who then shove Banks onto diversion or something similar.

          • marsman 16.1.1.1.2
            19 October 2013 at 8:55 am

            Thanks veutoviper. I share your concern re political interference if the SC takes over.

    • Tracey 16.2
      18 October 2013 at 11:10 am

      Penny

      When I clicked your link at that site to the decision a blank pdf loaded, no words. Would love to read it.

  17. Penny Bright 17
    18 October 2013 at 11:30 am

    MORE!!

    http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/corruption/banks-is-going-to-trial/

    See today’s NZ Herald editorial?

    Good on you Graham McCready!

    Cheers!

    Penny Bright

  18. captain hook 18
    18 October 2013 at 12:09 pm

    something wrong with our parliament when the speaker cannot give the reasons for his rulings.
    The present speaker is probably representative of all the lightweights populating the national party caucus but the country expects more than petulant bullying from the supposedly objective officials.
    time for national to pick up its money pack up its tent and piss off.

  20. marty mars 20
    18 October 2013 at 1:16 pm

    Great links Joe – the only ‘f’ word we should be concentrating on is fracking. I wonder how long before we see the same thing here – blockades, confrontation – so far most of it is below the radar but the time is drawing near where there will have to be more visible action to stop the exploiters. We have shown with the tour that people will stand up and fight when they want to and overseas many examples of brave people are there. We either stop them or we stop them – no other choice on this one. Kia kaha.

  21. karol 21
    18 October 2013 at 2:50 pm

    The NZ Herald is trying to draw on the wisdom of the crowd to find out who sent the threatening text to Bevan Chuang.

    Two things puzzle me about the text

    1) It apparently came after a vague reference to Len Brown and “Asian beauties” in a WO post during the last week of the council elections.

    How would the text sender know that WO was referring to Chuang?

    2) The sender seems to be certain that Chuang has been talking “to the Slaters”.

    And yet, according to Chuang, it was Luigi that was pressuring her and he had said that he had people set up to go with the story. And Chuang says she only decided to agree to signing an affadavit after the election results came out on the Sunday.

    Why did the text sender seem certain that Chuang had been talking to the “Slaters” (plural) before voting ended for the elections?

    • veutoviper 21.1
      18 October 2013 at 3:48 pm

      Those texts to Chuang and others did not ‘compute’ to me from my first hearing of them – and still don’t.

      IMO the sender is probably an ‘insider’ within the Slater/Luigi et al camp to put further pressure on Chuang in a perverse/reverse manner to reveal all – and at the same time setting up a red herring as to who else knew. The timing of the texts is too coincidental to WO’s post about Asian beauties. Probably a cheap prepay phone thrown away once the texts had been sent.

      But something else that does not now compute to me that popped into my head as I was writing the above:

      – Slater senior supposedly also received a text from the same number as Chuang last week;

      – but he has also claimed that he knew nothing about the affair until WO informed him an hour or two before WO released his substantive post with the full details this week.

      • karol 21.1.1
        18 October 2013 at 3:55 pm

        On the last point. Brian Rudman today – heh.

        There was a time when nothing happened inside the National Party or its local body shadow, the Auckland Citizens and Ratepayers organisation, without Mr Slater’s knowledge. Not any more.

        This week, after the Len Brown scandal erupted forth from his son Cameron’s blog, Mr Slater confessed to the Herald that his very own, hand-made Frankenstein had not bothered to consult him beforehand about it, or the ongoing dirty tricks campaign to try to bring Mayor Len Brown to his knees.
        […]
        Which does beg the question, if Mr Palino can’t even keep track of what his tiny campaign team are up to, what does it say about his ability to keep on top of a business employing more than 8000 staff and an annual budget of $4.5 billion?

        I know nuzzink!

      • karol 21.1.2
        18 October 2013 at 4:59 pm

        Slater Jnr says the txt to his father was too vague about who was involved for him to really be clued in to what was going on. OTOH, apparently Chuang’s father also got one of the threatening txts, which makes it seem like they came from someone closer to Chuang.

    • Dumrse 21.2
      18 October 2013 at 7:12 pm

      Perhaps Len had advice of what was going to happen and sent his PR henchmen loose? Just a thought.

      • Pascal's bookie 21.2.1
        18 October 2013 at 7:26 pm

        Unknowable. Burner phone so it all comes down to character of the various actors I guess, and people will make their own judgements about who was most likely.

        things aren’t looking good for team dirty tricks in that regard I suspect.

        • Rogue Trooper 21.2.1.1
          18 October 2013 at 7:47 pm

          it is interesting that John (my hands are off this ) Key said (on 3News) “is not pushing for” Len’s resignation and “he’ll be back on the horse as soon as he possibly can”.

  22. aerobubble 22
    18 October 2013 at 2:54 pm

    why are the anti-people party, the burn the barn to
    make a profit, eat several Earths party, one might
    say future murderers and pillage party, the most likely to
    fear the prison population will vote. Are they putting innocent
    people in prision, planning to? Well duh, I mean if you believe
    you’ve stolen wealth, then obviously you want to do everything
    to stop the opposition taking you to rights, so you create
    a cult and culture of removing and extinguishing those rights.

    Protest on the seas, be locked up, and denied the vote at the
    election. Its a pincher, increase crimes and decrease rights,
    has historically been motivated by illegitimate governments
    and power blocks.

  23. Tim 23
    18 October 2013 at 2:55 pm

    …. just an observation:

    The so-called “ANZAC SPIRIT”.

    What has it come to mean now?

    It once signaled the close relationship/brother-sisterhood between Australians and New Zealanders – empathy, compassion, co-operation et al.

    The pollies love it. For me its becoming a label the politicians can use at will to piss on my ancestors’ graves.
    The Howard 2001 law changes that see contributing NZers living in Australia disadvantaged and ineligable for some pretty basic ‘services’ and benefits available to Australians living in NZ.
    – doesn’t seem very compassionate or cooperative to me.
    – the pathetic representations made by Shonkey on NZers behalf

    Those ANZAC symbols and totems erected on various bridges and elsewhere are fast becoming meaningless and merely reference points for pollies to draw on nationalism and supposedly feelings of patriotism in order to ease their consciences for doing SFA for veterans welfare, etc.

    I’ve just listened to some deekhead called Tarn Yabbit – who apparently has a Koiwoi woifey giving a speech at some Legacy Club in Brissie.

    NOT ONCE in all of that speech did the name NZ get mentioned. (Btw … Canada did).
    I guess “AAC” would be kid of hard to pronounce.

    I find myself having to laugh at times when I see the various trolls that visit here mock Russell Norman – using his birthplace as their justifcation.
    In my mind, Norman would have more of an understanding what that “Spirit” is than many.
    It seems the right probably just think of CER, Australian vestmint tunetees, flogging off as much turf and assets to transTas cuzzies as possible alongside a few sporting events and Crosby Textor type ‘mateship’.

    ANZAC “spirit” indeed! Crapola! The Okkers can’t even spell Labour correctly these days!

  25. Jilly Bee 25
    18 October 2013 at 4:06 pm

    Hmmmmmm Commodore Kevin Kent has been found guilty on 5 of 8 charges brought against him, but no sign of anything in Granny Herald as yet, though it is on the Radio N Z and Stuff webpages. Thought the Herald is supposed to be up with keeping us informed, but they seem to be eternally stuck on the Slater, Chuang, Wewege, Brown saga and who sent that text message. I note it was sent in ‘complete’ text, not txt speak.

  26. Pascal's bookie 26
    18 October 2013 at 4:18 pm

    If you haven’t seen this post from Peter Aranyi, you really owe it to yourself to take a look. The post itself has some good links and makes some good observations. The poster at the end though, is simply unmissable:

    http://www.thepaepae.com/i-think-its-outrageous-that-poor-simon-lusks-name-gets-dragged-into-these-dirty-shabby-venal-nasty-political-schemes-time-and-time-again-how-must-he-be-feeling/32938/

    You’re welcome.

  27. appleboy 27
    18 October 2013 at 4:19 pm

    In the messages between Bevan and WEdgie, he asked her to tape record conversations. Surely there’s something illegal about that..trying to get someone to do something illegal? Also, surely that’s a story taht should be ripe for exploring – hunt down Wedgie and Palino who have been in hiding ever since the story backfired on them. The journos are hounding Len, so how about appplying their hounding equally

    • karol 27.1
      18 October 2013 at 4:24 pm

      Jared Savage at the NZ Herald has also been looking at Wewege.

    • chris73 27.2
      18 October 2013 at 5:09 pm

      Well what the journalists should really be asking is how “Spray and walk away” Len voted during the sky city deal and was it coincidental he had sexy, fun time at the hotel…

      But the journalists won’t of course, they’ll wait to see what Cameron Slater comes up with first and pretend its their work

      • Te Reo Putake 27.2.2
        18 October 2013 at 5:24 pm

        Love the way this issue has allowed righties to think it’s now OK to take their inner racist out for walkies. Very revealing.

        • McFlock 27.2.2.1
          18 October 2013 at 5:29 pm

          true enough

        • ghostrider888 27.2.2.2
          18 October 2013 at 5:32 pm

          only Skin Deep

        • felix 27.2.2.3
          18 October 2013 at 6:00 pm

          I like how they can’t think of nicknames so they use ones they’ve heard people call John Key.

        • chris73 27.2.2.4
          18 October 2013 at 7:53 pm

          Let me explain why its not rascist…while the phrase was popularized by a stereotypical asian man that’s not how I’m using it (though I can see how you might jump to that conclusion)

          I’m using spray and walk away in reference to his habit of blowing a load on a woman and then leaving like shes some sort of prostitute ie spray (blow the load) and walk away (from the hooker)

          PS Dirty Len was the one calling a chinese woman “geisha girl” and “manchu girl” so you might like to consider the rascist or at the very least demeaning aspects of 4/10 Lens personality

          • Pascal's bookie 27.2.2.4.1
            18 October 2013 at 8:04 pm

            Let’s face it Chris. You bloody dream of being a 4/10.

            • chris73 27.2.2.4.1.1
              18 October 2013 at 8:08 pm

              Let me check:

              “Hey darling”
              “Yes dear”
              “What would you rate my love making abilities?”
              “You spend far too much time on blogging sites and what do you want for dinner?”
              “Yes darling and I feel like pasta tonight”

              Sorry its a bit inconclusive

          • Colonial Viper 27.2.2.4.2
            18 October 2013 at 8:17 pm

            You wanting to apply broadcasting standards to sexual partner pillow talk now, c73? Talk about nanny state!!!

      • karol 27.2.3
        18 October 2013 at 6:16 pm

        And, of course, WO’s right on to Banks’ corruption trial, and digging to find every bit of dirt on that. Not waiting for the journalists…. 🙄

    • Colonial Viper 27.3
      18 October 2013 at 7:59 pm

      Recordings? Remember that through the US, our govt security services have access to all of the calls and txts between Brown and Chuang. This is what the system is there for.

  28. BLiP 28
    18 October 2013 at 5:13 pm

    ‘

    Had to have a chuckle today. The hard-copy New Zealand Fox News Herald “Business” section has the stock market listings on pages B7 – B9 and, without interruption, the next two pages show the the horse racing events, field and form. Seems apt.

  29. Pascal's bookie 29
    18 October 2013 at 5:18 pm

    Seen a few tweets from Herald and tv3 journos hinting this is all going to blow up again soon.

    Questions they are saying they have an answer to is : ‘Was this all a right wing conspiracy, and how deep, who knew, who lied about knowing, and who’s keeping quiet even though they know quite a bit’

    awwwwkwaaard.

    • Pascal's bookie 29.1
      18 October 2013 at 5:50 pm

      TV3 saying to watch The Nation 2moro. Clever move. Gives WO time to sweat and type and type and sweat.

      • NickS 29.1.1
        18 October 2013 at 6:00 pm

        Sounds like TV3 are going whale hunting with whale-seeking harpoon missiles 😀

        • Rogue Trooper 29.1.1.1
          18 October 2013 at 6:05 pm

          underground railguns

          • Colonial Viper 29.1.1.1.1
            18 October 2013 at 7:48 pm

            Awesome…with neutronium projectiles…

            • Rogue Trooper 29.1.1.1.1.1
              18 October 2013 at 7:50 pm

              ha ha! get you you card.

              On the subject of rails, saw a great ad on tv just now (do not miss ads though) for kiwirailscenic.co.nz, passenger service.
              “Take A Train”.

              • Anne …
                18 October 2013 at 8:23 pm

                Yes RT saw it earlier. Backgrounded with an aria from Puccini’s Madam Butterfly? Someone will correct me if I have the wrong opera. 🙂

                • Not Another Sheep …
                  18 October 2013 at 9:20 pm

                  ‘The Pearl Fishers Duet’ by Georges Bizet from the Opera “Les Pecheurs De Perles” -Yes it is she the most fascinating and beautiful goddess-who has brought us together….. our fates are linked ? Kiwirail?

                  • Anne …
                    18 October 2013 at 10:50 pm

                    Goodness me. That was a wrong call. Must refresh my operatic knowledge. Whatever, it is a truly beautiful aria, and a perfect foil for the Ad.

                    • Jim Nald …
                      18 October 2013 at 11:39 pm

                      Yup, that’s one of the most beautiful tenor-baritone duet and it is from Bizet’s Pearl Fishers (Act One, Scene IV).

                      Oui, c’est elle!
                      C’est la déesse qui descend parmi nous!
                      Son voile se soulève et la foule est à genoux!

                      (And correctly translated by ‘Not Another Sheep’.)

                      I don’t recognise the singers but a quick search reveals Youtube stating they are our local folks, Moses MacKay and Pene Pati.

                      And Moses and Pene are having fun here, with Pene’ brother, Amita:
                      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJQydNWUsYQ

                  • Rogue Trooper …
                    18 October 2013 at 11:26 pm

                    You are certainly Not Another Sheep.

                    • Not Another Sheep …
                      18 October 2013 at 11:59 pm

                      Could be a black sheep..hahaha….

                      Love the other link Jim Nald. Talented lads and a crack up trio here. I wasn’t sure who performed the backing music.

      • karol 29.1.2
        18 October 2013 at 6:04 pm

        Bradbury reckons we “won’t see this twist coming”….. ?

    • felix 29.2
      18 October 2013 at 6:02 pm

      What was it Tucker used to say? Never become the story?

      Oops.

    • Dumrse 29.3
      18 October 2013 at 7:24 pm

      Some of those questions are somewhat irrelevant as we don’t give a shit about the how’s and why’s. What’s more important is who else did he tup and did he make any entries into the probity register or did he just cash them in.

  30. ghostrider888 30
    18 October 2013 at 5:31 pm

    Bluee Mountain Charcoal

  31. karol 31
    18 October 2013 at 6:01 pm

    Yes. Sorry to see that.

  32. felix 32
    18 October 2013 at 7:59 pm

    Lol @ John Key’s freudian slip on checkpoint tonight.

    He’s got NZFirst on the brain.

  34. Not Another Sheep 34
    18 October 2013 at 9:35 pm

    Dave, do you mean the “Aotearoa Youth Leadership Institute” and ” Doing Good Fellows” (True title) Wewege as the Founders of these organisations?

    Ironical that he took the second organisation’s title a little to the extreme.

    This is the same Wewege that is also on the International Youth Council.

    His profile -: ” How do you want to get involved ? Connect with other global-minded leaders, Contribute Knowledge and/or Resources. What issues are important to you? Education, Media, Sustainability, Leadership, Partnerships, Policy”

    A fine role model and representative of NZ youth to the world ?

    • dave 34.1
      18 October 2013 at 9:42 pm

      I mean yesterday they removed Wewege from the top 99 under 33 list.

      • Not Another Sheep 34.1.1
        18 October 2013 at 9:59 pm

        Yes and I was being cynical about Wewege and the organisations and businesses he drags down with him.

        The 99ers should have removed him too, rightly so!

        Wewege one of the elite chosen global top 99 for 2013 “…. a community of some of the brightest and most innovative minds of the time….our third class of 99ers continues to prove to the world the power of breaking traditional models and thinking outside the box for new solutions to old problems. Bring a group of 99ers together in a room, and feel the world shift….. each and every one a gleaming ray of hope … ”

        innovative
        breaking traditional role models
        new solutions for an old problem

        He sure does that ! Wonder if the IYC know too?

    • Pascal's bookie 34.2
      18 October 2013 at 9:55 pm

      do you mean the “Aotearoa Youth Leadership Institute” and ” Doing Good Fellows” (True title) Wewege as the Founders of these organisations?

      Read somewhere today that the AYLI have said he isn’t a member let alone a founder

      • Not Another Sheep 34.2.1
        18 October 2013 at 10:06 pm

        His Bio on the Diplomatic Courier says he is. Long, impressive Bio. Shame.
        Check Daves ‘google’ cached address above. That page has now been removed from the “Diplomatic Courier” itself

  35. Morrissey 35
    18 October 2013 at 10:22 pm

    WIMP WALLOPING
    Wimp: Jeremy Elwood. Walloper: Nevil Gibson
    The Panel, Radio New Zealand National, Friday 18 October 2013
    Jim Mora, Jeremy Elwood, Nevil Breivik Gibson

    JIM MORA: It’s Susan Baldacci, with what the WOOOOOOORLD’s talking about!
    SUSAN BALDACCI: Well the first story today is a rather sad one. It seems that slavery is still rife around the world.
    MORA: Slavery?
    SUSAN BALDACCI: Y-y-yes. And the country with the most slaves is India.
    MORA: Is it India that has the most slaves?
    SUSAN BALDACCI: [betraying slight irritation] Mmmmm. …. [Pause]….The country with the highest proportion of slaves is Mauritania. It has five to twenty per cent of the population as slaves.
    MORA: Five to twenty per cent of the population of Mauritania are slaves?

    …..[Pause]…..

    SUSAN BALDACCI: Mmmm.

    …..Some minutes later….

    MORA: Mmmmmmm, mmmmmm!
    SUSAN BALDACCI: Mmmm, mmmm!
    JEREMY ELWOOD: Mmmmm!
    MORA: Mmmmmmm! This is delicious cake! Who brought it in?
    NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: I did!
    MORA: What, is it your birthday?
    NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: It is.
    MORA: Happy fiftieth birthday! Ha ha ha ha ha!
    NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: Ha ha.
    MORA: I mean, happy FORTIETH birthday! Ha ha ha ha!
    NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: Ha ha.

    A couple of minutes later, as the music gradually rises to usher in the 4 o’clock news, the Panelists are discussing the stunning revelation that we’ve been lied to for the last hundred years about a crucial historical event….

    MORA: So if the band on the Titanic didn’t play “Nearer My God to Thee”, what DID they play?
    JEREMY ELWOOD: “Sailing”.
    NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: Heeeeeeeeeeeee!
    MORA: That was the resident comedian on the program, Jeremy Elwood. Back after the news!

    ……4 o’clock News…..

    After the four o’clock news, Mora always drags his hapless guests through a mandatory ritual of introductory or (more commonly) catch-up chit-chat. This would be pretty dull at the best of times, but seeing that he has a small roster of Panelists, this is also (almost always) a wasted seven or eight minutes.

    However, these informal chats occasionally reveal some highly interesting aspects of character, or lack of character. Yesterday (Thursday October 17th), for instance, right wing Stuff business editor Ellen Read and that grouchy old hippie-hater and scourge of progressive thinkers, Rosemary McLeod, took the opportunity to boast about all the books they had not read. First of all they dealt to The Bone People, defiantly announcing that they found it boring, over-rated and unreadable. If they had stopped there, their little excursion into book criticism would have been reasonable and unexceptionable. But this pair of Mother Grundys were incapable of stopping there; they couldn’t help themselves. Warming to the task, McLeod announced she would never ever look at anything by Pope or Dryden. Ellen Read warmly endorsed this strident declaration of philistinism.

    That, however, was as bad as it got yesterday. For the rest of the program, Read and McLeod were considered and reasonable in their comments. Long-time listeners would have been not only surprised at this, but also a trifle disappointed. Ellen Read has a particularly nasty, acerbic personality and has in the past unloaded both barrels on opponents, or amiable victims like Tim Watkin. So her failure to deliver on yesterday’s program left many listeners sans our fix of righteous right wing raving. Listening to a young lout playing nice and agreeing with everything an old lout says is nobody’s idea of entertainment, surely. If we wanted that, we’d just listen in on Cameron Brewer sucking up to Don Brash.

    Many of us sufferers were no doubt hoping that today’s extreme right wing guest would come through with the good stuff, i.e., the crazy stuff. After all, with Nevil Breivik Gibson on board, the probability of a demented comment is extremely high.

    Today’s post-four o’clock chat revealed (1) that Jeremy Elwood recently met Dan Marino and Dan Ackroyd, and, more interestingly, (2) that Nevil Gibson has visited Ireland recently. That trip provided the springboard for Gibson to make one of his trademark cock-eyed observations, a paean to the “excellence” of Ireland’s Sunday newspapers. That would have come as a surprise to anyone who has actually read an Irish Sunday newspaper, which to any literate Irish person is a synonym for “crap”.

    Still, as Breivik Gibson comments go, raving about the quality of crap Irish papers was pretty mild. More extreme stuff was to come just before the end of the show. Before that, though, there was a bit of excruciating banter with the host….

    JIM MORA: Nevil Gibson, happy birthday. That’s a nice cake you’ve brought in for us. Did you bake it yourself?
    NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: No, no, I got it from Hollywood.
    MORA: You got it imported?!?!???!?
    NEVIL BREIVIK GIBSON: Heeeeeeeeeeee! Actually it’s the bakery chain!
    MORA: Oh!

    The bulk of the program was pretty run of the mill. There was something about Len Brown, and both Gibson and Elwood made bland contributions for the “Soabbox” segment. It seemed that, apart from Gibson’s endorsement of substandard Irish rags, this was going to pass away into the space-time continuum without leaving a trace.

    But then THIS happened……

    In the last five minutes, Mora brings up the subject of the Republican extreme right and its determined assault on civic and public life in the United States, AKA “the government shutdown.” Just as I suspected he would, Nevil Gibson takes up the opportunity to deliver one of his crazed homilies—this time on behalf of the Tea Party loons. He embarks on an utterly untrue and fantastical speech, asserting that Ted Cruz and his cronies, far from being thugs and vandals, represent a significant section of the U.S. population. “Don’t they have a right to be heard?” he pleads, his voice croaking with emotion.

    Gibson would never have gotten away with such nonsense if the other Panelist were, say, Gordon McLauchlan or Gordon Campbell or Mai Chen. But his interlocutor today is that nice Jeremy Elwood, a man who goes out of his way during his comedy appearances to make it clear he is a concerned and thoughtful liberal thinker. Unfortunately, Elwood has a dismal track record of going out of his way to “find common ground” with people who are philosophically and morally opposite to him. A few years ago Elwood brought down ignominy and contempt on himself after he cravenly voiced agreement with every single thing uttered by the bullying ex-cop Graham Bell during one of Bell’s infamous swingeing rants against liberals, conservationists and young people.

    It was always a forlorn hope that Elwood would show a bit of courage and actually argue with Gibson. And so, just as we knew he would, he caved in. Instead of challenging him, Elwood joked lamely that there are huge numbers of Americans that take no notice of the government, and don’t need it in their lives. “They got on just fine during the shut-down,” he snickered. Nevil Breivik Gibson guffawed his approval.

    Mercifully, the insistent sound of Carmina Burana wells up. Time to sign off…

    JIM MORA: Nevil Gibson, happy birthday. Thank you for bringing in the cake!

  37. xtasy 37
    19 October 2013 at 2:48 am

    Hallo – again

    Yesterday, I took action, on my own. I went outside the Avondale WINZ office, to do a picket and protest. I held up a sign warning of “hatchet doctors”. There was nobody else, but I know a few others keep up the fight. I only wanted to raise awareness, and was there between 10,20 to 11.30 am on Friday.

    Only 10 or 15 minutes into the action I was approached by a security person, one of the WINZ ones, coming out of their office. I had a sign and already handed out a few flyers (all stating the truth). He asked me, after staring at me for a few minutes, whether he could have one of my flyers. I gave him one. Then he disappeared, and I am sure he reported to the manager.

    Soon after he came back, he tried to start a nonsensical chat, but held a pen and paper in his hands, and he took notes of the words on my sign. This all happened in a totally public place, on the footpath, which is a fair few steps away from the WINZ office. I had lots of people interested and handed out many flyers.

    But what really SCARED ME, was the fact this security guy took record of all, reported to his manager, while I was in a public place. I am disturbed, and also angry, as this country is supposed to be democratic and “free” country. I did nothing wrong, and I also heard of others in the same area, at various WINZ offices being harassed.

    Now, I ask you here, as NZers, is this what you condone? Is this what you want your country to be like? I have been out on the street in a few places recently, and while I got a lot of support, I also faced much hostility and frowning. I am afraid now to go out of my place, as my impression is, that this is no longer a free country. We are being persecuted and stigmatised, being beneficiaries, we are apparently hunted down.

    Now, dear Labour, where do you stand on this, same on the welfare reforms, I hear little or nothing, and I honestly feel I live in a bloody dictatorship. I come from Europe and wish I had never come back to this horrible place, as I experience it as a beneficiary “bludger”. Better kill me and other, and get rid of us, if you do not like us!

  38. xtasy 38
    19 October 2013 at 2:58 am

    My response is by these messages from a more cultured society and country:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWlkWPXfvXc

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8y_0y-cT5g

    My impression is that NZers have sold their country, are not even caring to fight for it, and thus are a gutless people, not worth of the soil you live on.

    If you would all bloody care, you would fight and take a stand, I see NONE of it. David Cunliffe will not deliver what he talks about, I can tell you now, you are all falling for a big fat lie and another disappointment. There is no “true left” in this country, is is just fashionable wannabe stuff, as one real leftist told me long ago. Learn from Chile and other places, as you all need learning lessons, and who by the way, of all of you “bothers” to take to the street these days, I see NONE, cowards!

    • bad12 38.1
      19 October 2013 at 6:54 am

      Great way to make friends in low and high places, you should get more sleep…

    • AsleepWhileWalking 38.2
      19 October 2013 at 7:48 am

      @X,
      It’s not that they sold out so much is that NZers are up against a carefully cultivated climate of suspicion regarding beneficiaries. To give an example at the place where I volunteer I quickly noticed that any new clients we get keep reassuring us that they ARE doing everything they can to get a job, and that they are not like those “other” beneficiaries.

      The problem is that the “other” beneficiaries (those that don’t want to work and are sponging ungratefully off the system) don’t appear to exsist outside of the media spin. Since I started a few months ago I haven’t met any of the “others”, just broken and stressed out people trying to get essential needs met.

      • bad12 38.2.1
        19 October 2013 at 8:29 am

        X doesn’t seem to realize that beneficiaries are the hardest group of people in our society to organize, most are seriously looking for work and the ‘churn’ in the demographic always means that today’s beneficiary is tomorrows worker,

        i don’t take kindly to the deliberate insults X has taken to tossing around and have deliberately, having ‘had words’ with that one previously where he/she has gone off the deep end, shrugged off the insults,

        If he/she is thrown into a paranoid fear fit over a simple conversation with a WINZ security guard then i would suggest he/she discontinues the activity…

  40. xtasy 40
    19 October 2013 at 3:28 am

    Una fuerca revolutionario:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBih0c689cI

    Not to be found in NZ, yet! Mucha forca, mucha forca, wake up, dear people and take action, if you can bother, beyond the “comfort zone”. Maybe life is “too easy” in NZ after all???

  41. AsleepWhileWalking 41
    19 October 2013 at 6:21 am

    Battery farmed cows could be coming to NZ soon. Just a short note to encourage anyone as horrified as I am about these magnificent and sacred beasts being treated this way to make a submission to the Ministry of Primary Industries (address on website below) before December 3rd.

    http://www.safe.org.nz/Campaigns/dairy-farming/LatestNews/

Recent Posts

  • What is the Hardest Sport in the World?
    Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 hours ago

  • What is the Most Expensive Sport?
    The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 hours ago

  • Pickleball On the Cusp of Olympic Glory
    Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 hours ago

  • The Origin and Evolution of Soccer Unveiling the Genius Behind the World’s Most Popular Sport
    Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 hours ago

  • How Much to Tint Car Windows A Comprehensive Guide
    Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 hours ago

  • Why Does My Car Smell Like Gas? A Comprehensive Guide to Diagnosing and Fixing the Issue
    The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 hours ago

  • How to Remove Tree Sap from Car A Comprehensive Guide
    Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 hours ago

  • How Much Paint Do You Need to Paint a Car?
    The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 hours ago

  • Can You Jump a Car in the Rain? Safety Precautions and Essential Steps
    Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    3 hours ago

  • Can taxpayers be confident PIJF cash was spent wisely?
    Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
    Point of OrderBy gadams1000
    9 hours ago

  • EGU2024 – An intense week of joining sessions virtually
    Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
    Skeptical Science
    11 hours ago

  • Submission on “Fast Track Approvals Bill”
    The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    12 hours ago

  • The Case for a Universal Family Benefit
    One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    13 hours ago

  • A who’s who of New Zealand’s dodgiest companies
    Submissions on National's corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law are due today (have you submitted?), and just hours before they close, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop has been forced to release the list of companies he invited to apply. I've spent the last hour going through it in an epic thread of bleats, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    15 hours ago

  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    16 hours ago

  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    16 hours ago

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    19 hours ago

  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    20 hours ago

  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    21 hours ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    21 hours ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    22 hours ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    23 hours ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    2 days ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-19T19:17:04+00:00