This three to four week hiatus proves one thing.
The corporate media has very few investigative journalists left.
Without the daily spectacle of parliament, there have nothing to show us.
It appears it is too hard to travel around the country looking fora story on one of the following.
Drive north to Ruakaka to investigate the truth behind the pipe leak,
Explore the social issues behind our mental health crisis.
Measure water quality in Canterbury and complete an expose of industrial farming.
Investigate the use of migrant workers by our rural industries.
Investigate labour conditions in the cleaning imdustry.
When the river stops flowing it becomes clear how shallow the lake really is. All that’s left is inspecting rotting debris and cast-away rubbish that people didn’t want any longer.
Tamaki Regenergation
SCF
Sheepgate – or pretty much anything Muzza was involved in as he’s not got parliamentary resources to hide behind now.
Charter Schools performance
NZ Police – plenty of material here from roast busters to illegal search and siezures over political matters.
Just shows how owned they are and focused on the status quo, watch Inside Job on Netflix and see how rigged the whole show is.
Rachel Stewart pinpoints a key reason for our terrible road toll.
‘We are a nation of seething, simmering rage that finds full expression when we get behind the wheel.
We’re quick to blame tourists for accidents, but ask tourists what they think of us behind the wheel. The feedback is consistent. We are angry, tail-gating, intolerant, ill-mannered monsters who view our vehicles as an extension of our……selves.’
I’ve been thinking on that a bit over the last few years, done a lot more open road driving lately and have needed to reflect on my own driving.
I drive at the speed limit and very rarely do I encounter these (alleged) angry drivers. That either makes me one of them or the people complaining about angry drivers are driving slower than the speed limit.
If you choose to drive at say 80-90k on the open road you’re making a deliberate decision to prevent everyone else from driving faster. It’s that perceived pre-meditation which I believe makes most people angry on the road. It’s further reinforced when the slow driver speeds up at the passing lane, which in my experience 99% of them do. To the drivers behind they’re sending a big ‘fuck-you’ to everyone else.
In reality they’re mostly just poor drivers with low confidence but the people behind them don’t know that so they react to the perceived aggression of the person deliberately holding them up.
Everyone has the right to drive at a speed less then a hundred km on the open road, however you still don’t have the right to drive more then that.
As for speeding up on a overtaking lane, i would assume that it comes naturally as finally there is a bit of space to feel comfortable. Many if not most roads in NZ are build for Morris Minors and Bedford Trucks, they are potholed nightmares near logging and dairy f arms, and even the forgotten highway has a speed limit of a 100 km.
So rather then complain about people that might not drive that well – newbie driver, that might get uncomfortable next to big logging trucks, that might drive a new car, that might don’t drive at all that much, how about you complain about the shocking state of the roads, the lack of speed diversity, and the lack of driver training in this country.
Cause if you mean this ” Quote” In reality they’re mostly just poor drivers with low confidence but the people behind them don’t know that so they react to the perceived aggression of the person deliberately holding them up.” then you are one of these angry tailgaters that feel as if they are prevented from doing the Speed Target and thus are ‘made to come late’ or other some nonsense.
Someone long time ago once said, IF you have to go running to be on time you are already late.
You share the road with everyone, it is not your own. Maybe next time leave earlier so that you don’t have to blame someone for driving to their ability rather then your need for speed.
Everyone has the right to drive at a speed less then a hundred km on the open road.
Not entirely true Sabine. You can be ticketed for impeding the flow of traffic.
As I said, if you choose to drive below the speed limit you’re deliberately deciding everyone else’s speed as well. It’s that (perception of) arrogance presumption which pisses people off.
“As for speeding up on a overtaking lane, i would assume that it comes naturally as finally there is a bit of space to feel comfortable.”
Naturally? If you have traffic built up behind you the ‘natural’ thing to do is slow down further and let them past.
“then you are one of these angry tailgaters that feel as if they are prevented from doing the Speed Target and thus are ‘made to come late’ or other some nonsense. ”
I don’t tailgate, you know nothing about my driving style.
Yes, you can be ticketed for being below the flow of traffic, never mind one “Will” be ticket by going over the speed ticket. So someone traveling on the open road at 85 + will not get a speed ticket unless you want to ticket every single Truck, Campervan, Traktor, car/trailer thingy, old bike, old car etc – and oh my gosh what to do about bicyclists?
Yes, people should pull over to let those pass that are faster then them, sadly it seems that the slow bays are a thing of the past. It seems we had more of those in the past, and in many places we have non at all anymore. But maybe they should just drive in a ditch to let someone pass cause faster?
Yes, it is true i know nothing about your driving style. I based my comment on your comment having never met you.
This is what you said, this is what stood out to me and this is what i based my comment on.
Quote” In reality they’re mostly just poor drivers with low confidence but the people behind them don’t know that so they react to the perceived aggression of the person deliberately holding them up.
Since it was me who said that Sabine I would assume you’d appreciate I do know that ergo I don’t get that angry at them. I certainly find them a bit frustrating but I don’t vent that on the road.
Anyway my point was that I don’t believe it’s speed per se that people get angry about. Its the (perceived) attitude of other drivers that I think causes the angst and slow driving is just a manifested symptom of that attitude.
“100 km is the Speed Limit
100 km is not a Target.”
+100 to that, it never fails to astound me how many people will sit on your bumper in wet conditions and poor visibility trying to force you to speed up a couple dozen kph because they’ve just got to get to the mall right now! Like you’re going to make them catch the gay if their mates find out they drove 83 on the motorway in their shiny Hot Wheels car.
It’s the people who don’t drive a consistent speed who ruin my drive. On long trips it’s nice to sit in cruise mode and let the car do the work, today’s drivers make that a bit too infrequent.
A lot of the claims about angry drivers don’t gel with me. I can tow a trailer from Auck to Whangarei and get bugger-all cars catching up to me. Those that do never have to wait long, there’s plenty of passing lanes and I let them go. Only rarely do I get anyone tailgating me even when I’m doing 90 with a trailer.
DH,
Come to Gisborne on highway 2 from Opotiki and try driving at 80-90 kms and you wont make it mate.
I never go faster then 80kms on that road as my wife would have kittens and we would have a fatal accident with many trucks using most of the road so please dont suggest that all dricvers must stick to 100kms.
You are lucky to have a multi laned road but inthe provines we dont have that ‘luxury’ as the big cities take all the roading funds and leave us ‘diddly squat.’
Portugal and Argentina already have laws against street harassment and catcalling, and now France is going to pass a law against it as well.
When asked how to draw a line between street harassment and flirtation, Gender Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa replied: “We know very well at what point we start feeling intimidated, unsafe or harassed in the street,” citing as an example when a man “asks for your number 17 times” or follows a victim for several blocks.
Do people have to count to 17 before they call it harrassment, or 10, or 5? Sounds like exaggeration. A sharp negative and a threat to call the police should be enough. Being followed is creepy though.
If you look someone in the eye, give them a wink, a smile, is that harrassment? Is acknowledging someone going to be a crime? Can’t we cope with living and meeting each other as we move around? Do we have to carry a licence of good intent?
‘I’m not very proud’ – Taika Waititi speaks his mind on the environmental, poverty and housing issues hurting Kiwis
‘”I’m not very proud of coming from a place that everyone thinks is this pure green country, whereas in reality all our lakes and waterways are poison,” he said.
“We’ve got a lot to learn about our depression rates, our suicide rates, teen suicide rates, child poverty numbers and the housing crisis.”
To watch the full clip with Taika Waititi, go to the Marae’s OnDemand page here
Waititi also weighed in on foreign ownership saying, “we just make it so readily available to sell land – for foreigners to buy land.”
He says the first thing New Zealand needs to work on is social issues, not making money.
“To me they just seem like, ‘Oh, that’s what you should fix’ before you think about things like money,” he said.’
Anyone remember that dodgy business about Hillary single-handedly selling out US uranium to the rooskies? (never mind that a bunch of other agencies independent of the State Dept also had to approve it)
Here’s a bit more light on the tangled web behind that.
I looked at the article. I have no intention of debating the issue but I do want to remark on the use of one phrase which recalls for me the tortuous use of English to disguise and justify as used in political debate à la “this statement is no longer operative” or “we had to destroy the city (Hue) in order to save it.”
The phrase used was “used a confidential US witness working inside the Russian nuclear industry to gather confidential financial records”.
In other words, a spy.
If anybody else uses such tactics it’s spying, but the FBI use “confidential US witnessing”!
“His illegal conduct was captured with the help of a confidential witness, an American businessman, who began making kickback payments at Mikerin’s direction and with the permission of the FBI. ”
So more like a cooperating conspirator, rather than a “spy”.
Wow must have pissed someone off with my post yesterday but they can go and get_________ .This is what i was writing last week Big Upps to Prince Charles for fighting for mother earth for 40 years. He is one of the people that swayed my thoughts to our environment and I think he should have more than just soft power to kick those neo liberal idiots asses to touch for there ideological worship of money and power over our grandchildren safe future a healthy mother earth.
I said yesterday that part of the reason we have high rates of suicide is broken familys.
Well this is the other fact If a culture is suppressed and discriminated to the point that some people denies there blood lines to that culture there you go they are ashamed to be Maori. Some people will say hes pissing in the wind yea right.
I have had many incidences were this has happened when applying for a job all good on the phone than in person They look me up and down and I can see there thoughts you are a dum Maori who will cheat and lie and steal from me We will get back to you ECO and they never get back to me.
Now we no that most employment is gained by word of mouth and this is an hindrance to us Maori as we no the all the good jobs have European bosses who only no people of the same ethnicity so all the good jobs stay with that group of people . A lot of Maori organizations would rather employ an non Maori .
And this is bullshit because we have good honest hard working Maori out there that just need a good person to give them a chance.
So I’m challenging these Maori Organizations to look after your own and higher the right Maori for the jobs you have you don’t have to higher some idiot who can’t do the job as there are test out there that one can use to find the right person for the job. And we have to look after our own as no one else will . And this discrimination
is always with us the intelligent people can see this an it weighs us down I have Been battling for my piece of paradise for 35 years and what have I’v got jack and I don’t waste my resources . We can the same thing happening to USA Indians many other colonized cultures around our world Kia Kaha
Glad to find someone else likes Charles – he used his privilege to educate himself until he became a responsible voice. Our institutions don’t produce these as often as they used to, and by golly we need a few more of them.
ecoMaori
I think that a good thing for Maori and NonMaori too, who are looking for jobs, is to establish an agency that can give a working person a reliable reference. At present the possible employer wouldn’t know who that person/business giving he reference is and how reliable it is.
The way I see it, it would take a dedicated, organised, reliable person to advertise and start off small with a process and system and grow as they get more people, and get better known and be interested in maintaining good relationships with both workers and employers. A job-seeker would register by putting down their name and giving info on past jobs, type, length of time employed and their own estimate of themselves, and if put off jobs, think and honestly say why they think that happened and not just that ‘someone didn’t like me’. They would start off with one star, and work their way up toward the highest of five stars. The agency would have a list of attributes that each star would offer and use halves as well so they could grade the person who would monitor their own progress and work towards getting 4 or over.
The client would report in with each job taken, and then when finished and why, and their own assessment and who to speak to at that workplace to get the employer’s feedback on the client. The agency would work with the client to improve their skills and attitudes and find ways to move them up the star chain.
It would be a give-take arrangement, as when starting off money wouldn’t be a big barrier, maybe as low as $20 to register and get started. But once working there would be a direct debit of $20 monthly to keep the money flowing to help the agency’s costs and wages, probably one trained person at first. That would help others get started and gradually grow, and help the agency to supply the skill advice and training opportunities which would lift the star rating. That would result eventually with improvement in jobs and wages that the agency-worker partnership would be going for.
It would take a while but the prospective worker would give the employment manager the agency’s number and get them to phone to find out the star rating and a mention of the skills that the person had acquired with training and then they would know something good about them. This would be helpful in this 90 day trial regime. It would not be government funded. Government should not have anything to do with it, no funds allocated etc. It would be good if a couple of iwi could give it a kickstart, and some regular funding for wages and rent, especially when it was building up.
This government is mainly interested in big business, and individuals are like ants in their eyes. If the TW get in again, this will get worse, and humans tend to crush ants. So setting up a personal value system like this would be helpful to survive and advance.
Have you ever thought it has nothing to do with skin colour and that you weren’t the best candidate for the job?
Are there skills you’re missing? maybe the way you come across in the interviews is bad, like demonstrating lack of confidence or dislike for the person doing the interviewing.
Before you go down the racism path step back and analyse what you’re doing and make improvements first.
Employers insisting they need tens of thousands of unskilled migrants – but won’t employ an experienced local man? That ain’t meritocracy it’s prejudice.
Might not be race based – doesn’t make it any better.
Yeah Eco – do as BM says, just surrender to the power of your superiors and do whatever they require, there’s a good dog. That’s how you get ahead!
Alternatively as JIm Baxter famously said, “to shovel sh*t and eat it are different in the end” (Ballad of Stonegut Sugar Works)
“Oh, in the Stonegut Sugar Works
The floors are black with grime
I think they must have built it
In Queen Victoria’s time.
And all the sugar in the land
Flows through that dismal dump
And all the drains run through the works
Into a filthy sump.
And then they boil it up again
For the money in each lump.”
(Poet James K. Baxter briefly worked as a cleaner at the Birkenhead sugar refinery in 1969. He later recorded his impressions in a poem)
Can I join in, What a stupid comment. That’s a catch-all for all the niggly smart arse ones of people filling in time. But it keeps emptying out again so repeat. Belch. What a stupid comment.
National/English sold the election as a two horse race. It failed but left NZF in the “Kingmaker” position. Therefore English is responsible for the current position that they whine so much about.
If we still 7 or 8 parties there would be more diversity of power.
Drop the threshold to 2%.
Remove the coat tail.
Balance out Party funding.
‘I’m suggesting to voters they cut out the middle man’ – English issues blunt message on Peters
Two of National’s current support partners say Bill English is ignoring the realities of governing under MMP by telling people not to vote for the minor parties.
Two examples, found easily. What was that about alternative facts?
After the media made it all about Jacinda and ignored everyone else, English had no choice but to push National ahead of any potential coalition partner.
It all started with the media and how they framed the election.
Your guy had nine years to make himself electable, instead he and his party killed of all his ‘partners’ in during that time and yet even without competition at the right side of the aisle they still can’t win.
The National Party failed. Simply all by themselves without help from everyone they failed. They did not convince a majority (over 50%) to vote for them, they have no other coalition partner left then NZF and they have no one to blame but themselves.
The question is why did not enough people vote for them. Why did so many people abandon the N wagon, if the economy is so good, the lakes so swimable, the water so drinkable, the food so cheap, the housing so plenty and the jobs so well paid.
So BM, why do you think NZ’lers did not vote for the National Party and what can the National Party do to get the voters that it shed in this years Election –
either N- leaning but voting for the left or not voting at all).
To achieve a fourth term in NZ politics is rare, I actually though National did quite well this election, what let them down was Labour sticking a knife into the Greens.
If the Greens vote had held up Peters would have already signed a coalition deal with National, there’s no way he could have dealt with the Greens if they were still around 12% and had Turei running the Green party.
Because they’re so weak and insignificant now there’s a high chance Peters can work around them and basically form a two-party coalition with the same sort of power-sharing structure as a National/NZ First coalition.
As for coalition partners, Act and United Future have been one man bands since 2008, their failure to grow their party vote has nothing to do with National, both were on life support from the get-go.
I feel sorry for the Maori party though, Maori roll voters seem to have no idea how MMP works, they also seem to blinded by racism and only interested in the what party can provide the biggest handouts.
No wonder Te Ururoa Flavell was so distraught, that result must have shattered his faith in Maoridom.
“No wonder Te Ururoa Flavell was so distraught, that result must have shattered his faith in Maoridom.”
Oh please!!
Maoridom’s faith in Te Ururoa Flavell and the Maori party was shattered.
still trying to find someone to pin the blame for Nationals fuckuppery.
So you are saying that National short changed the Maori Party for its unwavering support during the last nine years?
Quote: I feel sorry for the Maori party though, Maori roll voters seem to have no idea how MMP works, they also seem to blinded by racism and only interested in the what party can provide the biggest handouts.
Again, if National would not have failed as badly as they did, if the country would have high employment, high wages, low house prices, low homelessness, affordable access to healthcare inclusive mental healthcare, good funded schools that don’t depend on ‘donations’ to make the end meet, children with shoes on their feet and food in their tummies, if our drinkwater were safe and affordable, if electricity were affordable, if our food were affordable, if our rivers were swimable then maybe People would not have abandoned them and their support Parties as they did.
If the only way for National to form a government is to eat shit, crow and humble pie while bending the knee before Winston Peters swearing allegiance, then all i can say is that it could not have happened to a nicer set of people.
After the media made it all about Jacinda and ignored everyone else, English had no choice but to push National ahead of any potential coalition partner.
RWNJ invents new reality to excuse the poor performance of his owners.
The media helped the English line but BM, lets not kid ourselves as to owns the line. Listen to the tedious line from Hosking compounding the “get rid of the Middle men.”
Be interesting to hear the new line though, should National win a new term.
When are NZ media going to cover Chair of Transparency International, Jose Ugaz’s call for former NZ PM John Key to be investigated over Panama Papers?
Where and when did the Chair of Transparency International Jose Ugaz state that John Key should be investigated over the Panama Papers?
1 August 2017, at Rutherford House, Victoria University.
How do I know?
Because I was at this meeting, and heard Jose Ugaz say this myself.
ESome people are trying to brand me as a evil genius I say the public should make there own choice .
1 I mow laws ?
2 do I have 50 od million ?
3 can I hide my emotions or have a blank poker face no
4 have I got a 10 million house I think that title should go to the right person shonky who well he just got a job as head of a bank. Have I abandoned my duty as a husband father grandfather I respect everyone I meet I won’t throw anyone under a bus
Genius well no intelligent may be but genius is just a ploy for these people they will say that I shit gold nuggets if this could undermine my credibility with you. And they are using this for a excuse because all there bull shit lines won’t stick to me and they are incompetent they created this so don’t blame me for what is happening now because I no what is happening an these people needed to no the truth
Ka Pai
Wow.
All the Harvey Weinstein stories coming out, and they appoint the guy with the history of ponytail pulling! Some may think the equivalence is absurd, but they’re just different points on a spectrum.
Actually Pete, I think it is Hosking who looks tired and depressed. Tedious and repetitive.
No good purpose would be served by the four big platers talking about their negotiations. But wait for the squeals from English and his voice Hoskings should it go against them. And again look at the effort English made to eliminate smaller parties. He caused the “problem.”
If Mr Peters could make his announcement any Friday afternoon so we miss the engaging Mr Espiner’s take on it all. At least until the following Monday…
This morning on radionz. A different viewpoint for a change – from Social Anthropologist.
politics
Audit Culture: the creeping problem of our age
From Nine To Noon, 9:27 am today
Listen duration 18′ :26″ Add to playlist
Professor Cris Shore has looked at the rise of ‘audit culture’ and isn’t a big fan. In fact, he calls the use of accountancy techniques and metrics to manage our universities, health services, and funding institutions, ‘the creeping problem of our age’.
He highlights this in a just published book called ‘The death of the public university – uncertain futures for higher education in the knowledge economy’.
Another example he points to is China’s social credit rating system, where by 2020, everyone will be enrolled in a vast national database with a single number ranking for each citizen.
You have to say that whatever way things go there are going to be some funny aspects.
Like the Speaker if it’s Labour. Like the Education portfolio if it’s National. And Paula Bennett.
If with National no doubt Bennett would lose her place and her mana. How sad.
If with Labour Hitchen would new broom Education.
Trevor has been fill-in Speaker and it is probably the only reason he has stayed on. No Speaker and he would step down and next on the List will be…
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Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Asia Pacific Report A score of Palestine solidarity protesters draped themselves in white shrouds with mock blood in a sombre “die-in” demonstration at Te Komitanga Square — the heart of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city — today as speakers urged people to take a stronger boycott against Israeli products. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tackling violence against women will be the sole agenda item for a national cabinet meeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened for Wednesday. The meeting, held remotely, follows thousands of Australians attending rallies across ...
The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
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Come on Winston, make a decision ! This is not BreXit ..
A measured commentary on the issue.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/10/03/51319/mmp-how-does-new-zealand-stack-up
Take your batteries out Voltairie.
Best let this very complicated process get properly completed.
But why dont you ask the greens to show their hand here also?
Greeens are supposed to be completing their agreement with Labour too aren’t they?
Well, Davis has just guaranteed that it won’t be tomorrow.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98014240/labours-deputy-kelvin-davis-says-all-will-be-revealed-by-thursday-morning
This three to four week hiatus proves one thing.
The corporate media has very few investigative journalists left.
Without the daily spectacle of parliament, there have nothing to show us.
It appears it is too hard to travel around the country looking fora story on one of the following.
Drive north to Ruakaka to investigate the truth behind the pipe leak,
Explore the social issues behind our mental health crisis.
Measure water quality in Canterbury and complete an expose of industrial farming.
Investigate the use of migrant workers by our rural industries.
Investigate labour conditions in the cleaning imdustry.
But no…..
They copy and paste from the Daily Fail in the UK
or find salacious tales for clickbait
+100
Misuse and abuse of migrant workers
I’m sure a long list of issues could be explored.
Some more.
Racism in New Zealand
Foreign land sales.
But no….
Going to court and reporting dramatic crimes is much easier.
When the river stops flowing it becomes clear how shallow the lake really is. All that’s left is inspecting rotting debris and cast-away rubbish that people didn’t want any longer.
Tamaki Regenergation
SCF
Sheepgate – or pretty much anything Muzza was involved in as he’s not got parliamentary resources to hide behind now.
Charter Schools performance
NZ Police – plenty of material here from roast busters to illegal search and siezures over political matters.
Just shows how owned they are and focused on the status quo, watch Inside Job on Netflix and see how rigged the whole show is.
Rachel Stewart pinpoints a key reason for our terrible road toll.
‘We are a nation of seething, simmering rage that finds full expression when we get behind the wheel.
We’re quick to blame tourists for accidents, but ask tourists what they think of us behind the wheel. The feedback is consistent. We are angry, tail-gating, intolerant, ill-mannered monsters who view our vehicles as an extension of our……selves.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11933871
The corporate companies are keen on importing their own slave labour and nationall are welcoming this.
ummm what has that to do with the link? Plucking heck – bit eggy that one.
I’ve been thinking on that a bit over the last few years, done a lot more open road driving lately and have needed to reflect on my own driving.
I drive at the speed limit and very rarely do I encounter these (alleged) angry drivers. That either makes me one of them or the people complaining about angry drivers are driving slower than the speed limit.
If you choose to drive at say 80-90k on the open road you’re making a deliberate decision to prevent everyone else from driving faster. It’s that perceived pre-meditation which I believe makes most people angry on the road. It’s further reinforced when the slow driver speeds up at the passing lane, which in my experience 99% of them do. To the drivers behind they’re sending a big ‘fuck-you’ to everyone else.
In reality they’re mostly just poor drivers with low confidence but the people behind them don’t know that so they react to the perceived aggression of the person deliberately holding them up.
just a reminder
100 km is the Speed Limit
100 km is not a Target.
Everyone has the right to drive at a speed less then a hundred km on the open road, however you still don’t have the right to drive more then that.
As for speeding up on a overtaking lane, i would assume that it comes naturally as finally there is a bit of space to feel comfortable. Many if not most roads in NZ are build for Morris Minors and Bedford Trucks, they are potholed nightmares near logging and dairy f arms, and even the forgotten highway has a speed limit of a 100 km.
So rather then complain about people that might not drive that well – newbie driver, that might get uncomfortable next to big logging trucks, that might drive a new car, that might don’t drive at all that much, how about you complain about the shocking state of the roads, the lack of speed diversity, and the lack of driver training in this country.
Cause if you mean this ” Quote” In reality they’re mostly just poor drivers with low confidence but the people behind them don’t know that so they react to the perceived aggression of the person deliberately holding them up.” then you are one of these angry tailgaters that feel as if they are prevented from doing the Speed Target and thus are ‘made to come late’ or other some nonsense.
Someone long time ago once said, IF you have to go running to be on time you are already late.
You share the road with everyone, it is not your own. Maybe next time leave earlier so that you don’t have to blame someone for driving to their ability rather then your need for speed.
Everyone has the right to drive at a speed less then a hundred km on the open road.
Not entirely true Sabine. You can be ticketed for impeding the flow of traffic.
As I said, if you choose to drive below the speed limit you’re deliberately deciding everyone else’s speed as well. It’s that (perception of) arrogance presumption which pisses people off.
“As for speeding up on a overtaking lane, i would assume that it comes naturally as finally there is a bit of space to feel comfortable.”
Naturally? If you have traffic built up behind you the ‘natural’ thing to do is slow down further and let them past.
“then you are one of these angry tailgaters that feel as if they are prevented from doing the Speed Target and thus are ‘made to come late’ or other some nonsense. ”
I don’t tailgate, you know nothing about my driving style.
Yes, you can be ticketed for being below the flow of traffic, never mind one “Will” be ticket by going over the speed ticket. So someone traveling on the open road at 85 + will not get a speed ticket unless you want to ticket every single Truck, Campervan, Traktor, car/trailer thingy, old bike, old car etc – and oh my gosh what to do about bicyclists?
Yes, people should pull over to let those pass that are faster then them, sadly it seems that the slow bays are a thing of the past. It seems we had more of those in the past, and in many places we have non at all anymore. But maybe they should just drive in a ditch to let someone pass cause faster?
Yes, it is true i know nothing about your driving style. I based my comment on your comment having never met you.
This is what you said, this is what stood out to me and this is what i based my comment on.
Quote” In reality they’re mostly just poor drivers with low confidence but the people behind them don’t know that so they react to the perceived aggression of the person deliberately holding them up.
Since it was me who said that Sabine I would assume you’d appreciate I do know that ergo I don’t get that angry at them. I certainly find them a bit frustrating but I don’t vent that on the road.
Anyway my point was that I don’t believe it’s speed per se that people get angry about. Its the (perceived) attitude of other drivers that I think causes the angst and slow driving is just a manifested symptom of that attitude.
“100 km is the Speed Limit
100 km is not a Target.”
+100 to that, it never fails to astound me how many people will sit on your bumper in wet conditions and poor visibility trying to force you to speed up a couple dozen kph because they’ve just got to get to the mall right now! Like you’re going to make them catch the gay if their mates find out they drove 83 on the motorway in their shiny Hot Wheels car.
its the champions that do 60 kmh in the corners on the highway then rapidly get up 100 + on the straights that fuck my normal zen state up
It’s the people who don’t drive a consistent speed who ruin my drive. On long trips it’s nice to sit in cruise mode and let the car do the work, today’s drivers make that a bit too infrequent.
A lot of the claims about angry drivers don’t gel with me. I can tow a trailer from Auck to Whangarei and get bugger-all cars catching up to me. Those that do never have to wait long, there’s plenty of passing lanes and I let them go. Only rarely do I get anyone tailgating me even when I’m doing 90 with a trailer.
DH,
Come to Gisborne on highway 2 from Opotiki and try driving at 80-90 kms and you wont make it mate.
I never go faster then 80kms on that road as my wife would have kittens and we would have a fatal accident with many trucks using most of the road so please dont suggest that all dricvers must stick to 100kms.
You are lucky to have a multi laned road but inthe provines we dont have that ‘luxury’ as the big cities take all the roading funds and leave us ‘diddly squat.’
Portugal and Argentina already have laws against street harassment and catcalling, and now France is going to pass a law against it as well.
When asked how to draw a line between street harassment and flirtation, Gender Equality Minister Marlene Schiappa replied: “We know very well at what point we start feeling intimidated, unsafe or harassed in the street,” citing as an example when a man “asks for your number 17 times” or follows a victim for several blocks.
http://www.dw.com/en/sexual-harassment-france-plans-on-the-spot-fines/a-40976521
Is there an actual law against it in New Zealand?
NZ Green Party supports #MeToo
Do people have to count to 17 before they call it harrassment, or 10, or 5? Sounds like exaggeration. A sharp negative and a threat to call the police should be enough. Being followed is creepy though.
If you look someone in the eye, give them a wink, a smile, is that harrassment? Is acknowledging someone going to be a crime? Can’t we cope with living and meeting each other as we move around? Do we have to carry a licence of good intent?
‘I’m not very proud’ – Taika Waititi speaks his mind on the environmental, poverty and housing issues hurting Kiwis
‘”I’m not very proud of coming from a place that everyone thinks is this pure green country, whereas in reality all our lakes and waterways are poison,” he said.
“We’ve got a lot to learn about our depression rates, our suicide rates, teen suicide rates, child poverty numbers and the housing crisis.”
To watch the full clip with Taika Waititi, go to the Marae’s OnDemand page here
Waititi also weighed in on foreign ownership saying, “we just make it so readily available to sell land – for foreigners to buy land.”
He says the first thing New Zealand needs to work on is social issues, not making money.
“To me they just seem like, ‘Oh, that’s what you should fix’ before you think about things like money,” he said.’
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/watch-im-not-very-proud-taika-waititi-speaks-his-mind-environmental-poverty-and-housing-issues-hurting-kiwis
100% Ed.
Anyone remember that dodgy business about Hillary single-handedly selling out US uranium to the rooskies? (never mind that a bunch of other agencies independent of the State Dept also had to approve it)
Here’s a bit more light on the tangled web behind that.
http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/355749-fbi-uncovered-russian-bribery-plot-before-obama-administration
I looked at the article. I have no intention of debating the issue but I do want to remark on the use of one phrase which recalls for me the tortuous use of English to disguise and justify as used in political debate à la “this statement is no longer operative” or “we had to destroy the city (Hue) in order to save it.”
The phrase used was “used a confidential US witness working inside the Russian nuclear industry to gather confidential financial records”.
In other words, a spy.
If anybody else uses such tactics it’s spying, but the FBI use “confidential US witnessing”!
“His illegal conduct was captured with the help of a confidential witness, an American businessman, who began making kickback payments at Mikerin’s direction and with the permission of the FBI. ”
So more like a cooperating conspirator, rather than a “spy”.
“A ‘stoolie’ or a ‘squealer,’ then, da doity rat fink!” all said in a Noo Joisey accent.
Or a brave whistleblower exposing a corrupt conspiracy they stumbled upon.
But could still be a spy – wno knows…
The fish rorts from the head.
Speaking of Hillary, it would seem she and Huma really do have the worst luck.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaSztRNBthF/?taken-by=martinamarkota
Well, that, or all the rhetoric about Trump’s moral failure seems somewhat self serving.
The good thing about Professor Mark Blyth is that he can explain complex ideas simply.
Here is the economic history of the world post WW2, in 8 minutes.
Wow must have pissed someone off with my post yesterday but they can go and get_________ .This is what i was writing last week Big Upps to Prince Charles for fighting for mother earth for 40 years. He is one of the people that swayed my thoughts to our environment and I think he should have more than just soft power to kick those neo liberal idiots asses to touch for there ideological worship of money and power over our grandchildren safe future a healthy mother earth.
I said yesterday that part of the reason we have high rates of suicide is broken familys.
Well this is the other fact If a culture is suppressed and discriminated to the point that some people denies there blood lines to that culture there you go they are ashamed to be Maori. Some people will say hes pissing in the wind yea right.
I have had many incidences were this has happened when applying for a job all good on the phone than in person They look me up and down and I can see there thoughts you are a dum Maori who will cheat and lie and steal from me We will get back to you ECO and they never get back to me.
Now we no that most employment is gained by word of mouth and this is an hindrance to us Maori as we no the all the good jobs have European bosses who only no people of the same ethnicity so all the good jobs stay with that group of people . A lot of Maori organizations would rather employ an non Maori .
And this is bullshit because we have good honest hard working Maori out there that just need a good person to give them a chance.
So I’m challenging these Maori Organizations to look after your own and higher the right Maori for the jobs you have you don’t have to higher some idiot who can’t do the job as there are test out there that one can use to find the right person for the job. And we have to look after our own as no one else will . And this discrimination
is always with us the intelligent people can see this an it weighs us down I have Been battling for my piece of paradise for 35 years and what have I’v got jack and I don’t waste my resources . We can the same thing happening to USA Indians many other colonized cultures around our world Kia Kaha
Glad to find someone else likes Charles – he used his privilege to educate himself until he became a responsible voice. Our institutions don’t produce these as often as they used to, and by golly we need a few more of them.
Charles is vilified. He’s one of us 🙂
I don’t know if you read the so-called ‘black spider memos’ https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2015/may/13/read-the-prince-charles-black-spider-memos-in-full but they fall well short of being the sinister works of evil genius some writers implied.
ecoMaori
I think that a good thing for Maori and NonMaori too, who are looking for jobs, is to establish an agency that can give a working person a reliable reference. At present the possible employer wouldn’t know who that person/business giving he reference is and how reliable it is.
The way I see it, it would take a dedicated, organised, reliable person to advertise and start off small with a process and system and grow as they get more people, and get better known and be interested in maintaining good relationships with both workers and employers. A job-seeker would register by putting down their name and giving info on past jobs, type, length of time employed and their own estimate of themselves, and if put off jobs, think and honestly say why they think that happened and not just that ‘someone didn’t like me’. They would start off with one star, and work their way up toward the highest of five stars. The agency would have a list of attributes that each star would offer and use halves as well so they could grade the person who would monitor their own progress and work towards getting 4 or over.
The client would report in with each job taken, and then when finished and why, and their own assessment and who to speak to at that workplace to get the employer’s feedback on the client. The agency would work with the client to improve their skills and attitudes and find ways to move them up the star chain.
It would be a give-take arrangement, as when starting off money wouldn’t be a big barrier, maybe as low as $20 to register and get started. But once working there would be a direct debit of $20 monthly to keep the money flowing to help the agency’s costs and wages, probably one trained person at first. That would help others get started and gradually grow, and help the agency to supply the skill advice and training opportunities which would lift the star rating. That would result eventually with improvement in jobs and wages that the agency-worker partnership would be going for.
It would take a while but the prospective worker would give the employment manager the agency’s number and get them to phone to find out the star rating and a mention of the skills that the person had acquired with training and then they would know something good about them. This would be helpful in this 90 day trial regime. It would not be government funded. Government should not have anything to do with it, no funds allocated etc. It would be good if a couple of iwi could give it a kickstart, and some regular funding for wages and rent, especially when it was building up.
This government is mainly interested in big business, and individuals are like ants in their eyes. If the TW get in again, this will get worse, and humans tend to crush ants. So setting up a personal value system like this would be helpful to survive and advance.
Have you ever thought it has nothing to do with skin colour and that you weren’t the best candidate for the job?
Are there skills you’re missing? maybe the way you come across in the interviews is bad, like demonstrating lack of confidence or dislike for the person doing the interviewing.
Before you go down the racism path step back and analyse what you’re doing and make improvements first.
Employers insisting they need tens of thousands of unskilled migrants – but won’t employ an experienced local man? That ain’t meritocracy it’s prejudice.
Might not be race based – doesn’t make it any better.
+1
Yeah Eco – do as BM says, just surrender to the power of your superiors and do whatever they require, there’s a good dog. That’s how you get ahead!
Alternatively as JIm Baxter famously said, “to shovel sh*t and eat it are different in the end” (Ballad of Stonegut Sugar Works)
What a stupid comment.
What a stupid comment.
“Oh, in the Stonegut Sugar Works
The floors are black with grime
I think they must have built it
In Queen Victoria’s time.
And all the sugar in the land
Flows through that dismal dump
And all the drains run through the works
Into a filthy sump.
And then they boil it up again
For the money in each lump.”
(Poet James K. Baxter briefly worked as a cleaner at the Birkenhead sugar refinery in 1969. He later recorded his impressions in a poem)
What a Stupid Comment!
Can I join in, What a stupid comment. That’s a catch-all for all the niggly smart arse ones of people filling in time. But it keeps emptying out again so repeat. Belch. What a stupid comment.
National/English sold the election as a two horse race. It failed but left NZF in the “Kingmaker” position. Therefore English is responsible for the current position that they whine so much about.
If we still 7 or 8 parties there would be more diversity of power.
Drop the threshold to 2%.
Remove the coat tail.
Balance out Party funding.
The media sold the election as a two-horse race, not English why do you think Peters has been laying into the media?
You Lefties and your alternative facts.
Two examples, found easily. What was that about alternative facts?
After the media made it all about Jacinda and ignored everyone else, English had no choice but to push National ahead of any potential coalition partner.
It all started with the media and how they framed the election.
Your guy had nine years to make himself electable, instead he and his party killed of all his ‘partners’ in during that time and yet even without competition at the right side of the aisle they still can’t win.
The National Party failed. Simply all by themselves without help from everyone they failed. They did not convince a majority (over 50%) to vote for them, they have no other coalition partner left then NZF and they have no one to blame but themselves.
The question is why did not enough people vote for them. Why did so many people abandon the N wagon, if the economy is so good, the lakes so swimable, the water so drinkable, the food so cheap, the housing so plenty and the jobs so well paid.
So BM, why do you think NZ’lers did not vote for the National Party and what can the National Party do to get the voters that it shed in this years Election –
either N- leaning but voting for the left or not voting at all).
+ 1 yep correct in every way. Nice comment to shine the light on the very valid points you make.
To achieve a fourth term in NZ politics is rare, I actually though National did quite well this election, what let them down was Labour sticking a knife into the Greens.
If the Greens vote had held up Peters would have already signed a coalition deal with National, there’s no way he could have dealt with the Greens if they were still around 12% and had Turei running the Green party.
Because they’re so weak and insignificant now there’s a high chance Peters can work around them and basically form a two-party coalition with the same sort of power-sharing structure as a National/NZ First coalition.
As for coalition partners, Act and United Future have been one man bands since 2008, their failure to grow their party vote has nothing to do with National, both were on life support from the get-go.
I feel sorry for the Maori party though, Maori roll voters seem to have no idea how MMP works, they also seem to blinded by racism and only interested in the what party can provide the biggest handouts.
No wonder Te Ururoa Flavell was so distraught, that result must have shattered his faith in Maoridom.
BM wrote “they also seem to blinded by racism and only interested in the what party can provide the biggest handouts.”
Do you understand, BM, with that generalisation that you commit that which you condemn?
“No wonder Te Ururoa Flavell was so distraught, that result must have shattered his faith in Maoridom.”
Oh please!!
Maoridom’s faith in Te Ururoa Flavell and the Maori party was shattered.
Poor BM,
still trying to find someone to pin the blame for Nationals fuckuppery.
So you are saying that National short changed the Maori Party for its unwavering support during the last nine years?
Quote: I feel sorry for the Maori party though, Maori roll voters seem to have no idea how MMP works, they also seem to blinded by racism and only interested in the what party can provide the biggest handouts.
Again, if National would not have failed as badly as they did, if the country would have high employment, high wages, low house prices, low homelessness, affordable access to healthcare inclusive mental healthcare, good funded schools that don’t depend on ‘donations’ to make the end meet, children with shoes on their feet and food in their tummies, if our drinkwater were safe and affordable, if electricity were affordable, if our food were affordable, if our rivers were swimable then maybe People would not have abandoned them and their support Parties as they did.
If the only way for National to form a government is to eat shit, crow and humble pie while bending the knee before Winston Peters swearing allegiance, then all i can say is that it could not have happened to a nicer set of people.
RWNJ invents new reality to excuse the poor performance of his owners.
Bazinga Arkie, BOOM…. sound of arkie dropping the mic
@BM……Aug 21, 2017 … Prime Minister Bill English describes the election as a “drag-race” between National and Labour …..
The media helped the English line but BM, lets not kid ourselves as to owns the line. Listen to the tedious line from Hosking compounding the “get rid of the Middle men.”
Be interesting to hear the new line though, should National win a new term.
BM = Biggest Muckup.
We could really use a political commentator with this level of irreverence:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/17/tory-power-sustained-cruel-confidence-tricks
John Key is going to be the next chairman of the board for ANZ Bank (NZ) Ltd.
See the 18/10/17 media release here:
http://www.media.anz.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=248677&p=irol-news&nyo=0
Glad I don’t with them then.
Wonder which bank the government uses? Is it ANZ? It should be Kiwibank.
Westpac I believe …. NZ First policy is to switch to kiwibank I think
I think that gummint has withdrawn from Westpac. But it would be to much like supporting one’s own to use Kiwibank, out of the usual trend.
Awesome, keeping the faith 🙂
yes Westpac won without a tender process which’s where Simon Power ended up
Yep.
When are NZ media going to cover Chair of Transparency International, Jose Ugaz’s call for former NZ PM John Key to be investigated over Panama Papers?
Where and when did the Chair of Transparency International Jose Ugaz state that John Key should be investigated over the Panama Papers?
1 August 2017, at Rutherford House, Victoria University.
How do I know?
Because I was at this meeting, and heard Jose Ugaz say this myself.
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption whistle-blower’.
ESome people are trying to brand me as a evil genius I say the public should make there own choice .
1 I mow laws ?
2 do I have 50 od million ?
3 can I hide my emotions or have a blank poker face no
4 have I got a 10 million house I think that title should go to the right person shonky who well he just got a job as head of a bank. Have I abandoned my duty as a husband father grandfather I respect everyone I meet I won’t throw anyone under a bus
Genius well no intelligent may be but genius is just a ploy for these people they will say that I shit gold nuggets if this could undermine my credibility with you. And they are using this for a excuse because all there bull shit lines won’t stick to me and they are incompetent they created this so don’t blame me for what is happening now because I no what is happening an these people needed to no the truth
Ka Pai
Winston would have Key investigation carried out as first policy.
Now we know why Key wanted a knighthood!!!! – to avoid any investigation?
Wow.
All the Harvey Weinstein stories coming out, and they appoint the guy with the history of ponytail pulling! Some may think the equivalence is absurd, but they’re just different points on a spectrum.
I realise Mike Hosking is vacuous but it is good to have him consistently reinforce that.
Petulance personified.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11934143
Actually Pete, I think it is Hosking who looks tired and depressed. Tedious and repetitive.
No good purpose would be served by the four big platers talking about their negotiations. But wait for the squeals from English and his voice Hoskings should it go against them. And again look at the effort English made to eliminate smaller parties. He caused the “problem.”
Threat of the gig economy needs urgent answers
Waiting another five years to address the problems the gig economy is bringing to New Zealand is not an option, writes Thomas Coughlan
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/10/17/53916/threat-of-the-gig-economy-needs-urgent-answers
West German federal election, 1980
CDU/CSU (Centre Right) 44.5%
SPD (Centre Left) 42.9%
FDP (Liberal Right) 10.6%
Govt formed subsequently = SPD + FDP
.
Meanwhile …
New Zealand General Election 2017
National (Centre Right) 44.4%
Lab/Green (Centre Left) 43.2%
NZF (Socially Con Centre Left) 7.2%
Govt formed subsequently = ???
Good point, there is clear pecident for political parties choosing the least complicated coalition.
Bob…and his pal, Weave.
Hah Happy planting Robert this Labour day.
Apricot and almond trees, grey, plums apples and peaches; happy days!
Did you know, “Jacinda”(Jacinta) is the Spanish word for hyacinth?
Well, it is!
Swordfish I think you will enjoy this one.
It’s a seat-by-seat interactive showing movements by party compared to all others.
Fun for all the family.
http://insights.nzherald.co.nz/election/#/party-vote/map/percentage/turnout/
If Mr Peters could make his announcement any Friday afternoon so we miss the engaging Mr Espiner’s take on it all. At least until the following Monday…
This Friday would be great: long weekend. 😛
Nah. Go for significance
Labour day
Heh!
HA! What a fitting start to a new coalition government, and you may well be right going by Winston’s latest utterance:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98014240/labours-deputy-kelvin-davis-says-all-will-be-revealed-by-thursday-morning
I haven’t been around for awhile. Is there a TS sweepstakes going on with what on earth NZF will do?
Perfect timing for Labour day eh!!!!!
“A new Labour lead Coalition Government”.
Anyone remember when we parsed major political speeches for meaning?
Hear’s one from Xi at the plenary, 30 minutes ago:
“Only with socialism can we save China.”
LiveBlog at Bloomberg here:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/live-blog/2017-10-13/china-president-xi-jinping-s-speech-at-the-19th-communist-party-congress
This morning on radionz. A different viewpoint for a change – from Social Anthropologist.
politics
Audit Culture: the creeping problem of our age
From Nine To Noon, 9:27 am today
Listen duration 18′ :26″ Add to playlist
Professor Cris Shore has looked at the rise of ‘audit culture’ and isn’t a big fan. In fact, he calls the use of accountancy techniques and metrics to manage our universities, health services, and funding institutions, ‘the creeping problem of our age’.
He highlights this in a just published book called ‘The death of the public university – uncertain futures for higher education in the knowledge economy’.
Another example he points to is China’s social credit rating system, where by 2020, everyone will be enrolled in a vast national database with a single number ranking for each citizen.
The University of Auckland Professor of Social Anthropology, has just been awarded the Royal Society’s Mason Durie Medal for his contributions to political anthropology and the study of organisations, governance and power.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018618291/audit-culture-the-creeping-problem-of-our-age
OK, sort of. At least the door has not been closed, and the process looks rather inclusive.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-10-17/afls-transgender-call-on-aflw-hopeful
“New Zealand’s technology sector has become the country’s third biggest export sector…”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/341841/nz-tech-sector-now-third-biggest-exporter
Guess I’m on a different page … perhaps should be commenting on the…… (Election)
You have to say that whatever way things go there are going to be some funny aspects.
Like the Speaker if it’s Labour. Like the Education portfolio if it’s National. And Paula Bennett.
Trevor Mallard will be a marvelous Speaker!
Yes Robert –tremble -tremble – think positive man-tremble- tremble.
I bet Trevor voted for the moa.
If with National no doubt Bennett would lose her place and her mana. How sad.
If with Labour Hitchen would new broom Education.
Trevor has been fill-in Speaker and it is probably the only reason he has stayed on. No Speaker and he would step down and next on the List will be…
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/341858/it-s-a-spiritual-place-this-is-our-road