Our leader has enjoyed another day at Big Gay Out, once again chaperoned by his minders Willis and Bishop.
After this morning’s State of the Nation speech, Luxon had defended the coalition Government’s planned changes to sexuality and relationship education guidelines, RNZ reports.
New Zealand First – one of the three coalition parties – had campaigned on removing “gender ideology” from the curriculum. The guidelines were first introduced in 2020 by then-NZ First MP and associate Education Minister Tracey Martin.
“We will always have sex education in New Zealand schools. It’s so critical, so important,” Luxon said.
The curriculum should be age-appropriate and parents needed to be consulted, Luxon said.
Schools had been interpreting the guidelines differently and there needed to be consistency in delivering the curriculum across the country.
An expert panel would be working on the changes to the guidelines, he said.
School consultation with parents is one reason for different approaches, thus lack of nationwide consistency (parents have been able to opt out their children).
Gender ideology (where it was once homosexuality) and age for sex education are the major contentions.
"Gender Ideology" is the antithesis of homosexuality. It denies even the existence of same sex attraction. Children should be educated on the basis of the fact that in humans (as with all mammals) sex is bi-modal and immutable.
SPC “Gender ideology (where it was once homosexuality) and age for sex education are the major contentions.”
Indeed, and sex education should be age appropriate. I hope most people will agree with that.
And it should be based on facts rather than fantasy (the stork and babies) or an ideology (‘some parents make a mistake when they ‘assign’ your sex at birth).
Both seem to be denying there is an issue to be discussed.
UN Convention on the rights of the child
Article 28/3. States Parties shall promote and encourage international cooperation in matters relating to education, in particular with a view to contributing to the elimination of IGNORANCE and illiteracy throughout the world and facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods.
While National is working on how to get away with something
allowing foreigners to buy up high country land, waterway land, coastal farmland, beach front land, fisheries and any urban land for new builds – a future where half of us pay rent to foreigners for a home – an end to the idea that a nation state has any sovereignty not up for sale.
they are also resorting to questioning other old shibboleths "a government has a workforce of its own" and "paying people welfare" to distract us.
The Big Tobacco and Big Oil fan boys are nothing if not predictable.
On welfare there is a bit of confusion.
Pre election he mentioned a focus on those under 25, contracting out oversight of that group.
In the state of the nation, he noted the increase on Job Seeker Benefit since 2017 (presumably he knows this is a function of the unemployment rate and also of the health of the aging workforce, as it includes those once on the sickness benefit – worldwide lockdowns and long covid have had an impact).
Luxon's government would be targeting those who had been on welfare for many years, he said.
"I won't apologise for making tough choices to support young people off welfare and into work, because 24 years languishing on welfare means no hope. It means no opportunity. It means no dignity from work."
Presumably he is cognisant that National were in government for 9 of the last 24 years (2008-2017).
"And if you don't – make no mistake – there will be consequences. Our government will support you – but there will be sanctions if you don't take that support seriously.
If that had worked 2008-2017 …and Labour did have a form of it 1999-2008 and National in the 1990's.
"Now that won't be popular with everyone – but we will do it, because I am not prepared to write off a whole generation of young Kiwis."
He should note that the policy did not stop young people becoming long term unemployed in the past.
Maybe he should consult John Carter about employment programmes and internships (to reduce the need to import migrant workers).
Conveniently being overlooked/wilfully ignored in the discussion is how our economic system relies on a minimum amount of unemployment in order to keep inflation down. Of course, the government knows this, but it's SO much easier to blame and punish the plebs, rather than say it out loud and spoil the illusion.
That speech to me had undertones of facism (yes I am going there). Pick an enemy and blame them for your country's woes. In this case, too many bludging beneficiaries slowing down productivity. They must be punished for their crimes, ie having the audacity to exist. Force them all into work and our country will be great again (and you people who don't need it will get your tax cuts.)
"Victims of social prejudice far from confined to inter-war Germany were readily to hand: prostitutes, homosexuals, Gypsies, habitual criminals and others seen as sullying the image of the new society by begging, refusing to work, or any sort of 'antisocial behaviour."
"Pick an enemy and blame them for your country's woes."
Right on target Kay.
I was one of many thousands thrown on the scrap heap in the 1990s. It happened to coincide with my mother's deteriorating health so I went on the DPB which was – courtesy of Ruth Richardson – an absurd pittance. They were very tough years with a mortgage to service, and made ten times worse by the treatment meted out to me under the stewardship of Christine Rankin's version of WINZ. When I discovered they had me under surveillance for suspected fraudulent behaviour it nearly finished me off.
I think NZ is in for a repeat of the 1990s and it doesn't just apply to beneficiaries but also to Maori. We have already seen how they are using Maori as a scapegoat for the country's woes including woes we know don't even exist – at least to the extent they are trying to make out.
And the detail, Stuff missed reporting the bit explaining where he got his 24 years "data" from
Nowhere
"MSD has told us that for the 2000 young people receiving a youth payment or young parent payment, they are now expected to spend an average of 24 years of their working life on a benefit – 24 years. Up almost 50 percent in just three years," Luxon said in his speech.
So it is a change in MSD forecast for a particularly vulnerable group – youth payment and young parent benefit. A 2020 forecast compared to a 2023 forecast.
And from that he said
"I won't apologise for making tough choices to support young people off welfare and into work, because 24 years languishing on welfare means no hope. It means no opportunity. It means no dignity from work."
He'll save them from that like he has already saved us from $200B of unfunded transport projects (such as a 2 three land road tunnels and a rail tunnel under Auckland Harbour).
The constant targeting (even during the last 2 years or so) of people who have either serious ongoing mental health issues, are caregivers of elderly and/or disabled family members (for a pittance – saving the state many thousands) and anyone else now lumped into the crucible of "the jobseeker benefit" is now turning to outright harassment even under the "liberal Labour Party". These are folk who are clearly unable to work, yet are dragged back in and out of WINZ repeatedly to prove some kind of point. Its time we saw government tackling the tax dodgers and white collar criminals sucking society dry.
But those tax dodgers and white collar criminals vote (predominantly RW) and we can't go upsetting the base and the donors. There's quite possibly some politicians who wouldn't be too keen on an IRD audit either.
Being able to convince all beneficiaries/low income people to vote would significantly change the makeup of parliament, and really is our only hope. But that's the aim of the exercise- beat people down so much that they give up on the voting process, making it easier for RW governments to succeed.
Conditions were "rough" due to the "economic mess" left behind by the Labour government, and New Zealanders were "voting with their feet", with a record net 44,500 New Zealanders leaving the country last year, he said.
In a number of areas (with emerging world shortages) there is a category of workers who get paid much more in Oz than here (and better work conditions) medical staff and teachers. Military and police can do the same (otherwise the pandemic delayed move to well-paid mining jobs).
National is not planning any change – so it is mere politicking.
First Bakhmut in May 2023 and now of Avdiivka in February 2024, one wonders what the Russian target for 2025 is – maybe too easy to guess – Ukraine's surrender under a Trump presidency (this is the NATO supported nation that Trump wanted beaten by Russia to teach them all a lesson about fear and obedience – GOP first, NATO second).
For now Russia will probably attack Zaporizhzhia to draw limited Ukrainian forces south and to secure the entire Donbass.
The politics
The White House said the withdrawal had been forced upon Ukraine "by dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction," that had forced Ukrainian soldiers to ration ammunition and resulted in "Russia’s first notable gains in months".
Meanwhile Zelenskiy complained about
an "artificial" shortage of weapons and said stalled U.S. aid was imperative. He praised his troops for "exhausting" Russian forces in Avdiivka, and suggested the withdrawal was partly caused by a lack of weapons.
"Now, (the military) will replenish, they will wait for the relevant weapons, of which there simply weren't enough, simply aren't enough," he said. "Russia has long-range weapons, while we simply don't have enough."
The war
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said Avdiivka showed the need for modern air defence systems to counter guided bombs and long-range weapons to destroy enemy formations. He said artillery shells were also needed.
In the field ammo, artillery shells, at scale air defence and the strike capacity to take out any Russian military capability within Ukraine.
The Russians will not take the American resolve seriously until they increase production at the atacms plant from 500 a year (double shift or offshore plant – South Korea/Japan).
A revolting spectacle, Dave & Brooke poncing it up in Ponsonby at Rainbow Parade. Is Act so keen on gays that are working class, on or wanting Jobseeker Allowance, disabled, need housing?
Baldrick Luxury Luxon’s appearance at the Pt Chevalier “Big Gay Out” had to be the most inappropriate appearance there by a senior politician since Banksie’s. He had just given a Bennie Bash speech straight out of the 90s and seemingly expected to be welcomed…
One he does not want there to ever be a Palestinian state. And at the moment he is content because a majority of both Israelis (prefer status quo) and Palestinians (want a peace process to result in a unitary state) also oppose a two state outcome.
Two, he says this, with the face that has told many lies (most to fellow politicians in Israel)
"Israel under my leadership will continue to strongly oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state," he said. "An arrangement can be reached only through direct negotiations between the sides, without preconditions."
A man totally opposed to the existence of a Palestinian state would, if required to, engage in such direct negotiations – because he knows his own conditions would prevent any agreement.
A new roadmap is required – Likud and Palestinians who want a unitary state have together managed to destroy the Oslo Accord process.
1.UNRWA replaced – all Palestinian refugees given a UN Palestinian passport, a cash payment per person and one per family that lost property in 1948. And a call for every UN nation to allow them work residence (and apply quotas). Those choosing Gaza or West Bank having homes built there.
2.The borders of the Palestinian state as per 1967.
3.After it is established, all 1948 refugees able to live and work in Israel on their Palestinian passport (sans security exceptions). And all Jewish settlers able to remain in the WB (sans security exceptions) on their Israeli passports – with a Jewish WB settlement area police force operating within the Palestinian state police force.
4.Compensation to Palestine from Israel for Jewish settlement of land in the WB.
5.Combined Israeli-Palestinian-UN security control of the borders of Palestine with Jordan and Egypt and Gaza with the Mediterranean.
6.Either both, or neither, have their capital in Jerusalem. And a combined Jerusalem administrative body including outside observers (Jordan and …. ).
7.Joint administrative bodies – for the Jordan River management, economic policy co-operation, energy and water, Jewish settlements.
Your proposed road map falls over at step one. Proposing to scrap UNRWA ticks one of the boxes that Netanyahu is so desperate to accomplish. In the immediate short term it shows a complete lack of any compassion to Palestinians. This is absolutely the only organisation with any reach in Gaza that may concievably be able to deliver aid if it ever arrives.
Also, to scrap UNRWA is much like Seymours attempt to disenfrancise Māori by fiddling with the treaty document. UNRWA by virtue of its unique definition of a Palestinian refugee holds all decendents of the 1948 Nakba that lost the means of livlihood together with the right of return. Israel is already illegally selling rights to off shore gas fields that are rightfully Palestinian. Abolishing the right of return through the abolition of UNRWA is just the second prong of Netanyahu's scatter the Palestinians then settle the Gaza strip. It was Netanyahu that falsely set up the UNRWA sting. It is not in Palestinian interests to jump onto anything that this madman is driving.
Support for the Palestinians on the current course would just mean more of the same for a few more decades.
Replacement of UNRWA is not abandonment of them as refugees who need aid for a while yet.
A right of return claim is not dependent on UNRWA existing.
I mentioned an alternative, that enables more than being dependent on remaining in a refugee camp for yet more decades, often without right of access to local employment.
Does not require the wrecking of UNRWA and putting your number one step as implementing the thing that Netanyahu so desperately desires. It shows your always close to the surface lack of concern for Palestinians and your default of siding with Israel. You do understand that starvation and disease are occuring right now? That IDF snipers target whole familes of Palestinians, including the children. And your solution is to disband UNRWA because it is the sole organisation that is still able to witness this ongoing tradgedy and provide some modicum of relief??
Your framing of it that way just shows how committed to a side and continuance of the conflict that people can get trapped into.
Agreement to it would immediately end the Gaza presence of the IDF, enable the release of hostages (and political prisoners), facilitate the coming of aid and allow refugees to decide if they want to stay or use a UN passport to get work residence elsewhere (as other refugees are allowed to do) and then exercise right of return later.
"Agreement" is the tricky thing. "Agreement" to a cease fire would end it too. Problem is that the current leadership of Israel will not "agree" to anything that does not extinguish the already fragile rights of Palestinians. They would jump at the chance to extinguish UNRWA and use any kind of delay for the rest. You appear to be against Luxon's policies in NZ. I'm reasonably sure that you would be able to see through attempts to portray social institutions as corrupt in order to disband them. The consequences of the disbanding of UNRWA don't bear thinking about. And yet you seem to be eager to fall into an age old right wing trap and discount the massive work that the agency does to provde a net of some kind in dire situations.
Perhaps it is rather you that wishes to continue the pain and suffering?
Except now you do. As a first step towards what? And item three reads like a cotinuation of the current apartheid set up. We already have a PA security responsibility subservient to the IDF and unable to protect Palestinians from settler violence. Yours is just more of the same. A PA suservient to a "Jewish West Bank security police force". Your language is also that of apartheid. You equate Jewish and Israeli and give Jewish Israelis rights that non Jews can't obtain. All this is the current situation not something new except that you wish to take even the UNRWA from Palestinians. Why? Because they have the authority to observe and document and their documents have legal standing at the ICJ?
Not under current circumstances. Not paying attention?
as a first step towards what?
It is as part of an agreement setting up a Palestinian state. Surely that was obvious – the thing is those involved have nowhere to live. The ability to go where there were houses and jobs and retain the right to return is better than any other option – you prefer stay in a tent, receive aid, avoid disease and wait for a rebuild?
3.Actually says that Jewish settlers cannot have their own guns, they have a Jewish police force accountable to the PA police force, as in a branch of it.
You are not worth my time. Bye. All you do is lie.
Curious that this government took the specific step of unwinding the Auckland-Northland water entity, when in the same week Minister Brown was encouraging regions to join together to form water entities.
A SI drought would first impact hydro and energy. It would show the wisdom of the Onslow dam.
Contingency, or reserve surplus capability for water supply, is similar to energy. We are expected to conserve/lower demand in drought years.
The government could help by reducing demand for migrant labour/population increase to generate growth.
The drought impact on farming is why Luxon wants more dams for that reason. Fast tracking consent to build them (reducing water flows till they are filled).
It’s no surprise National looks inward and backwards. Once again, the party squandered its time in opposition on torrid internal politics and cynical attempts to win back voters. It learnt nothing about how the world’s changing or what new and effective policies we need to keep up with it.
Shock as warming accelerates, 1.5°C is breached faster than forecast
[14 Feb 2024]
That acceleration moves forward the timeline for reaching 2°C of warming, for the manifestation of more severe impacts, and for systemic tipping points. Hansen warns that warming will accelerate to 1.7°C by 2030.
…
“I [Australian Greens Senator Larissa Waters] don’t understand why you are doing a risk assessment based on a scenario that’s so below what’s actually going to happen. That doesn’t give you an adequate picture of risk. Isn’t the whole point of doing this risk analysis to understand what the risks are?”
The phrase 'palliative care' springs to mind – go well spaceship Earth.
Mother Earth …… Palliative Care [19 June 2023]
A comment made by a nurse in the human chain around the NAB Sydney HQ hit like a depth charge.
Her placard showed Mother Earth with a thermometer in her mouth. I said "She looks like she's in intensive care".
Luxon doesn't have anything good to say in his State of The Nation. Everything is falling apart, there's a giant fiscal hole, and it's all Labour's fault. So, he has to punish the least well off with Austerity.
A disgraceful speech with no confidence in the future of Aotearoa. He is gonna crater the economy with Trussonomics.
Particularly repugnant was first the strategy of throwing around a large fictitious number, $200B, followed by the Farraresque method of breaking the large fictitious number into smaller 'per person, per hour' numbers:
“They were $200 billion short. If you saved $20,000 every hour, day and night, seven days a week, it would take you over 1,000 years to save that $200 billion,” Luxon said in his speech.
1000 years, wow, but not a hint of economic or accounting rigour applied. Just the one person saving all that, remember. This serves to authenticate the fictitious number by personalising it to you. A kind of political money laundering.
Second, and the worst part, is the inference that 5000 or so troubled, marginalised, poorly equipped people are required to be kicked off jobseeker in order to pay for this appalling accounting deficit.
That's 5000 bottom feeders bashed to save $75M out of a Social Welfare expenditure of about $40B. That's 0.02% savings, or $0.0017 per person per hour if you like the that sort of thing…worth it?
Labour had a few proposals that had not yet seen real costings or feasibility studies – funding was yet to be worked out. So it's misleading to claim that they were unfunded or a 'fiscal hole'.
And it's disgusting to talk about benefit sanctions and austerity while giving landlords massive handouts and tax cuts to your rich mates.
Sorry never very clear when rushing a rant at lunchtime.
Willis was going to use her tax cut for videos and Ben and jerries icecream , , it was when she uttered those words that it dawned on me we have a problem Houston.
It's difficult to figure out that on the one hand Luxon is telling beneficiaries to "get a job, or else" and on the other hand his government is gleefully wanting to get rid of thousands of public servants. Will these thousands of workers tossed aside find it easy to get another equivalent job, pay a mortgage or rent, petrol, children's needs, rates, insurance? Luxon and Willis will sleep easily and not give a hoot about the people laid off.
Many will head overseas. I have a young relative who is doing just that next month as her job is very likely to be disestablished. So off she goes. Not much to stay in NZ for.
The other name for people who deliberately inflict harm on others and sleep well at night is "sociopath", and RW governments seem to be disproportionately infected with them.
I've been scratching my head over that one too. Might have been Sue Bradford that pointed out the other day on RNZ (afternoons) that it's not like public servants can up sticks and go pick fruit.
It's some kind of cognitive dissonance going on. Or, they simply don't give a shit.
Does anyone else get tired of how PR people use the word "welcome" in their media releases?
It is usually applied by politicians when an official report is released which reflects badly on a government department. The officials involved always "welcome" the report and promise to do better next time.
A similar reaction appears in today's ODT. There was a fatal car crash when roadside trees obscured a stop sign and a young driver went through an intersection. According to media reports, the coroner ruled that the company contracting to the local council for road signs was at fault for failing to identify the hazard (as was the council).
The company said it welcomed the coroner's recommendations for improvements.
I wonder what will happen when some judge orders a fine of say… $20 million dollars against some council for failing to do something and causing a serious event to occur. Will they welcome the judge's ruling with open arms?
Since the arrival of risk assessed insurance premiums some have faced steep increases.
But for others it has gone on and on, huge premium increases year after year after year and others are not able to be insured at all.
The time when landlords sell some stock to go mortgage free and end insurance may have come (it is required for those with a mortgage). The other option is to form property owner insurance associations – possibly with the help of government.
Maybe cover the rebuild cost in return for freehold land to government leasehold (future rent to government).
Nope, nothing to see here, folks. Just the Speaker of the US House of Representatives', the bloke with no bank accounts, links to Russian allies of Putin with lots of money.
/
In 2018, a group of Russians were able to donate to Johnson’s bid for the Louisiana seat he eventually won as the money was funneled through the Texas-based American Ethane company.
While American Ethane was co-founded by American John Houghtaling, at the time it was 88 percent owned by three Russian nationals—Konstantin Nikolaev, Mikhail Yuriev, and Andrey Kunatbaev. Nikolaev is known to be a top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A spokesperson for Johnson previously assured in 2018 that the campaign returned the money that was given to them by American Ethane once it was “made aware of the situation.” There was no indication that Johnson’s campaign team willfully broke federal law, which makes it illegal for a campaign to knowingly accept donations from a foreign-owned corporation, a foreign national, or any company owned or controlled by foreign nationals.
[…]
Nikolaev is also known for being a financial backer of Maria Butina, a Russian citizen who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2019 after admitting to acting as an unregistered foreign agent to infiltrate conservative political groups and influence foreign policy to Russia’s benefit before and after the 2016 election.
People who thought 3 Waters was great, can you please explain how it would have prevented the contamination of the Havelock North water supply in 2016 (had it been in place then)? Specifics and examples please, with reference to the government inquiry report,
2. Several water treatment projects undertaken around the Hastings District since 2016 would have been funded by a 3W entity (not councils trying to save $$$$)
3. Local 3W administration would have been more focused and competent in delivering safe drinking water, than existing local bodies
Not a difficult exercise because the reality was, the local councils did a poor job, and under your hypothetical world, almost anything would have been better than poisoning thousands of residents.
re-water treatment a HN, why are they having to chlorinate aquifer water? My understanding is that the problem was with the various authorities not protecting the bores.
3. Local 3W administration would have been more focused and competent in delivering safe drinking water, than existing local bodies
How do we know this is true? I agree that many things would have been better than what happened at HN, but mostly the councils needed to do their job. What's the evidence that central authorities will do a better job? I'm not inherently agin centralising generally, but there are plenty of examples of central government doing stupid or incompetent stuff. As opposed to regulating so that the councils have to do their job.
Correction, TA regulates and sets standards; Suppliers maintain quality and report on compliance.
Chlorination is a precaution to kill any germs (Campylobacter, E. Coli,…) that could be acquired along the many miles of pipes.
I don't know if (3) is true but (according to your DIA link) poor management is another significant factor in NZ needing water reform. I took your hypothetical to mean "if 3W was fully implemented successfully"
Correction, TA regulates and sets standards; Suppliers maintain quality and report on compliance.
Suppliers being the councils? In the HN case, that would be the suppliers that already had legislation requiring them to meet standards, which they failed to do. How does 3 Waters solve that?
Chlorination is a precaution to kill any germs (Campylobacter, E. Coli,…) that could be acquired along the many miles of pipes.
Did HN have problems with bacterial contamination of its reticulation pipes before the issue with the bores being flooded? Or is this broadstrokes, MoH-driven, reductionist thinking about water in NZ (all water should be chlorinated)?
I don't know if (3) is true but (according to your DIA link) poor management is another significant factor in NZ needing water reform. I took your hypothetical to mean "if 3W was fully implemented successfully"
Well no, I mean implemented in the real world. Which I think is a big part of the whole point. The surface level theory of 3 Waters make sense (better water, more affordable, better control to prevent problems). I'm not sure if that is true and HN seems a good example to work with.
I remain unconvinced that a nationally led body that uses large regional bodies will in reality be as great as people make out. I've said before I can't see how office bods in Chch can know what should be happening in Gore or Lumsden or Beaumont. This perception might be because I don't understand 3 Waters well enough, hence the questions and HN context.
OK. Perhaps there is no convincing proof that a modern water infrastructure and compliance regime would have prevented the unfortunate Havelock North incident.
But we can see how the Three Waters model actually works in practice because it was based on the successful example of Scottish Water. (it even has an instagram!)
Labour's Auckland transport plans – the big spend – part of the $200B saved by National.
2 three lane road tunnels and a separate rail tunnel and more
“Much of the land is already owned by the Crown. Securing remaining land is important for all future options. The draft Government Policy Statement of Transport to be released in the coming weeks will prioritise and fund this.
“Waka Kotahi will also report back to Cabinet next year with a detailed plan for how the elements of the cross harbour plans can be phased and funded.
“With a project of this scale we will need to keep an open mind to funding options. We are seeking advice from Waka Kotahi on this,” David Parker said.
National will build roads and have a harbour bridge for road traffic.
It will seek PPP road build partners, allow big trucks on them and so the taxpayer will be paying off the build for decades, as well as on-going maintenance.
In reality if you read the actual judgement by the Court of Appeal, it is a direction to the NZ defence forces (not the government) saying "please reconsider your mandates" not "mandates bad, Jacinda is a criminal" as implied by ZB.
Four defence personnel took on their employers over this issue, and won. Congrats to them, they will get some compensation. The Court has nothing to say about the government policy of the time.
From the decision:
[176] The CDF is directed to reconsider the TDFO in light of this judgment.
[177] The Court makes an interim order under s 15 of the Judicial Review Procedure Act prohibiting the CDF from taking any further action pursuant to the TDFO and related instruments until such time as the reconsideration of the TDFO is complete.
This bullshit headline is red meat to the nutjob element and ZB is playing its part in feeding radicalisation and hate. Just 3 hours after the headline was published, the mob is repeating their delusional rubbish on X
1 Newshub post, there is already "Nuremberg", "Lock her up", "jail time" WEF?WHO, Klaus, "throw her to the lions" "treason charges" , "cindy" , disgusting memes targeting Ardern, "dictators", image indicating execution, 'nazis , and its only been 3 hours.
— @CTPuzzlePieces
National adding to bureaucracy at Work and Income. Requiring people to re-apply every 6 months.
Given it is obvious they will not have enough staff, not in the office nor their phone system. This is clearly make work for those who lose their high paying public service jobs and get re-directed to be work colleagues by their case manager.
Good luck to those who now have to 6 monthly re-application for the dole. Don't be surprised if a few staff mutter, “you should have voted”.
Not sure if this the right place to ask but how many years has Chris Hipkins lived in NZ in total and how many years has our new saviour luxon lived in NZ in total?( Please insert years. Thank you……… ) Luxon bleats on like he has never lived out of Aotearoa. He is the sacrificial lamb sent in by Key and cronies to finish off what Key couldn’t achieve. We will never be Americas plaything. Ever! ….This country is not for turning……Paraphrase….. Right from the beginning you could see Keys hand up the jumper. He’s still got the same sad little unevolving cretins running the narrative in the hope it will stick. Looking at you Mike Hoskins…. Oh ,there you are! Couldn’t see you. Were you standing or sitting?
Hipkins is done. Recently married and good luck to him but the polls and therefore the media has moved on. No immediate panic but Labour needs to turn the page eventually.
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Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
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 ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
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. ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Somwrita Sarkar, Senior Lecturer in Design and Computation, University of Sydney The “latte line” is the infamous, invisible boundary that divides Sydney between the more affluent north-east and the south-west. Historically, people north of the line enjoy better access to jobs and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock In media articles about unprecedented flooding, you’ll often come across the statement that for every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture. This ...
RNZ Pacific Former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has been sentenced to one year in prison, Fiji media are reporting. Bainimarama, alongside suspended Fiji Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho appeared in the High Court in Suva today for their sentencing hearing for a case involving their roles in blocking a police ...
Acting Chief Human Rights Commissioner Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina Sumeo says, “Addressing violence and abuse remains New Zealand’s most significant human rights issue affecting women. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Symons, Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University Michael Schiffer / Unsplash Life has transformed our world over billions of years, turning a dead rock into the lush, fertile planet we know today. But human activity is currently transforming Earth ...
One woman’s quest to watch Challengers without ruining her body clock. Every Saturday morning, I wake up with a screaming demon inside my head urging me to “Do. Something. This. Weekend.” I run through the possibilities in my head in a defensive mental crouch, reminiscent of that one time I ...
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Our leader has enjoyed another day at Big Gay Out, once again chaperoned by his minders Willis and Bishop.
School consultation with parents is one reason for different approaches, thus lack of nationwide consistency (parents have been able to opt out their children).
Gender ideology (where it was once homosexuality) and age for sex education are the major contentions.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/pro-palestine-protest-luxon-confronted-at-big-gay-out/MRJQAOL4IZFV3JIYFL2F2RRJFU/
"Gender Ideology" is the antithesis of homosexuality. It denies even the existence of same sex attraction. Children should be educated on the basis of the fact that in humans (as with all mammals) sex is bi-modal and immutable.
SPC “Gender ideology (where it was once homosexuality) and age for sex education are the major contentions.”
Indeed, and sex education should be age appropriate. I hope most people will agree with that.
And it should be based on facts rather than fantasy (the stork and babies) or an ideology (‘some parents make a mistake when they ‘assign’ your sex at birth).
Resist Gender Education- 7/2/24- wrote An open letter to the NZEI and PPTA :
Kia ora Mark Potter and Chris Abercrombie,
Both seem to be denying there is an issue to be discussed.
UN Convention on the rights of the child
Article 28/3. States Parties shall promote and encourage international cooperation in matters relating to education, in particular with a view to contributing to the elimination of IGNORANCE and illiteracy throughout the world and facilitating access to scientific and technical knowledge and modern teaching methods.
While National is working on how to get away with something
allowing foreigners to buy up high country land, waterway land, coastal farmland, beach front land, fisheries and any urban land for new builds – a future where half of us pay rent to foreigners for a home – an end to the idea that a nation state has any sovereignty not up for sale.
they are also resorting to questioning other old shibboleths "a government has a workforce of its own" and "paying people welfare" to distract us.
The Big Tobacco and Big Oil fan boys are nothing if not predictable.
On welfare there is a bit of confusion.
Pre election he mentioned a focus on those under 25, contracting out oversight of that group.
In the state of the nation, he noted the increase on Job Seeker Benefit since 2017 (presumably he knows this is a function of the unemployment rate and also of the health of the aging workforce, as it includes those once on the sickness benefit – worldwide lockdowns and long covid have had an impact).
Presumably he is cognisant that National were in government for 9 of the last 24 years (2008-2017).
If that had worked 2008-2017 …and Labour did have a form of it 1999-2008 and National in the 1990's.
He should note that the policy did not stop young people becoming long term unemployed in the past.
Maybe he should consult John Carter about employment programmes and internships (to reduce the need to import migrant workers).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350183890/watch-state-nation-fragile-christopher-luxon-says
Conveniently being overlooked/wilfully ignored in the discussion is how our economic system relies on a minimum amount of unemployment in order to keep inflation down. Of course, the government knows this, but it's SO much easier to blame and punish the plebs, rather than say it out loud and spoil the illusion.
That speech to me had undertones of facism (yes I am going there). Pick an enemy and blame them for your country's woes. In this case, too many bludging beneficiaries slowing down productivity. They must be punished for their crimes, ie having the audacity to exist. Force them all into work and our country will be great again (and you people who don't need it will get your tax cuts.)
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/509415/why-should-poorest-lose-jobs-to-get-inflation-down
"Victims of social prejudice far from confined to inter-war Germany were readily to hand: prostitutes, homosexuals, Gypsies, habitual criminals and others seen as sullying the image of the new society by begging, refusing to work, or any sort of 'antisocial behaviour."
Hitler: Nemesis – Ian Kershaw.
The CoC is not there yet, but give them time!
"Pick an enemy and blame them for your country's woes."
Right on target Kay.
I was one of many thousands thrown on the scrap heap in the 1990s. It happened to coincide with my mother's deteriorating health so I went on the DPB which was – courtesy of Ruth Richardson – an absurd pittance. They were very tough years with a mortgage to service, and made ten times worse by the treatment meted out to me under the stewardship of Christine Rankin's version of WINZ. When I discovered they had me under surveillance for suspected fraudulent behaviour it nearly finished me off.
I think NZ is in for a repeat of the 1990s and it doesn't just apply to beneficiaries but also to Maori. We have already seen how they are using Maori as a scapegoat for the country's woes including woes we know don't even exist – at least to the extent they are trying to make out.
And the detail, Stuff missed reporting the bit explaining where he got his 24 years "data" from
Nowhere
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/02/campaigner-slams-prime-minister-christopher-luxon-s-comments-about-welfare-system.html
So it is a change in MSD forecast for a particularly vulnerable group – youth payment and young parent benefit. A 2020 forecast compared to a 2023 forecast.
And from that he said
He'll save them from that like he has already saved us from $200B of unfunded transport projects (such as a 2 three land road tunnels and a rail tunnel under Auckland Harbour).
would love to see the reference for that 24 years bit.
As quoted in the thread starter.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350183890/watch-state-nation-fragile-christopher-luxon-says
I meant a reference from Luxon's speech writer.
There was a story about MSD advice in the Herald a week ago.
https://archive.li/FzgKT
thanks!
The constant targeting (even during the last 2 years or so) of people who have either serious ongoing mental health issues, are caregivers of elderly and/or disabled family members (for a pittance – saving the state many thousands) and anyone else now lumped into the crucible of "the jobseeker benefit" is now turning to outright harassment even under the "liberal Labour Party". These are folk who are clearly unable to work, yet are dragged back in and out of WINZ repeatedly to prove some kind of point. Its time we saw government tackling the tax dodgers and white collar criminals sucking society dry.
But those tax dodgers and white collar criminals vote (predominantly RW) and we can't go upsetting the base and the donors. There's quite possibly some politicians who wouldn't be too keen on an IRD audit either.
Being able to convince all beneficiaries/low income people to vote would significantly change the makeup of parliament, and really is our only hope. But that's the aim of the exercise- beat people down so much that they give up on the voting process, making it easier for RW governments to succeed.
Wonder when the groundswell muppets will be out protesting national?
In a number of areas (with emerging world shortages) there is a category of workers who get paid much more in Oz than here (and better work conditions) medical staff and teachers. Military and police can do the same (otherwise the pandemic delayed move to well-paid mining jobs).
National is not planning any change – so it is mere politicking.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350183890/watch-state-nation-fragile-christopher-luxon-says
First Bakhmut in May 2023 and now of Avdiivka in February 2024, one wonders what the Russian target for 2025 is – maybe too easy to guess – Ukraine's surrender under a Trump presidency (this is the NATO supported nation that Trump wanted beaten by Russia to teach them all a lesson about fear and obedience – GOP first, NATO second).
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2024/02/ukraine-invasion-russia-makes-biggest-gain-in-9-months-after-taking-avdiivka-from-ukraine.html
For now Russia will probably attack Zaporizhzhia to draw limited Ukrainian forces south and to secure the entire Donbass.
The politics
Meanwhile Zelenskiy complained about
The war
In the field ammo, artillery shells, at scale air defence and the strike capacity to take out any Russian military capability within Ukraine.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/17/politics/us-weapons-factories-ukraine-ammunition/index.html
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/ukraine-needs-urgent-air-defense-aid-as-putin-launches-bombing-campaign/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/09/22/atacms-ukraine-cluster-munitions/
The Russians will not take the American resolve seriously until they increase production at the atacms plant from 500 a year (double shift or offshore plant – South Korea/Japan).
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2024/02/ukraine-invasion-russia-makes-biggest-gain-in-9-months-after-taking-avdiivka-from-ukraine.html
"You're not welcome!"
"Boo!"
Big Gay Out for Luxon.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350184047/praise-and-protest-big-day-contrasts-chris-luxon
A revolting spectacle, Dave & Brooke poncing it up in Ponsonby at Rainbow Parade. Is Act so keen on gays that are working class, on or wanting Jobseeker Allowance, disabled, need housing?
Baldrick Luxury Luxon’s appearance at the Pt Chevalier “Big Gay Out” had to be the most inappropriate appearance there by a senior politician since Banksie’s. He had just given a Bennie Bash speech straight out of the 90s and seemingly expected to be welcomed…
Benjamin Netanyahu … where does one start?
One he does not want there to ever be a Palestinian state. And at the moment he is content because a majority of both Israelis (prefer status quo) and Palestinians (want a peace process to result in a unitary state) also oppose a two state outcome.
Two, he says this, with the face that has told many lies (most to fellow politicians in Israel)
A man totally opposed to the existence of a Palestinian state would, if required to, engage in such direct negotiations – because he knows his own conditions would prevent any agreement.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2024/02/israel-s-benjamin-netanyahu-stops-gaza-ceasefire-talks-over-delusional-hamas-demands.html
A new roadmap is required – Likud and Palestinians who want a unitary state have together managed to destroy the Oslo Accord process.
1.UNRWA replaced – all Palestinian refugees given a UN Palestinian passport, a cash payment per person and one per family that lost property in 1948. And a call for every UN nation to allow them work residence (and apply quotas). Those choosing Gaza or West Bank having homes built there.
2.The borders of the Palestinian state as per 1967.
3.After it is established, all 1948 refugees able to live and work in Israel on their Palestinian passport (sans security exceptions). And all Jewish settlers able to remain in the WB (sans security exceptions) on their Israeli passports – with a Jewish WB settlement area police force operating within the Palestinian state police force.
4.Compensation to Palestine from Israel for Jewish settlement of land in the WB.
5.Combined Israeli-Palestinian-UN security control of the borders of Palestine with Jordan and Egypt and Gaza with the Mediterranean.
6.Either both, or neither, have their capital in Jerusalem. And a combined Jerusalem administrative body including outside observers (Jordan and …. ).
7.Joint administrative bodies – for the Jordan River management, economic policy co-operation, energy and water, Jewish settlements.
Your proposed road map falls over at step one. Proposing to scrap UNRWA ticks one of the boxes that Netanyahu is so desperate to accomplish. In the immediate short term it shows a complete lack of any compassion to Palestinians. This is absolutely the only organisation with any reach in Gaza that may concievably be able to deliver aid if it ever arrives.
Also, to scrap UNRWA is much like Seymours attempt to disenfrancise Māori by fiddling with the treaty document. UNRWA by virtue of its unique definition of a Palestinian refugee holds all decendents of the 1948 Nakba that lost the means of livlihood together with the right of return. Israel is already illegally selling rights to off shore gas fields that are rightfully Palestinian. Abolishing the right of return through the abolition of UNRWA is just the second prong of Netanyahu's scatter the Palestinians then settle the Gaza strip. It was Netanyahu that falsely set up the UNRWA sting. It is not in Palestinian interests to jump onto anything that this madman is driving.
Support for the Palestinians on the current course would just mean more of the same for a few more decades.
Replacement of UNRWA is not abandonment of them as refugees who need aid for a while yet.
A right of return claim is not dependent on UNRWA existing.
I mentioned an alternative, that enables more than being dependent on remaining in a refugee camp for yet more decades, often without right of access to local employment.
PS Israel does not want the GS, it wants the WB.
Does not require the wrecking of UNRWA and putting your number one step as implementing the thing that Netanyahu so desperately desires. It shows your always close to the surface lack of concern for Palestinians and your default of siding with Israel. You do understand that starvation and disease are occuring right now? That IDF snipers target whole familes of Palestinians, including the children. And your solution is to disband UNRWA because it is the sole organisation that is still able to witness this ongoing tradgedy and provide some modicum of relief??
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2024-02-16/rafah-gaza-hospitals-surgery-israel-bombing-ground-offensive-children
Your framing of it that way just shows how committed to a side and continuance of the conflict that people can get trapped into.
Agreement to it would immediately end the Gaza presence of the IDF, enable the release of hostages (and political prisoners), facilitate the coming of aid and allow refugees to decide if they want to stay or use a UN passport to get work residence elsewhere (as other refugees are allowed to do) and then exercise right of return later.
Whatever.
"Agreement" is the tricky thing. "Agreement" to a cease fire would end it too. Problem is that the current leadership of Israel will not "agree" to anything that does not extinguish the already fragile rights of Palestinians. They would jump at the chance to extinguish UNRWA and use any kind of delay for the rest. You appear to be against Luxon's policies in NZ. I'm reasonably sure that you would be able to see through attempts to portray social institutions as corrupt in order to disband them. The consequences of the disbanding of UNRWA don't bear thinking about. And yet you seem to be eager to fall into an age old right wing trap and discount the massive work that the agency does to provde a net of some kind in dire situations.
Perhaps it is rather you that wishes to continue the pain and suffering?
We've been involved in discussions on UNRWA and I've not once supported end of funding under current circumstances.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-31-01-2024/#comment-1987470
This thread.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-30-01-2024/#comment-1987315
And on this one.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-29-01-2024/#comment-1987181
Except now you do. As a first step towards what? And item three reads like a cotinuation of the current apartheid set up. We already have a PA security responsibility subservient to the IDF and unable to protect Palestinians from settler violence. Yours is just more of the same. A PA suservient to a "Jewish West Bank security police force". Your language is also that of apartheid. You equate Jewish and Israeli and give Jewish Israelis rights that non Jews can't obtain. All this is the current situation not something new except that you wish to take even the UNRWA from Palestinians. Why? Because they have the authority to observe and document and their documents have legal standing at the ICJ?
Not under current circumstances. Not paying attention?
It is as part of an agreement setting up a Palestinian state. Surely that was obvious – the thing is those involved have nowhere to live. The ability to go where there were houses and jobs and retain the right to return is better than any other option – you prefer stay in a tent, receive aid, avoid disease and wait for a rebuild?
3.Actually says that Jewish settlers cannot have their own guns, they have a Jewish police force accountable to the PA police force, as in a branch of it.
You are not worth my time. Bye. All you do is lie.
Curious that this government took the specific step of unwinding the Auckland-Northland water entity, when in the same week Minister Brown was encouraging regions to join together to form water entities.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/02/15/northern-exposure-as-councils-left-high-and-dry/
We are one good drought away from seeing the logic of Labor's 10 regional water entities.
A SI drought would first impact hydro and energy. It would show the wisdom of the Onslow dam.
Contingency, or reserve surplus capability for water supply, is similar to energy. We are expected to conserve/lower demand in drought years.
The government could help by reducing demand for migrant labour/population increase to generate growth.
The drought impact on farming is why Luxon wants more dams for that reason. Fast tracking consent to build them (reducing water flows till they are filled).
Rod Oram describes the New Zealand economy under National far better than I could. Loved this column:
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/02/16/welcome-to-rip-shit-and-bust-economic-development/
It all looks rather fragile
So bloody bloody true!
And, from a perceptive comment at the end of Oram's "rip, sh*t and bust" opinion:
Acceleration's the name of the game – "volume, value & velocity" – it's a game changer!
The phrase 'palliative care' springs to mind – go well spaceship Earth.
"The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting."
Milan Kundera
National/Act/NZ1st politicians should be changed as regular as nappies…..for the same reason.
I said that
Kat Ha! If only.
Luxon promises ‘tough love’ in bleak State of the Nation speech | The Spinoff
Luxon doesn't have anything good to say in his State of The Nation. Everything is falling apart, there's a giant fiscal hole, and it's all Labour's fault. So, he has to punish the least well off with Austerity.
A disgraceful speech with no confidence in the future of Aotearoa. He is gonna crater the economy with Trussonomics.
I have no confidence in the leadership of Fuxon
Particularly repugnant was first the strategy of throwing around a large fictitious number, $200B, followed by the Farraresque method of breaking the large fictitious number into smaller 'per person, per hour' numbers:
1000 years, wow, but not a hint of economic or accounting rigour applied. Just the one person saving all that, remember. This serves to authenticate the fictitious number by personalising it to you. A kind of political money laundering.
Second, and the worst part, is the inference that 5000 or so troubled, marginalised, poorly equipped people are required to be kicked off jobseeker in order to pay for this appalling accounting deficit.
That's 5000 bottom feeders bashed to save $75M out of a Social Welfare expenditure of about $40B. That's 0.02% savings, or $0.0017 per person per hour if you like the that sort of thing…worth it?
Labour had a few proposals that had not yet seen real costings or feasibility studies – funding was yet to be worked out. So it's misleading to claim that they were unfunded or a 'fiscal hole'.
And it's disgusting to talk about benefit sanctions and austerity while giving landlords massive handouts and tax cuts to your rich mates.
Surly hell start by canceling tax cuts to land lords and willis Ben and Jerry's ones to come.
I am not opposed to tax cuts for ice-cream 😛
Not sure that I understand the second half of your sentence correctly.
Sorry never very clear when rushing a rant at lunchtime.
Willis was going to use her tax cut for videos and Ben and jerries icecream , , it was when she uttered those words that it dawned on me we have a problem Houston.
It's difficult to figure out that on the one hand Luxon is telling beneficiaries to "get a job, or else" and on the other hand his government is gleefully wanting to get rid of thousands of public servants. Will these thousands of workers tossed aside find it easy to get another equivalent job, pay a mortgage or rent, petrol, children's needs, rates, insurance? Luxon and Willis will sleep easily and not give a hoot about the people laid off.
Many will head overseas. I have a young relative who is doing just that next month as her job is very likely to be disestablished. So off she goes. Not much to stay in NZ for.
The other name for people who deliberately inflict harm on others and sleep well at night is "sociopath", and RW governments seem to be disproportionately infected with them.
I've been scratching my head over that one too. Might have been Sue Bradford that pointed out the other day on RNZ (afternoons) that it's not like public servants can up sticks and go pick fruit.
It's some kind of cognitive dissonance going on. Or, they simply don't give a shit.
They have to be permanent residents in Oz to work in public service jobs there.
I was talking about the first paragraph and NACTF's policy positions of get a job and we will take away some jobs.
Does anyone else get tired of how PR people use the word "welcome" in their media releases?
It is usually applied by politicians when an official report is released which reflects badly on a government department. The officials involved always "welcome" the report and promise to do better next time.
A similar reaction appears in today's ODT. There was a fatal car crash when roadside trees obscured a stop sign and a young driver went through an intersection. According to media reports, the coroner ruled that the company contracting to the local council for road signs was at fault for failing to identify the hazard (as was the council).
The company said it welcomed the coroner's recommendations for improvements.
I wonder what will happen when some judge orders a fine of say… $20 million dollars against some council for failing to do something and causing a serious event to occur. Will they welcome the judge's ruling with open arms?
It will be all down to Luxon's fragility bs and all Labours fault…….
I am trying to imagine if Muldoon would be impressed or shocked with this current coalition of bs……..
Without a (visible) stop sign, or traffic lights, a bit more caution is needed at intersections.
Since the arrival of risk assessed insurance premiums some have faced steep increases.
But for others it has gone on and on, huge premium increases year after year after year and others are not able to be insured at all.
The time when landlords sell some stock to go mortgage free and end insurance may have come (it is required for those with a mortgage). The other option is to form property owner insurance associations – possibly with the help of government.
Maybe cover the rebuild cost in return for freehold land to government leasehold (future rent to government).
https://www.stuff.co.nz/money/350182687/property-investors-say-insurance-driving-rent-increases
Nope, nothing to see here, folks. Just the Speaker of the US House of Representatives', the bloke with no bank accounts, links to Russian allies of Putin with lots of money.
/
In 2018, a group of Russians were able to donate to Johnson’s bid for the Louisiana seat he eventually won as the money was funneled through the Texas-based American Ethane company.
While American Ethane was co-founded by American John Houghtaling, at the time it was 88 percent owned by three Russian nationals—Konstantin Nikolaev, Mikhail Yuriev, and Andrey Kunatbaev. Nikolaev is known to be a top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A spokesperson for Johnson previously assured in 2018 that the campaign returned the money that was given to them by American Ethane once it was “made aware of the situation.” There was no indication that Johnson’s campaign team willfully broke federal law, which makes it illegal for a campaign to knowingly accept donations from a foreign-owned corporation, a foreign national, or any company owned or controlled by foreign nationals.
[…]
Nikolaev is also known for being a financial backer of Maria Butina, a Russian citizen who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2019 after admitting to acting as an unregistered foreign agent to infiltrate conservative political groups and influence foreign policy to Russia’s benefit before and after the 2016 election.
https://www.newsweek.com/who-konstantin-nikolaev-money-mike-johnson-1870600 ( https://archive.li/Gl1ht )
He has a bank account, just one of those not accruing interest – so it does not have to be reported.
He probably transfers the growing balance to a family trust (property/stocks etc) and or PAC.
The Russians probably do that sort of thing a lot to compromise and blackmail.
People who thought 3 Waters was great, can you please explain how it would have prevented the contamination of the Havelock North water supply in 2016 (had it been in place then)? Specifics and examples please, with reference to the government inquiry report,
https://www.dia.govt.nz/Government-Inquiry-into-Havelock-North-Drinking-Water-Report—Part-1—Overview
2. Several water treatment projects undertaken around the Hastings District since 2016 would have been funded by a 3W entity (not councils trying to save $$$$)
3. Local 3W administration would have been more focused and competent in delivering safe drinking water, than existing local bodies
Not a difficult exercise because the reality was, the local councils did a poor job, and under your hypothetical world, almost anything would have been better than poisoning thousands of residents.
thanks rob.
Where's the bit on TA measuring water quality?
re-water treatment a HN, why are they having to chlorinate aquifer water? My understanding is that the problem was with the various authorities not protecting the bores.
How do we know this is true? I agree that many things would have been better than what happened at HN, but mostly the councils needed to do their job. What's the evidence that central authorities will do a better job? I'm not inherently agin centralising generally, but there are plenty of examples of central government doing stupid or incompetent stuff. As opposed to regulating so that the councils have to do their job.
Correction, TA regulates and sets standards; Suppliers maintain quality and report on compliance.
Chlorination is a precaution to kill any germs (Campylobacter, E. Coli,…) that could be acquired along the many miles of pipes.
I don't know if (3) is true but (according to your DIA link) poor management is another significant factor in NZ needing water reform. I took your hypothetical to mean "if 3W was fully implemented successfully"
Suppliers being the councils? In the HN case, that would be the suppliers that already had legislation requiring them to meet standards, which they failed to do. How does 3 Waters solve that?
Did HN have problems with bacterial contamination of its reticulation pipes before the issue with the bores being flooded? Or is this broadstrokes, MoH-driven, reductionist thinking about water in NZ (all water should be chlorinated)?
Well no, I mean implemented in the real world. Which I think is a big part of the whole point. The surface level theory of 3 Waters make sense (better water, more affordable, better control to prevent problems). I'm not sure if that is true and HN seems a good example to work with.
I remain unconvinced that a nationally led body that uses large regional bodies will in reality be as great as people make out. I've said before I can't see how office bods in Chch can know what should be happening in Gore or Lumsden or Beaumont. This perception might be because I don't understand 3 Waters well enough, hence the questions and HN context.
OK. Perhaps there is no convincing proof that a modern water infrastructure and compliance regime would have prevented the unfortunate Havelock North incident.
But we can see how the Three Waters model actually works in practice because it was based on the successful example of Scottish Water. (it even has an instagram!)
But National seems to be taking us down the other path
Labour's Auckland transport plans – the big spend – part of the $200B saved by National.
2 three lane road tunnels and a separate rail tunnel and more
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/phased-tunnels-second-harbour-crossing
National will build roads and have a harbour bridge for road traffic.
It will seek PPP road build partners, allow big trucks on them and so the taxpayer will be paying off the build for decades, as well as on-going maintenance.
NewsTalkZB spreading wild exaggerations as usual
NZDF Covid mandate ruled unlawful by Court of Appeal (newstalkzb.co.nz)
In reality if you read the actual judgement by the Court of Appeal, it is a direction to the NZ defence forces (not the government) saying "please reconsider your mandates" not "mandates bad, Jacinda is a criminal" as implied by ZB.
Four defence personnel took on their employers over this issue, and won. Congrats to them, they will get some compensation. The Court has nothing to say about the government policy of the time.
From the decision:
Hat-tip to @CTPuzzlePieces
This bullshit headline is red meat to the nutjob element and ZB is playing its part in feeding radicalisation and hate. Just 3 hours after the headline was published, the mob is repeating their delusional rubbish on X
National adding to bureaucracy at Work and Income. Requiring people to re-apply every 6 months.
Given it is obvious they will not have enough staff, not in the office nor their phone system. This is clearly make work for those who lose their high paying public service jobs and get re-directed to be work colleagues by their case manager.
Good luck to those who now have to 6 monthly re-application for the dole. Don't be surprised if a few staff mutter, “you should have voted”.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/02/19/benefit-changes-govt-announces-new-work-check-ins/
Not sure if this the right place to ask but how many years has Chris Hipkins lived in NZ in total and how many years has our new saviour luxon lived in NZ in total?( Please insert years. Thank you……… ) Luxon bleats on like he has never lived out of Aotearoa. He is the sacrificial lamb sent in by Key and cronies to finish off what Key couldn’t achieve. We will never be Americas plaything. Ever! ….This country is not for turning……Paraphrase….. Right from the beginning you could see Keys hand up the jumper. He’s still got the same sad little unevolving cretins running the narrative in the hope it will stick. Looking at you Mike Hoskins…. Oh ,there you are! Couldn’t see you. Were you standing or sitting?
Hipkins is done. Recently married and good luck to him but the polls and therefore the media has moved on. No immediate panic but Labour needs to turn the page eventually.