Australia is ignoring climate change, by continuing to support mining. Coal fired power stations and coal for China.
There will be even more fires next summer.
Sabine 1.1
19 May 2019 at 7:35 am
honestly at this point we can assume that everyone is ignoring climate change……
Not everyone.
The real victory has been for someone prepared to go out in front on this issue.
“We have a new beginning for our environment. I will be a climate leader for you.”
Zali Steggall
As I have said before, climate change will become the deciding issue in all elections. There is no middle ground on this issue. Those who spend their time looking for this middle ground are wasting their time.
The issue is money, or the environment.
Speaking of the role that climate change played in the overall Liberal Party victory Tony Abbot, in his own unique way, admits to the Liberals failing morally, but succeeding financially.
“Where climate change is a moral issue, we Liberals do it tough. But where climate change is an economic issue, as a result, tonight shows we do very, very well.
when we the people stop looking for a leader and just start marching then we maybe have a chance.
But i 'will' be a leader……damn it who ever this person is, why aren't you leading already.
We have had decades of lipservice and i personally look at these people and all i see is someone who would not pass a KPI meeting at McDo but c an sprout platitudes and thus we are to elect them to parliament cause they say what some want to hear.
if climate chance by now is not an issue then this planet is fucked already. It should have been an issue several decades ago.
No people need to start leading themselves and then maybe the highly paid do nothing crowd in suits and taxpayer paid limousines will start doing something at last.
In a small way, the Greenpeace protest on the steps of parliament against the issuing of oil exploration permits, caused the Prime Minister to step aside in going to her scheduled meeting with the Indonesian Ambassador, to announce to the protesters that she would allow no new permits to be issued.
In a big way, the massive grass roots protests against nuclear ships gave us the leadership to ban them.
As of yet, we have not seen this sort of protest movement around climate change, but we may.
If we build the movement, if we keep the pressure up, just as they have in the past, our leaders will rise to the occasion.
well the mass movement better start now cause we are already late.
and for me the change will not come so as long as pulling boats up and down the country is still considered acceptable. I use the boat example as to me it is simply wasteful without purpose but cause havoc to the environment in so many ways and it happens without fault every weekend.
but some like to wait others don't. But the one thing i never expect is a politician to lead. They don't ever lead. They only ever follow – and even then only kicking and screaming and this is the same for the larger population, Oz and US a shining example.
. .
"But the one thing i never expect is a politician to lead. They don't ever lead. They only ever follow."
I agree with that as a generalisation, but there are exceptions. Parliament voted in favour of Sue Bradford's 'anti-smacking' bill (by 113 votes to 8), and ignored the result of a subsequent citizens-iniated referendum that aimed to overturn the legislation. Angela Merkel's decision to accept large numbers of Syrian refugees might be another exception – you will have a better idea than me of whether that is an appropriate example.
But you’re right, of course. In a democracy it's very difficult for the Government to take the lead on programmes that are unpopular, however necessary they might be. China’s ‘one child policy’ would never fly in India.
Germany has been accepting refugees for a long time now, I grew up in a very provincial town in bavaria with kurds, iranians, palestinians, vietnamese, chinese, south africans, syrians, iraquis to just name one. In this town you can get some excellent ethnic food btw. In saying that this will change. My generation will probably be the end of the World War 2 residue that feels that we might should be generous to others lest we allow a repeat of history, and we already did with the crimes against the muslim population in ex Yugoslavia. We stood by and did fuck all.
What she did was to prevent a disaster that would otherwise have happened with people illegally entering the country and it costing more to the tax payer then allowing people in in an orderly fashion and being able to weed out those that might not be genuine.
As for the 'anti smacking' law, i was here in the country and could not believe the brouhaha about it, seriously. I mean it is the least of things to do to not beat your children to death or into submission and that a law was needed for that kind of surprised me. What did not surprise me was the reaction of the Women and children are chattle crowd that insist in its right to 'train' their children as they see fit.
And to finish, where is Sue Bradford now? ( i know as i follow her on FB).
The left lost another sitter again in Australia as it did in the UK and United States over the last 3 years and yet there is still zero critical examining of our own out of it'ness and why people just can't elect left wing governments, instead electing to blame everyone and everything else for our own shortcomings.
Sabine 1.3.2
19 May 2019 at 8:12 am
But we must not be smug. We have thousands upon thousands of low order Flat Earthers and Zilch Climate hobos. Headed by Tauranga currently…..
Ironic then, that Tauranga is in the cross hairs of climate change, as the New Zealand city most likely to be flattened by an extreme weather event, before the turn of the century.
James, what is the margarine covered milk toast aka Mr. NO Bridges for Northland doing?
Oh helping to create a christian support party?
me thinks you protest much but support a party that is has no mates and does fuck all all day other then collect wages and drives around in taxpayer funded limousines.
or as John Raulston Saul (unconscious civilization ) puts it.
“The neo-conservatives, who are closely linked to the neo-corporatists, are rather different. They claim to be conservatives, when everything they stand for is a rejection of conservatism. They claim to present an alternate social model, when they are little more than the courtiers of the corporatist movement. Their agitation is filled with the bitterness and cynicism typical of courtiers who scramble for crumbs at the banquet tables of real power, but are always denied a proper chair.”
@Sabine I'm not sure who you're replying to there, but you are aware that for most of us, that heating allowance is swallowed straight up into the rent. In the rare circumstances where one's rent isn't more that one's entire core benefit, eg those in State Housing, the extra few dollars a week for a few months a year gets earmarked for little luxuries like medications, necessary toiletries, food, money on the bus card, that sort of thing.
So while of course it's better than nothing it's a token political gesture by a government that historically has already proven it has no concern about the well being of beneficiaries, it only pretends to. And rest assured, the SECOND the other crowd get back in, the heating allowance (at least for beneficiaries- it'll be too politically difficult for them to take it off the oldies) will be the first thing they scrap.
i don't care if if if………. my friends gets 20$ heating allowance. That is twenty dollars that other wise she would not have. It can go to rent, food, heating. She is still getting it.
Her doctor visits are now 18 rather then 35. She needs to see a doctor often. the difference goes to food, rent, or heating, or toiletries. her choice.
the fact is that any country only has so much money, that money comes from the working population, small businesses ( and only small businesses as our large businesses don't pay taxes or get money shoveled up their arses to bail them out when they fuck up – be they insurance companies or dairy milk extractors).
So unless our government grows some spines and guts, and our population does the same you will always have the issue that there is only so much money to go around, and sadly our government has not got guts, and our population does not have guts either, or we would demand better not by hitting the streets but by opting out of the bullshit.
My staff got a pay increase, not because they is doing better, not because i am doing better but because the government legislates it. and while i am happy for people to earn more money, at some stage i will look at my earnings and stop working, go on the dole as will my staff…….great ey?
So you might actually just for a moment ask yourself who should pay for all that stuff that you would like to distribute and come up with a good plan cause the current lot as much as the last lot have got no plans.
And this is why we can't have nice things. And this is why we have poor people.
Because we don't want to tax businesses, we don't want a CGT we don't want to rock the boat.
Laslty, i did not vote for Labour, as i saw no reason to vote for National light. I wasted my vote on the Greens to get no gummibears. Next time i will be voting for Legalise Aotearoa, as they are the only party that actually has prison reform in mind, will allow for people to use the herb for medicinal reasons without having to debase themselves before Chloe Swarbrook or people like Peter Fucking Dunne, and they will create jobs and raise the tax revenue, and maybe then, beneficiaries can have an increase in their weekly payments.
Sabine, you are aware there has not been any real increase to the core benefit rates for over 2 decades now? Perhaps $1-2 a week every April 1st depending on the rate of inflation. In fact, for 3 years in a row recently we got exactly 0c. The largest increase has been a whole $5 a week that came with Bill's GST rise, he still thinks that was more than enough to compensate us for the price of everything going up by 2.5%. And everyone wonders why the MSD budget is blowing out on emergency hardship grants and Temporary Additional Support that is meant to be short term but so many of us now have to claim long term just to get by.
Now let's also look at this from the general economy perspective. EVERY cent a beneficiary receives goes straight back into the economy. No Kiwisaver, no savings for an emergency. Landlords, power and telcos, transport companies, medical costs,supermarkets. And of course, 15% tax back via GST which is promptly recycled back into next weeks benefit. Plus, don't forget that for whatever reason, benefits are taxed, and what we get is net. And no, we don't get a refund. No idea how that works, but we are taxpayers too. Many beneficiaries also work part-time and are paying tax. It's a giant money go round.
I once again bring up the basic cost/benefit consequences- why are our politicians- and by extension voters- so happy to keep us on starvation rations "because there isn't enough money" but somehow there's always enough money for the logical consequences of poverty, ie increased hospitalisations and costs to the criminal justice system?
Back before our income slid so far backwards vs cost of living I could meet with a friend weekly at a cafe for a coffee, maybe something to eat. You know, a bit of normal life, but also support a local business. That stopped happening a long time ago. Multiply that small loss of business by many of us, and small business can- and do- go out of business. A coffee from McDonalds is much cheaper.
I totally agree, we need a government that will grow a spine and get some guts but it's not going to happen. Our population is now so indoctrinated into believing we a) have a cushy lifestyle at their personal expense and b) we're all a bunch of lazy drug-addled scroungers, even sick and disabled and get a job. 30 years of divide and conquer has been highly successful.
Thanks for your insightful input, Kay. To a large extent you're dead right.
However, I disagree voters by and large support the status quo. Labour and the Greens both campaigned on poverty and fiscal management (pointing at the cost/benefit consequences you rightly highlighted) which a number on the right also acknowledge, thus understand the need for change.
Additionally, if Labour did now what they have implied they plan to later do, we'd be on a far better path to achieving that change.
Therefore, it's not voters that are holding them back. I believe the public support for change is there. It's our representation that is falling short and continually letting us down.
A lot of traditional Labour supporters are losing faith due to Labour's continuing failure to deliver.
The way Bryan Bruce has been talking of late, I wouldn't be too surprised if there was a hard hitting documentary coming soon holding Jacinda to account.
When deplomacy and war is unwise then a third option must be made available. We need a change in mindset from preventing climate change to managing the risks and risk arbitrage.
In in my opinion 3 key technologies will be vital in maintaining New Zealand's population with in 5 million to 10 million people. 1) is energy policy, 2) is communications technology and 3) transport technology. Research into new and advanced ultra light materials such as nano technology is rather slow so I doubt the chances of a revolutionary technology arriving in time to curb the 6th extinction event will materialise by the end of the century. So we have to swap out the motor pool and drive hard towards wind and solar farms while at the same time processing climate refuges while living with in population limits.
To be perfectly honest Sam you are coming up with some good points, and we can add them to the ones churning round in the concrete mixer. We do need to keep the contents on the move so they don't settle into a hard to shift lump. But what about some steps to lighten the load?
Research into new and advanced ultra light materials such as nano technology is rather slow so I doubt the chances of a revolutionary technology arriving in time to curb the 6th extinction event will materialise
No use relying on every new technology. In a world where people are finding micro plastics at depths of thousands of feet in the ocean, adding nano technology bits is going to kill off even further animals. Think again.
When deplomacy and war is unwise then a third option must be made available. We need a change in mindset from preventing climate change to managing the risks and risk arbitrage.
In my opinion 3 key technologies will be vital in maintaining New Zealand's population with in 5 million to 10 million people.
Then you say at 2.10pm: To be perfectly honest I don’t care what level New Zealand’s population is stable at.
Why don't you come up with one doable small step to make things better instead of fretting about the big stuff. Tell us and then say how you are going to go about it. We don't need any more Nostrodamus prognostications, we need helpful, kindly action good for all. 'That's your mission Sam should you choose to accept it.'
Its arguable that the fetus is apart of the woman so her choice really. I really couldn't careless what normal people get upto in there own time. I'v done more services to society and humanity. I'm perfectly fine with giving New Zealand my prime years from 25-35 and I'm fine with going down the other side on my own time.
Some fair enough points there Chairman, with one quibble.
"fiscal management (pointing at the cost/benefit consequences you rightly highlighted) which a number on the right also acknowledge, thus understand the need for change"
There is no real change in fiscal management proposed. Or even 'implied'. Just some swapping deck chairs on the Titanic.
All our Political Parties believe in Austerity Budgets.
Sorry, 'Fiscal Responsibility.
Yet as far as I know there has never been a radical change of direction and improvement in societal outcomes for all, without increased spending.
Our leaders have sold this concept to most voters under the guise of 'Household Budget Balancing'. Which is ironic in a nation addicted to household dept through Mortgages.
Also hilarious, as any home owner should know, to claim 'surpluses' by not maintaining the property let fixing any problems before they get out of hand.
“Laslty, i did not vote for Labour, as i saw no reason to vote for National light”
How about voting for NZ First then?
I opted tom vote for NZ First also as they are more gutsy and ready to introduce things like using the “reserve bank act” to print money, to do the same as all our big economic trading partners are?
So by printing money to restore our “esssential infrustructure” makes prefect sense as Michael Joseph Savage did this post depression in 1937 as that is a better plan then just instead of selling our last public assets as is still happening all over this country now.
nope. they are not gutsy, see CGT and Weed, not even a little
these are two issues here in NZ that would have been fairly easy if anyone currently in government were actually concerned with bettering society rather then passing the KPI meeting at the election boot for another few years of grift.
The one is that we don't want to take from the rich to to give to the poor.
The second we have no issue locking our young, our maori/pacifica population, our men up for something to silly as weed, all the while meth is wreaking havoc and people are dying of synthetic weed – thanks Peter fucking Dunne.
So i fail to see where they have guts.
We need to get our prisons empty of people that actually do not 'crime'. I don't consider growing / possesing /using weed as a crime. but we not only here – but all over the civilised world cause tremendous harm with our stupid 'war on drugs/brown people' bullshit and do nothing and to boot we pay for the misery we cause. Billions of dollars to lock humans up in chicken cages with no way out once released.
The money that we would save ….i mean think of it. At least half of our prisons would be empty, records could be cleaned up allowing a lot of men and women a chance to live life again properly, have careers, travel etc.
But no. That would be going to far for the sensibilitys of some who would never ever go to prison if caught snorting cocaine of the backbench.
CGT, we need to raise revenue to pay for stuff. But not like this. No surely there must be ways we can raise money from those that don't own houses and farms and businesses. Right? sure, Yeah, Tui.
no guts, no glory, but hey they have jobs, get decent salaries and as James told me today we even pay for their drivers of the government issued limousines. Maybe there we could save some money, but then the dears in expensive suits n shoes would have to take their own car or gasp take the train, what would the world come to it if we had a government with guts rather then just 'feelgood' papers that amount to nothing.
i just point out that despite all their faults they did a few things, and in the case of my friends it helped.
that does not say its ok.
but as i stated above, we need to come up with better plans than just distributing money that we take from others.
one thing would be free healthcare so that instead of offering emergency care we start offering preventive care and thus reduce costs.
At some stage someone has to do the math, and no i don't expet either National or Labor to do so. Cause the money – unless we start printing it – needs to come from somewhere and currently its the few that work and small to medium sized businesses that carry the burden.
So what are your plans to increase the welfare for people? From whom would you take the money to distribute to the poor? And please consider that Labour is not going to to a CGT. And they are not going to decrim Weed to create a new agri business and revenue stream.
So please one of you who constantly cries about how stuff ain't enough, please tell me where you are going to take the money from, and then tell me what the chances are that anyone at Labour/Greens/NZFirst had/has/and will have the guts, spine to push it through.
Cause i – a cheap house homeowner, was all for the CGT.
Theres the ever question, seldom answered……There are two responses to that I believe. First, the wherewithal must largely come from where its available (those with excess) and the second response is as you note, the will/ability lacks to implement it and not just from the politicians.
When Little was leading the party, he pointed to the $20 billion military spend as a revenue source. Now we have Jacinda and all of a sudden there is no more money.
Additionally, there was no need for her to totally drop the CGT. She could have put it to referendum.
assure me then that that extra top up will improve the conditions of New Zealand's most vulnerable and won't just go into subsidising the capitalists lifestyle.
It is largely agreed upon direct government transfers is the best way to improve the conditions of the most vulnerable.
Some will be just coping with those costs you mentioned, thus anything more will be of assistance. Others are living rough (in cars etc) so course more money will be of assistance.
Well I'm not entirely sure even if we doubled benefits that that would significantly reduce the number of people living in cars.
Just fundamental for every unit of wealth there is at least one unit of inequality that everyone is willing to put up with, and neither can be zero. So my fear is that any increase in benefits will cause extra digits of inequality and Iv got Thomas Picketys book of research, Capital in The 21st Centruy to back up my claim.
Im not arguing that we shouldn't subsidise low wage work ect because I think we should. I just want to insure that we end subsidies to the already wealthy as well.
Cutting elsewhere in the budget is largely irrelevant. The question is if bulstering beneficiaries budgets pushes the economy over a major inflation threshold (e.g beneficiaries buying up so much stuff that price rationing kicks in). That seems vanishingly unlikely so the government doesn't need to consider its budget position and a trade off for this decision.
Of course this kind of budget focused decision making is exactly what is holding back left wing politics. Primarily by causing it to not deliver on election promises time and time again.
Rockland County, NY has just banned unvaccinated children from any public place (schools, churches, supermarkets, playgrounds….even walking down the street) for 30 days to either try and get ahead of the measles outbreak or coerce vaccination. This is much more extensive than the Seattle which has only banned the unvaccinated from schools.
It is entirely predictable that the full public ban will be extended elsewhere, possibly indefinitely.
in the time of my youth, children with measels / rubella/ mumps etc and such were kept at home for 3+ weeks.
They were quaranteed at home to prevent outbreaks, or issues for non vaccinated people and pregnant mothers.
So yeah, don't vaccinate you kid if you don't believe in it for religious reasons, or because the science scares you or what ever. But keep these kids at home. I don't understand what is so hard about that.
And in saying that, and i guess many that work in open plan offices that live through 5+ month of constant cold/flu going around because some workers choose to go to work sick, stay at home for at least three days. Sorry if you can't afford it, but maybe just maybe your co-worker who is not yet sick can't afford it either.
In NZ if you run a food business and you or your staff have the runs longer for 24 hours you are forced to stay at home, you have to list that in a diary (food control plan) and come inspection time you actually have to produce that to the council person.
Now why can't we expect that of people who don't vaccinated their kids or themselves?
Two bimbos, a pompous ass and a cowardly "humanitarian consultant". These people are representative of New Zealand journalism?!?!?!?
Just a few weeks after the dissenting journalist and free speech hero Julian Assange was forcefully dragged out of his place of asylum by British police, World Press Freedom Day was "celebrated" in Wellington earlier this month with a farcical event organized by the….(wait for it!!)…. British High Commission.
Of course, New Zealand has many fine, decent, and brilliant journalists, politicians and academics. In spite of that fact, the British High Commission managed, with uncanny precision, to unearth the four worst people it could find in Wellington on that day.
Anyway, for any masochists out there who want to watch this frightful performance, here's a brief rundown of the five worthies on your screen….
On the LEFT is Nicola Young, one of the less distinguished National (i.e. Tory) MPs in this country. Her father, whose seat she inherited, was one of the less distinguished National MPs of the 1970s.
SECOND FROM LEFT is Tova O'Brien, an undistinguished "political correspondent" who in several years of anodyne television appearances—I can't in all conscience call it reporting— has revealed only that she doesn't know much at all about politics either here or overseas. Note that her only response to the challenge of the young woman here is a winsome giggle.
In the MIDDLE is the British High Commissioner Laura Clarke, who is without question the alpha male in this building. She exudes born-to-rule ascendancy, and the Kiwis on either side of her are in her thrall. She seems amused at Julian Assange's mistreatment.
Squatting SECOND FROM RIGHT is a waste of space called Richard Harman, who is notorious in this country for the curmudgeonly expression on his face as he delivers his pompous and deeply reactionary views. Harman has been a figure of fun since election night 1981, when he was humiliated live on air by the Labour Party leader Bill Rowling. In this clip, it's Harman who cites that eminent scholar and unimpeachable authority Luke Harding. (Tova O'Brien no doubt has not even heard of Harding.)
On the RIGHT is one Dr Andrew Ladley, billed grandly as a "humanitarian consultant" and "public lawyer." Oddly, he has nothing at all to say, but nods his head in agreement as Harman cites the "work" of Luke Harding.
Oh Morrissey You are so scathing. I suspect all these people deserve such an honest and unbiased report on their work and background. Are you sure you are justified in letting them have both barrels like this?
Not scathing, Mr Shark, accurate. I don't like having to point out that Richard Harman is a scoundrel and a liar, and that Andrew Ladley is a head-nodding coward, but they are facts.
Thanks for that link Morrissey, that is a very similar point I was (probably unsuccessfully no doubt) to make on Incognito's piece today 'Hate Speech Is an Evitable Evil', how can anyone really expect civil discourse to ever reign on the internet, when the establishment MSM itself is totally mired in it's own world half truths, lies and disinformation and the purveyors are so well rewarded? …when has Kim Hill ever let a counter narrative to Luke Harding have time on her show about Trump/Russia? or why hasn't she had Harding back on her show to explain what a bunch of bullshit his book ' Collusion ' turned out to be…it will never happen, so division and mistrust are further entrenched, and all the time enabled by a dysfunctional media, both here at home and abroad.
Paul Brennan's a decent sort of fella as well I have to say. I quite like it when the locums are in (Kim Hill on MR; Lynne Freeman on N2N; and elsewhere – just for a change in style)
They should play swapsies a little more often
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
OwT Yes there are good people in RadioNZ and good to hear them in different places FTTT. Ones i don't like I am probably rather biased.
Do you have any feelings about Nicole McCarthy that you would like to share? Also I think that the afternoon guy Jesse Mulligan is pretty good. Do you know what Simon Mercep is doing now – he seemed to have been dumped unceremoniously and irrationally. What was the story do you know?
Gosh Morrissey I don't know that I can accept your review of Mr Mulligan, except that you are often dismal and ignorant yourself so would be a good judge of that in others.
Really? When I start saying things like "some guy called John Philip Sousa" and "Sometimes when I read this stuff I get the sense that Russia are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ for trouble, are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ to create tension with the U.S.", your charge will have some merit.
JIM MORA: That song sounds like “Burning Bridges”. JESSE MULLIGAN: Never heard of it.
…Stunned silence….
JIM MORA: From the movie Kelly’s Heroes. JESSE MULLIGAN: Nope. ZARA POTTS: I’ve never heard of it either. JESSE MULLIGAN: When did it come out?
Jim Mora, Mike Hoskin, I love Putin and Assange, Shapiro…is an idiot, blah blah bloody blah, we get it Moz can you stop please now Its like a fkn broken record I don’t think we are holding out for your daily appraisal of news personalities, media outlets and commentators
bewildered: “I love Putin”, do I? And why have you connected Assange and Putin, as though they are a pair?
Gabby: Sixth formers read insatiably—at least I did. I doubt that Jesse Mulligan did, or does now.
greywarshark: Don't worry, my friend, I've never seen it either. The problem in Mulligan's case was that he had not HEARD of it, just like he had never encountered the name of J.P. Sousa.
All I know is we have a public broadcaster that's struggling, and that there seems to be a few in there decision makers) that are buying into the cult of personality, of demographic targeting and audience share. It's not what PB should be about.
(Incidentally – today's Media Watch, and the benefits of having staff representation on the Board – not a bad idea)
It also seems there's been an intake of cadets lately – including on the technical side of things, and some decisions I think that have been a bit weird (like alex behan's departure from Music101.
Other than that – people have their good days and their bad days.
(I haven't yet read Morrisey's links but I'd not be surprised if they linked to suggestions of plagiarism and/or pretentiousness).
Noel (for me) is increasingly tolerable, Jesse so-so (until the next time he claims 'old school status' and keeps the I I I me me me to a minimum)
I haven't yet read Morrisey's links but I'd not be surprised if they linked to suggestions of plagiarism and/or pretentiousness.
Read 'em, Tim! I don't think you'll find Noelle McCarthy tolerable at all, unless you think—like some on this board—that it's acceptable to laugh at the suffering of political prisoners, and to deride people like Vanessa Redgrave and Roger Waters for speaking up for the victims of mass murder.
For the first time in state history, this week a Texas House committee held a public hearing on a bill that would allow criminal prosecution of women for their abortions.
The bill currently makes all abortions a crime, with no exceptions. Prosecutors could even bring the charge of homicide for abortions, a crime that in Texas could carry a sentence of the death penalty.
State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, a Republican, first introduced the bill in 2017, and again this year. The bill has many legislative hurdles to clear before becoming law, but this week's hearing marked the most progress yet by Tinderholt's proposal.
In a letter sent Friday to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Kim Song — Pyongyang’s permanent representative at the UN — said the incident was “an unlawful and outrageous act”, according to North Korea’s state news agency KCNA.
“This act of dispossession has clearly indicated that the United States is indeed a gangster country that does not care at all about international laws,” the letter said.
That article was interesting reading. Lots of revelation but little detail and even less attribution of source. So National's leak has now verging on complete structural collapse of the containment vessel.
But a soimon sponsored hiving off an evangelical off shoot party seems likely, since he's from that background.
How it's going to go down with the rest of the Party and the electorate could be another matter.
That incendiary comment by Ngaro will embolden a (hopefully) small minority in NZ.
What can we logically infer about National list MP Ngaro's opinion of those who facilitate or have had an abortion? Make no mistake, given the means this guy would be ‘fast following’ the Alabama legislature like a rat up a drainpipe.
(Have we a reasonable population strategy now in 2019.)
New Zealand has no clearly articulated population strategy: we do not know how big a population we want, or why and how to manage migration to get there….
We are also addicted to population growth to pay for unfunded fiscal promises like universal health and super that cannot be paid for with a dwindling pool of taxpayers.
On google under Population control in New Zealand the items soon pass onto tahr and rabbit control. It seems there is not a lively discussion on it.
Scoop shows a good item on population in NZ, 7 Feb 2019 from Stats NZ. It refers to change in defining migration numbers.
The latest provisional estimate of annual migration in the year ended November 2018 was 43,400, plus or minus 1,500. This was the first official release of estimates using the ‘outcomes-based’ measure, which replaces the previous ‘intentions-based’ method of measuring migration, which it has replaced (see Net migration trending down).
"In today’s world, such rhetoric seems beyond belief. Yet the consumer spree carries on regardless, and few of us are aware that we’re still willing slaves to a completely artificial injunction to consume, and to define ourselves by what we consume."
The real winner of the Australian elections was BAU on the climate.
Scott Morrison finds the fabled 'middle ground' on climate change.
"He was able to straddle the Queensland pro-coal folk and also those who are a bit more for renewables and the like. He locked in the base, but the more progressive elements didn't see him as King Canute in the way [former prime minister Tony] Abbott was."
But there is no middle ground on climate change. Scott Morrison policy on climate change is really business as usual.
But unfortunately business as usual on the climate is not tenable in Australia, which is posited by scientists to be one of the worst hit of all countries.
What this means, is that the instability in Australian politics will continue, and Scott Morrison's tenure as Australia's Prime Minister is likely to be very short.
The first real crisis for Morrison's administration will be over Adani, just as it would have been for a Bill Shorten administration. Because Labor just like the liberals were pretty much in support of this mega coal mine project.
The real winner of the Australian elections was BAU on the climate.
Scott Morrison finds the fabled 'middle ground' on climate change.
"He was able to straddle the Queensland pro-coal folk and also those who are a bit more for renewables and the like. He locked in the base, but the more progressive elements didn't see him as King Canute in the way [former prime minister Tony] Abbott was."
But there is no middle ground on climate change. Scott Morrison policy on climate change is really business as usual.
But unfortunately business as usual on the climate is not tenable in Australia, which is posited by scientists to be one of the worst hit of all countries.
What this means, is that the instability in Australian politics will continue, and Scott Morrison's tenure as Australia's Prime Minister is likely to be very short.
The last six Australian Prime Ministers were rolled from their position by inner party turmoil in disputes over climate change.
This situation has not changed.
The first real climate change crisis for Morrison's administration, will be over Adani, just as it would have been for a Bill Shorten administration. Because Labor just like the liberals were pretty much in support of this mega coal mine project.
We need to protect our wildlife as we are the Guardian of all these beautiful creatures gifted to us to use and care for not abuse and drive them to extinction
These 8 Bird Species Have Disappeared This Decade
The pace of bird extinction is picking up as their habitats vanishIn the Amazon, where many of these species were once abundant, deforestation is a growing concern. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that more than 17 million hectares of forest were lost between 2001 and 2012. An editorial published last March in Science Advancesfound that the Amazon is reaching an ecological tipping point—if 40 percent of the region is deforested, scientists say the ecosystem will be irreversibly altered Ka kite ano links below
Its a unusual phenomenon all the strike that happened when Labour is in power.
The Pike River mine reentry is today that is cool te tangata will be happy.
Well Mark I agree with that statement. The All Blacks are Rugby.
There is a real power imbalance between all employees and employers with under 20 employees with the 90 day sack at a wim employment laws not just people who work in parliament.
You would think that mental trauma should be covered by ACC I say because it's a injury that can't be seen and is quite common ACC not covering it is just a easy cop out to save $$$$.
Its te tangata te tangata if we make our retirement policies to hard for new residents then we will will end up with a section of our society in hardship and the kaumatua are already vanurable. Change is needed because some take advantage of our soft retirement laws for new residents it's just needs to be balanced.
Social media is a worry Graham you have to sift through the bullshit and find the truth not many people have those SKILLS. I don't do photos everything I do is public knowledge
I agree all tamariki should have a plan set in pohatu for trades or any good skill start at schools to set them up for LIFE.
People do need to learn to be critical thinkers information is the same as Tangata don't trust it verbal or data unless you can verify it. Its the same as Tangata don't trust them unless you know you can trust them. I say a bit of shady stuff being going down with the right neck winning power when the polls show there opposition was in a winning position. The right neck are dirty cheats.
JESSICA SAVAGE
Artist Jessica Savage Broer photoshopped this image to include President Donald Trump. She said she wanted to make the point that people need to use critical thinking skills
Here is one reason why the leftys lost in Australia there is another Eco Maori can't say as it right up there with the worst behaviour seen in the last decade.
One thing that has been so far underplayed is News Corp’s newspaper monopoly throughout the region. Those newspapers have mounted a sustained propaganda campaignin favour of the new mine. On the reef coast they have downplayed the damage to the Great Barrier Reef owing to the climate crisis. And if anyone can be blamed for turning Bob Brown’s visit into a harbinger of doom, it’s these papers Ka kite ano links below.
With Parliament staff problems it all boils down to Mps not being held accountable for there actions that's when the scab fester and turn into a big mess.
Its sad that Gloria has to have police guard her in NZ the redneck rising out of the dirt we all know who has impowered them.
When people flee the police they are out of control if they were in control they would not flee don't chance them.
My HUAWEI phone is going good this is a minor hick up I sure they will have their own backup system in place. . Ka kite ano
I have commented on the subject of Parliament staff I did not realise how bad it was now that the bad behaviour has been exposed it can be cleaned up.
Its good that more funding is going to the ambulance free service.
Awatea Mita Kia kaha I Tau toko you in your championing Prisoners rights Yes a lot of our prisoners are vulnerable for 1 they would not be there 2 they have a hard time navigateing the system as it changes so fast if you are in jail for 5 years unless you have someone who's got your back when you get out your stuffed
Yes The true Maori story of our history need to be heard from Maori and not just the European point of view.
Passenger trains from Waikato to Auckland is great that will lower Aotearoa carbon footprint.
Have you been looking out of your window for signs of the apocalypse? Don’t worry, you haven’t been door knocked by a representative of the Brian Tamaki party. They’re probably a bit busy this morning spruiking salvation, or getting ready to march on our parliament, which is closed. No, I’ve ...
Climate Town is the YouTube channel of Rollie Williams and a ragtag team of climate communicators, creatives and comedians. They examine climate change in a way that doesn’t make you want to eat a cyanide pill. Get informed about the climate crisis before the weather does it for you. The latest ...
A close analysis of the Treasury assessment of the Medium Term in its PREFU 2023 suggests the economy may be entering a new phase.Last week I explained that the forecasts in the just published Treasury Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU 2023) was similar to the May Budget BEFU, ...
Back in June, we learned that Kiri Allan was a Parliamentary bully. And now there's another one: Labour MP Shanan Halbert: The Labour Party was alerted to concerns about [Halbert's] alleged behaviour a year ago but because staffers wanted to remain anonymous, no formal process was undertaken [...] The ...
Its that time in the election season where the status quo parties are busy accusing each other of having fiscal holes in a desperate effort to appear more "responsible" (but not, you understand, by promising to tax wealth or land to give the government the revenue it needs to do ...
JERRY COYNE writes – If you want to see what the government of New Zealand is up to with respect to science education, you can’t do better than listening to this video/slideshow by two exponents of the “we-need-two-knowledge-systems” view. I’ve gotten a lot of scary stuff from Kiwi ...
Buzz from the Beehive First, we were treated to the news (from Finance Minister Grant Robertson) that the economy has turned a corner and New Zealand never was in recession. This was triggered by statistics which showed the economy expanded 0.9 per cent in the June quarter, twice as much as ...
It has taken 17 months to get a comment published pointing out the obvious errors in the Scafetta (2022) paper in GRL. Back in March 2022, Nicola Scafetta published a short paper in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL) purporting to show through ‘advanced’ means that ‘all models with ECS > ...
TL;DR: In the middle of a climate emergency and in a city prone to earthquakes, Victoria University of Wellington announced yesterday it would stop teaching geophysics, geographic information science and physical geography to save $22 million a year and repay debt. Climate change damage in Aotearoa this year is already ...
For nearly thirty years the pundits have been telling the minor parties that they must be good little puppies and let the big dogs decide. The parties with a plurality of the votes cast must be allowed to govern – even if that means ignoring the ...
Another poll, another 27 for Labour. It was July the last time one of the reputable TV company polls had Labour's poll percentage starting with a three, so the limbo question is now being asked: how low can you go?It seems such an unlikely question because this doesn't feel like the kind ...
After the trench warfare of Tuesday night, when the two major parties went head to head, last night was the turn of the minor parties. Hosts Newshub termed it “thePowerbrokers' Debate”.Based on the latest polls the four parties taking part - ACT, the Greens, New Zealand First, and Te ...
Hi,You can’t make this stuff up.People involved with Sound of Freedom, the QAnon-infused movie about anti-child trafficker Tim Ballard, are dropping like flies. I won’t ruin your day by describing it here, but Vice reports that footage has emerged of executive producer Paul Hutchinson being inappropriate with a 16-year-old trafficking ...
The trading banks yesterday concluded that though GDP figures released yesterday show the economy is not in recession, it may well soon be. Nevertheless, the fact that GDP has gone up 0.8 per cent in the latest quarter and that StatsNZ revised the previous quarter’s figure to show a ...
.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work..A recent political opinion poll (20 September) on TV1 presented what could only be called bleak news for the Left Bloc:National: 37%, down two points equating to 46 seatsLabour: 27%, down one point (34 ...
Open access notables At our roots Skeptical Science is about cognition of the results of climate science research in the minds of the entire human population. Ideally we'd be perfectly communicating understanding of Earth's climate, and perfectly understood. We can only approximate that, but hopefully converging closer to perfection. With ...
Coming Over The Top: Rory Stewart's memoir, Politics On The Edge, lays bare the dangerous inadequacies of the Western World's current political model.VERY FEW NEW ZEALANDERS will have heard of Rory Stewart. Those with a keen eye for the absurdities of politics may recognise the name as that of the ...
A bit of a narrative has been building that these two guys, your Chris and your Chris, are not so very different.It's true to a point. The bread and butter timidity has been dispiriting to watch, if you have a progressive disposition. It does leave the two of them relatively ...
Richard Prebble writes – There was a knockout winner of the Leaders’ debate. Check for yourself. Recall how they looked. If you cannot remember or missed it, the debate is on TVNZ’s website. Turn off the sound and ask: “Which one looks like a Prime Minister?” ...
Just like National when it was in government, Labour bought nominal GDP growth and momentum by pulling as hard as it could on the population lever. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTLDR:Stats NZ has reported better-than-expected GDP growth in the June quarter, thanks largely to record-high net migration of ...
We already know that the National Party are de facto climate change deniers who want to reverse virtually all climate change policy. So how do they think they'll cut emissions? According to their climate change spokesperson, polluting corporations will do it out of the goodness of their hearts: The ...
Dairy farmers, or at least those who are also shareholders in the Fonterra dairy co-operative would have received a second dose of good news this week, when the dairy giant reported a massive profit jump. This followed news of a better sale at the Fonterra GDT auction this week. Net ...
A longtime New Zealand broadcaster and commentator is taking a theatrical turn in advance of the General Election to draw different kinds of attention to the issues New Zealanders will be voting on in October.In a pre-election event that invites audiences to consider New Zealand politics through a theatrical lens ...
Our busy ministers – desperately busy trying to whip up voters’ support as their poll support sags, among other things – have added just one item of news to the government’s official website over the past 24 hours or so. It’s the news that the Government has accepted the Environment ...
On Monday, we learned that Queenstown, one of the country's largest tourist destinations, suddenly had to boil its water to avoid cryptosporidium. Now, it looks like it will last for months. Why? The usual reason: they'd been keeping rates low: Queenstown could face months of having to boil water ...
This week’s ONE News-Verian poll had the National/ACT coalition teetering on the edge of being able to govern alone while – just as precariously – having its legislative agenda vulnerable to a potential veto by Winston Peters in the House. So close, but so perilous. During the run-up to election ...
National Leader Christopher Luxon likes to bag the way the Resource Management Act worked. Though it has been repealed and replaced by the Labour government, Luxon plans, before Christmas, to repeal the new legislation and, for the foreseeable future, revert to the old Act that he has consistently criticised. ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. Over a year later, its climate provisions remain a hot topic. The law’s proponents argue that it’s created a boom in domestic manufacturing jobs within the United States while paving ...
New Zealand’s dairy farmers will be relieved that prices rose for the second time this month at the latest Fonterra GDT auction. The encouraging feature of the sale was the activity of Chinese buyers who drove up prices. As a result, the GDT price index rose 4.6%, helped by a 4.6% lift ...
Here is a review of last night’s Democracy McNuggets debate, delivered in the style of last night's Democracy McNuggets debate.McNugget #1This format was very advantageous for the man who speaks in lazy SLAM DUNK.To hark back a few editions: The lazy SLAM DUNK doesn’t bother to make its case. It simply offers ...
Unfortunately I will need to take a bit of time off from this blog. After months of misdiagnoses and a change in GPs, my precious son is in Starship Hospital about to have major surgery. He already has had one … Continue reading → ...
Buzz from the BeehiveSource: ANZ The latest balance of payments statistics – providing a broad measure of what the country earns and spends internationally – gave grist to Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s publicity mill today. The current account deficit narrowed to 7.5 per cent of ...
Can This Be Possible? For nearly thirty years the pundits have been telling the minor parties that they must be good little puppies and let the big dogs decide. The parties with a plurality of the votes cast must be allowed to govern – even if that means ignoring the ...
Since we began worrying about climate change, the market fundamentalists have pushed the idea of "offsets" rather than actual emissions reductions. There's just one atmosphere after all, so in theory it doesn't matter where the reductions are made, so you can just pay someone on the other side of the ...
Ministers are pretending the former PM has simply vanished.Graham Adams writes – Late last week, Tova O’Brien asked Grant Robertson on her Stuff podcast if Jacinda Ardern should be “rolled out” to “galvanise the base” to help save Labour’s faltering campaign. Robertson laughed. ”I’m sure for ...
Owners of property deemed at risk from climate change related floods and rising sea levels will increasingly find their access to affordable insurance shut off. Some may become ‘prisoners’ in their uninsurable and therefore unbankable homes. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR:IAG, which insures more than 60% of homes ...
So it’s kind of obligatory to start with the boxing analogy…In the red corner, you’ll know him from his red hair and his red heart, the champion of achievable socialism, weighing in when given the opportunity - it’s Chris.And fighting out of the blue corner, you’ll know him from his ...
Last night’s TVOne debate may well reinforce the idea that the minor parties will determine this election. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and National leader Christopher Luxon ended their one-and-a-half hours with Luxon probably slightly ahead, though a stalemate might be a more realistic assessment. But there was nothing of ...
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 ...
Aliens landed in the seaside village this morning. Just like every other cruise tourist who gets carted over here by Fullers and dumped at the bus stop, they had that bewildered look that said, How do you have fun here?I took them by their goey rubbery arms and said, Come ...
The 2023 general election campaign must be the most hollow in living memory. There really isn’t much that is positive or attractive about the electoral options on offer. This is an election without inspiration. An angry mood for change There is a definite cyncism amongst the public right now – ...
As New Zealand confronts a near-record current account deficit few, if any, of the country’s politicians are talking about it or the underlying problems. NZ’s external deficit is expected to continue narrowing, but at a slower pace than forecast a few months ago. Data out this week is expected ...
Fighting Mad: That which Twenty-First Century progressives most feared, Twenty-First Century progressivism has become. No one old enough to have experienced the emancipatory power of true progressivism: in the factory or on the streets; in the university quad or in the “old school” newsroom; could possibly vote for the parties ...
Buzz from the Beehive Hurrah. Someone in the Beehive has posted a ministerial announcement, the first since Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta last Thursday announced New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco. It is somewhat stale news, dated 15 September 2023. It was ...
More investors are eyeing up the market, and first home buyers are feeling the FOMO again. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Landlords are gearing up to jump back into the housing market as soon as a National-ACT Government is elected, expecting a swathe of repeals to tax rules that ...
* Michael Bassett writes – If Labour ministers and our left-leaning media knew more about New Zealand’s political history they would stop giving so much publicity to National’s tax-cut plans, ill-advised though they might be. The attacks are only increasing the likelihood that National will be elected. In one ...
Debate time: In contrast to most debates, political debates aren’t simply about winning on points of logic, but are also about looking likeable on television – which is why good political debaters often have to pull their punches on TV, lest they seem unkind to dumb animals. Chris Hipkins is ...
Before New Zealand changed to MMP in 1996 there was a lot more interest in certain local contests. First past the post elections were won and lost in key marginal electorate battles, rendering the votes of those in safe seats largely obsolete.These days local contests have little impact on the ...
Both National and ACT are starting to back off some of their hardline positions on tax and spending. And finally, National leader Christopher Luxon has softened his stance on doing a deal with Winston Peters and NZ First. Their moves are subtle and wrapped up in sound-byte-friendly media standup ...
In Art, we find meaning.From Art, we draw deeper understanding of what the hell it’s all about.Kindly now mute your cellphones and please remain behind the velvet ropes as we move through the gallery.She might be contemplating a secret, she might be enjoying a private joke. Perhaps she is simply ...
In Art, we find meaning.From Art, we draw deeper understanding of what the hell it’s all about.Kindly now mute your cellphones and please remain behind the velvet ropes as we move through the gallery.She might be contemplating a secret, she might be enjoying a private joke. Perhaps she is simply ...
The right has a problem with brainwormed conspiracy theorists. They've thoroughly infiltrated NZFirst and ACT, and now it seems they've infiltrated National as well: The National Party candidate favoured to win the Hamilton East electorate held views directly opposed to the party's leader on fluoridation of water and vaccine ...
Pushed by the need for votes, Act’s leader, David Seymour, like Richard Prebble before him, has reached out to the dark side of the New Zealand electorate. Much as he would prefer to pull in support on the strength of Act’s sunny libertarianism, there just ain’t enough Eighteenth Century liberals ...
Buzz from the BeehiveAgain, no news has been posted on the government’s official website over the past 24 hours. Indeed, no news has been posted since Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta last Thursday announced New Zealand would be providing $1 million humanitarian support to Morocco to those affected by ...
Despite the headlines, things are not much worse than at the time of the 2023 budget, but fiscal management is always difficult.Brian Easton writes- The Treasury is required by law to publish a Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) a few weeks before a general election, ...
It’s a bit bigger than that: the gap between National’s forecast of lost tax revenues from changes to tax rules for landlords and what Treasury predicts is significant, and adds to the $500 million a year predicted shortfall from its foreign buyers tax . File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The ...
Once upon a time, manifestos were a key feature of the election period, arriving in letterboxes in solid printed form, and full of details of what each party proposed to do and why. These days, we get a little pledge card with a few bullet points on it. So it’s interesting ...
Change is coming. A shakeup of the ministers responsible for New Zealand’s international relations seems almost guaranteed, irrespective of the country’s election result on October 14. Coalition politics are likely to play a key role in appointments related to foreign affairs. On current opinion polling, a government led by the ...
ACT leader David Seymour has declared war on the public service with his promise to sack 15,000 of them. This is probably four times more than National want given the boot under its promise to cut all budgets by 6.5 per cent. But Seymour may have got a foretaste ...
It has been a while since I engaged in meaty Tolkien analysis, so I deem it time to delve into one of the most pressing issues of our age. Namely, the vexed property law issues governing the One Ring in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. I was prompted to offer some ...
We, the public, are making a hiring decision. That’s what this is. As silly as it is to have things like those utterly infernal “Most preferred Prime Minister” polls, largely an outcome of the “presidential style” of politics that has no basis in our system because we simply do ...
Hi,Webworm was birthed over three years ago, as New Zealand went into its first Covid lockdown. Back then I wrote a lot about the conspiratorial madness that erupted from the sewers, the world very quickly becoming infected with brain worms. I have all those Webworms archived here, for anyone interested.As ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s a few things that I stumbled on over the week that made me stop and think, or just have a chuckle. Hope you enjoy them on a Sunday. They’re especially for paying subscribers, although if there’s plenty of support from paying subscribers, I ...
“Suppose big ‘ol Luxon will be there”, said my middle lad Johnny, watching the game with me.“Doubt it”, I replied, remembering John Key being soundly booed at games in the past. “League is a working man’s game, West Auckland, South Auckland, this is Labour territory”.Getty images.It’s true. I remember the ...
I always smile when my supermarket checkout offers me a moment of existential angst. Do you wish to continue? a kindly woman’s voice asks, meaning: you're standing in front of a card-only machine and cash money’s no good here.Do you wish to continue? What’s not to like about some Hamlet ...
A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Sep 10, 2023 thru Sat, Sep 16, 2023. Story of the Week Humans Have Crossed 6 of 9 ‘Planetary Boundaries’Scientists analyzed nine so-called planetary boundaries and found humans are currently ...
Mr Pushmepullyou: Pushed by the need for votes, Act's leader, David Seymour, like Richard Prebble before him, has reached out to the dark side of the New Zealand electorate. Much as he would prefer to pull in support on the strength of Act's sunny libertarianism, there just ain't enough Eighteenth ...
Buzz from the Beehive Your Point of Order writers, again starved of news when they visited the government’s official website this morning, found something fascinating while surfing the worldwide web. Our attention was drawn to a TVNZ interview last Sunday, when Rawiri Waititi, co-leader of the Māori Party defended the ...
TL;DR: I interviewed ACT Leader David Seymour this week after the party released its housing policy1, which includes:an aim to build 51,000 new houses a year, which relies on a migration forecast of around 28,000 per year (there was 96,200 net migration in the year to the end of July);sharing ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Treasury published the Pre Election Fiscal Update (PREFU) on Tuesday, including a one-year delay in Labour returning ...
“Can you guys hear me?”, said Nicola, feeling her body shrink into the corner of the sofa.She moved her head, which for some reason turned incredibly slowly. Her eyes took even longer to follow.A man was sitting at the far end of the sofa with one foot resting on the ...
The Green Party is calling on Auckland Council to do more to protect urban trees and housing developer Aedifice Property Group to restore and replant the native forest it cleared, and protect all the remaining trees on Ngahere Road in Pukekohe after a significant number of native trees were cut ...
Latest Police data shows monthly ram raids have hit a two-year low, laying waste to Christopher Luxon’s false claim that there are two ram raids a day says Labour’s Police Spokesperson Ginny Andersen. ...
Free and healthy school lunches will be here to stay if Labour is re-elected, guaranteeing food for our kids who need it most and significant cost saving for parents. ...
The next Labour Government will build a new hospital in Hawke’s Bay, Labour leader Chris Hipkins and Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall announced. ...
The Green Party will keep up the fight to support exploited migrant workers, including pushing to end single employer visas, after the government picked up Green recommendations to improve immigration settings. ...
Green Party co leader James Shaw visited a home in Auckland today that has been upgraded with a wide range of energy improvements, similar to those that would be supported through the Green Party’s Clean Power Payment. ...
The Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s presence in New York today at the United Nations General Assembly is a contempt of New Zealand’s “caretaker government” convention. Despite the long-standing caretaker convention, Minister Mahuta is today at the UN to sign a highly contentious “Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement”, delivering a ...
The Pre-Election Fiscal Update Changes EverythingWithin an hour of this speech there is going to be a debate between the political parties that the media, under MMP, still think are the only parties that matter in this campaign. Both of those parties are riddled with inexperience, as evidenced by ...
National and ACT's tax plans don't add up, and that means deep cuts to the public services New Zealanders rely on, says Labour Campaign Chair Megan Woods. ...
Thank you for your invitation to speak with you this afternoon about New Zealand Foreign Policy. After offering one or two general thoughts about the nature of foreign policy, the focus today will be the Pacific Reset and why its goals remain even more important today as when they were ...
National’s plan to cut policies that are reducing New Zealand’s climate emissions will result in a huge gap in the country’s emissions budgets and could see Kiwis paying significantly more at the petrol pump as a result of Christopher Luxon hiking the ETS price. ...
Labour’s plan to support rooftop solar is a step in the right direction, but falls short of what could be achieved through the Green Party’s Clean Power Payment. ...
Labour will double the number of houses with rooftop solar in New Zealand, lowering household power bills, reducing emissions and boosting renewable electricity generation. ...
A re-elected Labour Government will continue its proud tradition of advancing women’s health, employment, and legal rights Spokesperson for Women Jan Tinetti said. ...
Speaking at the E Tū Election Launch in Auckland today, Green Party co leader Marama Davidson outlined the Green Party’s manifesto commitment to ensure everyone has five weeks of annual leave. ...
A re-elected Labour Government will protect hard-fought workers’ rights and keep the momentum on wage growth to lift incomes for all New Zealanders, leader Chris Hipkins announced today. ...
New Zealand First is proud to announce the Party List for the upcoming 2023 General Election. We have had a great number of applicants and potential candidates moving through the selection process over the past few months. Our final selection for our list proves we have a wide range ...
Massive cuts to public service are on the cards as Nicola Willis has promised to resign if she doesn’t deliver tax cuts but is refusing to make the same commitment if she doesn’t raise enough income from her bungled foreign buyer’s tax. ...
Labour will help more victims of crime achieve justice faster by introducing a formal class-action regime, modernising consent laws and increasing the use of technology to speed up hearings. ...
Labour will deliver the largest ever increase to the number of doctors trained each year, adding an additional 335 doctors a year to our health workforce from 2027, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has announced. ...
Today’s PREFU has some alarming statistics showing an economy deteriorating and the cost of unaffordable government expenditure, mainly in the 2022 and 2023 budgets. Despite this alarming economic and fiscal picture, political parties are making unaffordable promises, talking about a surplus by 2027, or four years time, all of which ...
If re-elected Labour will make cervical screening services free to all women and people with a cervix aged 25 – 69 years, delivering better cancer care for over 1.4 million New Zealanders. ...
Labour is running a positive, forward-looking campaign that's focused on fixing the cost of living, keeping people and communities safe and investing in education, health and housing. ...
Statements from David Seymour and Winston Peters have called into question whether National would be able to lead a functional government if they were in a position to do so after the election. ...
The Green Party will protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, create an independent Ocean Commission to advise the government, and put a Green Minister for Oceans and Fisheries in charge of making it happen. ...
National's shaky tax scheme has received a further blow after it’s been revealed that John Key received advice when he was Prime Minister that the scheme being proposed by National couldn’t be done, Labour Finance Spokesperson Grant Robertson says. ...
The National Party’s housing policy is vacant; with no new funding and no timelines attached to its delivery says Labour Housing Spokesperson Megan Woods. ...
A re-elected Labour Government will help Kiwi households to be more energy efficient and reduce emissions from household energy use, Labour Spokesperson for Building and Construction and Energy and Resources, Megan Woods, announced today. ...
A Labour Government will deliver a further increase of 300 additional frontline Police officers, new ways to crackdown on gangs and strengthen legal protections against stalking and harassment. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the launch of Te Ohu Tāmaki, and affirms its commitment to clear the social housing waitlist in 5 years - and challenges other parties to say they will do the same. ...
Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...
Tangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...
The lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...
Susie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today. Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...
The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...
Another $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...
The future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...
The economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...
The Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today. “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...
Temporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...
An export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...
The Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...
The Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...
Around 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...
Aotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...
The Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...
The Government has today confirmed a $2 million grant towards the regeneration of Greymouth’s CBD with construction of a new two-level commercial and public facility. “It will include a visitor facility centred around a new library. Additionally, it will include retail outlets on the ground floor, and both outdoor and ...
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Suva, Fiji alongside New Zealand’s regional counterparts. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to working with our pacific whanau to strengthen our cooperation, and share ways to combat the challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent,” ...
Economy to grow 2.6 percent on average over forecast period Treasury not forecasting a recession Inflation to return to the 1-3 percent target band next year Wages set to grow 4.8 percent a year over forecast period Unemployment to peak below the long-term average Fiscal Rules met - Net debt ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall proudly opened the Canterbury Cancer Centre in Christchurch today. The new facility is the first of its kind and was built with $6.5 million of funding from the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group scheme for shovel-ready projects allocated in 2020. ...
$12 million to improve the resilience of roads in the Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman regions Hope Bypass earmarked in draft Government Policy Statement on land transport $127 million invested in the top of the south’s roads since flooding in 2021 and 2022 The Government is investing over $12 million to ...
Ko tēnei te wiki e whakanui ana i tō tātou reo rangatira. Ko te wā tuku reo Māori, e whakanuia tahitia ai te reo ahakoa kei hea ake tēnā me tēnā o tātou, ka tū ā te Rātū te 14 o Mahuru, ā te 12 o ngā hāora i te ahiahi. ...
The 70-year-old Wildlife Act will be replaced with modern, fit-for-purpose legislation to better protect native species and improve biodiversity, Minister of Conservation Willow-Jean Prime has announced. “New species legislation is urgently needed to address New Zealand’s biodiversity crisis,” Willow-Jean Prime said. “More than 4,000 of our native species are currently ...
Central and Local Government are today announcing a range of new measures to tackle low-level crime and anti-social behaviour in the Auckland CBD to complement Police scaling up their presence in the area. “Police have an important role to play in preventing and responding to crime, but there is more ...
The Government has confirmed $73.7 million over the next four years and a further $40.5m in outyears to continue to transform the disability support system, Minister for Disability Issues Priyanca Radhakrishnan has announced. “The Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach is a framework which guides positive change for disabled people, ...
Standard and Poor’s is the latest independent credit rating agency to endorse the Government’s economic management in the face of a deteriorating global economy. S&P affirmed New Zealand’s long term local currency rating at AAA and foreign currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook. It follows Fitch affirming New ...
Christchurch barrister Kelvin Reid has been appointed as a Judge of the Environment Court and the District Court, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Mr Reid has extensive experience in Resource Management Act issues, including water quality throughout the South Island. He was appointed to the Technical Advisory Group advising the ...
New Zealand is on track to have greener steel as soon as 2026 with New Zealand Steel’s electric arc furnace project reaching a major milestone today. The Government announced a conditional partnership with New Zealand Steel in May to deliver the country’s largest emissions reduction project to date. Half of ...
Pokia ana te tihi Taiarahia e Hine-Pūkohu-rangi Hotu kau ana te manawa! Horahia ana te whārua o Ruātoki e te kapua pouri Tikaro rawahia ko te whatumanawa! Rere whakamuri kau ana te awa o Hinemataroa Ki te kawe i te rongo ki te mātāpuna i nga pōngaihu Maungapōhatu, tuohu ...
Police Minister Ginny Andersen has today congratulated Police in their efforts to crack down on gangs, after laying 50,000 charges against gang members and their associates through the hugely successful Operation Cobalt. As at 31 August, Police have: Laid 50,396 criminal charges against gang members and their associates Issued 64,524 ...
The Government has confirmed details of the tax changes to the bright-line test for cyclone-damaged properties, with the release of the required legislative amendments. Revenue Minister Barbara Edmonds has released a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) to be considered by the Finance and Expenditure Committee in the next Parliament, as it ...
Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor has welcomed the CPTPP Panel’s ruling in favour of New Zealand in our dispute against Canada, a significant win for our primary sector exporters. The Panel found that Canada’s dairy quota administration is inconsistent with its obligations under the Comprehensive and Progressive ...
The next phase of the Government’s response to youth crime is underway, with an intensive programme for the country’s most prolific young offenders launched today in Auckland, Minister for Children Kelvin Davis said. The programme, announced by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in July, will see up to 60 recidivist young ...
The Government has agreed to a request from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 for extra three months to deliver its final report. The Royal Commission was established in 2022 to strengthen New Zealand’s preparedness for any future pandemics. It was originally due to conclude mid-2024. “The Commission has ...
The Wainuiomata High School redevelopment is making great progress, with two more classroom blocks set to be complete by the end of the month, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. The Prime Minister visited today to see first-hand the progress of the redevelopment which is continuing at pace and is ...
By Grace Salmang in Port Moresby Reconstruction and renovation work for dormitories, laboratories, mess and tutorial rooms is currently underway at the University of Papua New Guinea’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences. This is following a sit-in protest a week ago by students led by Student’s Representative Council (SRC) ...
By Iliesa Tora, RNZ Pacific sports journalist in Saint-Étienne, France Argentinian winger Emiliano Boffelli scored all his team’s points as they defeated Manu Samoa 19-10 at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne, France, yesterday in a Rugby World Cup pool D match. That gave the Pumas their first win at the ...
This essay by Emma Ng is from the book Present Tense: Wāhine Toi Aotearoa – A Paper Record, edited by Catherine Griffiths. It’s part of a wider project of posters which aim to ‘record the current landscape of women in design and give visibility to the unsung diversity of Aotearoa design’. ...
The House Rules NZ judge talks Tip Top, The Traitors and why she’ll never watch The Kardashians. Katrina Hobbs might be a judge on House Rules NZ, but there’s little chance she’d leave her home in the hands of complete strangers. “I’ve got to confess, when I first read about ...
"I’m as born an optimist as Chippy himself": Vincent O'Sullivan imagines a Labour Party candidate, essentially campaigning for themselves with a snowball's chance in hell I was born the week Norman Kirk, that Leviathan of Labour, died. It is obvious Nature intends me to follow in his wake. ...
In this week's episode of VOTE2023, we talk to Labour MP for Taieri Ingrid Leary and TOP Dunedin candidate Dr Ben Peters on key issues including political representation, climate change, and taxThis series is made by politics students and aims to entertain and inform viewers about their potential representatives ...
Every weekday, The Detail makes sense of the big news stories. This week, a new proposal to burn the South Island's rubbish problem away, the bluster behind parties' fiscal talk, the dispute over the Tarras Airport development, how strategic voting in a general election really works, and tiny Naseby's pitch to become ...
One of the country’s top swimmers is to trial for the NZ team for the first time since 2017. This time she could qualify for the Paris Olympics in multiple events. Dave Crampton reports. In February 2020 Laticia Transom was one of New Zealand’s top freestyle swimmers. She would have ...
Animal Justice Party Aotearoa NZ (AJP) candidates will be on the campaign trail this weekend across the country spreading their message of compassion and advocating for animals across New Zealand. Registered just last month, AJP has swiftly assembled ...
In the first instalment of a new column about gardening while renting, a planter box is vetoed, the rent is raised, and the value of dirt is brought into question.Last summer, we barely got one tomato and three beans out of the garden. Everything, weather-wise, went wrong, but mostly ...
A decade ago The Spinoff founder Duncan Greive spent three months shadowing Lorde as she became a star, a period which started with ‘Royals’ as a local chart topper and ended with her as a global pop phenomenon. He was given unparalleled access across dozens of meetings, shows, studio sessions, ...
Winston Peters plays to his strengths in the Act Party heartland of Remuera, less than 24 hours after calling its local MP his “imitator” In 1996 at the age of 11, a motorised toy car I was driving on stage in a school play inexplicably cut out. No one was coming to ...
This is The Detail's Long Read – one in-depth story read by us every weekend. This week, it's a Make Voting Sexy Again, written and read aloud here by Nadine Anne Hura, and published on The Spinoff. Nadine joins The Detail's Alexia Russell to discuss why she felt compelled to write about New Zealand's clutch ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra arly a year ago, a privately financed inquiry, led by Peter Shergold, a former head of the prime minister’s department, undertook an inquiry into Australia’s handling of the COVID pandemic. The report, Fault ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Phibbs, Emeritus Professor, University of Sydney The Victorian government, like many governments around the world, has announced new regulations on short-stay accommodation. The government says Victoria has more than 36,000 short-stay places, which are reducing the number of homes available for ...
Act’s released policy platform aimed at senior citizens would also rescind restrictions on a chemical used to make methamphetamine Act leader David Seymour is angling for the senior vote with a new suite of policies aimed at improving healthcare for the elderly and reforming the Retirement Commission. But while he ...
In 2020, Rawiri Waititi told his fellow MPs his job was to be a change agent for Māori. Three years later, how does the party grow its platform and base, Annie Te One asks. ...
By Eloise Gibson, RNZ climate change correspondent While attention is focused on economists finding a $500 million-a-year hole in National’s tax plans, a similar-sized hole in climate costings is hiding in plain sight — and it applies to Labour, too. National appears to have the bigger gap, however. The gulf ...
By Meri Radinibaravi in Suva The Fiji government has warned the public “don’t panic” as news of an alleged firebombing incident at Totogo Police Station in the heart of Suva sent shockwaves around the community. The incident yesterday also spurred questions about the safety of citizens in the country as ...
By Iliesa Tora, RNZ Pacific sports reporter in Saint Étienne, France Manu Samoa have made only three changes to their starting lineup to maintain consistency and ensure game flow against Argentina in a must-win Pool D clash in Saint-Étienne on Saturday morning (NZ time). Head coach Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamal Abarashi, Lecturer, International Business, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Department, Auckland University of Technology Maintaining a tidy home is a never-ending challenge. And tidiness goes beyond aesthetics – it contributes to a person’s mental wellbeing. So what are the best strategies for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Mitchell, Geriatrician working in clinical practice. PhD Candidate at The University of Melbourne studying ethics and ageism in health care. Affiliate lecturer, Deakin University Shutterstock A child once approached me, hunched over, carrying a vacuum cleaner like a walking ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Renee McKibbin, Professor of Economics, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Misinformation is circulating about recommendations concerning the Reserve Bank board made by the RBA Review, of which I was a member. Among the claims are that the new monetary ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamal Abarashi, Lecturer, International Business, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Department, Auckland University of Technology Maintaining a tidy home is a never-ending challenge. And tidiness goes beyond aesthetics – it contributes to a person’s mental wellbeing. So what are the best strategies for ...
The Act Party would reverse the ban on over-the-counter pseudoephedrine as part of a policy to help seniors. It’s been 12 years since products containing pseudoephedrine were reclassified from a class C to B2 controlled drug because of its use in the production of methamphetamine. But Seymour said that the ...
Analysis - The leaders' debate Chris Hipkins had to win but didn't, more bad polling news for Labour, and ACT and NZ First reluctantly agree they could work together, writes Peter Wilson. ...
A new report published by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union analysing the impacts of taking GST off fresh fruit and vegetables concludes that the policy would be expensive, complicated, poorly targeted and would see most of the benefits going to supermarkets ...
One of the biggest games of the year seeks not to reinvent the wheel, but instead make the best wheel possible, writes Sam Brooks.What’s all this then?Baldur’s Gate 3 is the biggest role-playing game of the year, give or take a Final Fantasy or a Starfield. It is, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dodd, Director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne At age 92, media mogul Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corp but will stay on in the role of chairman emeritus, presumably ...
A new poem by Dan Goodwin. Basketball You will be dead by 30. You will never have close relations with friends or family. You will never have a partner. You should drop out of university. Environments like that can be stressful. Our priority right now is to keep you alive, ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1The Creative Act: A Way of Beingby Rick Rubin (Canongate, $50) We suppose it’s ...
The ACT Party wants to bring back over-the-counter pseudoephedrine, make it easier to get some other drugs, and make changes to the Retirement Commission. ...
The clean-up is beginning in Queenstown, with mayor Glyn Lewers telling RNZ the town is beginning to clear debris flows and geotechnical engineers are assessing hills in the area. The rain is easing off, he says. Southland MP Joseph Mooney said late this morning that Queenstown town centre was open ...
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A report from the Nordic Council of Ministers on recommendations to address plastic production doesn’t go far enough, according to Greenpeace Aotearoa. The Nordic Council of Ministers published a report to provide modeling of 15 policy interventions ...
National’s ‘Rebuilding the economy’ plan is well-focused on key economic issues, containing several policies recommended by BusinessNZ, says BusinessNZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard. Policy directions such as returning to a single inflation mandate ...
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State of emergency will be in place for at least seven days after wettest 24 hours in nearly a quarter of a century Queenstown is under a state of emergency as rain continues to fall and flooding affects many parts of the region. Niwa says Queenstown has recorded its wettest ...
The National Party has relaunched many of its economic policies as part of a repackaged plan for the future. In front of a crowd of MPs, candidates and party faithful in central Auckland, leader Christopher Luxon and deputy Nicola Willis reiterated that this election was about the economy – and ...
Responding to news that the Ministry for the Environment intends to cut back hundreds of jobs, Taxpayers’ Union Policy Adviser, James Ross, said: “Since 2017, Government spending has increased by nearly 70%. Expenditure at the Ministry for the Environment ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dianne Rodger, Senior Lecturer in Anthropology, University of Adelaide On September 22 2003, Adelaide hip-hop group the Hilltop Hoods released The Calling. They had been making music for over ten years, but this, their third full-length album, would be their first ...
Mr Darris McNeely from the USA will be conducting public lectures in Auckland and Christchurch presenting a frame work for a new global government. It is now recognized that unless there are changes to how we govern our planet, mankind runs the risk ...
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In a small town in the Bay of Plenty, a community trust is improving health, education, housing and career opportunities with the help of Z Energy.Liam Rātana tells the story of Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau Haoura.The small North Island town of Kawerau doesn’t often get much attention. It’s the ...
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Australia is ignoring climate change, by continuing to support mining. Coal fired power stations and coal for China.
There will be even more fires next summer.
honestly at this point we can assume that everyone is ignoring climate change.
The little bit of investment in renewables is not to compat climate change but to future proof if at all that is actually possible.
Aussie is doing what most of the world does. Nothing. Business as usual, lets not rock the boat.
Not everyone.
The real victory has been for someone prepared to go out in front on this issue.
As I have said before, climate change will become the deciding issue in all elections. There is no middle ground on this issue. Those who spend their time looking for this middle ground are wasting their time.
The issue is money, or the environment.
Speaking of the role that climate change played in the overall Liberal Party victory Tony Abbot, in his own unique way, admits to the Liberals failing morally, but succeeding financially.
Tony Abbot.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/abbott-likely-to-lose-warringah-as-early-counting-shows-huge-primary-vote-for-steggall-20190518-p51oq4.html
when we the people stop looking for a leader and just start marching then we maybe have a chance.
But i 'will' be a leader……damn it who ever this person is, why aren't you leading already.
We have had decades of lipservice and i personally look at these people and all i see is someone who would not pass a KPI meeting at McDo but c an sprout platitudes and thus we are to elect them to parliament cause they say what some want to hear.
if climate chance by now is not an issue then this planet is fucked already. It should have been an issue several decades ago.
No people need to start leading themselves and then maybe the highly paid do nothing crowd in suits and taxpayer paid limousines will start doing something at last.
All politics is pressure
We don't look for leaders, we create them.
We create them with our actions on the ground.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man/woman
In a small way, the Greenpeace protest on the steps of parliament against the issuing of oil exploration permits, caused the Prime Minister to step aside in going to her scheduled meeting with the Indonesian Ambassador, to announce to the protesters that she would allow no new permits to be issued.
In a big way, the massive grass roots protests against nuclear ships gave us the leadership to ban them.
As of yet, we have not seen this sort of protest movement around climate change, but we may.
If we build the movement, if we keep the pressure up, just as they have in the past, our leaders will rise to the occasion.
well the mass movement better start now cause we are already late.
and for me the change will not come so as long as pulling boats up and down the country is still considered acceptable. I use the boat example as to me it is simply wasteful without purpose but cause havoc to the environment in so many ways and it happens without fault every weekend.
but some like to wait others don't. But the one thing i never expect is a politician to lead. They don't ever lead. They only ever follow – and even then only kicking and screaming and this is the same for the larger population, Oz and US a shining example.
. .
"But the one thing i never expect is a politician to lead. They don't ever lead. They only ever follow."
I agree with that as a generalisation, but there are exceptions. Parliament voted in favour of Sue Bradford's 'anti-smacking' bill (by 113 votes to 8), and ignored the result of a subsequent citizens-iniated referendum that aimed to overturn the legislation. Angela Merkel's decision to accept large numbers of Syrian refugees might be another exception – you will have a better idea than me of whether that is an appropriate example.
But you’re right, of course. In a democracy it's very difficult for the Government to take the lead on programmes that are unpopular, however necessary they might be. China’s ‘one child policy’ would never fly in India.
nope Andrea Merkle did nothing to special there,
Germany has been accepting refugees for a long time now, I grew up in a very provincial town in bavaria with kurds, iranians, palestinians, vietnamese, chinese, south africans, syrians, iraquis to just name one. In this town you can get some excellent ethnic food btw. In saying that this will change. My generation will probably be the end of the World War 2 residue that feels that we might should be generous to others lest we allow a repeat of history, and we already did with the crimes against the muslim population in ex Yugoslavia. We stood by and did fuck all.
What she did was to prevent a disaster that would otherwise have happened with people illegally entering the country and it costing more to the tax payer then allowing people in in an orderly fashion and being able to weed out those that might not be genuine.
As for the 'anti smacking' law, i was here in the country and could not believe the brouhaha about it, seriously. I mean it is the least of things to do to not beat your children to death or into submission and that a law was needed for that kind of surprised me. What did not surprise me was the reaction of the Women and children are chattle crowd that insist in its right to 'train' their children as they see fit.
And to finish, where is Sue Bradford now? ( i know as i follow her on FB).
“But the one thing i never expect is a politician to lead. They don’t ever lead.”
Sabine
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, does.
https://twitter.com/aoc?lang=en
Catalina Cruz leads
https://nowthisnews.com/videos/politics/catalina-cruz-on-undocumented-immigrants-accessing-drivers-licenses
Yes: Patricia Bremner
Burn Burn Burn
The Australian people since birth have been brainwashed by right wing False Prophets – such as the miarculous Tony Abbott.
In fact, Abbott appears to be Australia's only scientist. Which is to say that Australians Love Fire more than Life itself.
But we must not be smug. We have thousands upon thousands of low order Flat Earthers and Zilch Climate hobos. Headed by Tauranga currently.
"Which is to say that Australians Love Fire more than Life itself. "
Makes you think, that…
But we must not be smug. We have thousands upon thousands of low order Flat Earthers and Zilch Climate hobos. Headed by Tauranga currently.
so very true.
The left lost another sitter again in Australia as it did in the UK and United States over the last 3 years and yet there is still zero critical examining of our own out of it'ness and why people just can't elect left wing governments, instead electing to blame everyone and everything else for our own shortcomings.
Ironic then, that Tauranga is in the cross hairs of climate change, as the New Zealand city most likely to be flattened by an extreme weather event, before the turn of the century.
We've committed to an overhaul but we won't be raising benefits at this election – Carmel Sepuloni
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/q-and-a
The left need far better representation. Shame on you Labour.
Dont worry – it’s the year of delivery. Jacinda said so.
James, what is the margarine covered milk toast aka Mr. NO Bridges for Northland doing?
Oh helping to create a christian support party?
me thinks you protest much but support a party that is has no mates and does fuck all all day other then collect wages and drives around in taxpayer funded limousines.
shows how little you know.
You dont drive around round in a limousine- you get driven.
Pffftt
"You don't drive around in a limousine"
What, they drive themselves? Chauffeurs drive around in limousines, James.
Pfffffft
read the context of the conversation Robert.
Normally your put downs / cheeky replies are the most clever of people here – but this one is a bit of a stretch.
James, your comments are showing all garbled and scrambled on my device.
Big night last night? Is your head fallen onto your keyboard?
i get it as well sometimes.
Often if I cut / paste in my comment – something to do with the text editor I assume.
Cut and paste doesn't drive itself Jimmy pffft
A stretch-limousine? No wonder his spending was that high.
oh damn,
and we – the taxpayer pay the driver, right?
Jeez jimbo, you mean the lazy farquhar couldn't even be bothered driving?
Eeyore and his pin-on tail!
The tail is wagging the donkey.
Pigeon scrambling for crumbs.
or as John Raulston Saul (unconscious civilization ) puts it.
“The neo-conservatives, who are closely linked to the neo-corporatists, are rather different. They claim to be conservatives, when everything they stand for is a rejection of conservatism. They claim to present an alternate social model, when they are little more than the courtiers of the corporatist movement. Their agitation is filled with the bitterness and cynicism typical of courtiers who scramble for crumbs at the banquet tables of real power, but are always denied a proper chair.”
Wagging – sp?
I used F7. Maybe I should have used Shift+F7?
beneficiaries receive the heating allowance.
beneficiaries now pay less going to the doctors.
the children of beneficiaries can apply to Winz for driving lessons.
while these measures are not a direct benefit increase they do increase the amount received considerably.
so you might want to take that into account.
@Sabine I'm not sure who you're replying to there, but you are aware that for most of us, that heating allowance is swallowed straight up into the rent. In the rare circumstances where one's rent isn't more that one's entire core benefit, eg those in State Housing, the extra few dollars a week for a few months a year gets earmarked for little luxuries like medications, necessary toiletries, food, money on the bus card, that sort of thing.
So while of course it's better than nothing it's a token political gesture by a government that historically has already proven it has no concern about the well being of beneficiaries, it only pretends to. And rest assured, the SECOND the other crowd get back in, the heating allowance (at least for beneficiaries- it'll be too politically difficult for them to take it off the oldies) will be the first thing they scrap.
to the chairman.
i don't care if if if………. my friends gets 20$ heating allowance. That is twenty dollars that other wise she would not have. It can go to rent, food, heating. She is still getting it.
Her doctor visits are now 18 rather then 35. She needs to see a doctor often. the difference goes to food, rent, or heating, or toiletries. her choice.
the fact is that any country only has so much money, that money comes from the working population, small businesses ( and only small businesses as our large businesses don't pay taxes or get money shoveled up their arses to bail them out when they fuck up – be they insurance companies or dairy milk extractors).
So unless our government grows some spines and guts, and our population does the same you will always have the issue that there is only so much money to go around, and sadly our government has not got guts, and our population does not have guts either, or we would demand better not by hitting the streets but by opting out of the bullshit.
My staff got a pay increase, not because they is doing better, not because i am doing better but because the government legislates it. and while i am happy for people to earn more money, at some stage i will look at my earnings and stop working, go on the dole as will my staff…….great ey?
So you might actually just for a moment ask yourself who should pay for all that stuff that you would like to distribute and come up with a good plan cause the current lot as much as the last lot have got no plans.
And this is why we can't have nice things. And this is why we have poor people.
Because we don't want to tax businesses, we don't want a CGT we don't want to rock the boat.
Laslty, i did not vote for Labour, as i saw no reason to vote for National light. I wasted my vote on the Greens to get no gummibears. Next time i will be voting for Legalise Aotearoa, as they are the only party that actually has prison reform in mind, will allow for people to use the herb for medicinal reasons without having to debase themselves before Chloe Swarbrook or people like Peter Fucking Dunne, and they will create jobs and raise the tax revenue, and maybe then, beneficiaries can have an increase in their weekly payments.
Sabine, you are aware there has not been any real increase to the core benefit rates for over 2 decades now? Perhaps $1-2 a week every April 1st depending on the rate of inflation. In fact, for 3 years in a row recently we got exactly 0c. The largest increase has been a whole $5 a week that came with Bill's GST rise, he still thinks that was more than enough to compensate us for the price of everything going up by 2.5%. And everyone wonders why the MSD budget is blowing out on emergency hardship grants and Temporary Additional Support that is meant to be short term but so many of us now have to claim long term just to get by.
Now let's also look at this from the general economy perspective. EVERY cent a beneficiary receives goes straight back into the economy. No Kiwisaver, no savings for an emergency. Landlords, power and telcos, transport companies, medical costs,supermarkets. And of course, 15% tax back via GST which is promptly recycled back into next weeks benefit. Plus, don't forget that for whatever reason, benefits are taxed, and what we get is net. And no, we don't get a refund. No idea how that works, but we are taxpayers too. Many beneficiaries also work part-time and are paying tax. It's a giant money go round.
I once again bring up the basic cost/benefit consequences- why are our politicians- and by extension voters- so happy to keep us on starvation rations "because there isn't enough money" but somehow there's always enough money for the logical consequences of poverty, ie increased hospitalisations and costs to the criminal justice system?
Back before our income slid so far backwards vs cost of living I could meet with a friend weekly at a cafe for a coffee, maybe something to eat. You know, a bit of normal life, but also support a local business. That stopped happening a long time ago. Multiply that small loss of business by many of us, and small business can- and do- go out of business. A coffee from McDonalds is much cheaper.
I totally agree, we need a government that will grow a spine and get some guts but it's not going to happen. Our population is now so indoctrinated into believing we a) have a cushy lifestyle at their personal expense and b) we're all a bunch of lazy drug-addled scroungers, even sick and disabled and get a job. 30 years of divide and conquer has been highly successful.
Thanks for your insightful input, Kay. To a large extent you're dead right.
However, I disagree voters by and large support the status quo. Labour and the Greens both campaigned on poverty and fiscal management (pointing at the cost/benefit consequences you rightly highlighted) which a number on the right also acknowledge, thus understand the need for change.
Additionally, if Labour did now what they have implied they plan to later do, we'd be on a far better path to achieving that change.
Therefore, it's not voters that are holding them back. I believe the public support for change is there. It's our representation that is falling short and continually letting us down.
A lot of traditional Labour supporters are losing faith due to Labour's continuing failure to deliver.
The way Bryan Bruce has been talking of late, I wouldn't be too surprised if there was a hard hitting documentary coming soon holding Jacinda to account.
Who knew a wet blanket could emit a doleful moan!
We could build a water bottling plant on it!
But is it water?
Seems more like sour grapes.
It just needs a loving squeeze and the water that has made it soggy will drip away and lo the wonderful lightness of being.
I’d be very concerned if we couldn’t find a market for it. It would be another failing of the Left to make good use of The Chairman.
James'll take a barrel-full. That's one customer.
I was more hoping for an exporter.
When deplomacy and war is unwise then a third option must be made available. We need a change in mindset from preventing climate change to managing the risks and risk arbitrage.
In in my opinion 3 key technologies will be vital in maintaining New Zealand's population with in 5 million to 10 million people. 1) is energy policy, 2) is communications technology and 3) transport technology. Research into new and advanced ultra light materials such as nano technology is rather slow so I doubt the chances of a revolutionary technology arriving in time to curb the 6th extinction event will materialise by the end of the century. So we have to swap out the motor pool and drive hard towards wind and solar farms while at the same time processing climate refuges while living with in population limits.
" drive hard towards wind and solar farms "
Sam – might I recommend you watch the Susan Krumdieck clip at the top of today's "How to get there" thread – it's excellent! But sobering.
To be perfectly honest I don’t care what level New Zealand’s population is stable at.
To be perfectly honest Sam you are coming up with some good points, and we can add them to the ones churning round in the concrete mixer. We do need to keep the contents on the move so they don't settle into a hard to shift lump. But what about some steps to lighten the load?
Research into new and advanced ultra light materials such as nano technology is rather slow so I doubt the chances of a revolutionary technology arriving in time to curb the 6th extinction event will materialise
No use relying on every new technology. In a world where people are finding micro plastics at depths of thousands of feet in the ocean, adding nano technology bits is going to kill off even further animals. Think again.
When deplomacy and war is unwise then a third option must be made available. We need a change in mindset from preventing climate change to managing the risks and risk arbitrage.
In my opinion 3 key technologies will be vital in maintaining New Zealand's population with in 5 million to 10 million people.
Then you say at 2.10pm: To be perfectly honest I don’t care what level New Zealand’s population is stable at.
Why don't you come up with one doable small step to make things better instead of fretting about the big stuff. Tell us and then say how you are going to go about it. We don't need any more Nostrodamus prognostications, we need helpful, kindly action good for all. 'That's your mission Sam should you choose to accept it.'
Its arguable that the fetus is apart of the woman so her choice really. I really couldn't careless what normal people get upto in there own time. I'v done more services to society and humanity. I'm perfectly fine with giving New Zealand my prime years from 25-35 and I'm fine with going down the other side on my own time.
Some fair enough points there Chairman, with one quibble.
There is no real change in fiscal management proposed. Or even 'implied'. Just some swapping deck chairs on the Titanic.
All our Political Parties believe in Austerity Budgets.
Sorry, 'Fiscal Responsibility.
Yet as far as I know there has never been a radical change of direction and improvement in societal outcomes for all, without increased spending.
Our leaders have sold this concept to most voters under the guise of 'Household Budget Balancing'. Which is ironic in a nation addicted to household dept through Mortgages.
Also hilarious, as any home owner should know, to claim 'surpluses' by not maintaining the property let fixing any problems before they get out of hand.
Welll said Sasha,
“Laslty, i did not vote for Labour, as i saw no reason to vote for National light”
How about voting for NZ First then?
I opted tom vote for NZ First also as they are more gutsy and ready to introduce things like using the “reserve bank act” to print money, to do the same as all our big economic trading partners are?
So by printing money to restore our “esssential infrustructure” makes prefect sense as Michael Joseph Savage did this post depression in 1937 as that is a better plan then just instead of selling our last public assets as is still happening all over this country now.
Our Napier Port and Auckland port are next to go.
When is the maddness going to stop.
nope. they are not gutsy, see CGT and Weed, not even a little
these are two issues here in NZ that would have been fairly easy if anyone currently in government were actually concerned with bettering society rather then passing the KPI meeting at the election boot for another few years of grift.
The one is that we don't want to take from the rich to to give to the poor.
The second we have no issue locking our young, our maori/pacifica population, our men up for something to silly as weed, all the while meth is wreaking havoc and people are dying of synthetic weed – thanks Peter fucking Dunne.
So i fail to see where they have guts.
We need to get our prisons empty of people that actually do not 'crime'. I don't consider growing / possesing /using weed as a crime. but we not only here – but all over the civilised world cause tremendous harm with our stupid 'war on drugs/brown people' bullshit and do nothing and to boot we pay for the misery we cause. Billions of dollars to lock humans up in chicken cages with no way out once released.
The money that we would save ….i mean think of it. At least half of our prisons would be empty, records could be cleaned up allowing a lot of men and women a chance to live life again properly, have careers, travel etc.
But no. That would be going to far for the sensibilitys of some who would never ever go to prison if caught snorting cocaine of the backbench.
CGT, we need to raise revenue to pay for stuff. But not like this. No surely there must be ways we can raise money from those that don't own houses and farms and businesses. Right? sure, Yeah, Tui.
no guts, no glory, but hey they have jobs, get decent salaries and as James told me today we even pay for their drivers of the government issued limousines. Maybe there we could save some money, but then the dears in expensive suits n shoes would have to take their own car or gasp take the train, what would the world come to it if we had a government with guts rather then just 'feelgood' papers that amount to nothing.
Energy payments are minimal. Moreover, short-term. Designed to meet winter increases in energy costs and not long-term daily costs/needs.
Labour promised $8 GP visits, but only delivered on $18 visits, which was the same amount National offered.
Not all beneficiaries have dependent children.
Benefit rates are far too low and need increasing now. Labour are aware of this but refuse to rectify this with pace.
i don't dispute any of this.
i just point out that despite all their faults they did a few things, and in the case of my friends it helped.
that does not say its ok.
but as i stated above, we need to come up with better plans than just distributing money that we take from others.
one thing would be free healthcare so that instead of offering emergency care we start offering preventive care and thus reduce costs.
At some stage someone has to do the math, and no i don't expet either National or Labor to do so. Cause the money – unless we start printing it – needs to come from somewhere and currently its the few that work and small to medium sized businesses that carry the burden.
So what are your plans to increase the welfare for people? From whom would you take the money to distribute to the poor? And please consider that Labour is not going to to a CGT. And they are not going to decrim Weed to create a new agri business and revenue stream.
So please one of you who constantly cries about how stuff ain't enough, please tell me where you are going to take the money from, and then tell me what the chances are that anyone at Labour/Greens/NZFirst had/has/and will have the guts, spine to push it through.
Cause i – a cheap house homeowner, was all for the CGT.
Theres the ever question, seldom answered……There are two responses to that I believe. First, the wherewithal must largely come from where its available (those with excess) and the second response is as you note, the will/ability lacks to implement it and not just from the politicians.
@Sabine
When Little was leading the party, he pointed to the $20 billion military spend as a revenue source. Now we have Jacinda and all of a sudden there is no more money.
Additionally, there was no need for her to totally drop the CGT. She could have put it to referendum.
Why use defence money for something else?
Priorities.
and what would one of those priorities be?
Vastly increasing benefit rates. The investment in this alone will produce savings largely across the board.
assure me then that that extra top up will improve the conditions of New Zealand's most vulnerable and won't just go into subsidising the capitalists lifestyle.
Are you questioning the capability of beneficiaries to spend the top ups wisely?
Budget: $120 dole increased to let's be generous. $240
rent – landlord $200
food – Pak n Save $40
Did I miss anything? Now assure me that money will improve the living conditions of New Zealand's most vulnerable.
It is largely agreed upon direct government transfers is the best way to improve the conditions of the most vulnerable.
Some will be just coping with those costs you mentioned, thus anything more will be of assistance. Others are living rough (in cars etc) so course more money will be of assistance.
Well I'm not entirely sure even if we doubled benefits that that would significantly reduce the number of people living in cars.
Just fundamental for every unit of wealth there is at least one unit of inequality that everyone is willing to put up with, and neither can be zero. So my fear is that any increase in benefits will cause extra digits of inequality and Iv got Thomas Picketys book of research, Capital in The 21st Centruy to back up my claim.
Im not arguing that we shouldn't subsidise low wage work ect because I think we should. I just want to insure that we end subsidies to the already wealthy as well.
The accidental PM accidentally dropped the CGT, Chairman.
Cutting elsewhere in the budget is largely irrelevant. The question is if bulstering beneficiaries budgets pushes the economy over a major inflation threshold (e.g beneficiaries buying up so much stuff that price rationing kicks in). That seems vanishingly unlikely so the government doesn't need to consider its budget position and a trade off for this decision.
Of course this kind of budget focused decision making is exactly what is holding back left wing politics. Primarily by causing it to not deliver on election promises time and time again.
This is as good as it gets
Rockland County, NY has just banned unvaccinated children from any public place (schools, churches, supermarkets, playgrounds….even walking down the street) for 30 days to either try and get ahead of the measles outbreak or coerce vaccination. This is much more extensive than the Seattle which has only banned the unvaccinated from schools.
It is entirely predictable that the full public ban will be extended elsewhere, possibly indefinitely.
in the time of my youth, children with measels / rubella/ mumps etc and such were kept at home for 3+ weeks.
They were quaranteed at home to prevent outbreaks, or issues for non vaccinated people and pregnant mothers.
So yeah, don't vaccinate you kid if you don't believe in it for religious reasons, or because the science scares you or what ever. But keep these kids at home. I don't understand what is so hard about that.
And in saying that, and i guess many that work in open plan offices that live through 5+ month of constant cold/flu going around because some workers choose to go to work sick, stay at home for at least three days. Sorry if you can't afford it, but maybe just maybe your co-worker who is not yet sick can't afford it either.
In NZ if you run a food business and you or your staff have the runs longer for 24 hours you are forced to stay at home, you have to list that in a diary (food control plan) and come inspection time you actually have to produce that to the council person.
Now why can't we expect that of people who don't vaccinated their kids or themselves?
Rockland country issued the emergency declaration in March..
It was overturned by the courts in April…and county appeal was then turned down.
A memorial day special from the POS who advocated torture and familial retribution.
https://twitter.com/TaskandPurpose/status/1129851086360272896
did they say nice thing about him?
did they kiss up or down?
It gets worse.
https://twitter.com/jaredbkeller/status/1129844700884754433
Either take a punt on tRump having a get out of gaol free card, or go down with the ship.
Straddling the fence isn't an option.
https://twitter.com/justinamash/status/1129831615952236546
https://tttthreads.com/thread/1129831615952236546.html
Yep, the first Repug House Rep to show any evidence of a spine in standing up to Needy Amin this term.
But nobody should ever mistake him for any kind of friend of the left; he's a hard-core libertarian.
1. Really? You got the report soon after the summary so it doesn't really matter how it was summarised by someone else.
2. Of course, the whole report was a hit job. If impeachment was obvious, then it would be obvious.
The circle is complete, again.
https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/1129873567527706624
Two bimbos, a pompous ass and a cowardly "humanitarian consultant". These people are representative of New Zealand journalism?!?!?!?
Just a few weeks after the dissenting journalist and free speech hero Julian Assange was forcefully dragged out of his place of asylum by British police, World Press Freedom Day was "celebrated" in Wellington earlier this month with a farcical event organized by the….(wait for it!!)…. British High Commission.
Of course, New Zealand has many fine, decent, and brilliant journalists, politicians and academics. In spite of that fact, the British High Commission managed, with uncanny precision, to unearth the four worst people it could find in Wellington on that day.
Anyway, for any masochists out there who want to watch this frightful performance, here's a brief rundown of the five worthies on your screen….
On the LEFT is Nicola Young, one of the less distinguished National (i.e. Tory) MPs in this country. Her father, whose seat she inherited, was one of the less distinguished National MPs of the 1970s.
SECOND FROM LEFT is Tova O'Brien, an undistinguished "political correspondent" who in several years of anodyne television appearances—I can't in all conscience call it reporting— has revealed only that she doesn't know much at all about politics either here or overseas. Note that her only response to the challenge of the young woman here is a winsome giggle.
In the MIDDLE is the British High Commissioner Laura Clarke, who is without question the alpha male in this building. She exudes born-to-rule ascendancy, and the Kiwis on either side of her are in her thrall. She seems amused at Julian Assange's mistreatment.
Squatting SECOND FROM RIGHT is a waste of space called Richard Harman, who is notorious in this country for the curmudgeonly expression on his face as he delivers his pompous and deeply reactionary views. Harman has been a figure of fun since election night 1981, when he was humiliated live on air by the Labour Party leader Bill Rowling. In this clip, it's Harman who cites that eminent scholar and unimpeachable authority Luke Harding. (Tova O'Brien no doubt has not even heard of Harding.)
On the RIGHT is one Dr Andrew Ladley, billed grandly as a "humanitarian consultant" and "public lawyer." Oddly, he has nothing at all to say, but nods his head in agreement as Harman cites the "work" of Luke Harding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBRvLNQCImk
Oh Morrissey You are so scathing. I suspect all these people deserve such an honest and unbiased report on their work and background. Are you sure you are justified in letting them have both barrels like this?
Not scathing, Mr Shark, accurate. I don't like having to point out that Richard Harman is a scoundrel and a liar, and that Andrew Ladley is a head-nodding coward, but they are facts.
Well done that woman !
Citing Harding!! as if he's an authority, when he's been disgraced with his Manafort rubbish
Unbelievable , especially after Assange so recently received an award. For what?
For journalism
https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/jailed-assange-receives-award-created-to-honour-slain-journalist/news-story/8e9f3ecb7db973332f1091791ef9f5ee
Thanks for that link Morrissey, that is a very similar point I was (probably unsuccessfully no doubt) to make on Incognito's piece today 'Hate Speech Is an Evitable Evil', how can anyone really expect civil discourse to ever reign on the internet, when the establishment MSM itself is totally mired in it's own world half truths, lies and disinformation and the purveyors are so well rewarded? …when has Kim Hill ever let a counter narrative to Luke Harding have time on her show about Trump/Russia? or why hasn't she had Harding back on her show to explain what a bunch of bullshit his book ' Collusion ' turned out to be…it will never happen, so division and mistrust are further entrenched, and all the time enabled by a dysfunctional media, both here at home and abroad.
What's your point morsissey?
Sorry, Gabby, I'll try to be less obscurantist next time around.
🙂
Paul Brennan's a decent sort of fella as well I have to say. I quite like it when the locums are in (Kim Hill on MR; Lynne Freeman on N2N; and elsewhere – just for a change in style)
They should play swapsies a little more often
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
OwT Yes there are good people in RadioNZ and good to hear them in different places FTTT. Ones i don't like I am probably rather biased.
Do you have any feelings about Nicole McCarthy that you would like to share? Also I think that the afternoon guy Jesse Mulligan is pretty good. Do you know what Simon Mercep is doing now – he seemed to have been dumped unceremoniously and irrationally. What was the story do you know?
Do you have any feelings about Nicole McCarthy that you would like to share?
Don't know what Tim thinks of her, but here's what I feel about her: contempt. Here are two reasons why:
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/hur-hur-hur-hur-hur-vanessa-redgraves.html
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2017/12/possibly-most-repellent-panel-pre-show.html
Also I think that the afternoon guy Jesse Mulligan is pretty good.
Really? You can't have been listening to him in October 2016….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/jesse-mulligan-sometimes-when-i-read.html
Jesse Mulligan the 2019 version is what I was thinking of.
He was still as dismal and as ignorant as ever in early 2018.
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/11/jesse-mulligan-approvingly-quoted-one.html
Gosh Morrissey I don't know that I can accept your review of Mr Mulligan, except that you are often dismal and ignorant yourself so would be a good judge of that in others.
Really? When I start saying things like "some guy called John Philip Sousa" and "Sometimes when I read this stuff I get the sense that Russia are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ for trouble, are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ to create tension with the U.S.", your charge will have some merit.
Jim Mora, Mike Hoskin, I love Putin and Assange, Shapiro…is an idiot, blah blah bloody blah, we get it Moz can you stop please now Its like a fkn broken record I don’t think we are holding out for your daily appraisal of news personalities, media outlets and commentators
Jessy's the Eternal Sixth Former.
I never saw Kellys Heroes either. Retires in deep shame.
bewildered: “I love Putin”, do I? And why have you connected Assange and Putin, as though they are a pair?
Gabby: Sixth formers read insatiably—at least I did. I doubt that Jesse Mulligan did, or does now.
greywarshark: Don't worry, my friend, I've never seen it either. The problem in Mulligan's case was that he had not HEARD of it, just like he had never encountered the name of J.P. Sousa.
All I know is we have a public broadcaster that's struggling, and that there seems to be a few in there decision makers) that are buying into the cult of personality, of demographic targeting and audience share. It's not what PB should be about.
(Incidentally – today's Media Watch, and the benefits of having staff representation on the Board – not a bad idea)
It also seems there's been an intake of cadets lately – including on the technical side of things, and some decisions I think that have been a bit weird (like alex behan's departure from Music101.
Other than that – people have their good days and their bad days.
(I haven't yet read Morrisey's links but I'd not be surprised if they linked to suggestions of plagiarism and/or pretentiousness).
Noel (for me) is increasingly tolerable, Jesse so-so (until the next time he claims 'old school status' and keeps the I I I me me me to a minimum)
I haven't yet read Morrisey's links but I'd not be surprised if they linked to suggestions of plagiarism and/or pretentiousness.
Read 'em, Tim! I don't think you'll find Noelle McCarthy tolerable at all, unless you think—like some on this board—that it's acceptable to laugh at the suffering of political prisoners, and to deride people like Vanessa Redgrave and Roger Waters for speaking up for the victims of mass murder.
Onya, Iceland.
https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/18/iceland-use-eurovision-song-contest-protest-israeli-occupation-palestinian-territories-9598077/
well i guess if abortion is murder, the the death penalty applies
https://www.kptv.com/texas-bill-would-allow-death-penalty-for-women-who-get/article_40ec2221-b035-5552-afe5-d97ad0b9d637.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share&fbclid=IwAR3PxFwqfqeWmaSYTZg4woRNO4UwT0nP6IfmwCyXbJtfyM_fr-_SdNJ5uxQ
this is funny
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/05/north-korea-demands-un-action-over-ship-seizure-by-gangster-us/
Best leave compound words to German.
https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/lifestyle/heinz-s-ketchup-mayo-condiment-mayochup-gets-joked-online-it-means-sh-face-in-cree-R4H6iGAAVkyA9LX-OvNp1g/
National MP Alfred Ngaro said abortion is "an unholy Holocaust in our nation".
Jami-Lee Ross has slammed Ngaro's views.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/05/jami-lee-ross-challenges-alfred-ngaro-over-holocaust-abortion-post.html
Meanwhile,
Simon Bridges has confirmed he's talked with MP Alfred Ngaro about the establishment of a religious party.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/112834386/simon-bridges-confirms-hes-talked-with-mp-about-a-breakaway-christian-party
That article was interesting reading. Lots of revelation but little detail and even less attribution of source. So National's leak has now verging on complete structural collapse of the containment vessel.
But a soimon sponsored hiving off an evangelical off shoot party seems likely, since he's from that background.
How it's going to go down with the rest of the Party and the electorate could be another matter.
That incendiary comment by Ngaro will embolden a (hopefully) small minority in NZ.
What can we logically infer about National list MP Ngaro's opinion of those who facilitate or have had an abortion? Make no mistake, given the means this guy would be ‘fast following’ the Alabama legislature like a rat up a drainpipe.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/5/18/18630562/alabama-abortion-ban-voters-exemption-for-rape-incest
Alfred Ngaro = National's new "divide the vote and rule campaign stategy".
Immigration – how many people can NZ contain and still have a decent society?
Shamubeel Eaqub: Population strategy needed – In 2016. https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/82381169/shamubeel-eaqub-population-strategy-needed
(Have we a reasonable population strategy now in 2019.)
New Zealand has no clearly articulated population strategy: we do not know how big a population we want, or why and how to manage migration to get there….
We are also addicted to population growth to pay for unfunded fiscal promises like universal health and super that cannot be paid for with a dwindling pool of taxpayers.
What did the Greens say in October 2008?
Greens' family policy slammed https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10538144
In 2018 – https://www.interest.co.nz/news/95315/new-zealand-has-added-equivalent-population-waikato-region-2013-net-migration-main-driver (Some good graphs here at interest.co.nz site.)
On google under Population control in New Zealand the items soon pass onto tahr and rabbit control. It seems there is not a lively discussion on it.
Scoop shows a good item on population in NZ, 7 Feb 2019 from Stats NZ. It refers to change in defining migration numbers.
The latest provisional estimate of annual migration in the year ended November 2018 was 43,400, plus or minus 1,500. This was the first official release of estimates using the ‘outcomes-based’ measure, which replaces the previous ‘intentions-based’ method of measuring migration, which it has replaced (see Net migration trending down).
The outcomes-based measure is a more accurate measure of migration than the intentions-based measure. This accuracy will flow through into other data uses, including official population estimates. (see Planned revisions below). http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1902/S00152/are-we-there-yet-heading-for-a-population-of-5-million.htm
we may not have an official population strategy but we do have a growth strategy…and that includes population
https://nzier.org.nz/publication/grow-for-it-how-population-policies-can-can-promote-economic-growth-nzier-working-paper-20121
Doomed to grow.
Doomed by growth.
Surely TVNZ can find someone better than Mark Crysell
Watching a piece on TVNZ1 right now about the stresses of teaching. Unfortunately the presenter is Mark Crysell….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/surely-television-one-viewers-deserve.html
The real winner of the Australian elections was BAU on the climate.
Scott Morrison finds the fabled 'middle ground' on climate change.
"He was able to straddle the Queensland pro-coal folk and also those who are a bit more for renewables and the like. He locked in the base, but the more progressive elements didn't see him as King Canute in the way [former prime minister Tony] Abbott was."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/112842530/australian-election-how-morrison-successfully-tapped-into-middle-australia
But there is no middle ground on climate change. Scott Morrison policy on climate change is really business as usual.
But unfortunately business as usual on the climate is not tenable in Australia, which is posited by scientists to be one of the worst hit of all countries.
What this means, is that the instability in Australian politics will continue, and Scott Morrison's tenure as Australia's Prime Minister is likely to be very short.
The first real crisis for Morrison's administration will be over Adani, just as it would have been for a Bill Shorten administration. Because Labor just like the liberals were pretty much in support of this mega coal mine project.
The real winner of the Australian elections was BAU on the climate.
Scott Morrison finds the fabled 'middle ground' on climate change.
"He was able to straddle the Queensland pro-coal folk and also those who are a bit more for renewables and the like. He locked in the base, but the more progressive elements didn't see him as King Canute in the way [former prime minister Tony] Abbott was."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/112842530/australian-election-how-morrison-successfully-tapped-into-middle-australia
But there is no middle ground on climate change. Scott Morrison policy on climate change is really business as usual.
But unfortunately business as usual on the climate is not tenable in Australia, which is posited by scientists to be one of the worst hit of all countries.
What this means, is that the instability in Australian politics will continue, and Scott Morrison's tenure as Australia's Prime Minister is likely to be very short.
The last six Australian Prime Ministers were rolled from their position by inner party turmoil in disputes over climate change.
This situation has not changed.
The first real climate change crisis for Morrison's administration, will be over Adani, just as it would have been for a Bill Shorten administration. Because Labor just like the liberals were pretty much in support of this mega coal mine project.
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/0TYMz3mmAKw
We need to protect our wildlife as we are the Guardian of all these beautiful creatures gifted to us to use and care for not abuse and drive them to extinction
These 8 Bird Species Have Disappeared This Decade
The pace of bird extinction is picking up as their habitats vanishIn the Amazon, where many of these species were once abundant, deforestation is a growing concern. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that more than 17 million hectares of forest were lost between 2001 and 2012. An editorial published last March in Science Advancesfound that the Amazon is reaching an ecological tipping point—if 40 percent of the region is deforested, scientists say the ecosystem will be irreversibly altered Ka kite ano links below
https://youtu.be/h1TxdpNx4QY
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/09/news-macaw-extinct-bird-species-deforestation/
Kia ora The AM Show.
Its a unusual phenomenon all the strike that happened when Labour is in power.
The Pike River mine reentry is today that is cool te tangata will be happy.
Well Mark I agree with that statement. The All Blacks are Rugby.
There is a real power imbalance between all employees and employers with under 20 employees with the 90 day sack at a wim employment laws not just people who work in parliament.
You would think that mental trauma should be covered by ACC I say because it's a injury that can't be seen and is quite common ACC not covering it is just a easy cop out to save $$$$.
Its te tangata te tangata if we make our retirement policies to hard for new residents then we will will end up with a section of our society in hardship and the kaumatua are already vanurable. Change is needed because some take advantage of our soft retirement laws for new residents it's just needs to be balanced.
Social media is a worry Graham you have to sift through the bullshit and find the truth not many people have those SKILLS. I don't do photos everything I do is public knowledge
I agree all tamariki should have a plan set in pohatu for trades or any good skill start at schools to set them up for LIFE.
KA KITE ANO
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
https://youtu.be/5Yj4j_lZMBo
People do need to learn to be critical thinkers information is the same as Tangata don't trust it verbal or data unless you can verify it. Its the same as Tangata don't trust them unless you know you can trust them. I say a bit of shady stuff being going down with the right neck winning power when the polls show there opposition was in a winning position. The right neck are dirty cheats.
JESSICA SAVAGE
Artist Jessica Savage Broer photoshopped this image to include President Donald Trump. She said she wanted to make the point that people need to use critical thinking skills
Ka kite ano links below
https://i.stuff.co.nz/technology/112874676/deepfakes-and-synthetic-media-the-new-age-of-disinformation-is-growing
Here is one reason why the leftys lost in Australia there is another Eco Maori can't say as it right up there with the worst behaviour seen in the last decade.
One thing that has been so far underplayed is News Corp’s newspaper monopoly throughout the region. Those newspapers have mounted a sustained propaganda campaign in favour of the new mine. On the reef coast they have downplayed the damage to the Great Barrier Reef owing to the climate crisis. And if anyone can be blamed for turning Bob Brown’s visit into a harbinger of doom, it’s these papers Ka kite ano links below.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/21/north-queensland-is-just-at-the-sharp-end-of-whats-happening-across-australia
Kia ora Newshub.
With Parliament staff problems it all boils down to Mps not being held accountable for there actions that's when the scab fester and turn into a big mess.
Its sad that Gloria has to have police guard her in NZ the redneck rising out of the dirt we all know who has impowered them.
When people flee the police they are out of control if they were in control they would not flee don't chance them.
My HUAWEI phone is going good this is a minor hick up I sure they will have their own backup system in place. . Ka kite ano
Kia ora Te ao Maori News.
I have commented on the subject of Parliament staff I did not realise how bad it was now that the bad behaviour has been exposed it can be cleaned up.
Its good that more funding is going to the ambulance free service.
Awatea Mita Kia kaha I Tau toko you in your championing Prisoners rights Yes a lot of our prisoners are vulnerable for 1 they would not be there 2 they have a hard time navigateing the system as it changes so fast if you are in jail for 5 years unless you have someone who's got your back when you get out your stuffed
Yes The true Maori story of our history need to be heard from Maori and not just the European point of view.
Passenger trains from Waikato to Auckland is great that will lower Aotearoa carbon footprint.
Ka kite ano P.S I need to get my hard ware sorted