”Australian report finds profit, not wages, driving inflation
[unlinked copy and paste deleted]
So why not a windfall profits tax here? It’ll raise a little revenue, but more importantly send a message to big business to stop rorting the consumer. The optics that Labour look after the majority of the country, rather than the big end of town, wouldn’t be bad either.
No one in the southern hemisphere has appetite for major tax increases. Not even the neo-socialists in South America.
But even with the existing tax settings we have, it does not help that our government remains very, very weak at breaking oligopolies like we have in fishing, dairy production, supermarkets, fuel, red meat production, construction materials, insurance, sea ports, shipping, international airports, airlines, and so much more. We must surely have one of the most concentrated economies in the world.
We do not appear to have in Cabinet anyone with the business sense to regulate prices hard., or even in the Commerce Commission. Oligopolists are driving inflation because nothing resists them passing increases on.
The effective inflation fighter we have, our own Reserve Bank, has the dual mandate of low inflation and lowest possible unemployment, but according to them if we have maximum sustainable employment, we should not be having inflation at all:
"When more people find jobs and fewer people are unemployed, employers tend to offer higher wages to fill their vacancies. If this happens nationwide, it generates wage inflation and eventually widespread inflation as businesses pass on the higher wage costs to the prices of goods and services.
When employment is at its maximum sustainable level, there will be low and stable inflation. However, if employment is above the maximum sustainable level for too long, it will eventually cause prices to rise more and more quickly, requiring the MPC to raise interest rates to keep inflation under control."
I don't consider the dual mandate an issue. Many central banks have a dual mandate and have for some time, then NZ was an exception with its single mandate.
The actual issue is how the RBNZ approaches monetary policy which is not something which follows from any mandate. Previously the central bank policy was typically pre-emptive, steps would be taken to any increase in inflation, which would immediately aim to break a wage price spiral. Now, at least descriptively, there can be a wait and see to observe if the price increase would translate to a wage increase, and then seeing if there was a lead to more price increases, before policy shift. This is probably marginally more healthy a policy.
The other issue the RBNZ has is the cash rate is quite blunt a tool to target inflation and has poor distributional outcomes.
And its not going to resolve any of the supply side price increases (many coming from overseas) in anything like a fair way.
My simple observation was not with the dual mandate itself but with their stated expectation that "When employment is at its maximum sustainable level, there will be low and stable inflation".
This is clearly wrong. They need to re-consult their Moniac.
I agree that stronger trends in wage and salary increases would be much preferable, especially after 20 years of waiting for them to arrive.
I think your ultimately right that low and stable inflation has little to do with the employment level, but that the RBNZ would disagree their statement is wrong.
Essentially they are saying that there is an employment level at which there is low and stable inflation. This is called the NAIRU level in technical terms. The NAIRU replaced the Phillips curve though its conceptually incoherent. The modern mathematical replacement for the Moniac will (if consulted) tell the RBNZ to increase unemployment because the inflation rate is too high. Probably better that they actually use their brains, rather than acting mechanically, to determine monetary policy.
They would probably also disagree that the present NZ economic situation is a test of this given the amount of imported inflation and supply side issues involved. That's not a judgement which the Moniac is capable of.
On the other hand the underlying Wicksellian theory that there exists one single interest rate which is most appropriate for the prevailing economic situation is clearly not applicable. The actual occurring economy is more broad and varied than the model economy which could support such a theory existing. So I consider the most suitable monetary policy will typically be to set the rate at zero and leave it there. Inflation issues should be resolved either via fiscal policy and within the contextual understanding that somebody will lose out cost wise when external prices change and this cost should be fairly distributed.
Doing it via monetary policy gives the pretense that imported inflation doesn't have distributional impacts, but it doesn't make those impacts go away.
Its a political question introducing such a tax, the revenue is irrelevant.
The question is will the windfall tax discourage profit gouging, and at what cost in govt popularity. It might make sellers say why bother making extraordinary profits they just get taxed away, but it might also lead to price hikes just to make a point to the public about whos boss.
just to make a point to the public about whos boss
And also make that same point to any government that tried to impose a windfall tax. I don't know of any examples of it happening elsewhere in the world, but it's a level of spitefulness that wouldn't surprise me in NZ.
It should then be easier for an effective political leader to use the spiteful behaviour of the commercial bosses as an example of why we need to restrain their antisocial excesses.
We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace–business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering.
They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob.
Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me–and I welcome their hatred.
I should like to have it said of my first Administration that in it the forces of selfishness and of lust for power met their match. I should like to have it said of my second Administration that in it these forces met their master.
There has certainly been some piss taking with fuel, There has been a 30-40 cent per litre difference in diesel pricing between Auckland and not to far out of Auckland.
That's far more than can be explained by regional fuel tax etc. Could well call it price gouging.
In Auckland, the price of 91 octane petrol was between $2.88 and $3.05 a litre across stations on Tuesday morning, while diesel was between $2.79 and $2.97, according to PriceWatch.
Prices had dropped below $3 in Wellington and Christchurch.
AA principal policy adviserTerry Collins said the decline was down to two things: the drop in price of crude oil and refinery, but also the questioning of why fuel companies had high profit margins by the Government." (my bold)
So even the threat of the Government doing something causes the big boys to moderate their profits.
If you had read your article instead of spray & walk away you’d known how stupid you sound.
News of the truce and the ensuing reduction in public gun violence came too late for embattled former police minister Poto Williams.
She was replaced by Chris Hipkins on June 13 as part of a cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who said she had lost focus in the portfolio.
If you keep up your dump & jump trolling here you’ll be treated that way.
How would you have dealt with a "perfect storm" caused by a combination of 501's, and a large number of disaffected youth caused by the loss of social cohension due to decades of Neo-Liberal "there is no such thing as society" cruelty?
As well as constant White anting by ignorant fools such as David Seymour, at your workplace.
You wouldn't have a fucking clue, and be "well out of your depth".
Now, because of the idiot chorus from the RW, actually getting to the causes and really cutting crime has been set back another decade.
Really? Aside from there being no actual evidence that she was out of her depth and the fact she was beginning to make headway before Nat white anting made her position untenable, are you plugged into some collective Borg-like consciousness that lets you know what "Everyone" knows?
Her problem was: she didn't have very good communication skills. Especially when dealing with the media who aided and abetted the white-anters by shoving their mikes into her face whenever she dared venture out of her office… asking pointed questions designed to throw her off balance.
Unfortunately the criminals are getting bolder as the soft on crime approach has not worked. This guy shows how much respect or fear of the police (none) he has and absolutely nails the poor police woman. But then, I expect he is really a nice person just got mixed up with the wrong crowd and had a tough upbringing and was in the process of turning his life around. Hopefully the other officers gave out a bit of rough justice shortly afterwards.
"An illegal, violent reaction to the casual, un-provoked violence of a law breaker?"
That's what he did to the policewoman in the first few seconds of the video.
I can just imagine you sitting down with him over a cup of tea and explaining to him "What you did to that Policewoman wasn't really appropriate behavior, and you need to reflect on what you just did…..another cuppa?"
Directly or indirectly advocating violence in any shape or form (including ‘jest’ and advocating self-harm) to individuals or groups is simply not allowed. Moderators will have a no-tolerance humourless response as the only possible response. If you want to talk about political conflicts around the world, then do so being mindful of this proscription.
Carter Holt Harvey cited “short-term industry-wide supply issues”, while some blamed the mass export of logs to China, where our timber attracts a premium. But others saw more cynical motives at play. One industry commentator saw it as a “power move” to fight the low prices demanded of smaller retailers. ITM’s chief executive described it as a “corporate attack” that would “have ramifications for years to come”.
Earlier this year, Carter Holt Harvey stopped supplying wood products to Mitre 10 and ITM. The company, owned by New Zealand’s richest person, controls half the country’s structural timber trade and despite claiming shortages, kept supplying its own subsidiary, Carters. It was seen by many as a power move by the company against its competitors.
New Zealand is one of the few large log producing countries around the globe that allows their export without restrictions. At least 39 countries have log export bans of one kind or another and of these, at least 16 show clear intent to support domestic processing, according to a 2019 report from consultancy Sense Partners.
Selling off the harvesting rights to publicly owned forest to private and overseas interests has pretty much meant we have very little control over where our logs go.
The consortium comprises Fletcher Challenge (37.5 per cent); Brierley Investments (25 per cent); and Citifor, a subsidiary of China International Trust and Investment Corporation, (37.5 per cent).
China Forestry Group New Zealand Company Limited (China Forestry Group NZ) has agreed to acquire part of the NZ Superannuation Fund’s North Island forestry assets, following a competitive tender and Overseas Investment Office approval.
Hi Cricklewood. Oh fark yes…Bill Birch !. I'd maybe tried to suppress memories of THAT particular jerk. And of course what those a-holes legacy left Future NZ. Sad does not cover it.
I don't think I have ever seen the gossip, rumours and conspiracy theories to be as bad as they are now.
In my time in politics I heard them all – and many about myself. If I had a dollar for every time I heard about the untrue demise of Winston Peters and rumours of poor health then I would be a wealthy woman. I don't think a Green MP washes her hair in her own urine but this was told to me numerous times and as if it is fact.
I am sure that like a lot of workplaces the odd bit of after-hours shagging goes on but nowhere near as much as is rumoured and speculated on.
I had plenty of rubbish said about me and some of it still does the rounds on social media occasionally, all blatantly not true and actually insulting.
I once had to take out an injunction and get legal advice at my own expense to stop a so-called reputable radio station from repeating what someone who has obvious mental health issues had said about me on social media.
I understand at some level him projecting on to me just because he can – I couldn't reconcile tens of thousands of people believing and sharing it and mainstream media picking it up.
There aren't easy answers when you are under a full-on prolonged attack. By defending yourself you give them oxygen and although thousands might have seen it – I have to presume millions haven't – bringing it into the open just adds fuel and embarrassment. So they keep you quiet and reluctant to speak out.
Which brings me to the constant gossip about the Prime Minister and her partner.
I have been asked more times than I can remember if x is true about one or both of them. I am not in their lives and do not have intimate knowledge about them and I believe their private lives are exactly that – but I always answer no it's not true.
Purely because anyone with half a brain would not believe that in a country this size with two degrees of separation that the blatant extreme nonsense that people say would be ignored by our media if there was evidence to back it up.
My politics and ideology differ a lot from Jacinda Ardern's but as a woman, mum, partner and politician I would stand at her side and suggest everyone just leave her private life alone.
I have heard intelligent, respectable people repeating gossip about her. They all know someone who knows someone and as such they know it is true. Just because something is repeated a lot does not make it true.
Yes, by being in the public eye we open ourselves up to criticism, but let's leave that to being about performance and leave the personal stuff alone.
We need our best and our brightest putting their hands up for public office in the future and if it was your son or daughter would you want lies repeated about their private lives?
We are all guilty of enjoying a spot of gossip but when it comes to our leaders enough is enough.
I'm not so sure that's her motive. I think it's more about keeping the discussion about "rumours and gossip about the PM and her partner" alive, and that she's tried to do this in a way that disguises that motive.
I was being just a little sarky. When I happened upon this effort earlier my first impression was that there was pot-stirring going on. A Westie don't change it's spots…
My politics and ideology differ a lot from Jacinda Ardern's but as a woman, mum, partner and politician I would stand at her side and suggest everyone just leave her private life alone.
Basically Bennett is saying – STFU with the gossip – let people's private lives be just that.
Basically Bennett is saying – STFU with the gossip – let people's private lives be just that.
Agree. Some of the stuff I have seen or heard about Clarke Gayford in particular is mind boggling crap. It has also beggared my belief that normally intelligent andrespectable people have actually believed it. In one instance the person claimed a certain rumour had to be correct because someone she knew had been there when it happened. The 'someone she knew' was an arch enemy of Labour and was lying.
Respect for Paula Bennett for coming out and saying what she did.
You might think that's Bennett's motive – but it would only apply if there was little gossip going on. I'm sorry to say, that's not the case – the trash being talked about Ardern and Gayford is increasing in volume – and spreading.
You may not like Bennett – but she's right on the money here.
Quite frankly, I find it disgusting. And choose not to participate (or link) to the rubbish which is being spread around.
Sure, I understand what you're saying – of course the sentiment may appear sincere. But I do not believe Bennett is capable of doing anything that does not have a self-serving aspect to it.
However, it's probably not you who is either the culprit, or the target audience for this piece.
Right-wing supporters are more likely to listen and/or believe a right-wing opinion writer. If/when a left-wing one contributes the same content, it's more likely to be dismissed by a right-wing audience (using exactly the same 'self-serving' justification).
I don't disagree that what you say happens, but I do not think the present situation is an example of that. There are, of course, right-wing politicians – even if fewer these days – who are or have been quite capable of holding opinions on particular matters that dedicated left-leaning people would agree with. I just cannot accept that Bennett could be one of them.
I had no idea there was gossip. Clearly I'm moving in the wrong circles. I did make a mental note to self to plumb the deeper depths of the darkweb and try and find out what Bennett is on about.
Any thoughts from other commentators on this?
Whist I think the current method is a crock of shit, it is the method used by all the other countries so why the change in NZ.
Changing the metric does seem an odd thing to do given we'll be an outlier in the way we report our data to the WHO makes comparing things all that much harder.
If you listened to/watched the press conference you would know your assertions are more BS. The change was prompted by the WHO and will be consistent with other countries we compare to. In addition, the current measure/statistic will continue to be reported.
I was being fair. It is fair to expect people to bring some logical consideration to things they may read, including actually being bothered to check they actually understand the the issues and facts, including their context. Just simple things we learn at school when we are taught how to think.
Daniel Anderson had a 17-year-old worker who was chiselling when a piece of metal flew into his right eye in March 2020. Despite multiple surgeries, the teenager lost sight in the eye.
Anderson did not notify WorkSafe of the injury, as required, but several months later the victim's mother did, triggering an investigation.
WorkSafe national manager of investigations Hayden Mander said when an inspector asked Anderson whether he told workers to use protective gear, his response was: "I'm not their mother and going to dress them every morning."
Fark…..what a P.O.S. . I have struck scum bags like this through my life. This is a 17 year old lad. He should have had a Boss worthy of that title. But I still recall when another young lad lost his leg….and the online vilification he was getting …from the same kind of scum. Just a sick mentality….
The kids are not alright. Don’t care about the cat role playing (although this seems more like something primary school kids would be doing), but there are some boundary issues here.
“TikTok unquestionably knew that the deadly Blackout Challenge was spreading through their app and that their algorithm was specifically feeding the Blackout Challenge to children, including those who have died,” the complaint reads.
The lawsuit lists a number of complaints against TikTok, including that its algorithm promotes harmful content, allows underage users on the app, and it fails to warn users or their legal guardians of the app’s addictive nature.
Nah, not yet; once a comment ends up in Pre-Mod queue because it has too many links, for example, editing and removing links doesn’t automatically undo the move. IDK if deleting the comment and starting fresh is an option.
He's basically taking care of everything himself, no middle man
Did the comic himself, self published it himself, set up his own warehouse, all his part time workers are now full time, organising the distribution himself, so all the profits are his which he's reinvesting
So of course he's getting attacked by the left
Politics is downstream from culture and the culture is changing
The interwebs have always been a strange place full of strange people and children doing and saying strange shit. It's no reason to amplify hate mongers.
But if you do want something to be outraged about…
I went online to see the article, and website is articles predominantly promotion of gender ideology, and queer theory. Fair enough, I thought. Must be the rainbow community magazine for students, but no, it is the student magazine for all students.
Housing issues, courses, course fees, impact of Covid, etc. not apparent at first glance.
Thanks for pointing out the obvious, completely missed that. Make sense now!
(However, I still find it disturbing to see young women undergo cosmetic mastectomies, even though it is celebrated as autonomy. I know you feel differently.)
I mean, call me a bit thick, but if it's UniQ Victoria's official account and they literally say it's their "annual collaboration with Salient", doesn't that clearly indicate it's a once a year special issue for the rainbow student community at Vic? Because I'm pretty sure Salient regularly runs stories on "housing issues, courses, course fees, impact of Covid, etc" the rest of the year. So either there is something terribly wrong with my literacy skills or you're building a straw man that's just missing Dorothy, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion for the full Wizard of Oz.
Maybe don't take every little bit of fringe eccentricity amplified by social media algorithms as being indicative of larger social trends? That's how you get Covid conspiracies.
Maybe don't take every little bit of fringe eccentricity amplified by social media algorithms as being indicative of larger social trends? That's how you get Covid conspiracies.
What she is demonstrating is not rare, the thinking involved and the boundary issues is common enough for me to want to post it here on a political blog. Maybe don't knee jerk dismiss something that you are unaware of, that's how we dumb down politics.
I'm not certain the furries are a unitary community – they have been a presence at scifi & fantasy events for decades, as cosplayers. These ones at least are typically fond of the movie Zootopia.
I wasn't thinking of furries as a community or sub culture so much as the boundary issues that are in many of the online subcultures now. Like I said, I'm not bothered by the cat role play. Having watched it again, it's just as likely to be a piss take.
I am aware of furries though. They're been around for decades and are about as concerning as, oh, I dunno, trekkies, larpers or any other kind of cosplayer. Why do you feel the need to gatekeep boundary issues anyway? How does it affect you at all?
Certain things have been happening in the pop culture realm as of late thats leading me to believe the pendulum is starting to move back towards the centre
The failure of movies like Thor (amongst others), the success of Top Gun: Maverick, the rise of TV series like Terminal List and Reacher shows that there is a disconnect between what the people want and what the media corporations are giving us
I haven't spoken much about comics because (I'm guessing) most people here don't read them but as bad as I say movies and TV are comics are even worse
Basically Manga is outselling American comics, in America.
There are some theories why and one of them is that Manga is not beholden to "The Message" like American comics are, ie:
You sound like one of those alt right hacks on YouTube who thinks they're owning the libs by complaining about Western pop culture being too woke while apparently ignoring that manga and anime is full of queer themes.
Having a close friend who was severely injured by this here in NZ, some of the surgeons comments are familiar.
Carole, then 60 and a recently retired personnel administrator, had returned to see the surgeon with her partner seven weeks after the surgery. She was in tears as she explained her debilitating pain.
'I told the surgeon that I could feel the mesh cutting into me, which was agonising,' Carole told Good Health.
'But he ignored this and said everything was OK. He told me: 'I just don't understand how you could be in pain. I will refer you to a psychiatrist.' Then he turned to Malcolm and said: 'I've made her nice and tight for you.' '
You sound like one of those alt right hacks on YouTube who thinks they're owning the libs by complaining about Western pop culture being too woke while apparently ignoring that manga and anime is full of queer themes.
Gay doesn't mean woke but retconning previously strait characters for the sake of diversity is woke and, given the drop in sales, its not what the readership want
Hence why Eric July is smashing it, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up making more money than the last top ten made together
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On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skylineAleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/ShutterstockRecent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell?Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
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.AUCKLAND1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors.“There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams?The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
Wellington City Council should keep its 34% ownership share in Wellington International Airport, argue Unions Wellington spokespeople Finn Cordwell and Ashok Jacob. Insanity, as the saying goes, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Wellington City Council (WCC) is yet again proposing to dispose ...
New Zealand’s largest book publisher has undergone drastic changes this week, leaving its future role in local publishing uncertain. Two of the most recognisable local publishers in New Zealand are among those restructured out of Penguin Random House, it was announced this week. Head of publishing Claire Murdoch will leave ...
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Lifted from The Spinoff’s Bulletin.
”Australian report finds profit, not wages, driving inflation
[unlinked copy and paste deleted]
So why not a windfall profits tax here? It’ll raise a little revenue, but more importantly send a message to big business to stop rorting the consumer. The optics that Labour look after the majority of the country, rather than the big end of town, wouldn’t be bad either.
No one in the southern hemisphere has appetite for major tax increases. Not even the neo-socialists in South America.
But even with the existing tax settings we have, it does not help that our government remains very, very weak at breaking oligopolies like we have in fishing, dairy production, supermarkets, fuel, red meat production, construction materials, insurance, sea ports, shipping, international airports, airlines, and so much more. We must surely have one of the most concentrated economies in the world.
We do not appear to have in Cabinet anyone with the business sense to regulate prices hard., or even in the Commerce Commission. Oligopolists are driving inflation because nothing resists them passing increases on.
The effective inflation fighter we have, our own Reserve Bank, has the dual mandate of low inflation and lowest possible unemployment, but according to them if we have maximum sustainable employment, we should not be having inflation at all:
"When more people find jobs and fewer people are unemployed, employers tend to offer higher wages to fill their vacancies. If this happens nationwide, it generates wage inflation and eventually widespread inflation as businesses pass on the higher wage costs to the prices of goods and services.
When employment is at its maximum sustainable level, there will be low and stable inflation. However, if employment is above the maximum sustainable level for too long, it will eventually cause prices to rise more and more quickly, requiring the MPC to raise interest rates to keep inflation under control."
Inflation and maximum sustainable employment – Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua (rbnz.govt.nz)
SO apparently low and stable inflation should occur anytime now.
Does anyone in this joint know how to actually regulate?
I don't consider the dual mandate an issue. Many central banks have a dual mandate and have for some time, then NZ was an exception with its single mandate.
The actual issue is how the RBNZ approaches monetary policy which is not something which follows from any mandate. Previously the central bank policy was typically pre-emptive, steps would be taken to any increase in inflation, which would immediately aim to break a wage price spiral. Now, at least descriptively, there can be a wait and see to observe if the price increase would translate to a wage increase, and then seeing if there was a lead to more price increases, before policy shift. This is probably marginally more healthy a policy.
The other issue the RBNZ has is the cash rate is quite blunt a tool to target inflation and has poor distributional outcomes.
And its not going to resolve any of the supply side price increases (many coming from overseas) in anything like a fair way.
My simple observation was not with the dual mandate itself but with their stated expectation that "When employment is at its maximum sustainable level, there will be low and stable inflation".
This is clearly wrong. They need to re-consult their Moniac.
I agree that stronger trends in wage and salary increases would be much preferable, especially after 20 years of waiting for them to arrive.
I think your ultimately right that low and stable inflation has little to do with the employment level, but that the RBNZ would disagree their statement is wrong.
Essentially they are saying that there is an employment level at which there is low and stable inflation. This is called the NAIRU level in technical terms. The NAIRU replaced the Phillips curve though its conceptually incoherent. The modern mathematical replacement for the Moniac will (if consulted) tell the RBNZ to increase unemployment because the inflation rate is too high. Probably better that they actually use their brains, rather than acting mechanically, to determine monetary policy.
They would probably also disagree that the present NZ economic situation is a test of this given the amount of imported inflation and supply side issues involved. That's not a judgement which the Moniac is capable of.
On the other hand the underlying Wicksellian theory that there exists one single interest rate which is most appropriate for the prevailing economic situation is clearly not applicable. The actual occurring economy is more broad and varied than the model economy which could support such a theory existing. So I consider the most suitable monetary policy will typically be to set the rate at zero and leave it there. Inflation issues should be resolved either via fiscal policy and within the contextual understanding that somebody will lose out cost wise when external prices change and this cost should be fairly distributed.
Doing it via monetary policy gives the pretense that imported inflation doesn't have distributional impacts, but it doesn't make those impacts go away.
Its a political question introducing such a tax, the revenue is irrelevant.
The question is will the windfall tax discourage profit gouging, and at what cost in govt popularity. It might make sellers say why bother making extraordinary profits they just get taxed away, but it might also lead to price hikes just to make a point to the public about whos boss.
And also make that same point to any government that tried to impose a windfall tax. I don't know of any examples of it happening elsewhere in the world, but it's a level of spitefulness that wouldn't surprise me in NZ.
It should then be easier for an effective political leader to use the spiteful behaviour of the commercial bosses as an example of why we need to restrain their antisocial excesses.
Franklin Roosevelt's Address Announcing the Second New Deal
October 31, 1936 http://docs.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/od2ndst.html
[link required]
There has certainly been some piss taking with fuel, There has been a 30-40 cent per litre difference in diesel pricing between Auckland and not to far out of Auckland.
That's far more than can be explained by regional fuel tax etc. Could well call it price gouging.
Fuel companies pocket record margins, thanks to Govt excise cuts | Stuff.co.nz
"Piss taking".
Yet another reason to replace fossil fuels. Saving 9 billion a year, conservative estimate, in foreign exchange to subsidise the price gouging pricks.
I've deleted your copypasta. If you can copy and paste you can copy a link as well. It is a requirement here that all quoting comes with a link.
If you provide a link I will replace your text. And hope that you take this on board for next time.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/the-bulletin/19-07-2022/whats-driving-inflation
The Bulletin is a daily email newsletter from the Spinoff (I get it as well), but handily the Spinoff also publishes them on their website.
it's still possible to link from the Bulletin, there's a share button at the bottom of each segment.
Petrol prices drop across NZ as Government questions fuel companies
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/129313050/petrol-prices-drop-across-nz-as-government-questions-fuel-companies
"Fuel prices are dropping across the country after the Government questioned fuel companies’ profit margins.
In Auckland, the price of 91 octane petrol was between $2.88 and $3.05 a litre across stations on Tuesday morning, while diesel was between $2.79 and $2.97, according to PriceWatch.
Prices had dropped below $3 in Wellington and Christchurch.
AA principal policy adviser Terry Collins said the decline was down to two things: the drop in price of crude oil and refinery, but also the questioning of why fuel companies had high profit margins by the Government." (my bold)
So even the threat of the Government doing something causes the big boys to moderate their profits.
please read this and respond.
.https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19-07-2022/#comment-1900913
Noted.Thanks.
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/07/18/federal-reserve-thinks-answer-inflation-imposing-class-war
Could someone please pass this onto Poto Williams.
Fark she must have been so full of herself to spout the shit she did while everyone in Auckland and NZ knew what the truth was.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-gang-warfare-city-sees-109-reported-gun-crimes-in-a-single-month/VERZANIUDJTL5VPP33O3KRHCFE/
If you had read your article instead of spray & walk away you’d known how stupid you sound.
If you keep up your dump & jump trolling here you’ll be treated that way.
Note: Poto Williams, and the police, efforts were starting to have an effect.
Of course stupid right wingers like you, expect instant solutions to the disasters that your policies have caused over decades.
Everyone knew Poto was well out of her depth. Hopefully Hipkins will manage to achieve something as he is their best minister.
How would you have dealt with a "perfect storm" caused by a combination of 501's, and a large number of disaffected youth caused by the loss of social cohension due to decades of Neo-Liberal "there is no such thing as society" cruelty?
As well as constant White anting by ignorant fools such as David Seymour, at your workplace.
You wouldn't have a fucking clue, and be "well out of your depth".
Now, because of the idiot chorus from the RW, actually getting to the causes and really cutting crime has been set back another decade.
How Finland reduced its prison population by two thirds – How to Cut New Zealand's Prison Population (cuttheprisonpop.nz)
Really? Aside from there being no actual evidence that she was out of her depth and the fact she was beginning to make headway before Nat white anting made her position untenable, are you plugged into some collective Borg-like consciousness that lets you know what "Everyone" knows?
Her problem was: she didn't have very good communication skills. Especially when dealing with the media who aided and abetted the white-anters by shoving their mikes into her face whenever she dared venture out of her office… asking pointed questions designed to throw her off balance.
A blind man on a fast horse could see she was promoted beyond her means. Even Jacinda realised it finally and moved her.
Unfortunately the criminals are getting bolder as the soft on crime approach has not worked. This guy shows how much respect or fear of the police (none) he has and absolutely nails the poor police woman. But then, I expect he is really a nice person just got mixed up with the wrong crowd and had a tough upbringing and was in the process of turning his life around. Hopefully the other officers gave out a bit of rough justice shortly afterwards.
Female police officer knocked unconscious by offender, vicious Manurewa assault caught on camera – NZ Herald
An illegal, violent reaction to the casual, un-provoked violence of a law breaker?
One can only imagine the state of your strides.
"An illegal, violent reaction to the casual, un-provoked violence of a law breaker?"
That's what he did to the policewoman in the first few seconds of the video.
I can just imagine you sitting down with him over a cup of tea and explaining to him "What you did to that Policewoman wasn't really appropriate behavior, and you need to reflect on what you just did…..another cuppa?"
Do you really think someone who's so casual with their use of violence would respond in any positive way to more violence?
They'd laugh at your pissant lust for vengeance.
They wouldn't laugh while they are being bent over in the showers in Mt Eden.
WTF is it with you lot and your rape fantasies?
It's how they view the world
[Mod note]
https://thestandard.org.nz/policy/#banning
[This is your warning]
Had a tradie rant about our high cost of timber being due to our FTA with china.
Im aware we don't own all our forests, so those we don't that timber goes where it's owners want.
So how plausible is it that it's all the FTA with china ?
but also:
– Who owns the NZ domiciled sawmills?
Hi tc. The Answer as always…..is not one thing. Carters…China….”Monopoly” . Does seem we in NZ are being shafted though.
Selling off the harvesting rights to publicly owned forest to private and overseas interests has pretty much meant we have very little control over where our logs go.
Pretty clear who we can thank for that…
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/2026-billion-sale-forestry-corporation-completed
The consortium comprises Fletcher Challenge (37.5 per cent); Brierley Investments (25 per cent); and Citifor, a subsidiary of China International Trust and Investment Corporation, (37.5 per cent).
https://accentuatepr.co.nz/chinese+soe+makes+long-term+investment+in+new+zealand+forestry+sector
China Forestry Group New Zealand Company Limited (China Forestry Group NZ) has agreed to acquire part of the NZ Superannuation Fund’s North Island forestry assets, following a competitive tender and Overseas Investment Office approval.
Hi Cricklewood. Oh fark yes…Bill Birch !. I'd maybe tried to suppress memories of THAT particular jerk. And of course what those a-holes legacy left Future NZ. Sad does not cover it.
Yeah, our trouble now with timber is demonstrable proof of how short sighted the Nats are with their assets sales.
Be worth pointing that out when the building supply issues are thrust at the current govt.
Here in the shadow of the hill,
Lies Mrs Birch, mother of Bill.
Her soul of course has fled this vale
of tears, and so this plot's For Sale.
Funny because..it might be true : ) ?
And, Bill rap.?
Ol' Bill forever, Think Big playa,
Planned the Dawn Raids to nab overstayer,
Unions another target thats a fact
A brain fart called Employment Contract Act,
If Bill ever had a sister,
She's down the river… to.. some… rich lister
Not wrong.
But other causes as well, like building supply monopolies price gouging in NZ.
Thanks folks it's rarely a single thing so appreciate that context.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/paula-bennett-jacinda-ardern-and-the-insidious-rumour-mill/6K7GD3SYGFVAGYZDQ37ILWZJ7Y/?dicbo=v2-fd1b224c1396237124f1bc3496e26fbb&&ref=topbox
That someone could decide to print this should be unbelievable.
Got to pay to read it.
Surprise surprise, what misinformation and disinformation are the Nat & Act Supporters spewing now? Pullya's article is paywalled.
It's nationals herald. It provides soapboxes and facilitates Dirty politics which is like rust….it never sleeps.
If you have an Auckland Library card, you can read all the Heralds free of charge via Pressreader. Great to bypass the paywall.
This article, while being typically self serving, actually made a reasonable point about the online abuse that the PM has been receiving.
Arch ladder kicker waxes kind…
I don't think I have ever seen the gossip, rumours and conspiracy theories to be as bad as they are now.
In my time in politics I heard them all – and many about myself. If I had a dollar for every time I heard about the untrue demise of Winston Peters and rumours of poor health then I would be a wealthy woman. I don't think a Green MP washes her hair in her own urine but this was told to me numerous times and as if it is fact.
I am sure that like a lot of workplaces the odd bit of after-hours shagging goes on but nowhere near as much as is rumoured and speculated on.
I had plenty of rubbish said about me and some of it still does the rounds on social media occasionally, all blatantly not true and actually insulting.
I once had to take out an injunction and get legal advice at my own expense to stop a so-called reputable radio station from repeating what someone who has obvious mental health issues had said about me on social media.
I understand at some level him projecting on to me just because he can – I couldn't reconcile tens of thousands of people believing and sharing it and mainstream media picking it up.
There aren't easy answers when you are under a full-on prolonged attack. By defending yourself you give them oxygen and although thousands might have seen it – I have to presume millions haven't – bringing it into the open just adds fuel and embarrassment. So they keep you quiet and reluctant to speak out.
Which brings me to the constant gossip about the Prime Minister and her partner.
I have been asked more times than I can remember if x is true about one or both of them. I am not in their lives and do not have intimate knowledge about them and I believe their private lives are exactly that – but I always answer no it's not true.
Purely because anyone with half a brain would not believe that in a country this size with two degrees of separation that the blatant extreme nonsense that people say would be ignored by our media if there was evidence to back it up.
My politics and ideology differ a lot from Jacinda Ardern's but as a woman, mum, partner and politician I would stand at her side and suggest everyone just leave her private life alone.
I have heard intelligent, respectable people repeating gossip about her. They all know someone who knows someone and as such they know it is true. Just because something is repeated a lot does not make it true.
Yes, by being in the public eye we open ourselves up to criticism, but let's leave that to being about performance and leave the personal stuff alone.
We need our best and our brightest putting their hands up for public office in the future and if it was your son or daughter would you want lies repeated about their private lives?
We are all guilty of enjoying a spot of gossip but when it comes to our leaders enough is enough.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/paula-bennett-jacinda-ardern-and-the-insidious-rumour-mill/6K7GD3SYGFVAGYZDQ37ILWZJ7Y/?dicbo=v2-fd1b224c1396237124f1bc3496e26fbb&&ref=topbox
I'm not so sure that's her motive. I think it's more about keeping the discussion about "rumours and gossip about the PM and her partner" alive, and that she's tried to do this in a way that disguises that motive.
I was being just a little sarky. When I happened upon this effort earlier my first impression was that there was pot-stirring going on. A Westie don't change it's spots…
Sorry – what's unbelievable about it.
The key point:
Basically Bennett is saying – STFU with the gossip – let people's private lives be just that.
Agree. Some of the stuff I have seen or heard about Clarke Gayford in particular is mind boggling crap. It has also beggared my belief that normally intelligent and respectable people have actually believed it. In one instance the person claimed a certain rumour had to be correct because someone she knew had been there when it happened. The 'someone she knew' was an arch enemy of Labour and was lying.
Respect for Paula Bennett for coming out and saying what she did.
Sorry, here's my response here:
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19-07-2022/#comment-1900992
You might think that's Bennett's motive – but it would only apply if there was little gossip going on. I'm sorry to say, that's not the case – the trash being talked about Ardern and Gayford is increasing in volume – and spreading.
You may not like Bennett – but she's right on the money here.
Quite frankly, I find it disgusting. And choose not to participate (or link) to the rubbish which is being spread around.
Sure, I understand what you're saying – of course the sentiment may appear sincere. But I do not believe Bennett is capable of doing anything that does not have a self-serving aspect to it.
However, it's probably not you who is either the culprit, or the target audience for this piece.
Right-wing supporters are more likely to listen and/or believe a right-wing opinion writer. If/when a left-wing one contributes the same content, it's more likely to be dismissed by a right-wing audience (using exactly the same 'self-serving' justification).
I don't disagree that what you say happens, but I do not think the present situation is an example of that. There are, of course, right-wing politicians – even if fewer these days – who are or have been quite capable of holding opinions on particular matters that dedicated left-leaning people would agree with. I just cannot accept that Bennett could be one of them.
I had no idea there was gossip. Clearly I'm moving in the wrong circles. I did make a mental note to self to plumb the deeper depths of the darkweb and try and find out what Bennett is on about.
I'd call that a result.
Seems like the Covid number was getting to large for the Govt.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid19-omicron-outbreak-ashley-bloomfield-to-give-daily-update-changes-to-reporting-of-deaths/IBEIDDBTMU5RIK2JD4K4IT5CYY/
Any thoughts from other commentators on this?
Whist I think the current method is a crock of shit, it is the method used by all the other countries so why the change in NZ.
Changing the metric does seem an odd thing to do given we'll be an outlier in the way we report our data to the WHO makes comparing things all that much harder.
If you listened to/watched the press conference you would know your assertions are more BS. The change was prompted by the WHO and will be consistent with other countries we compare to. In addition, the current measure/statistic will continue to be reported.
To be fair the article linked to doesnt explain that. All you get is
" Until now, all deaths where someone had died within 28 days of a positive Covid 19 result have been reported, as had been done by other countries"
Not everyone is able or indeed willing to sit through the press conference.
I was being fair. It is fair to expect people to bring some logical consideration to things they may read, including actually being bothered to check they actually understand the the issues and facts, including their context. Just simple things we learn at school when we are taught how to think.
So where did you get "we'll be an outlier in the way we report our data to the WHO" from?
That is strange as we only just changed recently to this reporting method which is in line with overseas. Back in March per this article.
Why the hell are we changing again other than someone doesn't like the numbers?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/463975/measuring-and-reporting-covid-19-deaths-what-you-need-to-know
Fark…..what a P.O.S. . I have struck scum bags like this through my life. This is a 17 year old lad. He should have had a Boss worthy of that title. But I still recall when another young lad lost his leg….and the online vilification he was getting …from the same kind of scum. Just a sick mentality….
The kids are not alright. Don’t care about the cat role playing (although this seems more like something primary school kids would be doing), but there are some boundary issues here.
https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1549105010729832448
Ah, tiktok.
https://amp.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jul/05/tiktok-girls-dead-blackout-challenge
Hi Weka
I've taken out a few links from my post (awaiting moderation) but I can't really take anymore out as I need them to illustrate my points
Also my pronouns are nya/nyan/nyanself
Number of links is fine. Someone might have put you in temp premod. You been misbehaving?
Nah, not yet; once a comment ends up in Pre-Mod queue because it has too many links, for example, editing and removing links doesn’t automatically undo the move. IDK if deleting the comment and starting fresh is an option.
Hesca fascinating guy, YoungRippa
He's basically taking care of everything himself, no middle man
Did the comic himself, self published it himself, set up his own warehouse, all his part time workers are now full time, organising the distribution himself, so all the profits are his which he's reinvesting
So of course he's getting attacked by the left
Politics is downstream from culture and the culture is changing
Ah, hate site.
/
https://twitter.com/MichaelEHayden/status/1536792584911306754
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2022/06/14/far-right-influencers-hyped-coeur-dalene-pride-patriot-front-showed
here ya go, something you can watch.
https://twitter.com/ramseyboltin/status/1547606632187629569
The interwebs have always been a strange place full of strange people and children doing and saying strange shit. It's no reason to amplify hate mongers.
But if you do want something to be outraged about…
https://www.dailydot.com/irl/wren-eleanor-exploitation-tiktok/
The latest cover of Victoria University's student magazine: Salient.
https://twitter.com/kiriceilidh/status/1549199730206724096?s=20&t=rdkSE9dg_-USWgfa-ZOvbw
I went online to see the article, and website is articles predominantly promotion of gender ideology, and queer theory. Fair enough, I thought. Must be the rainbow community magazine for students, but no, it is the student magazine for all students.
Housing issues, courses, course fees, impact of Covid, etc. not apparent at first glance.
https://www.salient.org.nz/
"Annual" edition should be a clue when you stop clutching those pearls.
Thanks for pointing out the obvious, completely missed that. Make sense now!
(However, I still find it disturbing to see young women undergo cosmetic mastectomies, even though it is celebrated as autonomy. I know you feel differently.)
I mean, call me a bit thick, but if it's UniQ Victoria's official account and they literally say it's their "annual collaboration with Salient", doesn't that clearly indicate it's a once a year special issue for the rainbow student community at Vic? Because I'm pretty sure Salient regularly runs stories on "housing issues, courses, course fees, impact of Covid, etc" the rest of the year. So either there is something terribly wrong with my literacy skills or you're building a straw man that's just missing Dorothy, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion for the full Wizard of Oz.
Thanks for pointing that out. Sacha made the same point above.
Something I had completely missed in my comment.
OMG…do these people get to vote?
Yes they get to vote – it is not their franchise that has been removed ……
Perhaps I should try and get my two cats on to the electoral role.
Your cats are probably neutered …… so surely qualify
Maybe don't take every little bit of fringe eccentricity amplified by social media algorithms as being indicative of larger social trends? That's how you get Covid conspiracies.
De furries! De furries!
https://twitter.com/jonnykip21/status/1508491958662090764
https://twitter.com/HeartlandSignal/status/1519716100367429639
Luckily, we have more than social media to explain these identities.
Dedicated websites and research programmes. As one such site, FurScience.com says:
Probably of more relevance to this thread is the About Us page:
https://furscience.com/who-we-are/
A less academic take on furries can be found here: (1) Jesus Fox Forgives Your Yiffs | Facebook
Must be fun dreaming this shit up.
https://twitter.com/woot_master/status/1549180860183613440
The Bronies are something else – had a bunch of them in our Astroempires guild. Quirky – but waaay too fond of rape jokes.
What she is demonstrating is not rare, the thinking involved and the boundary issues is common enough for me to want to post it here on a political blog. Maybe don't knee jerk dismiss something that you are unaware of, that's how we dumb down politics.
I'm not certain the furries are a unitary community – they have been a presence at scifi & fantasy events for decades, as cosplayers. These ones at least are typically fond of the movie Zootopia.
I wasn't thinking of furries as a community or sub culture so much as the boundary issues that are in many of the online subcultures now. Like I said, I'm not bothered by the cat role play. Having watched it again, it's just as likely to be a piss take.
I am aware of furries though. They're been around for decades and are about as concerning as, oh, I dunno, trekkies, larpers or any other kind of cosplayer. Why do you feel the need to gatekeep boundary issues anyway? How does it affect you at all?
Certain things have been happening in the pop culture realm as of late thats leading me to believe the pendulum is starting to move back towards the centre
The failure of movies like Thor (amongst others), the success of Top Gun: Maverick, the rise of TV series like Terminal List and Reacher shows that there is a disconnect between what the people want and what the media corporations are giving us
I haven't spoken much about comics because (I'm guessing) most people here don't read them but as bad as I say movies and TV are comics are even worse
Basically Manga is outselling American comics, in America.
There are some theories why and one of them is that Manga is not beholden to "The Message" like American comics are, ie:
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-pop-culture/12-superheroes-came-2021-rcna3599
However this opens the doors for others. Here is a list of the biggest comic kickstarters from 2021:
https://www.gamesradar.com/comics-kickstarter/
The number one comic raised just under 1.5 million and stars and co-written by Keanu Reeves and in total the top ten raised 6.9 million
Well theres a new player on the block, Eric July and he is singlehandedly changing the industry:
https://rippaverse.com/product/isom-1-campaign/
As of the time of writing hes got just under 2.6 million with 66 days to go.
https://nypost.com/2022/07/15/anti-woke-comic-book-defies-cancel-culture-earns-1-7m-in-four-days/
You sound like one of those alt right hacks on YouTube who thinks they're owning the libs by complaining about Western pop culture being too woke while apparently ignoring that manga and anime is full of queer themes.
Despite all the work women have done to be heard on the harms of surgical mesh, implants are back on the rise in the UK.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11025933/Are-Britains-sexist-surgeons.html
Having a close friend who was severely injured by this here in NZ, some of the surgeons comments are familiar.
You sound like one of those alt right hacks on YouTube who thinks they're owning the libs by complaining about Western pop culture being too woke while apparently ignoring that manga and anime is full of queer themes.
Gay doesn't mean woke but retconning previously strait characters for the sake of diversity is woke and, given the drop in sales, its not what the readership want
Hence why Eric July is smashing it, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up making more money than the last top ten made together
Sure, because new things erase old things from ever having existed or something.