"We use big science approaches to study the origins of the universe, to study particle physics, why are we not using big science approaches to address issues of existential risk to our societies." An integrated approach was desperately needed, he said.
The knight got it right. Scientists acting like spoilt brats wasting money on trivial shit in the atomic zoo has been polluting the tech scene way too long.
it looks like banter to me. And not an unreasonable response to being told they have personal bias and clouded judgement without any explanation of that or addressing the original comment content.
Liquidators have started bankruptcy proceedings against Eric Watson after he failed to repay $57 million borrowed from his company, Cullen Investments. In February, Justice Neil Campbell ordered the former high-flying Kiwi businessman to pay almost $60m to KPMG, liquidators of his failed Cullen Group.
The liquidators’ eighth and most recent report, filed on Monday, said Watson had failed to pay or settle the outstanding balance and solicitors had been instructed to begin bankruptcy proceedings.
So he's been naughty and defied the judge. Did four months in prison for being contemptuous of a court too. Very naughty crim. Last bastion of the neolibs goes down.
Now I seriously love the city of Dunedin, and occasionally I get really encouraged when someone tries something really useful.
This time it's the Port of Otago. They are proposing a big fat trucking hub in Mosgiel, which can take 3,500 heavy trucks a year off Dunedin roads and onto rail straight to Port Chalmers. Most of it is milk products and logs.
Yes, it puts more rail on the Port Chalmers line. But it takes most of the big trucks off that little state highway from Dunedin to the port, which makes everyone safer and ordinary motorists less aggravated.
Also it would not be too hard to stick a commuter carriage on the back of them and bingo you have a commuter line.
Ports of Otago have done some real stupid stuff in the past, and this isn't one of them.
Hate that road with the trucks on it, only feel safe in a bus on. Mind you have not traveled it in years. But family say their are way more trucks these days.
Luxon floundering as ever on Morning Report today. He hated Corin's first question where he put to him that the US and NZ were winning the global beauty pageant in terms of inflation rates according to the Herald.
Cue Luxon spouting a lot of inaccurate information about NZ's inflation rate. Corin later asks him “isn’t he talking down the NZ economy too much” and “is it fair of National on its website to describe the NZ economy as a house of cards”.
"(Of course we shouldn't host the games, but every NZ politician with a pulse can work that out, he doesn't get bonus points for stating the obvious)."
What do you know about Grant Robertson that I don't? Although he looks a bit overweight and doesn't seem to be very fit he still seems to be breathing and to have a working heart.
However he is certainly in favour of New Zealand hosting the Commonwealth Games and has said so on a number of occasions. " I am excited at the prospect and potential for us to host it here.". Not this year perhaps but certainly he doesn't see anything wrong with throwing money down the drain in the future.
As you know perfectly well, the topic addressed by Luxon this morning was the 2026 games, as was my comment. It is right there in the title of the link.
You don't lack comprehension skills, so please don't play the fool.
I really thought that you comment was arguing that we should never attempt to host these events. I was definitely in a mood to applaud your view.
Apparently though you are only talking about the 2026 games. Why not be sensible. We should never compete to hold these stupid events. All we get from it is a way of blowing enormous sums of money so that politicians can flaunt themselves, while attending all the events free in the best seats, and pretending we get something of benefit to the people of New Zealand.
Frankly if they want carnivals they should personally pay for them.
"Cue Luxon spouting a lot of inaccurate information about NZ's inflation rate".
Would you care to expand on this claim you have made? I'll admit that I found it rather hard to follow this interview because of Dann's repeated talking over the interviewee but I didn't see any obvious propagation of inaccurate material. What do you claim was wrong with what Luxon said?
I can't comment on the accuracy myself (haven't listened yet) but Luxon certainly shows incredible incompetence to be talking about the inflation rate only hours before it is released.
He's not just shooting himself in the foot, he's blown his head off.
Luxon gave the impression, falsely, that NZ's inflation rate was a disaster. Simply not true. He needs to be honest. The USA (which is only one country BTW) recent 3.0 rate is skewed by food and energy. NZ's has been skewed by one-off food inflation. Here is a comparison of some of the major economies:
NZ's 6.0 (excl food 4.6)
UK 8.7
Germany 6.4
Australia 7.0
Italy 6.4
USA 3.0 (excl food and energy 4.8)
Food inflation has been a massive issue here, mostly I think because of the weather events on the North Island.
The point is that in a world beset by inflation NZ's rate is relatively impressive.
Before the current run of terrible inflation numbers over the last 18 months or so the last time that New Zealand at this level was way back in 1990.
It doesn't make it any better if you say we are no worse than some other countries with terrible results. It just means there are other countries that are equally bad.
Why don't you ask why we aren't doing as well as the better countries? The year on year inflation rate for Switzerland in June 2023 for example was 1.7%. Why don't we compare ourselves with them rather than with the bottom of the heap?
It doesn't make it any better if you say we are no worse than some other countries with terrible results. It just means there are other countries that are equally bad.
Why are so many other countries "equally bad"?
I love Central Otago cherries, but they're out of season
The year on year inflation rate for Switzerland in June 2023 for example was 1.7%. Why don't we compare ourselves with them rather than with the bottom of the heap?
Re "the bottom of the heap", do you mean countries with inflation rates >100%?
The less one-eyed will observe that NZ is in the middle of the pack – nowhere near as bad as some would have us believe, and trending in a good direction.
Aotearoa 6% inflation (down from 6.7%)
Australia 7% inflation (down from 7.8%)
EurUnion 7.1% (down from 8.1%)
Of the core products used to measure inflation in the euro zone, including food, housing and transport, almost one third (30%) are subject to price regulation in Switzerland — more than in any other European country.
High tariffs on certain agricultural imports also mean that domestically produced foods, such as milk and cheese, are preferentially priced and less impacted by movements in global food markets. That, in turn, has helped stimulate the country’s economy.
Swiss energy suppliers are also largely publicly owned, meaning that they are less exposed to extreme market volatility through financial safety nets, while being subject to stricter pricing regulation…. the nationalization of Swiss energy provision offered an important lesson to other countries, particularly those nations in Europe that underwent a broad shift to privatization and are now paying the price.
Thanks for the link.
So what is lacking in our politicians that stops them from adopting similar measures? (Tariffs on some imports, state owned energy entitites…)
Bind adherence to neoliberal ideology, without regards to evidence (there is plenty of evidence that privatisation often doesn't improve efficiency or public benefit, for example).
“Swiss energy suppliers are also largely publicly owned, “
Not for long.
European market developments and Switzerland's desire to phase out nuclear power have prompted the government to draft a new electricity supply law. This law provides for the complete liberalisation of the market and the rapid development of renewable energies in Switzerland.
Based on your own link (which opens at a selection of G20 countries), only 7 of those countries have higher rates of inflation than NZ currently. And if you use the same reference, but select ‘World’, NZ is 94th out of 186 entries. But in any event, these are measurements focused on a moment in time. Of even more concern is this:
“While inflation is ‘lower’, it is not ‘low’ by any stretch of the imagination,” said Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod.
“Importantly, measures of core inflation are continuing to run at rates of around 6 per cent, and some have actually picked up in the June quarter. That points to lingering strength in underlying price pressures. Similarly, domestic inflation – aka. non-tradables inflation – remains elevated at 6.6 per cent.”
With strong and persistent underlying price pressures, inflation was unlikely to return within the RBNZ’s target band any time soon, he said.”
Choosing your quotes carefully there Gypsy to bolster your hero Luxon's position. I do not accept your argument.
Looking at this rationally, NZ at 6.0, but 4.6 excluding food, is a valid statistic.
Compare this with the EU; 27 countries with a population of 447 million. The EU inflation rate is 5.5%, and that is with fruit and vegetables in season and no weather event that has smashed their fruit and veg production (to my knowledge). That makes NZ look just fine.
As Drowsy says above, NZ cherries are out of season. I saw some American cherries at New World the other day that were about a dollar each.
You have linked to G20 data. Compared to the G20 countries, NZ would rank as having the 8th highest rate of inflation. Using your reference further, NZ is somewhere in the middle of the countries of the world by current rate of inflation. These are not encouraging comparisons. That said, to some degree the current inflation rate is a snapshot. Of more concern is this:
“While inflation is ‘lower’, it is not ‘low’ by any stretch of the imagination,” said Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod.
“Importantly, measures of core inflation are continuing to run at rates of around 6 per cent, and some have actually picked up in the June quarter. That points to lingering strength in underlying price pressures. Similarly, domestic inflation – aka. non-tradables inflation – remains elevated at 6.6 per cent.”
With strong and persistent underlying price pressures, inflation was unlikely to return within the RBNZ’s target band any time soon, he said.“
Analysis of the rapidly falling inflation rate in the US. Bill Mitchell has been highly consistent in his categorization of the present inflationary period as supply driven, imported and transitory.
One of the main implications of this is that central bank policy (raising cash rates) has not been effective at reducing inflation. That makes comparing inflation rates between countries a bit dubious, especially if you then attribute the falling rate to central bank policy. Any rapid fall is more likely down to many other factors effecting the domestic economy (like ability to discourage corporate price gouging, release of fuel reserves) and a general fall in external supply pressures.
Gaia seems to be experimenting with a solution to the feral cat problem but unfortunately it also will target non-offending domestic cats:
The outbreak in Cyprus involves a feline coronavirus – not linked to Covid-19 – that also circulates in cats in the UK, but which does not infect people. The virus normally causes only a mild stomach upset, but can lead to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), where white blood cells become infected, spreading the virus through the cat’s body and triggering an often fatal inflammatory reaction in the abdomen, kidneys and brain.
Wagner convoy enters new home base, Belarus boosted as regional power:
On Tuesday, Belarus's President, Alexander Lukashenko – an ally of Russia – said Wagner "are currently in their camps" inside the country. "If Belarus needs them, we will instantly call upon the Wagner private military company to defend the nation," Mr Lukashenko said.
can you please stop using OM as a news feed. Lynn said this in the back end recently,
This is a site for opinions to be expressed and debated. It isn't there for just copy-pasting. If I was wanting to do that, I'd just write a netscraper and curation algorithm then hook it to a front-end.
I think you bring both interesting news items, and opinions to the commentariat. However the four comments you made today are more appropriate to FB or twitter than TS. My strong suggestion is to post less and put more into the comments you do make in terms of explaining what the issue is and what you think about it: "opinions to be expressed and debated".
Casual and/or short comments are ok in moderation, but when they become the main way that someone posts, it becomes a problem.
Being called a 'troll', 'clouded judgement' and having 'biases' (all comments unexplained) is enough to put anyone off from posting expanded points of view, explaining items.
If the comments are meant in banter can they at least have a smiley or wink icon, or better still not be posted at all?
People get called trolls here, I wouldn't worry about someone else being called a troll, just carry on with whatever you wanted to reply (to the original comment). There is a degree of robustness needed to comment here, because rudeness or bluntness per se isn't considered an inherent problem (personalised abuse or rudeness with the intention if flaming are where the problems start).
Okay, will do. I agree with your reasoning. I thought the point about Belarus ascending into the regional pivot position was worth making though. Perhaps the way I did that was too brief…
Also, I don't do twitter or facebook due to the cultures being too shallow. Seems to me folks here like to dig under the surface appearance of things. That's why I see the site operating as part of the solution rather than part of the problem – plus acceptance of centrists participating with leftists, plus non-toxic ethos.
Nice one Dennis. That's great feedback about the site. To clarify, there's nothing wrong with the topics you are bringing, it is indeed the brevity where that becomes a habit.
I thought the point about Belarus ascending into the regional pivot position was worth making though. Perhaps the way I did that was too brief…
It doesn't make a lot of difference to the military standing of Belarus. Basically they have barely upgraded any weapons since independence from the Soviet union 30+ years ago. Most of their manpower are very poorly trained conscripts.
With the exception of their relatively small special forces, everything I've read (wikipedia has a goodish overview) about the armed forces of Belarus tends to indicate that they're be graded as target practice quality by all of their neighbours forces. Not even up to the standards of the pre-2014 Ukrainian forces. There is a moderate amount of material around about the quality of Belarus armed forces.
Wagner adds a core of reasonably well trained and veteran infantry. But how many of those arrive there is a question.Wagner have missions in other countries, which are unlikely to go away, so most of the time most of the mercs will be absent. Plus there are considerations of supply and logistics.
So if they are the supply that Wagner depends on, then in all likelyhood they will at best get mostly outdated, non-updated gear and munitions that will be dangerous to handle.
Of course the Russian armed forces have quite a lot of troops in Belarus at any one point in time doing exercises, semi-permanently based there, and doing a odd bit of invading neighbouring countries. So I guess that they could get supply from there.
But I suspect that main value of having Wagner in-country is that they have quite a lot of experience of propping up old dictators. It is their main line of business.
Don't forget that a large section of the under 30's in Belarus will probably not fight. The crack downs of the last few years have left a high level of enmity towards the state within that age group.
Looks like I can take you're word for it, given all that research, thanks. So not so much of a regional pivot point. I wonder how the co-founders of Wagner will adapt to their new home. Not the type to sit around playing tiddlywinks.
I expect, when ensconced satisfactorily, there'll be some back to Africa, but if that doesn't keep them busy enough they'll need live target practice elsewhere.
The 'research' was just 15 minutes on google between compiles. Like this mornings comments are being done while listening to a work "connect" on zoom. The modern version of a all-of-company meeting – but across multiple time zones.
I keep a general eye on military and political trends in potential conflict regions. Personally I consider this is to be general knowledge. The links were just to give others something to dig into if they feel like it.
From the link. Wooton claims that "GB News is the biggest threat to the establishment in decades," Heh – GB News is the establishment, just a faction of it that is a little more deranged in their use of anti-wokeness to disguise their actual intentions.
A leading Jewish group has criticised a prominent GB News presenter for spreading “a dangerous conspiracy theory” after she tweeted that the Covid virus appeared to have been bioengineered to be less dangerous to some Jewish people.
In a tweet sent on Tuesday afternoon, Beverley Turner supported the idea first popularised by the controversial Democratic presidential hopeful Robert Kennedy Jr that the coronavirus was engineered to target some ethnic groups and spare others.
In her message, which has since been deleted, Turner, who co-presents a regular morning show on GB News, appeared to argue that this bioengineering could be linked to Dr Anthony Fauci, who as the chief medical adviser to the US presidency during Covid was a common target for conspiracy theorists.
I know a bunch of folks in alternative Aotearoa who share these fantasies – old friends & acquaintances, university degrees & successful entrepreneurs.
My technique for engaging with them again (sporadically) is to ignore such tendencies as much as possible. If they go there, I hit them with `been there done that long ago' acknowledgement. Delivered with a tone of dismissal verging on boredom usually works ok. If they act obtuse & continue, I become a critic via instant personality switch, point out where their thinking is going wrong.
Mostly that works. It helps to share the ole govt always lies thing, along with `corporations always lie' etc. Then point out that conspiracy theorists are mostly delusional due to inventing correlations and being proud of it. Then ya gotta admit that sometimes the theories appear to be correct – but not often! Once you've led them down the garden path like that they tend to end up admiring the flowers…
Thanks for the heads up observer. I avoid low hanging British tabloid fruit so had never heard of him. A right-wing DP gamer with a record of lies and deceit? He's now playing the wounded innocent who has been targeted by a jealous ex-lover.
Having had personal experience of someone (not an ex-lover) who projected their unsound and unlawful behaviour onto me… I can see the self-same scenario playing out here. Here's hoping Karma has indeed got him.
Wootton's NZ-born, started at The Dom-Post, and was visiting his parents in Wellington when accusation broke, according to the spinoff (see 10.02 am post). No wonder he took pleasure in (and maybe initiated) anti-Ardern messaging.
Jfkjr is in the shit again at a private dinner he dared to suggest that cov 19 was a bio weapon that had more of an effect on some races than others an the dems have got their nickers well an truly in a twist over it declaring that he shouldnt be a witness in Jim Jordens hearing on censorship he's a racist he's an antisemetic etc etc .JFKjr is perceived as a huge threat to the dems and they're out to get him anyway they can apparently adding to all the attention he's getting of course !!.Personally i find him him intelligent warm thoughtful and capable of talking for hours on subjects with no notes something rather lacking in the big players of American politics .As i said the other night amongst the woeful selection of pres candidates currently in the race and especially compared to the incumbent he's head and shoulders above imo.
Someone here yesterday even tried to give me a hard time for merely commenting on him. Dunno if the guy is wacko or not, but he does have relevance to our election since conspiracy theorists have become influential in both countries in recent years.
Anyway so despite disagreeing with you recently about something I've forgotten, I agree he's worth tracking & suggest you stand by to repel boarders, as a pirate would say. Brain-police alert!
In the US, there is effectively a two-candidate presidential election by an electoral college. At the moment, candidates are strutting their stuff for the Democrat nominating convention, which chooses that party's presidential candidate. RFK jnr is one of those Democrat candidates.
The US party presidential selection process has no relevance to upcoming NZ elections, where we are choosing a government. Here, conspiracists fortunately have a plethora of looney tunes parties amongst which to split their votes.
The reason for pointing out RFK jnr's behaviour is to show how low the marketplace of political ideas has sunk in the US, not to draw a tenuous parallel with our own political circus.
Marjorie Taylor Greene compares Biden to FDR, LBJ. Thanks for the free campaign ad!
The predominantly ludicrous lawmaker from Georgia did Biden a solid this weekend, telling Republicans the Democratic president is fiendishly attempting to make people's lives better.
There is the case for a permanent host of the CG, with occasional diversions to other venues. Obviously cities that have hosted the Olympic Games (or could do so/aspire to) could provide alternatives from time to time.
A nation like New Zealand could still do it – but the games village concept requires a city host.
The only place to host twice is Auckland and the only continent not to host is Africa. The only major city not to host (out of Africa) would be Toronto Canada.
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The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
The protest outside the White House correspondents’ dinner hotel. Image: Anatolu video screenshot APR More than two dozen Palestinian journalists had called for a boycott of the dinner, writing an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend. “You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
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Gluckman on saving the world: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/494018/call-for-un-sustainable-development-goals-to-be-science-led
The knight got it right. Scientists acting like spoilt brats wasting money on trivial shit in the atomic zoo has been polluting the tech scene way too long.
Your personal bias is shining through your clouded judgment, again.
All good. Greener is better. Thus spake the Gluckman!
And now you’re trolling and you know it.
it looks like banter to me. And not an unreasonable response to being told they have personal bias and clouded judgement without any explanation of that or addressing the original comment content.
Bad capitalist: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/132563683/liquidators-start-bankruptcy-proceedings-against-eric-watson
So he's been naughty and defied the judge. Did four months in prison for being contemptuous of a court too. Very naughty crim. Last bastion of the neolibs goes down.
If he follows the standard route, he'll write a book about his escapades.
I recall the geezer behind the Goldcorp saga did that.
Now I seriously love the city of Dunedin, and occasionally I get really encouraged when someone tries something really useful.
This time it's the Port of Otago. They are proposing a big fat trucking hub in Mosgiel, which can take 3,500 heavy trucks a year off Dunedin roads and onto rail straight to Port Chalmers. Most of it is milk products and logs.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/proposal-inland-depot-near-mosgiel
Yes, it puts more rail on the Port Chalmers line. But it takes most of the big trucks off that little state highway from Dunedin to the port, which makes everyone safer and ordinary motorists less aggravated.
Also it would not be too hard to stick a commuter carriage on the back of them and bingo you have a commuter line.
Ports of Otago have done some real stupid stuff in the past, and this isn't one of them.
That is a good idea.
Of course ideally the train network between Picton and Invercargill should be carrying masses of freight with freight hubs in the major centres.
Bloody good Idea.
Hate that road with the trucks on it, only feel safe in a bus on. Mind you have not traveled it in years. But family say their are way more trucks these days.
The big cycleway from Dunedin right through to Port Chalmers is due to open in mid August.
That will make Dunedin the first big city in New Zealand with dedicated cycleways from one side of the harbour to the other.
Can't wait to do it myself.
They going to finish the part from Roseneath to Port???!??
Scope of works here:
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh88-dunedin-to-port-chalmers-safety-improvements/publications
https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/projects/sh88-dunedin-to-port-chalmers-safety-improvements/SH88-shared-path-and-rail-alignment-plan.pdf
Thanks Ad
Agree Ad.
3500 truck movements per year? Like 10 a day… Last time I was on SH88 it was getting close to 10 truck movements a minute.
Looks like Port Otago are using the same comms people as Aurora.
Luxon floundering as ever on Morning Report today. He hated Corin's first question where he put to him that the US and NZ were winning the global beauty pageant in terms of inflation rates according to the Herald.
Cue Luxon spouting a lot of inaccurate information about NZ's inflation rate. Corin later asks him “isn’t he talking down the NZ economy too much” and “is it fair of National on its website to describe the NZ economy as a house of cards”.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018898972
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018898972/national-eyes-inflation-potholes-and-kiwisaver
He's a weekly comedy show, every Wednesday morning.
His latest …
Luxon said he had fond memories of attending the 1974 Games in Christchurch as a 4-year-old but "we've got to face up to reality".
He was born in July 1970 so he can't count. But like all his "fond memories", they exist only as feeble, fabricated attempts to appear relatable.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/07/commonwealth-games-national-leader-christopher-luxon-wouldn-t-back-new-zealand-bid-for-2026.html
(Of course we shouldn't host the games, but every NZ politician with a pulse can work that out, he doesn't get bonus points for stating the obvious).
"(Of course we shouldn't host the games, but every NZ politician with a pulse can work that out, he doesn't get bonus points for stating the obvious)."
What do you know about Grant Robertson that I don't? Although he looks a bit overweight and doesn't seem to be very fit he still seems to be breathing and to have a working heart.
However he is certainly in favour of New Zealand hosting the Commonwealth Games and has said so on a number of occasions. " I am excited at the prospect and potential for us to host it here.". Not this year perhaps but certainly he doesn't see anything wrong with throwing money down the drain in the future.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/nz-signals-interest-hosting-2034-commonwealth-games
As you know perfectly well, the topic addressed by Luxon this morning was the 2026 games, as was my comment. It is right there in the title of the link.
You don't lack comprehension skills, so please don't play the fool.
I really thought that you comment was arguing that we should never attempt to host these events. I was definitely in a mood to applaud your view.
Apparently though you are only talking about the 2026 games. Why not be sensible. We should never compete to hold these stupid events. All we get from it is a way of blowing enormous sums of money so that politicians can flaunt themselves, while attending all the events free in the best seats, and pretending we get something of benefit to the people of New Zealand.
Frankly if they want carnivals they should personally pay for them.
"Cue Luxon spouting a lot of inaccurate information about NZ's inflation rate".
Would you care to expand on this claim you have made? I'll admit that I found it rather hard to follow this interview because of Dann's repeated talking over the interviewee but I didn't see any obvious propagation of inaccurate material. What do you claim was wrong with what Luxon said?
I can't comment on the accuracy myself (haven't listened yet) but Luxon certainly shows incredible incompetence to be talking about the inflation rate only hours before it is released.
He's not just shooting himself in the foot, he's blown his head off.
Luxon gave the impression, falsely, that NZ's inflation rate was a disaster. Simply not true. He needs to be honest. The USA (which is only one country BTW) recent 3.0 rate is skewed by food and energy. NZ's has been skewed by one-off food inflation. Here is a comparison of some of the major economies:
NZ's 6.0 (excl food 4.6)
UK 8.7
Germany 6.4
Australia 7.0
Italy 6.4
USA 3.0 (excl food and energy 4.8)
Food inflation has been a massive issue here, mostly I think because of the weather events on the North Island.
The point is that in a world beset by inflation NZ's rate is relatively impressive.
https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/inflation-rate
Before the current run of terrible inflation numbers over the last 18 months or so the last time that New Zealand at this level was way back in 1990.
It doesn't make it any better if you say we are no worse than some other countries with terrible results. It just means there are other countries that are equally bad.
Why don't you ask why we aren't doing as well as the better countries? The year on year inflation rate for Switzerland in June 2023 for example was 1.7%. Why don't we compare ourselves with them rather than with the bottom of the heap?
Why are so many other countries "equally bad"?
I love Central Otago cherries, but they're out of season
Re "the bottom of the heap", do you mean countries with inflation rates >100%?
The less one-eyed will observe that NZ is in the middle of the pack – nowhere near as bad as some would have us believe, and trending in a good direction.
Aotearoa 6% inflation (down from 6.7%)
Australia 7% inflation (down from 7.8%)
EurUnion 7.1% (down from 8.1%)
https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/inflation-rate?continent=world
Seems the Swiss aren't particularly neoliberal in a few aspects and this contributes to lower inflation:
Thanks for the link.
So what is lacking in our politicians that stops them from adopting similar measures? (Tariffs on some imports, state owned energy entitites…)
Courage?
Imagination?
Bind adherence to neoliberal ideology, without regards to evidence (there is plenty of evidence that privatisation often doesn't improve efficiency or public benefit, for example).
“Swiss energy suppliers are also largely publicly owned, “
Not for long.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/explainer–how-the-swiss-electricity-market-works/47943438
Switzerland imports around 70% of its power consumption (https://www.eda.admin.ch/aboutswitzerland/en/home/wirtschaft/energie/energie—fakten-und-zahlen.html), of which 36% is oil and 20% nuclear. The country plans to phase out nuclear, and interestingly they have the highest density of dams in the world. With a strong focus on renewables, they are likely to be looking to private investment.
Based on your own link (which opens at a selection of G20 countries), only 7 of those countries have higher rates of inflation than NZ currently. And if you use the same reference, but select ‘World’, NZ is 94th out of 186 entries. But in any event, these are measurements focused on a moment in time. Of even more concern is this:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/have-we-walloped-inflation-new-consumers-price-index-data-to-be-revealed/YDVJYOZI2NBTDFCBSUZFY7OTRQ/
Choosing your quotes carefully there Gypsy to bolster your hero Luxon's position. I do not accept your argument.
Looking at this rationally, NZ at 6.0, but 4.6 excluding food, is a valid statistic.
Compare this with the EU; 27 countries with a population of 447 million. The EU inflation rate is 5.5%, and that is with fruit and vegetables in season and no weather event that has smashed their fruit and veg production (to my knowledge). That makes NZ look just fine.
As Drowsy says above, NZ cherries are out of season. I saw some American cherries at New World the other day that were about a dollar each.
You have linked to G20 data. Compared to the G20 countries, NZ would rank as having the 8th highest rate of inflation. Using your reference further, NZ is somewhere in the middle of the countries of the world by current rate of inflation. These are not encouraging comparisons. That said, to some degree the current inflation rate is a snapshot. Of more concern is this:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/have-we-walloped-inflation-new-consumers-price-index-data-to-be-revealed/YDVJYOZI2NBTDFCBSUZFY7OTRQ/
Apologies for duplicate post.
Analysis of the rapidly falling inflation rate in the US. Bill Mitchell has been highly consistent in his categorization of the present inflationary period as supply driven, imported and transitory.
https://billmitchell.org/blog/?p=60980
One of the main implications of this is that central bank policy (raising cash rates) has not been effective at reducing inflation. That makes comparing inflation rates between countries a bit dubious, especially if you then attribute the falling rate to central bank policy. Any rapid fall is more likely down to many other factors effecting the domestic economy (like ability to discourage corporate price gouging, release of fuel reserves) and a general fall in external supply pressures.
Gaia seems to be experimenting with a solution to the feral cat problem but unfortunately it also will target non-offending domestic cats:
Wagner convoy enters new home base, Belarus boosted as regional power:
can you please stop using OM as a news feed. Lynn said this in the back end recently,
I think you bring both interesting news items, and opinions to the commentariat. However the four comments you made today are more appropriate to FB or twitter than TS. My strong suggestion is to post less and put more into the comments you do make in terms of explaining what the issue is and what you think about it: "opinions to be expressed and debated".
Casual and/or short comments are ok in moderation, but when they become the main way that someone posts, it becomes a problem.
It is hard to know though. Personally I usually find DF links useful on the basis that 9/10 times I would not have found the links/ideas myself.
This comment of mine is also in response to
19 July 2023 at 6:11 am
Being called a 'troll', 'clouded judgement' and having 'biases' (all comments unexplained) is enough to put anyone off from posting expanded points of view, explaining items.
If the comments are meant in banter can they at least have a smiley or wink icon, or better still not be posted at all?
Dennis' banter comment had two emoticons!
People get called trolls here, I wouldn't worry about someone else being called a troll, just carry on with whatever you wanted to reply (to the original comment). There is a degree of robustness needed to comment here, because rudeness or bluntness per se isn't considered an inherent problem (personalised abuse or rudeness with the intention if flaming are where the problems start).
Okay, will do. I agree with your reasoning. I thought the point about Belarus ascending into the regional pivot position was worth making though. Perhaps the way I did that was too brief…
Also, I don't do twitter or facebook due to the cultures being too shallow. Seems to me folks here like to dig under the surface appearance of things. That's why I see the site operating as part of the solution rather than part of the problem – plus acceptance of centrists participating with leftists, plus non-toxic ethos.
Nice one Dennis. That's great feedback about the site. To clarify, there's nothing wrong with the topics you are bringing, it is indeed the brevity where that becomes a habit.
"I don't do twitter or facebook due to the cultures being too shallow"
Fair enough and IMHO a lot more wrong than just being a bit shallow over there.
You could find Mastodon as being somewhere between The Standard and those other sites, depending on which instance you join.
It doesn't make a lot of difference to the military standing of Belarus. Basically they have barely upgraded any weapons since independence from the Soviet union 30+ years ago. Most of their manpower are very poorly trained conscripts.
With the exception of their relatively small special forces, everything I've read (wikipedia has a goodish overview) about the armed forces of Belarus tends to indicate that they're be graded as target practice quality by all of their neighbours forces. Not even up to the standards of the pre-2014 Ukrainian forces. There is a moderate amount of material around about the quality of Belarus armed forces.
https://ecfr.eu/article/putins-last-ally-why-the-belarusian-army-cannot-help-russia-in-ukraine/
https://icds.ee/en/the-belarusian-armed-forces-structures-capabilities-and-defence-relations-with-russia/
https://newbelarus.vision/the-reluctant-army/
https://kyivindependent.com/does-belarus-military-have-the-capacity-to-attack-ukraine/
Wagner adds a core of reasonably well trained and veteran infantry. But how many of those arrive there is a question.Wagner have missions in other countries, which are unlikely to go away, so most of the time most of the mercs will be absent. Plus there are considerations of supply and logistics.
So if they are the supply that Wagner depends on, then in all likelyhood they will at best get mostly outdated, non-updated gear and munitions that will be dangerous to handle.
Of course the Russian armed forces have quite a lot of troops in Belarus at any one point in time doing exercises, semi-permanently based there, and doing a odd bit of invading neighbouring countries. So I guess that they could get supply from there.
But I suspect that main value of having Wagner in-country is that they have quite a lot of experience of propping up old dictators. It is their main line of business.
Don't forget that a large section of the under 30's in Belarus will probably not fight. The crack downs of the last few years have left a high level of enmity towards the state within that age group.
Yeah, the special forces did the crackdown on protest a few years ago.
Looks like I can take you're word for it, given all that research, thanks. So not so much of a regional pivot point. I wonder how the co-founders of Wagner will adapt to their new home. Not the type to sit around playing tiddlywinks.
I expect, when ensconced satisfactorily, there'll be some back to Africa, but if that doesn't keep them busy enough they'll need live target practice elsewhere.
The 'research' was just 15 minutes on google between compiles. Like this mornings comments are being done while listening to a work "connect" on zoom. The modern version of a all-of-company meeting – but across multiple time zones.
I keep a general eye on military and political trends in potential conflict regions. Personally I consider this is to be general knowledge. The links were just to give others something to dig into if they feel like it.
Total creep turns out to be total creep … who could have guessed?
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jul/18/sun-and-mail-publishers-examine-claims-against-journalist-dan-wootton
If anyone doesn't know this guy's track record, simply Google his name and Jacinda Ardern. A vile man. And now Karma delivers.
From the link. Wooton claims that "GB News is the biggest threat to the establishment in decades," Heh – GB News is the establishment, just a faction of it that is a little more deranged in their use of anti-wokeness to disguise their actual intentions.
They keep on telling everyone.
A leading Jewish group has criticised a prominent GB News presenter for spreading “a dangerous conspiracy theory” after she tweeted that the Covid virus appeared to have been bioengineered to be less dangerous to some Jewish people.
In a tweet sent on Tuesday afternoon, Beverley Turner supported the idea first popularised by the controversial Democratic presidential hopeful Robert Kennedy Jr that the coronavirus was engineered to target some ethnic groups and spare others.
In her message, which has since been deleted, Turner, who co-presents a regular morning show on GB News, appeared to argue that this bioengineering could be linked to Dr Anthony Fauci, who as the chief medical adviser to the US presidency during Covid was a common target for conspiracy theorists.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jul/18/jewish-group-criticises-gb-news-host-beverley-turner-over-dangerous-conspiracy-theory
I know a bunch of folks in alternative Aotearoa who share these fantasies – old friends & acquaintances, university degrees & successful entrepreneurs.
My technique for engaging with them again (sporadically) is to ignore such tendencies as much as possible. If they go there, I hit them with `been there done that long ago' acknowledgement. Delivered with a tone of dismissal verging on boredom usually works ok. If they act obtuse & continue, I become a critic via instant personality switch, point out where their thinking is going wrong.
Mostly that works. It helps to share the ole govt always lies thing, along with `corporations always lie' etc. Then point out that conspiracy theorists are mostly delusional due to inventing correlations and being proud of it. Then ya gotta admit that sometimes the theories appear to be correct – but not often! Once you've led them down the garden path like that they tend to end up admiring the flowers…
Thanks for the heads up observer. I avoid low hanging British tabloid fruit so had never heard of him. A right-wing DP gamer with a record of lies and deceit? He's now playing the wounded innocent who has been targeted by a jealous ex-lover.
Having had personal experience of someone (not an ex-lover) who projected their unsound and unlawful behaviour onto me… I can see the self-same scenario playing out here. Here's hoping Karma has indeed got him.
Wootton's NZ-born, started at The Dom-Post, and was visiting his parents in Wellington when accusation broke, according to the spinoff (see 10.02 am post). No wonder he took pleasure in (and maybe initiated) anti-Ardern messaging.
"has developed a persona as a rightwing presenter criticising “woke” issues."
Say no more. In the best tradition of support as typified by "I am Spartacus!" I say I am a woke bloke.
Marina Purkiss was invited by GB News to debate with Rees Mogg (Tory MP).
She noted that the anti-woke GB News had a unisex bathroom and stated her fear that she might be in there when Dan Wooton walked in.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/uk-news/gb-news-guest-marina-purkiss-29819794
A Murdoch media hack can only work for his media imitators afterwards.
Thus from Fox News to Newsmax OAN or pod casts on Rumble (or Twitter as per TC) in the USA.
Or the Sun to talkRADIO, MailOnline, GB News, Sky Australia.
The disconcerting thing is his working for the MailOnline.
Yes Prime Minister revealed how UK media covered scandals based on their prejudices
Dude's a POS.
https://bylinetimes.com/2023/07/17/gb-news-star-dan-wootton-unmasked-in-cash-for-sexual-images-catfishing-scandal/
Jfkjr is in the shit again at a private dinner he dared to suggest that cov 19 was a bio weapon that had more of an effect on some races than others an the dems have got their nickers well an truly in a twist over it declaring that he shouldnt be a witness in Jim Jordens hearing on censorship he's a racist he's an antisemetic etc etc .JFKjr is perceived as a huge threat to the dems and they're out to get him anyway they can apparently adding to all the attention he's getting of course !!.Personally i find him him intelligent warm thoughtful and capable of talking for hours on subjects with no notes something rather lacking in the big players of American politics .As i said the other night amongst the woeful selection of pres candidates currently in the race and especially compared to the incumbent he's head and shoulders above imo.
Someone here yesterday even tried to give me a hard time for merely commenting on him. Dunno if the guy is wacko or not, but he does have relevance to our election since conspiracy theorists have become influential in both countries in recent years.
Anyway so despite disagreeing with you recently about something I've forgotten, I agree he's worth tracking & suggest you stand by to repel boarders, as a pirate would say. Brain-police alert!
In the US, there is effectively a two-candidate presidential election by an electoral college. At the moment, candidates are strutting their stuff for the Democrat nominating convention, which chooses that party's presidential candidate. RFK jnr is one of those Democrat candidates.
The US party presidential selection process has no relevance to upcoming NZ elections, where we are choosing a government. Here, conspiracists fortunately have a plethora of looney tunes parties amongst which to split their votes.
The reason for pointing out RFK jnr's behaviour is to show how low the marketplace of political ideas has sunk in the US, not to draw a tenuous parallel with our own political circus.
TBF, US elections, and especially US attack adds, are the greatest show on earth.
Odd as I thought all the Kennedy's were a bit off in one way or another. I mean look at the old old man, his bootlegging and lickspittle were famous.
When the opposition writes your adds. Gold!
@JoeBiden
I approve this message.
https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1681424737384435713
Marjorie Taylor Greene compares Biden to FDR, LBJ. Thanks for the free campaign ad!
The predominantly ludicrous lawmaker from Georgia did Biden a solid this weekend, telling Republicans the Democratic president is fiendishly attempting to make people's lives better.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/07/17/marjorie-taylor-greene-biden-speech-highlights-medicare-medicaid/70418859007/
Go to say – totally agree with the Premier of Victoria.
Why spend 7 billion on a 12 day event? Why should Schools and Hospitals have reduced spending to cover the costs of a 12 day sports event?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-19/commonwealth-games-victoria-daniel-andrews-decision-analysis/102616256
Touché
There is the case for a permanent host of the CG, with occasional diversions to other venues. Obviously cities that have hosted the Olympic Games (or could do so/aspire to) could provide alternatives from time to time.
A nation like New Zealand could still do it – but the games village concept requires a city host.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Commonwealth_Games_venues
The only place to host twice is Auckland and the only continent not to host is Africa. The only major city not to host (out of Africa) would be Toronto Canada.