Your canine crusader reckons it might be time to reinvent the old ‘Punch a Pom’ campaign, calling it ‘Cuff a Vegan’.
The ‘Punch’ campaign ran in the 1970s to honour the late, great All Black prop Keith Murdoch who was sent home during the 1972-73 tour of the UK after he whacked a security guard.
This surge of would-be ‘cuffatarianism’ grows out of recent news that vegans are creeping around NZ supermarkets slapping stickers on meat urging shoppers not to buy it.
The ‘anti-meat’ stickers have appeared on packaging in several supermarkets and more stores have reported being targeted by vegan activist groups.
The Hound suggests giving a slap around the ears with a nice bit of steak to any smelly, unkempt, anaemic types sneaking around the meat counter at your local supermarket.
I ought to have added a comment. It's disturbing to peer into the rural 'web" and see how messages are sent and prejudices consolidated. Calls for "slapping" go unchallenged, seemingly, so long as a dag of a characters makes those calls.
That "jokey" vehicle for maintaining and strengthening prejudice is widespread and difficult to address, unless you like to be characterised as a po-faced sourpuss. Perhaps "dagginess" provides a safety-valve for societal pressures, or maybe it builds it, I don't know, though I suspect the latter.
"Dagginess does", it's easy to be damned if you do or damned of you don't. Being sidelined into analysing something said with good intentions or paying attention to remarks intended to inflame takes a lot of useful talk away from issues that do matter.
It seems that while NZ has still a few "useful" wags that the state of things now the useful contribution of a John Clarke is not likely to be replicated again, even if he did go to Aus and all that, his sense of world, self and others is beyond the reach, and perhaps comprehension, of people now.
Grow up Robert. The vegans responsible for the stickers had no business being anywhere near the meat section of supermarkets spreading their gospel. Sort of take what you’re dishing out don’t you think.
You're well off the mark, New view. The issue is, so that you can focus better, calling for "giving a slap around the ears" to those he doesn't agree with. Ready to discuss that now, are you?
So is your sensitive small-minded right wing soul conflating criticism of some idiots rejoicing in some stupid tactic and being challenged on it here, with right-wing dickheads doing the same in the privacy of their boy frat and not being challenged?
How very grown up you are… But of course this is a place of robuts discussion, and by the sound of it, what Robert appears to be talking about is a place of gutless conservative conformists.
Amazing you would equate white supremacists and Nazis, neo and otherwise, with vegan activists.
In your very, very small mind those who worship the Christchurch mass-murderer and a regime which murdered 6M Jews is no different to animal rights activists on a sticker campaign.
funny, i came a cross a meme that either is from a vegan racist or some racist is using vegans as scapegoat. This to do with muslims and their halal butchering, telling these " xxxxx " to go back from where they came from. Next day on that same board up the pictures of the bulls that will be killed for hte BullRoast (Ochsenbraterei) a famous beer tent at the Octoberfest with a whole Ochs being roasted for public consumption. .My question to the poster if he would also like to send these animal killers 'back to where they came from' elicited no comment.
MY point? I have no use for extremism.
And i would like for a vegan to live a year on the vegetables, grains and tofu that is solely produced in NZ. Non of the fine imported stuff they like to eat and that includes all of the processed food.
Why? Cause use of fossil fuels is the biggest killer on this planet of all manners of life, be it humans, birds, fish, or four legged / two legged furries and all sorts of undesiriable critters that are important for pollination etc. (anything one could kill and will kill thanks to pesticides – including weedkillers)
Yet we seem to focus on the animals that we consider cute – or worthy of life.
ITs the extremism that is wrong. Let people eat as to what grows in their regions, what they can preserve for winter / non growing times, according to their own moral believes and go back to well regulated ethical bio farming.
And please ignore all that micro plastic in the rain.
well said. It's the extremism that bothers me too, politically, not least because there's no talking to them. That's fundamentalist vegans and hard core dairy farmers, both of whom will burn fossil fuels to keep the fire in their ideologies.
"And i would like for a vegan to live a year on the vegetables, grains and tofu that is solely produced in NZ. "
Why should they?
No one else is restricted to "NZ only" foodstuffs, or products of any kind, for that matter. Demanding that vegans should live a pure life before criticising others is like demanding that protesters opposing off-shore oil exploration have to get to the protest sites by foot; remember, everyone's compromised, but that shouldn't shut down considered criticism.
my point being is : Can you survive as a vegan in NZ on produce only from here.
my point: pollution, transport, which in itself is the biggest killer of life on this planet. Our addiction to transport – be it us in our single occupancy cage, our need to travel to far flung places to escape our reality here, our need to pull boats to race down some waterway after racing the motorway etc etc etc, our 'just in time' madness that is essentially storing all of our goods on trucks on the road, our need to eat food not in season and / or imported.
If i am to save the planet and to save the life of animals, and if i feel embolden to go about stickering some stupid plastic coated stickers on everything to let people know what i think of their eating habits, then i need to look at my own behaviour and if i then realise that I could not upheld my own lofty goals without transporting stuff via boat, plane, truck, car etc then maybe i am part of the problem rather then the solution.
And then again i raise the question: Can one survive as a strict vegan on produce grown locally in case our civilasation shits itself and one would have to? I would suggest not without sever body issues in regards to lack of Iron, magnesium, calcium etc. And i love myself a good bowl of curried pulses. .
but maybe ask yourself, by reading so much horsemanure into my post, maybe you are the one trying to shut down conversation by not actually answering my question.
And again i like to point out as i have done so many times: Us humans are omnivores and can survive by eating literally anything. And that would include Possum, rabbits, rats and such, generally considered pests in this country that we kill with a lot of poison that also kill deer n shit, and yet, i hear nothing from the Vegans when it comes to that. Just saying.
the population does need to come down to save our only planet and so everyone can live a lifestyle based on a plant based diet. Our planet is not built for 7 Billion current humans and forecasted population of 10 billion.
Violence is not the answer however. the population should self police to not grow any further and shrink through natural methods.
I have long thought that the rag that the mutt s articles are in are linked to the whole dirty politics hate factory. I rarely bother to open it now . Nz farmer weekly is the only weekly rural paper to read .
Some dogs need putting to sleep this is one of them
Last week Fonterra was the whipping boy and this week its our (potential) saviour…..schizophrenia abounds.
[lprent: More like idiocy does. I can’t see where advantage has said much about Fonterra in recent weeks apart from exactly what he is saying now. Off-topic ]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
"The Stockholm Resilience Centre defines resilience as:
the capacity of a system, be it an individual, a forest, a city or an economy, to deal with change and continue to develop. It is about the capacity to use shocks and disturbances like a financial crisis or climate change to spur renewal and innovative thinking. Resilience thinking embraces learning, diversity and above all the belief that humans and nature are strongly coupled to the point that they should be conceived as one social-ecological system (cited in Moberg & Hauge Simonsen, 2011, p. 3)."
Well since we eventually follow most of everything the Americans do. Maybe John is just setting us up for our own space force, who will partake in war games with the yanks around Mars in the years to come.
MediaWorks has been lobbying the Government to turn TVNZ 1 into a non-commercial channel to help stem its own financial bleeding. Frustrated, and getting nowhere, it’s decided to change tack and up the ante with a more aggressive public campaign.
The Remain campaign in the UK is getting ever more an advertisment for leaving the EU just to smash the power of the neoliberal Oxbridge elites. Essentially, they'll do anything to oppose Brexit as long as it doesn't involve changing the existing status quo – Their demands consist of deeply undemocratic mangerialist fantasies of "unity" leaders that no one has ever heard of or haven't a hope in hell in forming a government and "unity" governments (Green leader Caroline Lucas recently proposed an all women cabinet that was her Oxbridge vision of inclusiveness – one gender, white, middle aged and very much like her) that all turn out to be little more than neoliberal technocratic wet dreams.
The one thing they utterly reject is the leader of the largest opposition party having any right to have the first go at forming a new government if the Tories are defeated – rather Boris than Jeremy, whilst the Lib-Dems (14 MPs) demand they have the right to pick the next PM – not Labour (240 MPs).
Their thrashing about is all to try and achieve two, parallel outcomes – stop Brexit but even more importantly, stop Corbyn and stop Corbynism.
The vote to leave the EU was essentially a vote to reject the neoliberal status quo and to reject the self-serving "centrist" metropolitain Oxbridge liberal elites that have arrogated the right to rule and frame the debate entirely to itself. Since the the U.K. voted to leave, IMHO the liberal elites have sought to undermine the result.
Taken together, the smearing and character assassination of Corbyn and the use of the same tactics against anyone who voted leave is a damning indictment of the British liberal elites, who for all their sanctimonious utterances of having Britain's best interests at heart really just boil down to a bunch of assholes engaged in a savage class war to protect their cushy white collar jobs as winners from "centrist" neoliberal globalism.
…the smearing and character assassination of Corbyn and the use of the same tactics against anyone who voted leave is a damning indictment of the British liberal elites, who for all their sanctimonious utterances of having Britain's best interests at heart really just boil down to a bunch of assholes engaged in a savage class war to protect their cushy white collar jobs as winners from "centrist" neoliberal globalism.
As someone (born of English stock) who takes a passing interest in British politics, I have been puzzled by the hysterical and vengeful hatred directed at Jeremy Corbyn. Having listened to parts of his speeches, both inside parliament and beyond, his views come across to me as sensible and moderate. So, why the animosity?
I think Sanctuary has provided the answer – the so-called liberal elites who regard themselves as superior beings because they are white (generally), middle class and educated at some of Britain's best schools. And just for the record, we have had our own version of such politicians in NZ and by no means have they been confined to the National Party.
Marshall Islands affected by nuclear testing last century:
(The USA carried out nuclear tests using the Marshall Islands and testing the disease producing effects on the people as if they were lab rats. They were promised remedial assistance, which was given, but the 'generosity' or the willingness to redress has become limited. They should be first in line to help these people with whatever problems they have. Should!)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Proving_Grounds
Featured snippet from the web
The Pacific Proving Grounds was the name given by the United States government to a number of sites in the Marshall Islands and a few other sites in the Pacific Ocean at which it conducted nuclear testing between 1946 and 1962. The U.S. tested a nuclear weapon (codenamed Able) on Bikini Atoll on June 30, 1946.
Add to the USA probably France. We know they are not a benign country. The French Revolution to free the people from aristocratic harsh rule, which was a pattern the USA wished to follow links these two in an unholy unity, as their vision of greatness for the peeps has become grimy. As the saying goes, 'You can't get good help these days. Nobody wants to clean windows'.
Government failure to govern and contracting out of their duty to the citizens. This morning on Radionz two top organisations publicise the big holes that are in the controls by government on products imported into NZ.
Plumbers, gasfitters and electricians say they're under pressure to install shoddy products from overseas, without proper checks for safety. Imported plumbing products are subject to MBIE guidelines, but the head of the Plumbing, Drainlayers and Gasfitters Association Glen Burr, is concerned there is no longer a requirement for all gas jobs to be lodged and he claims the guidelines have no teeth. That sentiment is echoed by Master Electricians Chief Executive Officer, Bernie McLaughlin. He fears the poor standard of some imported electrical materials could ultimately cause buildings to burn down. Paul Hobbs from MBIE's building system assurance team addresses the concerns.
I have bought a mixer for my sink and was going to get a plumber to put that in. I may have bought one that is not up to scratch apparently, and it could start leaking. So I have to trust a reliable plumber's advice, and I know one firm that I trust so I will definitely check as to the owner's opinion.
The electrician spokesperson said that someone in future could get killed from turning on their lighting.
We know about the gas explosion in Christchurch. In electricity there can be safety risks also. Housing and other building speculators are buying in bulk for their projects on the basis of on-line cheap prices. Our good trained reliable tradespeople are being expected to install stuff that is not properly certified.
Our government has got to the point where it sits on a system that allows the importation of non-compliant goods, though they are not legal to use. There is a flaw that is obvious to any thinking person here! The conclusion – there is no thinking and no responsibility by our leaders. F…ing shocking. Does this made you feel really angry – it does me.
The ongoing problems that will occur from already installed product will last for ever, on top of our problems from climate – tornadoes, rising seas, rain dumps. Then there is technology and learned helplessness of people trying to cope with the problems from that, unemployment, and education that is totally wrapped around using tech knowledge and control. And now this slack behaviour from people in top positions who are very quick to criticise and deal punitively with anything or anybody affecting their personal interests and advantages.
Electricians cannot install electrical equipment without sighting a SDOC, or suppliers declaration of conformity. That goes for any cheap overseas knock offs also. So you should have faith that anything installed legally by a electrician, is of good quality, up to standard and backed by the relevant consumer protections and regulations. If unsure, always take a copy of your contractors practicing license.
Builders have known for years to avoid cheap brands. Especially from China, etc.
Unfortunately customers often go for the cheapest. The thinking from so many is they are going to flick off that house for a capital gain, within five years. So who cares if it lasts 50. Lost several quotes when I was building because I insisted on using good materials.
Just wondering if Simon Bridges weekly slots on peter Williams magic talk show come under paid advertising. He gets free uncritical reign to talk himself and National up and slag off the government while getting asked a series of “questions” which are more like prompts to move between subjects.
Just wondering if Jacinda's weekly appearances in the MSM, 7 Sharp etc come under paid advertising. She gets free uncritical reign to talk about himself and Labour, about all the stuff she intends to do, the endless reviews and to hide behind process while getting asked a series of “questions” which are more like prompts to move between subjects
It might be paid advertising if she were interviewed by Tamati Coffey or say a media figure with strong Labour values, but they don't exist in the MSM. I wonder why that is…
She's much more likely to get one of the plethora of right wing shock jocks such as Duncan Grater, Ryan Bridges, Peter Willy, Husking, Espiner, Dann…
Your views always depend on what side of the fence you stand in. You're both right, both Ardern and Bridges get an easy ride. Ardern more so when you consider that she actually has the ability to make changes and inact policy. Why she never has to answer the tough questions about our poverty and inequality statistic, I'll never understand. It's a disgrace to democracy and towards our most vulnerable.
walking the walk not just talking the talk – onya mate
The Westport man has travelled the South Island as for almost eight months. Each day, he picks up rubbish, collecting up to 80 kilograms a day.
… "Sometimes it's overwhelming, I'm taking in a lot of stuff that I'm seeing. I have learned to control my emotions, if I'm angry or pissed off it's not going to change the fact rubbish is there. I just pick it up."
… While he'd love to see more people grab a bag and pick up rubbish, he's more concerned about the way our everyday lives impact on the environment.
"Look at what we buy. Is it a want or a need? When you look at a pack of chocolate biscuits; it's got two bits of plastic, you eat it in one or two sittings but the plastic is here forever.
"I'm not saying don't eat it, but we have really got to look at what we are doing to our planet."
yep, i take a bag out of my local reserve when walking the old dog. 1.5 km at 1.5 hours, one decent size bag of rubbish. I hate single wrapped candy. I just effn hate them.
Good sign tho, there is more and more of this fellow.
Ditto with me, Sabine. I always have a mesh bag tied to the dog leads and most days there is something to pick up from the sand during our walk on Ninety Mile Beach, sometimes it's local trash and sometimes it clearly has swept in from the sea. I'm no where near the only one locally doing it. The more of us the better eh. Certainly walking the dogs is an easy pace for seeing the rubbish and smaller plastics.
It's not an accident that misogyny and racism are interlinked, and those who appear to despise powerful women like Jones, also trade in racism and stirring hatred of Muslims, immigrants and other minorities.
This is less about 'free speech' than power. This is about those with waning power desperately holding on to it through control, violence and dominating language. This about flexing and seeing how much they can get away with before someone stops them.
One could, however, be forgiven for reading something equivocal into 2GB’s ‘concerns’.
“He has a big reputation, but he’s not untouchable. One more ‘put her in a chaff bag’ comment, one more ‘shove a sock down her throat’ line, one more ‘let’s hang her 58 metres over George Street’ quip, one more ‘died of shame’ analogy, one more ‘her head is in a noose’ jibe, and let’s just say he’ll be on very, very thin ice”. http://www.theshovel.com.au/2019/08/19/alan-jones-gets-38th-final-warning-from-2gb%EF%BB%BF/
'The strategy aimed to lower the proportion of Māori in prison to match the Māori share of the general population, he said.
However, he acknowledged it would be unrealistic to expect that within five years of the strategy.'
Not saying it won't work but if they really want to cut back on the prison population quickly then all the government has to do is open up more high/maximum security psychiatric wards (and preferably hospitals)
For a longer term strategy then its more money in early care (like Plunkett) and more money into apprenticeships
Doing all of the above would be best, it certainly wouldn't do it all but it'd put a big dent in the prison population
You're right I will and thank you for pointing it out to me. In return heres a link to the current Corrections Officers vacancies, this is so you can join up and show everyone how it should be done
lol you've only been in the job for 2 months yet you think you know everything – I'm a bit worried for those you are supposed to be helping if your attitude doesn't change
Lol March is when I first went on the floor so that's coming up 6 months experience and while I know next to nothing I certainly know more than anyone that's never been in Corrections, also my opinions are strongly influenced by the experienced staff I'm learning from lol
Lol however I'm completely serious that you who obviously knows so much and have so much experience that for you not to be on the floor teaching the staff and the prisoners how things should be done is a complete travesty lol
Lol of course I'm not serious, I mean you couldn't do what I and thousands of other men and women do, you couldn't handle it, you'd freeze the first time you see someone bleeding out, you'd probably piss your pants the first time a facially-tattooed gangster got in your face yet your seem comfortable in telling me how I need to improve lol
yeah yeah rah rah – I work in mental health bozo so keep going…
Pity you didn't see the opportunity this report and idea brings for those who don't know much about Māori culture – for the life of me I can't imagine why anyone would scorn that – experts have thought about it and considered it from a Māori perspective – but that is never considered. It could future proof your whole career and give massive opportunities. It could help these prisoners so they don't try and kill themselves on your shift.
Good so no excuses about coming over to Corrections then
I'm sure theres opportunity there but, and its a very big but, there are simpler, quicker and more effective ways to reduce the prison population however it would cost more money and this is more a PR exercise
As for experts the older I get and more time I spend in areas the more I realise that experts tend to do more harm than good unless those same experts also have the experience
we're talking about the latest meta initiative from corrections that you are unconvinced about – on that subject it seems small experience means very little
I learn from the men and women that have the experience, that've been there and done that so when they talk I listen but if you'd like an example of why not questioning experts is a bad idea you could probably talk to Sandra Coney or Peter Ellis (better be quick though)
The more time on their hands a prisoner has the more likely they are to cause trouble just like when young men are unemployed, you only have to look at wings to see this in action, the wings with workers are safer than the wings without workers
Theres numerous examples out there of crime rising in areas when unemployment raises so I don't think its radical to suggest getting people working is a good idea, it teaches responsibilities, it gives structure and grows pride
As a teacher, I back Pockish – sorry – Puckish Rogue. How many times has Govt. introduced fine theory, without funding or resourcing staff to be able to achieve it? For your benefit, Marty, programmes to assist Maori in the education system have failed because of exactly the problem PR is pointing out. He has a valid point.
maybe if we start policing and sentencing to prison terms the Pakeha population as we do with the Maori population we would see an adjustment in the ranks of our prisoners.
More resources into Plunkett, more resources into apprenticeships, more psychiatric wards and hospitals and more work schemes in prison would, I guarantee, see a reduction in the prison population
Plunkett needs to be paid a whole lot less than he is now.
Not to worry PR, if the CO thing doesn't work out I'm sure you could get a job with the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff service. I agree about the apprenticeships though.
"I'm sure you could get a job with the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff service"
Already there unfortunately, I mean just have a think about whats let a child down before they get to Corrections.
The mother, the family, education, hospitals, police, the justice department, mental health services, some of these have or all of them have and I've probably missed other agencies out
I don't claim to have all the answers but I'm 100% sure that encouraging and giving more work to prisoners can only lead to a more positive outcome
It might even be the difference between spending between 100 to 150 grand a year on incarcerating someone and them paying income tax instead which might also mean their kids might not end up in prison either, breaking the cycle and all that
The gleeful look on Jude's face at the announcement worried me.
Still, everyone makes mistakes, even the blessed and the godly.
Anne Tolley clumping about on the bonnet of a boy-racer's car was another … twin-black-cat in the matrix, but let's move on; liking the cut of your jib, Pucky; be real, tell it how it is.
Perhaps we should do the same for females in the Prison population.
As of June 2019 there were 9252 males and 717 females in New Zealand prisons. Clearly the system is heavily biased against men. Let us have equal numbers of male and female prisoners.
OZs ABC News presenting the report about post-Brexit chaos which has surfaced again so people remember the actual results likely in case they have gone off-piste while distracting clowns tumble to amuse the peeps.
The analysis, released today by public policy think tank the Australia Institute, measures fossil fuel exports according to their carbon dioxide-emissions potential.
It ranks Australia as the world's third-biggest exporter behind only Russia and Saudi Arabia.
In other words, when Australian fossil fuels — primarily coal — are burned overseas, the amount of carbon dioxide they produce is higher than the exported emissions of nearly all the world's biggest oil- and gas-producing nations, like Iraq and Kuwait.
Australia mines about 57 tonnes of CO2 potential per person each year, about 10 times the global average, and exports 7 per cent of the world's fossil fuel CO2 potential, the report found.
I understood from reports last week that the decisions were made by the manager of each prison. Hardly 'ordinary Corrections staff' – though clearly not competent enough in this instance.
How exactly did he "get me"? We're allowed to use the internet during the day and he's the one that should out looking for work not wasting time on here
That's not very complimentary about corrections staff! I'm sure as he's a very high profile prisoner, at least some sort of manager / supervisor would be checking his mail.
Being a (as Muttonbird so charmingly calls it) "low skilled worker" I would have had all his mail be sorted by one person only and at a minimum of PCO level (but preferably higher) but that's just me
Generic managers the telling statistic,from the statistics debacle.
Why qualified statisticians are not significant at the department of statistics.
Hardly anyone has noticed the telling recommendation in the 2018 Census Review report that the Chief Methodologist – an ungainly title for SNZ's senior professional statistician – should be added to the Executive Leadership Team. Under the previous Government Statistician he had been a Deputy Government Statistician but had been demoted to the third level. That is right – in the current Statistics New Zealand there are no professional statisticians in the top two tiers of management.
This is characteristic of generic managers with their typical preference for distancing professionals from management. The SSC was unwise to appoint a generic manager to such a skilled job; I have wondered whether the advisory committee which assisted the State Service Commissioner to make the appointment of the current Government Statistician had any professional statistician on it or whether it, too, was stacked with generic managers.
Why have any managers in these positions at all – feed the info into a machine and let it decide, and do a better job as any one can see.
I ask you!! /sarc
The truth is the business-people, small government advocates, don't want to have a good government running well because then they have no reason to play around with it, mess it up, stop employing their mates in top positions, and generally foul up the country in any way that pays off for those with power. It is a continuing practice, or have some forgotten that.
The cult of generic management needs to die, and I don't particularly care whether it's a painless death as long as it's a quick one.
Hiring generic managers supposedly overcomes the problem that being highly skilled in your area of specialisation doesn't necessarily make you fit to run a large organisation. And I guess it does overcome that problem, at the expense of creating a much bigger one: having little knowledge of the work and purpose of the organisation you're running makes for you doing a shit job of running it.
But Psycho – what about all those University Business Schools shutting their doors! And MBAs would be more ridiculed than BAs (deservedly imho). MBA would stand for “Mendacious BA”.
John Raulston Saul in the unconscious civilization frames the managerial elites as thus.
our élite is primarily and increasingly managerial. A managerial élite manages. A crisis, unfortunately, requires thought. Thought is not a management function .
Because the managerial élites are now so large and have such a dominant effect on our educational system, we are actually teaching most people to manage, not to think. Not only do we not reward thought, we punish it as unprofessional.
Everybody wants to move to Nelson: Top of the South!
"The Nelson Club held a special general meeting on Friday, in which the member was censured and announced his voluntary resignation from the club's committee, but retained his membership.
The accused member was alleged to have claimed there is scientific evidence that "blacks have a lower IQ than whites", that homosexuals have a "sickness" and that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is a communist and, if she were re-elected, he would potentially move back to the United Kingdom. "
well that's a disturbing read. The banger in the last sentence, well done Stuff.
The lawyer is a bit of a worry. People can have whatever views they want, but when doing lawyerly things I wouldn't expect a letter to express the lawyer's personal opinions about ethnicity and IQ.
Looks like National are in trouble again. This time for misleading, fake-news, Liberal Party, Topham Guerin type attack ads which appear to the Electoral Commissions to be shit enough to warrant further investigation.
Sometimes commenter, Wayne, vigorously defend these ads on this very forum a few weeks ago but it turns out he's on the wrong side of the Electoral Commission on this. But that is the way of the National Party, isn't it? Misleading, dishonest crap is their stock and trade.
James Shaw is right, Simon Bridges has very, very low integrity and should not be allowed anywhere near power.
Someone really needs to teach Genter how to use Word.
I heard a rumour that the "anonymous" letter writer accidentally managed to write the letter on paper bearing the letterhead of the Associate Minister of Transport.
You would think she had learned something from her fiasco with the letter about the Wellington transport options she sent to Twyford wouldn't you?
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Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
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. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
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 ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
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 ...
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Tuesday, 30 July 2019 12:21
Meatheads
Written by Rural News Group
Your canine crusader reckons it might be time to reinvent the old ‘Punch a Pom’ campaign, calling it ‘Cuff a Vegan’.
The ‘Punch’ campaign ran in the 1970s to honour the late, great All Black prop Keith Murdoch who was sent home during the 1972-73 tour of the UK after he whacked a security guard.
This surge of would-be ‘cuffatarianism’ grows out of recent news that vegans are creeping around NZ supermarkets slapping stickers on meat urging shoppers not to buy it.
The ‘anti-meat’ stickers have appeared on packaging in several supermarkets and more stores have reported being targeted by vegan activist groups.
The Hound suggests giving a slap around the ears with a nice bit of steak to any smelly, unkempt, anaemic types sneaking around the meat counter at your local supermarket.
Cmon, after yesterday do we really need to bait another tiresome discussion that will not end well?
I ought to have added a comment. It's disturbing to peer into the rural 'web" and see how messages are sent and prejudices consolidated. Calls for "slapping" go unchallenged, seemingly, so long as a dag of a characters makes those calls.
I think (hope) we can agree that both of these things are wrong
That "jokey" vehicle for maintaining and strengthening prejudice is widespread and difficult to address, unless you like to be characterised as a po-faced sourpuss. Perhaps "dagginess" provides a safety-valve for societal pressures, or maybe it builds it, I don't know, though I suspect the latter.
I'd post a link to Nazi-era Jewish cartoons (to support your view) but I'm at work and I'd rather not get a please explain…
"Dagginess does", it's easy to be damned if you do or damned of you don't. Being sidelined into analysing something said with good intentions or paying attention to remarks intended to inflame takes a lot of useful talk away from issues that do matter.
It seems that while NZ has still a few "useful" wags that the state of things now the useful contribution of a John Clarke is not likely to be replicated again, even if he did go to Aus and all that, his sense of world, self and others is beyond the reach, and perhaps comprehension, of people now.
Grow up Robert. The vegans responsible for the stickers had no business being anywhere near the meat section of supermarkets spreading their gospel. Sort of take what you’re dishing out don’t you think.
You're well off the mark, New view. The issue is, so that you can focus better, calling for "giving a slap around the ears" to those he doesn't agree with. Ready to discuss that now, are you?
I seem to remember a number on here happy with the “punch a nazi” item a while back.
Most of which was criticism of the stance – just as it always is (including the post). Try a search – usually more accurate than your recollections.
https://thestandard.org.nz/search/%22punch+a+nazi%22/?search_comments=true&search_posts=true&search_sortby=date
So is your sensitive small-minded right wing soul conflating criticism of some idiots rejoicing in some stupid tactic and being challenged on it here, with right-wing dickheads doing the same in the privacy of their boy frat and not being challenged?
How very grown up you are… But of course this is a place of robuts discussion, and by the sound of it, what Robert appears to be talking about is a place of gutless conservative conformists.
Amazing you would equate white supremacists and Nazis, neo and otherwise, with vegan activists.
In your very, very small mind those who worship the Christchurch mass-murderer and a regime which murdered 6M Jews is no different to animal rights activists on a sticker campaign.
I don't think the comparison was vegans and nazis, but left wing TS commenters and right wing rural people.
funny, i came a cross a meme that either is from a vegan racist or some racist is using vegans as scapegoat. This to do with muslims and their halal butchering, telling these " xxxxx " to go back from where they came from. Next day on that same board up the pictures of the bulls that will be killed for hte BullRoast (Ochsenbraterei) a famous beer tent at the Octoberfest with a whole Ochs being roasted for public consumption. .My question to the poster if he would also like to send these animal killers 'back to where they came from' elicited no comment.
MY point? I have no use for extremism.
And i would like for a vegan to live a year on the vegetables, grains and tofu that is solely produced in NZ. Non of the fine imported stuff they like to eat and that includes all of the processed food.
Why? Cause use of fossil fuels is the biggest killer on this planet of all manners of life, be it humans, birds, fish, or four legged / two legged furries and all sorts of undesiriable critters that are important for pollination etc. (anything one could kill and will kill thanks to pesticides – including weedkillers)
Yet we seem to focus on the animals that we consider cute – or worthy of life.
ITs the extremism that is wrong. Let people eat as to what grows in their regions, what they can preserve for winter / non growing times, according to their own moral believes and go back to well regulated ethical bio farming.
And please ignore all that micro plastic in the rain.
well said. It's the extremism that bothers me too, politically, not least because there's no talking to them. That's fundamentalist vegans and hard core dairy farmers, both of whom will burn fossil fuels to keep the fire in their ideologies.
"And i would like for a vegan to live a year on the vegetables, grains and tofu that is solely produced in NZ. "
Why should they?
No one else is restricted to "NZ only" foodstuffs, or products of any kind, for that matter. Demanding that vegans should live a pure life before criticising others is like demanding that protesters opposing off-shore oil exploration have to get to the protest sites by foot; remember, everyone's compromised, but that shouldn't shut down considered criticism.
my point being is : Can you survive as a vegan in NZ on produce only from here.
my point: pollution, transport, which in itself is the biggest killer of life on this planet. Our addiction to transport – be it us in our single occupancy cage, our need to travel to far flung places to escape our reality here, our need to pull boats to race down some waterway after racing the motorway etc etc etc, our 'just in time' madness that is essentially storing all of our goods on trucks on the road, our need to eat food not in season and / or imported.
If i am to save the planet and to save the life of animals, and if i feel embolden to go about stickering some stupid plastic coated stickers on everything to let people know what i think of their eating habits, then i need to look at my own behaviour and if i then realise that I could not upheld my own lofty goals without transporting stuff via boat, plane, truck, car etc then maybe i am part of the problem rather then the solution.
And then again i raise the question: Can one survive as a strict vegan on produce grown locally in case our civilasation shits itself and one would have to? I would suggest not without sever body issues in regards to lack of Iron, magnesium, calcium etc. And i love myself a good bowl of curried pulses. .
but maybe ask yourself, by reading so much horsemanure into my post, maybe you are the one trying to shut down conversation by not actually answering my question.
And again i like to point out as i have done so many times: Us humans are omnivores and can survive by eating literally anything. And that would include Possum, rabbits, rats and such, generally considered pests in this country that we kill with a lot of poison that also kill deer n shit, and yet, i hear nothing from the Vegans when it comes to that. Just saying.
sabine
"Can you survive as a vegan in NZ on produce only from here. "
Probably survive, but not thrive, but then, could non-vegans?
Where will you get your selenium from?
What about other things we share with vegans; reliance upon rare metals etc?
We're all in the same boat. If a vegan was starving, I reckon a wild-rabbit stew would look pretty good…
I couldn't quite identify what your question was, from your 10:32 post, sorry if I missed it.
the population does need to come down to save our only planet and so everyone can live a lifestyle based on a plant based diet. Our planet is not built for 7 Billion current humans and forecasted population of 10 billion.
Violence is not the answer however. the population should self police to not grow any further and shrink through natural methods.
Only in the interests of self defense.
and… lol
Looks like we're still back in the 70s.
I think the 70s would look overly progressive and radical to these guys.
so true.
I have long thought that the rag that the mutt s articles are in are linked to the whole dirty politics hate factory. I rarely bother to open it now . Nz farmer weekly is the only weekly rural paper to read .
Some dogs need putting to sleep this is one of them
Does Rural News Group get delivered?
Yip we get two weekly's free .
Farmers weekly nz . While it's still rural biased it gives both sides an platform.
And the rag that the mutt is in which is a vehicle for nat attack lines and one eyed garbage.
Free rags?
You gotta be suspicious …
The news staple of every small town in NZ (usually stapleless).
I should see if I can get Farmers Weekly delivered.
I'm sure that'll work just fine up until some fine upstanding so of the soil gets stabbed in the face.
Did you mean so-and-so of the soil, or son?
Roger Hallam talks with Stephen Sackur from BBC HardTalk about the need to ACT NOW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HyaxctatdA&fbclid=IwAR0kkd7JH2EykF29lLB4rsehP0a2xFV4la2uDjv9YJTDqLQ0Jbl1EceB7hM
Last week Fonterra was the whipping boy and this week its our (potential) saviour…..schizophrenia abounds.
[lprent: More like idiocy does. I can’t see where advantage has said much about Fonterra in recent weeks apart from exactly what he is saying now. Off-topic ]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
"The Stockholm Resilience Centre defines resilience as:
the capacity of a system, be it an individual, a forest, a city or an economy, to deal with change and continue to develop. It is about the capacity to use shocks and disturbances like a financial crisis or climate change to spur renewal and innovative thinking. Resilience thinking embraces learning, diversity and above all the belief that humans and nature are strongly coupled to the point that they should be conceived as one social-ecological system (cited in Moberg & Hauge Simonsen, 2011, p. 3)."
https://www.agresearch.co.nz/assets/document-library/Rural-community-resilience-research-stocktake-and-annotated-bibliography.pdf
Apparently John Tamihere want to build a Space Port on the harbour bridge and get Mexico to pay for it.
Well since we eventually follow most of everything the Americans do. Maybe John is just setting us up for our own space force, who will partake in war games with the yanks around Mars in the years to come.
Indebted media company wants favourable policy changes, uses own presenters: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/08/19/761576/garners-strange-outburst-fitted-pr-strategy
The Remain campaign in the UK is getting ever more an advertisment for leaving the EU just to smash the power of the neoliberal Oxbridge elites. Essentially, they'll do anything to oppose Brexit as long as it doesn't involve changing the existing status quo – Their demands consist of deeply undemocratic mangerialist fantasies of "unity" leaders that no one has ever heard of or haven't a hope in hell in forming a government and "unity" governments (Green leader Caroline Lucas recently proposed an all women cabinet that was her Oxbridge vision of inclusiveness – one gender, white, middle aged and very much like her) that all turn out to be little more than neoliberal technocratic wet dreams.
The one thing they utterly reject is the leader of the largest opposition party having any right to have the first go at forming a new government if the Tories are defeated – rather Boris than Jeremy, whilst the Lib-Dems (14 MPs) demand they have the right to pick the next PM – not Labour (240 MPs).
Their thrashing about is all to try and achieve two, parallel outcomes – stop Brexit but even more importantly, stop Corbyn and stop Corbynism.
The vote to leave the EU was essentially a vote to reject the neoliberal status quo and to reject the self-serving "centrist" metropolitain Oxbridge liberal elites that have arrogated the right to rule and frame the debate entirely to itself. Since the the U.K. voted to leave, IMHO the liberal elites have sought to undermine the result.
Taken together, the smearing and character assassination of Corbyn and the use of the same tactics against anyone who voted leave is a damning indictment of the British liberal elites, who for all their sanctimonious utterances of having Britain's best interests at heart really just boil down to a bunch of assholes engaged in a savage class war to protect their cushy white collar jobs as winners from "centrist" neoliberal globalism.
As someone (born of English stock) who takes a passing interest in British politics, I have been puzzled by the hysterical and vengeful hatred directed at Jeremy Corbyn. Having listened to parts of his speeches, both inside parliament and beyond, his views come across to me as sensible and moderate. So, why the animosity?
I think Sanctuary has provided the answer – the so-called liberal elites who regard themselves as superior beings because they are white (generally), middle class and educated at some of Britain's best schools. And just for the record, we have had our own version of such politicians in NZ and by no means have they been confined to the National Party.
Edit:
Marshall Islands dengue outbreak reaches capital
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/396975/marshall-islands-dengue-outbreak-reaches-capital
In 2011, during the last outbreak of dengue in the Marshall Islands, there were 1,600 cases.
.
https://www.medicinenet.com/dengue_fever/article.htm
Symptoms of dengue fever include severe joint and muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, headache, fever, exhaustion, and rash. The presence of fever, rash, and headache (the "dengue triad") is characteristic of dengue fever.
.
https://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/conditions-and-treatments/diseases-and-illnesses/dengue
(Our Min of Health starts off its information sheet with a stark warning 'Don't get bitten'.)
Marshall Islands affected by nuclear testing last century:
(The USA carried out nuclear tests using the Marshall Islands and testing the disease producing effects on the people as if they were lab rats. They were promised remedial assistance, which was given, but the 'generosity' or the willingness to redress has become limited. They should be first in line to help these people with whatever problems they have. Should!)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Proving_Grounds
Featured snippet from the web
The Pacific Proving Grounds was the name given by the United States government to a number of sites in the Marshall Islands and a few other sites in the Pacific Ocean at which it conducted nuclear testing between 1946 and 1962. The U.S. tested a nuclear weapon (codenamed Able) on Bikini Atoll on June 30, 1946.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/112903016/worry-as-pacific-nuclear-waste-barrier-cracks
Add to the USA probably France. We know they are not a benign country. The French Revolution to free the people from aristocratic harsh rule, which was a pattern the USA wished to follow links these two in an unholy unity, as their vision of greatness for the peeps has become grimy. As the saying goes, 'You can't get good help these days. Nobody wants to clean windows'.
Government failure to govern and contracting out of their duty to the citizens. This morning on Radionz two top organisations publicise the big holes that are in the controls by government on products imported into NZ.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018709301/tradies-pressured-to-install-shoddy-componentry 33mins (of important details)
Plumbers, gasfitters and electricians say they're under pressure to install shoddy products from overseas, without proper checks for safety. Imported plumbing products are subject to MBIE guidelines, but the head of the Plumbing, Drainlayers and Gasfitters Association Glen Burr, is concerned there is no longer a requirement for all gas jobs to be lodged and he claims the guidelines have no teeth. That sentiment is echoed by Master Electricians Chief Executive Officer, Bernie McLaughlin. He fears the poor standard of some imported electrical materials could ultimately cause buildings to burn down. Paul Hobbs from MBIE's building system assurance team addresses the concerns.
I have bought a mixer for my sink and was going to get a plumber to put that in. I may have bought one that is not up to scratch apparently, and it could start leaking. So I have to trust a reliable plumber's advice, and I know one firm that I trust so I will definitely check as to the owner's opinion.
The electrician spokesperson said that someone in future could get killed from turning on their lighting.
We know about the gas explosion in Christchurch. In electricity there can be safety risks also. Housing and other building speculators are buying in bulk for their projects on the basis of on-line cheap prices. Our good trained reliable tradespeople are being expected to install stuff that is not properly certified.
Our government has got to the point where it sits on a system that allows the importation of non-compliant goods, though they are not legal to use. There is a flaw that is obvious to any thinking person here! The conclusion – there is no thinking and no responsibility by our leaders. F…ing shocking. Does this made you feel really angry – it does me.
The ongoing problems that will occur from already installed product will last for ever, on top of our problems from climate – tornadoes, rising seas, rain dumps. Then there is technology and learned helplessness of people trying to cope with the problems from that, unemployment, and education that is totally wrapped around using tech knowledge and control. And now this slack behaviour from people in top positions who are very quick to criticise and deal punitively with anything or anybody affecting their personal interests and advantages.
Interesting to see recent news items on Oz building also.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-18/how-bad-could-the-apartment-building-crisis-be-in-your-state/11413122
and
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-19/building-report-author-says-she-wouldnt-buy-new-apartment/11421268
latest
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-19/generic-apartments/11421954
Building ministers have committed to implementing construction industry reforms.
(Watch and learn – we might get traction here if Oz is doing it.)
Electricians cannot install electrical equipment without sighting a SDOC, or suppliers declaration of conformity. That goes for any cheap overseas knock offs also. So you should have faith that anything installed legally by a electrician, is of good quality, up to standard and backed by the relevant consumer protections and regulations. If unsure, always take a copy of your contractors practicing license.
Builders have known for years to avoid cheap brands. Especially from China, etc.
Unfortunately customers often go for the cheapest. The thinking from so many is they are going to flick off that house for a capital gain, within five years. So who cares if it lasts 50. Lost several quotes when I was building because I insisted on using good materials.
Just wondering if Simon Bridges weekly slots on peter Williams magic talk show come under paid advertising. He gets free uncritical reign to talk himself and National up and slag off the government while getting asked a series of “questions” which are more like prompts to move between subjects.
Just wondering if Jacinda's weekly appearances in the MSM, 7 Sharp etc come under paid advertising. She gets free uncritical reign to talk about himself and Labour, about all the stuff she intends to do, the endless reviews and to hide behind process while getting asked a series of “questions” which are more like prompts to move between subjects
It might be paid advertising if she were interviewed by Tamati Coffey or say a media figure with strong Labour values, but they don't exist in the MSM. I wonder why that is…
She's much more likely to get one of the plethora of right wing shock jocks such as Duncan Grater, Ryan Bridges, Peter Willy, Husking, Espiner, Dann…
Your views always depend on what side of the fence you stand in. You're both right, both Ardern and Bridges get an easy ride. Ardern more so when you consider that she actually has the ability to make changes and inact policy. Why she never has to answer the tough questions about our poverty and inequality statistic, I'll never understand. It's a disgrace to democracy and towards our most vulnerable.
Have you just hatched? Are you an idiot ? Did you not live through the MSM's pyschophancy in the "key years"
walking the walk not just talking the talk – onya mate
yep, i take a bag out of my local reserve when walking the old dog. 1.5 km at 1.5 hours, one decent size bag of rubbish. I hate single wrapped candy. I just effn hate them.
Good sign tho, there is more and more of this fellow.
Yep my neighbor and her friend walk to town 3km each day picking up rubbish. Thanks for doing that Sabine.
no thanks required, just always pick up the rubbish. 🙂
Ditto with me, Sabine. I always have a mesh bag tied to the dog leads and most days there is something to pick up from the sand during our walk on Ninety Mile Beach, sometimes it's local trash and sometimes it clearly has swept in from the sea. I'm no where near the only one locally doing it. The more of us the better eh. Certainly walking the dogs is an easy pace for seeing the rubbish and smaller plastics.
Good article
"and those who appear to despise powerful women like Jones"
Could this ‘Alan Jones’ actually be a powerful woman? Makes you think
'and those such as Jones who appear to despise powerful women'.
not sure but I do know he's gonna comma gutsa
And not before time, as is clear from your linked SBS article (thanks).
https://mumbrella.com.au/alan-jones-jacinda-ardern-comment-sparks-mass-exodus-of-advertisers-594054
One could, however, be forgiven for reading something equivocal into 2GB’s ‘concerns’.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-19/forget-inverted-yield-curve-time-for-negative-yielding-debt/11425960
For those trying to keep up with the loop-the-loop aerial tactics of the high-flyers in the financial system.
Looking at some Oz news items and this is about a real brave child. A great selfless caring action.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-19/wa-bravery-awards-girl-saved-dog-attack-shark-attack/11421394
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/115099493/corrections-new-strategy-to-break-cycle-of-mori-imprisonment-and-reoffending
'The strategy aimed to lower the proportion of Māori in prison to match the Māori share of the general population, he said.
However, he acknowledged it would be unrealistic to expect that within five years of the strategy.'
Not saying it won't work but if they really want to cut back on the prison population quickly then all the government has to do is open up more high/maximum security psychiatric wards (and preferably hospitals)
For a longer term strategy then its more money in early care (like Plunkett) and more money into apprenticeships
Doing all of the above would be best, it certainly wouldn't do it all but it'd put a big dent in the prison population
I am keeping open about this – time will tell and the amount of buy in by staff will tell too – Corrections will need a few changes alright.
"A key focus is whānau and prisoners will get more visits with their families, and more people that they can call while they are behind bars."
Best be hiring a lot more staff because that takes a fair bit of time to organise
"Whānau of inmates will also be able to access rehabilitation programmes in the community if they want to."
Ditto above but even worse because now we'll have to consider the security arrangements of wherever the prisoner goes
"The strategy states prison staff will be expected to treat prisoners with respect and uphold their mana – like they are worthy of dignity and care."
"The biggest change Hōkai Rangi brings is the idea that we are now going to treat the person and not just their crime,"
Basically it boils down to this, a prisoner will change when a prisoner wants to change and not before, you can lead a horse to water and all that
Be nice to see the prisoners do the same (but really this is a nothing, meaningless, feel good statement)
try improving your attitude
You're right I will and thank you for pointing it out to me. In return heres a link to the current Corrections Officers vacancies, this is so you can join up and show everyone how it should be done
See you in the wings soon eh
https://corrections.nga.net.nz/cp/index.cfm?event=jobs.listJobs&JobCategoryID=0B694123-AC3E-6519-5733-AD2E7823FE74&jobsresetList=true&CurATC=EXT&CurBID=E9CCF8EF%2D5032%2D47AB%2DAFA5%2D9DB40134F68C&JobListID=9C635771%2DAA94%2D5ACC%2D5AB1%2D9AFBFE2CE8C2&jobsListKey=baf176dc%2D68f5%2D4351%2Dbc16%2D5decd3241db0&persistVariables=CurATC,CurBID,JobListID,jobsListKey&lid=65117280008&rmuh=75E8B09E06DE660D020AEF2E2048D47E7F18314D
lol you've only been in the job for 2 months yet you think you know everything – I'm a bit worried for those you are supposed to be helping if your attitude doesn't change
Lol March is when I first went on the floor so that's coming up 6 months experience and while I know next to nothing I certainly know more than anyone that's never been in Corrections, also my opinions are strongly influenced by the experienced staff I'm learning from lol
Lol however I'm completely serious that you who obviously knows so much and have so much experience that for you not to be on the floor teaching the staff and the prisoners how things should be done is a complete travesty lol
Lol of course I'm not serious, I mean you couldn't do what I and thousands of other men and women do, you couldn't handle it, you'd freeze the first time you see someone bleeding out, you'd probably piss your pants the first time a facially-tattooed gangster got in your face yet your seem comfortable in telling me how I need to improve lol
yeah yeah rah rah – I work in mental health bozo so keep going…
Pity you didn't see the opportunity this report and idea brings for those who don't know much about Māori culture – for the life of me I can't imagine why anyone would scorn that – experts have thought about it and considered it from a Māori perspective – but that is never considered. It could future proof your whole career and give massive opportunities. It could help these prisoners so they don't try and kill themselves on your shift.
Wise up fool
Good so no excuses about coming over to Corrections then
I'm sure theres opportunity there but, and its a very big but, there are simpler, quicker and more effective ways to reduce the prison population however it would cost more money and this is more a PR exercise
As for experts the older I get and more time I spend in areas the more I realise that experts tend to do more harm than good unless those same experts also have the experience
and you'd agree that you have neither – expertise or experience that is
not sure why you’d not be up for all info and knowledge
I have more than anyone that hasn't set foot on a floor and every day that experience and expertise grows
we're talking about the latest meta initiative from corrections that you are unconvinced about – on that subject it seems small experience means very little
Theres no mention of prisoners working involved, theres no mention of prisoners taking responsibility for their actions
This may work but there are plenty of other options that are more effective at reducing reoffending
how would you know that
He's been a CO for six months, that makes him an expert in everything lol
I learn from the men and women that have the experience, that've been there and done that so when they talk I listen but if you'd like an example of why not questioning experts is a bad idea you could probably talk to Sandra Coney or Peter Ellis (better be quick though)
The more time on their hands a prisoner has the more likely they are to cause trouble just like when young men are unemployed, you only have to look at wings to see this in action, the wings with workers are safer than the wings without workers
Theres numerous examples out there of crime rising in areas when unemployment raises so I don't think its radical to suggest getting people working is a good idea, it teaches responsibilities, it gives structure and grows pride
I feel Pucky's coming on-board
As a teacher, I back Pockish – sorry – Puckish Rogue. How many times has Govt. introduced fine theory, without funding or resourcing staff to be able to achieve it? For your benefit, Marty, programmes to assist Maori in the education system have failed because of exactly the problem PR is pointing out. He has a valid point.
Lordy! A Pucky-love-in! Never thought I'd see the day!
I reckon, inside, you learn fast!
I've always admired your well thought out and reasoned contributions to this blog In Vino
maybe if we start policing and sentencing to prison terms the Pakeha population as we do with the Maori population we would see an adjustment in the ranks of our prisoners.
But i won't be holding my breath.
Off the top of my head:
More resources into Plunkett, more resources into apprenticeships, more psychiatric wards and hospitals and more work schemes in prison would, I guarantee, see a reduction in the prison population
Plunkett needs to be paid a whole lot less than he is now.
Not to worry PR, if the CO thing doesn't work out I'm sure you could get a job with the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff service. I agree about the apprenticeships though.
"I'm sure you could get a job with the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff service"
Already there unfortunately, I mean just have a think about whats let a child down before they get to Corrections.
The mother, the family, education, hospitals, police, the justice department, mental health services, some of these have or all of them have and I've probably missed other agencies out
But hey its where I want to be 🙂
People liking their jobs is usually a good thing.
I agree with you about the fails. Probably we don't agree on what should be done differently, but maybe some overlaps.
I don't claim to have all the answers but I'm 100% sure that encouraging and giving more work to prisoners can only lead to a more positive outcome
It might even be the difference between spending between 100 to 150 grand a year on incarcerating someone and them paying income tax instead which might also mean their kids might not end up in prison either, breaking the cycle and all that
Ha! Plunkett.
I see a plump baby.
You're sounding very … liberal and progressive with your thinking, Pucky:
Not going all lefty on us, are ya?
I've always been conservative in some areas and liberal in others but now that I'm in the system I can start to see where improvements could happen
Whether they will happen is another matter but at least now I have a vague idea of what's actually happening
That's really good, Pucky.
We need realists like you at the coal-face (goal face).
Gotta ask: do you share Judith's enthusiasm for double-bunking?
Judith is never wrong but in this (extremely rare) situation she was probably given inaccurate information (perhaps by a Labour mole)
Had I been advising her I would have advised that single bunks are the better option
I also note Labours opposing double bunking when in opposition but once they got into power that opposition seemed to…change
Appreciate your candidness.
The gleeful look on Jude's face at the announcement worried me.
Still, everyone makes mistakes, even the blessed and the godly.
Anne Tolley clumping about on the bonnet of a boy-racer's car was another … twin-black-cat in the matrix, but let's move on; liking the cut of your jib, Pucky; be real, tell it how it is.
Have I mentioned I'm a unionist?
So you agreed with their opposing double bunking but still didn't vote for them.
As for being a unionist, I guess you would have been one who voted not to strike against the Employment Contracts Act.
Perhaps you were still at school then..
Easy Brigid…
easy…
PR, thank you for the insight into corrections. It is helpful.
Agreed.
Well I can't top this so I'm leaving while I'm ahead
Puckish Rogue – I am getting the feeling that I may never call you Pockish Rouge again..
Perhaps we should do the same for females in the Prison population.
As of June 2019 there were 9252 males and 717 females in New Zealand prisons. Clearly the system is heavily biased against men. Let us have equal numbers of male and female prisoners.
Why is it that men are so cruelly treated?
Coz, culture.
OZs ABC News presenting the report about post-Brexit chaos which has surfaced again so people remember the actual results likely in case they have gone off-piste while distracting clowns tumble to amuse the peeps.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-19/uk-faces-food-and-fuel-shortages-in-no-deal-brexit/11426072
and closer to home:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-08-19/australia-co2-exports-third-highest-worldwide/11420654
The analysis, released today by public policy think tank the Australia Institute, measures fossil fuel exports according to their carbon dioxide-emissions potential.
It ranks Australia as the world's third-biggest exporter behind only Russia and Saudi Arabia.
In other words, when Australian fossil fuels — primarily coal — are burned overseas, the amount of carbon dioxide they produce is higher than the exported emissions of nearly all the world's biggest oil- and gas-producing nations, like Iraq and Kuwait.
Australia mines about 57 tonnes of CO2 potential per person each year, about 10 times the global average, and exports 7 per cent of the world's fossil fuel CO2 potential, the report found.
I surprised corrections staff were left to make these decisions without clear guidance on what is a highly sensitive and unprecedented case.
There seems to have been no plan whatsoever.
You can’t expect ordinary corrections staff to grasp the significance of the task. They are after all low skilled workers.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/396999/staff-had-sufficient-grounds-to-withhold-inmate-s-letter-corrections-boss
I understood from reports last week that the decisions were made by the manager of each prison. Hardly 'ordinary Corrections staff' – though clearly not competent enough in this instance.
" They are after all low skilled workers."
Way to crap on 3000+ union members (I mean its also wrong but still)
Would you mind not posting on taxpayer time?
lol
This from the guy that should be out looking for work and not messing around on here
he got you mate boom!
How exactly did he "get me"? We're allowed to use the internet during the day and he's the one that should out looking for work not wasting time on here
bang goes half the TS commentariat.
This is why I usually come in late in the day.. Teachers with 25 lively young inmates in front of them really get bugger-all time to flit off onto TS.
That's not very complimentary about corrections staff! I'm sure as he's a very high profile prisoner, at least some sort of manager / supervisor would be checking his mail.
Clearly not.
Being a (as Muttonbird so charmingly calls it) "low skilled worker" I would have had all his mail be sorted by one person only and at a minimum of PCO level (but preferably higher) but that's just me
Fox news poll results – wow, just wow.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjUQiqiStmo&ab_channel=TheYoungTurks
Generic managers the telling statistic,from the statistics debacle.
Why qualified statisticians are not significant at the department of statistics.
Hardly anyone has noticed the telling recommendation in the 2018 Census Review report that the Chief Methodologist – an ungainly title for SNZ's senior professional statistician – should be added to the Executive Leadership Team. Under the previous Government Statistician he had been a Deputy Government Statistician but had been demoted to the third level. That is right – in the current Statistics New Zealand there are no professional statisticians in the top two tiers of management.
This is characteristic of generic managers with their typical preference for distancing professionals from management. The SSC was unwise to appoint a generic manager to such a skilled job; I have wondered whether the advisory committee which assisted the State Service Commissioner to make the appointment of the current Government Statistician had any professional statistician on it or whether it, too, was stacked with generic managers.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/396968/what-can-we-learn-from-the-2018-census-debacle
Why have any managers in these positions at all – feed the info into a machine and let it decide, and do a better job as any one can see.
I ask you!! /sarc
The truth is the business-people, small government advocates, don't want to have a good government running well because then they have no reason to play around with it, mess it up, stop employing their mates in top positions, and generally foul up the country in any way that pays off for those with power. It is a continuing practice, or have some forgotten that.
The cult of generic management needs to die, and I don't particularly care whether it's a painless death as long as it's a quick one.
Hiring generic managers supposedly overcomes the problem that being highly skilled in your area of specialisation doesn't necessarily make you fit to run a large organisation. And I guess it does overcome that problem, at the expense of creating a much bigger one: having little knowledge of the work and purpose of the organisation you're running makes for you doing a shit job of running it.
But Psycho – what about all those University Business Schools shutting their doors! And MBAs would be more ridiculed than BAs (deservedly imho). MBA would stand for “Mendacious BA”.
John Raulston Saul in the unconscious civilization frames the managerial elites as thus.
our élite is primarily and increasingly managerial. A managerial élite manages. A crisis, unfortunately, requires thought. Thought is not a management function .
Because the managerial élites are now so large and have such a dominant effect on our educational system, we are actually teaching most people to manage, not to think. Not only do we not reward thought, we punish it as unprofessional.
Hard to argue with that.
Everybody wants to move to Nelson: Top of the South!
"The Nelson Club held a special general meeting on Friday, in which the member was censured and announced his voluntary resignation from the club's committee, but retained his membership.
The accused member was alleged to have claimed there is scientific evidence that "blacks have a lower IQ than whites", that homosexuals have a "sickness" and that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is a communist and, if she were re-elected, he would potentially move back to the United Kingdom. "
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/115101344/nelson-club-member-who-made-racist-comments-keeps-his-membership
If March 15 hadn't happened this would be hilarious.
Yes.
He's probably right though; there will be scientific evidence.
But Jacinda is a "he" and would move back to the United Kingdom if re-elected"?
Not sure about that…
"If March 15 hadn't happened this would be hilarious."
Probably not if you are Muslim.
Oh dear – I had thought of the Ides of March and Julius Caesar, and was trying to make some kind of link…
But I think you are repeating AB's point, Weka.
Count me as another of those very pleased to see you back, by the way.
Thanks In Vino!
I thought I was contradicting AB's point (even without the mosque shootings, that Nelson story is hugely problematic rather than funny)
well that's a disturbing read. The banger in the last sentence, well done Stuff.
The lawyer is a bit of a worry. People can have whatever views they want, but when doing lawyerly things I wouldn't expect a letter to express the lawyer's personal opinions about ethnicity and IQ.
I'm sure a social media campaign would give him his tickets in hours so he can go back to the uk. Could be a good option for this racist wanker.
PSA: if you want a sharp smiley rather than a fuzzy one, use type.
:- ) without the gap = 🙂
rather than from the Comment box options.
Full smiley text short cuts are here https://thestandard.org.nz/faq/smile/
I remember'em
🙂
Looks like National are in trouble again. This time for misleading, fake-news, Liberal Party, Topham Guerin type attack ads which appear to the Electoral Commissions to be shit enough to warrant further investigation.
Sometimes commenter, Wayne, vigorously defend these ads on this very forum a few weeks ago but it turns out he's on the wrong side of the Electoral Commission on this. But that is the way of the National Party, isn't it? Misleading, dishonest crap is their stock and trade.
James Shaw is right, Simon Bridges has very, very low integrity and should not be allowed anywhere near power.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/115111679/nationals-desperate-attack-ads-to-be-investigated-by-advertising-standards-authority
It is known as a professional foul.
Someone really needs to teach Genter how to use Word.
I heard a rumour that the "anonymous" letter writer accidentally managed to write the letter on paper bearing the letterhead of the Associate Minister of Transport.
You would think she had learned something from her fiasco with the letter about the Wellington transport options she sent to Twyford wouldn't you?
Go James Shaw!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/115111679/nationals-desperate-attack-ads-to-be-investigated-by-advertising-standards-authority
Oops! Beaten to the punch by Mutty!
Anyway….Go James Shaw!