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?
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
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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!