‘
In the rankings of wilful idiocy, this is up there, with building the Fukashima nuclear plant on the waterfront of a coast with a known Tsunami risk.
Let this be the definitive rebuttal to those who wish to drill baby drill Jenny although you don’t even need ‘natural causes‘ to create a hideous disaster in the deep drilling industry.
Yeah! The Government is obviously blinded by money.
I got up to check how big the Earthquake was and after an hour of waiting for Geonet to put it on their website, got pissed off and went back to bed. Our tsunami warning system is woefully inadequate and all the money New Zealand has spent on seismic monitoring stations is for the oil industry to gain data. Fuckers!
You have to wonder if the sonic booms into the sea floor have caused this quake.
Perhaps I missed it but I doubt it, however half an hour is a lifetime in such circumstances; or a lot of lives if there is a tsunami triggered. There’s no excuses for such a woeful system that could cost many lives.
Being that the American army has developed the technology for warfare and that when a build up of pressure exists, even a small shock can set it off… Your completely unscientific reasoning Lanthanide, has no basis in reality.
A seismic source like Vibroseis is used onshore and either an airgun or a plasma sound source are used offshore. I’ve worked as part of an onshore survey team and unless you were standing beside the thumper truck you wouldn’t feel a thing and if you think that a seismic source would have enough energy to trigger an earthquake I’d say you’d know sfa.
If you read deeper in the site they explain why it takes time to publish what becomes an official determination.
And….my understanding is that geonet is not the CD tsunami warning system.
I also understand that we rely on “Our American Cousins” for threats from the north and north east but we are unprotected from stuff coming from somewhere like Chile.
Here is rare earth man again explaining why all is cool and no risk is taken by our corporate plunderers.
He, rare earth man how about those fuel rods melting through the bottom of the containment in reactor one, two, three with radiation being too high for any human to be able to enter the reactors? What you reckon, everybody and their dog is evacuating Tokyo, should Rob Fyfe pull finger and retreat his Air new Zealand crew too?
Very good interview with David Cunliffe on Morning Report this morning here. David spoke about the roll out of policy the need for it to be fiscally coherent but the overwhelming need to do something for ordinary kiwi families who are hurting under the onslaught of increased prices.
He kept the language simple and called Key’s statement that price rises are beyond the control of the Government for what it is, a lie.
He talked about an increase in the minimum wage and a fair tax policy as a start.
Yes, I just caught a brief summary of it. My first thought is that Labour are taking up the call from some online to front-foot things, and set the agenda more, and for the Labour team to front up, not just play the National game of a presidential-like focus on leaders.
RNZ: Well, isn’t it the case that much of this cost of living increase is beyond the government’s control?
David Cunliffe [DC]: No it’s not. There’s a very, very big push here from the rise in GST and don’t forget things like tobacco tax and the alcohol excise going up as well. Those are directly within the government’s control.
DC: The government isn’t responsible for the war in Libya. Let’s give them that. But this does not excuse the huge pressure on household budgets as being just an external thing. It is not. And let’s not talk in fancy language about stuff that is hurting thousands and thousands of New Zealand families who are having trouble putting food on the table in this land of milk and honey. It is not good enough, and it is not OK for the government to wash their hands on this.
The next part of the Cunliffe interview (up to 3.4 mins of a 4.4 min interview):
RNZ: But the government is saying, if you take out the petrol and diesel, most of the other increases balance out; the tax cuts for example:
DC: I’ve got the Stats Department figures in front of me for the year to March, Household utilities were up 4%, food is up 4.8%, alcohol, beverages and tobacco up 11.4%. Look, apart from the smokes and the beer, the rest of it is stuff that people just cannot afford. They cannot avoid and 4.8% for food in a year when people have had wage rises of less than 2% is a kick in the guts for Kiwi families who just cannot afford it. So I’m just sick to death of hearing a Prime Minister who made a cool $5million on his investments last year, telling other people they choose to be poor. He should put himself in their shoes and try to feed a family of 3 kids on 80 bucks a week groceries like the story like the story we heard from Maori budget advice service yesterday.
RNZ: OK but the, um, it’s not all bad, is it, Mr Cunliffe. I mean as the Prime Minister points out, interest rates are at the lowest levels since the 1960s.
DC: The interest rates are low, Simon, because the economy is in a hole so deep it can’t see the light at the top of the tunnel. I mean, that is hardly something to celebrate. But you know a government is desperate when they say, “Oh, interest rates are low, because the economy’s as flat as a pancake.” [Laughing] And the reason it’s as flat as a pancake, is not because it’s somebody else’s fault. As Treasury said, it’s not because of the earthquake – two thirds of the reasons are non-earthquake related. It is because the government has no idea how to grow an economy. They have no plan for growth.
RNZ: What would Labour actually do?
DC: Well, firstly Labour would take immediate steps to relieve the pressure on ordinary Kiwi household budgets. That means adjusting the minimums wage upwards very quickly. That means fair tax policies so everybody pays their fair share and everybody gets a fair go. And part of that is GST off fruit and vegetables. That’s 5 or 6 bucks a week for a struggling family. And it’s the first $5,000 of everything that everybody earns tax free.
And it’s the first $5,000 of everything that everybody earns tax free, within the first 5 years. That’s 10 bucks on the table for a family that can’t feed its kids. Now that’s not everything, by any means, but that’s a real tangible, definite, costed down-payment on our intentions and our values, which are to put ordinary New Zealand people ahead of profit and put food back on the tables of families that are struggling to feed their kids..
RNZ: Mr Cunliffe, is there room in the budget to put those measures through though?
DC: Oh yes, there is. I can tell you that I have a spreadsheet, which can, ah, roll out debt reduction within the forecast period, quite happily and can front end-load some immediate relief to New Zealand families. And we have pledged – I will repeat thi pledge on, and now we will go to this election with a fully-costed, fiscally responsible set of policies that will relieve the pressure on Kiwi households, and grow the economy and give New Zealand the brighter future that its been cheated of , by this lacklustre National government.
RNZ: When will we see that?
DC: You will see that well before the election. You will see announcements rolling out within the next few months following the Budget. You will already see, Labour out of the gates, and campaigning hard against this iniquitous asset sales programme, against rises in the cost of living, and on the call for the good Kiwi jobs and the best start for our kids. Those are our early themes. We are going to be rolling out campaign announcements as we get near the election. But mark my words it’s a fully-costed, robust programme that can be paid for, and will make a difference.
Thanks very very much Carol, truly appreciated. Now we have a nice record we can link to when someone says “what are Labour going to do? what’s their policy”.
Seems like we’ll start to see a lot more of their policy in the next 2-3 months.
PeteG, is that anything like National’s promise not to do all sorts of things in their first term? So we can expect the second term to be full of leftover business from failed 2005 scenarios? The Hollow Men Revisited! Who remembers Key’s brazenness from 2005 about using the second term to do the business?
Deferring it is similar, but I suspect more due to financial constraints rather than not wanting to scare the electorate.
But the situation now is much different. In 2008 voters were tired of Labour and a cautious National could cruise in. Now the polls suggest the voters are not yet tired of National (despite a few lefties having nightmares) and they are still tired of old Labour trying to sound even older.
It was almost Winstonesque (but with none of the obfuscation, confrontational attacks on the interviewer, lack of clarity and ‘the reality is’…). In other words it sounded passionate, committed, serious and ‘important’.
I said to my wife that this was feistier and clearer than anything I’d heard from Labour in a while. It also pre-empted the critical ‘memes’ around (e.g., about costings). Even in listing Labour’s policies that could help ordinary families Cunliffe didn’t over-egg it. He said it’s a start and spoke about $6 here and $10 there.
Irrespective of it being election year, the major supposedly left-wing party really needs to be making these points clearly – and often. The message will resonate.
As countries around Europe brace for a long period of austerity, high unemployment and falling living standards, many fear society is set to become harsher on those the system leaves behind.
On Monday’s Riz Khan we talk to celebrated British philosopher Alain de Botton in layman’s terms about the challenges faced by society in the wake of the global financial crisis.
de Botton expresses pretty much my views on success, but he clarifies, deepens and extends it by setting it in its historical and political context. He talked about the unrealistic notion of success in the west, at its most extreme in the US, where we are all meant to aspire to be Bill Gates, in a supposedly meritocratic society; a society where people are told we make our own luck. He said it breeds greed and envy because it can only be achieved by the few.
I liked the bit when de Botton replied to Khan’s question about who he sees as heroes. de Botton said it is the publicly unknown people who do a little bit extra to make the world more humane, stable and sane, eg the mother who gets up alittle bit earlier to help her child with homework, the public servant who goes that extra yard to help someone, etc.
In the interview there were quite a few references to de Botton’s book Satus Anxiety. I see there are some vids on youtube of de Botton talking about this.
…in line with that, perhaps your good selves could see the way clear to helping these heroes out.
We come in peace, with love in our hearts
humble in acknowledgement of the supreme creator.
We seek not to harm, nor to destroy,
but to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors,
to learn the truth that was lost,
to heal the wounds of past injustices.
May we forever walk in the light,
be guided, strengthened and protected
by the sacred spirit and the divine energy.
Jenny I saw a series on de Botton on the TV ages ago and remember he we was speaking with a man who felt the need to have heaps of watches to match his ensembles and his constant need to turn over and refresh his wardrobe. IIRC this man would not even donate his barely worn clothes to charity but would throw them out in case he spotted them being worn by someone else – the ultimate in status anxiety.
IIRC this man would not even donate his barely worn clothes to charity but would throw them out in case he spotted them being worn by someone else – the ultimate in status anxiety.
With maybe a touch of OCD thrown in? I actually feel sorry for him…
Not hard to see the Nats investment in mediaworks paying off with last nights lead item on tv3 late news as……not chch, nor japan/ Libya or any actual events but a poll they claimed said 78% don’t see goff as PM.
Taxpayer funded electioneering so blatant you could plant a blue flag on it…..nats I’m lovin it.
Agreed! It is sort of just confirming what we all knew anyway. With a bit more pressure though, maybe the Natz will wake up from their right-wing dream, which is our nightmare.
I thought about the usa report on their government finances from Standard and Poor that they are uniquely named to provide silent censure, ie the usa financial health is in its long-term condition which is standard – poor!
Carter who has NACT positions in agriculture and economic development I think, shows their wonky attitude to building this country’s capabilities in business and encouraging employment rich ones. This morning he was talking down the Pike River hopes, though they are building a conference centre which is something. But building is not the expertise that contractors have. Along with the conference centre the gummint could provide scholarships that are bonded in health, business etc. so youth with qualities for those areas can help to make a wider economy.
Also recently Carter spoke about putting biosecurity costs on horticultural producers. Fancy burdening people who are taking another road beside dairy, and we desperately need to have diversity, with costs and difficulties that arise directly from government choice and action in having open markets. Biosecurity is the responsibility of government, this attitude by this NACT government to make it user pays is totally irresponsible, short-sighted, neo-liberal ideological, places unreasonable cost burdens on hard-working small companies and can lead us into disastrous collapses of hard-won markets for producers here.
“Also recently Carter spoke about putting biosecurity costs on horticultural producers.”
If that’s the case, it is very odd policy.
Is it ‘just’ some proportion of the biosecurity costs (a levy or something)?
Biosecurity covers more than just agricultural/horticultural pests/diseases (includes human health, dangerous animals – e.g., poisonous snakes – and, in America, is primarily short for ‘anti-terrorist’ security – anthrax et al.) and I can’t see how you’d separate out the costs in any way that would be remotely fair (what proportion of someone’s time is devoted to apple-related biosecurity issues?? Peach issues? grapes? ???).
Bill O’Reilly (RNZ News) seems to think that kiwi’s only have to cater for the effects of ‘underlying’ inflation. I have news for Bill, and it’s all bad – we have to pay the real inflation rate even if it’s not on essentails like food, fuel, power, etc
All told, including the most recent departures, more than 10 full-time and freelance staffers have left the Ailes’ Putnam County papers in the last 10 months, insiders say. In addition to the aforementioned instances of surveillance, several former employees told Gawker that they had reason to suspect that their e-mail was being read and that rooms in the News and Recorder offices were bugged—Ailes, who is notoriously obsessed with his personal security, has the building thoroughly wired with video cameras. As if to underscore the message that the Aileses are all-seeing, the single unisex bathroom in the papers’ headquarters features portraits of Elizabeth and Roger on the walls, watching you, while you poop.
For three decades we have conducted a massive economic experiment, testing a theory known as supply-side economics. The theory goes like this: Lower tax rates will encourage more investment, which in turn will mean more jobs and greater prosperity—so much so that tax revenues will go up, despite lower rates. The late Milton Friedman, the libertarian economist who wanted to shut down public parks because he considered them socialism, promoted this strategy. Ronald Reagan embraced Friedman’s ideas and made them into policy when he was elected president in 1980.
Tomorrow marks a date that will be forever remembered as a dark day in human history. The explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon as it was drilling a test well off Louisiana’s coast on the 20th April 2010, will leave its mark in the Gulf of Mexico for centuries to come. Two days after the initial explosion, the rig sank into the ocean and left a poisonous legacy that should never be forgotten.
That’s really funny. I’ll have to send it on to a few people I know. Amazing how many people think it’s real.
More seriously single-hull tankers were meant to be phased out beginning 2005 to prevent spills like the Prestige. The EU expected all single-hulls to be phased out by the end of 2010 and New Zealand likewise. I’m not sure how far it’s moved on since then, as far as I can tell transporting the stuff has been way more likely to cause a spill than drilling for it – pipelines and ships…(Gulf of Mexico excepted).
Simple, just get Winnie to announce a new policy of Capital Punishment…. with Malcolm Chaston as the posterboy there is a huge market for votes here and no other party is pushing it.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/4904789/Chopper-beats-beamer-for-Key
Would you believe it! Key ordered up an Airforce Chopper to take him to his V8 photo op, then back again. What sort of arrogance and wasting taxpayers money is this. Remember the hooha for a past PM being raced in a car to catch a plane?
Well I posted this In the message boards but just in case stuff do their usual to what i write i said this
So he probably could have used one of his nice shiney beemers with seat warmers, and drive to Hamilton from AK, then use a puddle jumper for the last little bit cost?? Not too much for diesel in a nice new Beemer they do run lean, and a puddle jumper ?? $500 bucks.
But Oh No John Key has to come in in a Vietnam era Huey, probably dreaming of twin mini guns to straffe the poor below, and imagining the smell of napalm.
HOWICK BY-ELECTION:
First Candidates Public Meeting
TONIGHT 19 April 2011 7.30pm
Ormiston Senior College
Ormiston Road
FLAT BUSH
Organised by Botany /Flat Bush Residents and Ratepayers Assn:
The ‘platform’ upon which Independent Candidate Penny Bright is standing:
I, Penny Bright, am calling for a ‘partial’ RATE$ REVOLT!
NO RATE$ INCREASES!
The Auckland Council is proposing is to put the rates up 4.9%!
So much for the ‘economies of scale’ with the $upercity amalgamation!
WHAT UTTER RUBBISH!
As I tried to warn people of Auckland during the Auckland Council Mayoral campaign – the Auckland $upercity IS a ‘super ripoff’!
Pity about the $upercity ‘transition’ and ‘integration’ costs?
Seems they are proving to be more than the ‘economies of scale’ – arising from the forced amalgamation of eight Councils, which were railroaded through Parliament in another ‘Rogernomic$ blitzkreig’ with the public being denied as citizens our lawful right to a binding poll.
Did Treasury do any ‘cost-benefit analysis’ here, comparing the ‘benefits’ of ‘economies of scale’ vs’ costs of ‘transition and integration’?
DID ANYONE?
My candidates statement – which will be going out to over 90,000 voters, will be saying the following:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CANDIDATE PROFILE STATEMENT:
The Auckland ‘Supercity’ is indeed proving to be a ‘super ripoff’!
Effectively it has been a corporate raid, by unelected business interests to run the Auckland region ‘like a business – by business – FOR business’.
Bigger contracts – for bigger contractors.
The public never voted for this, or the ‘$upercity’, full stop!
The books are NOT open.
We don’t know the names of these contractors; the scope,term or value of these contracts.
Have there been arguably corrupt ‘conflicts of interest’ in the awarding of these contracts?
The root cause of corruption is privatised contracts – how is it decided who gets the contracts?
We need determined ‘Public Watchdogs’ to help protect our public assets, public monies and public health and safety.
NO RATE$ INCREASES!
Cut rates by cutting out consultants and private contractors!
Bring back Council ‘Works Departments’!
STOP PRIVATISATION!
STOP ASSET SALES! http://waterpressure.wordpress.com http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz http://www.stopthesupercity.org.nz http://www.stopprivatisation.org.nz
Penny Bright
Judicially recognised ‘Public Watchdog’ on Metrowater, water and
Auckland regional governance matters.
‘World Water Warrior’ – NZ attendee at World Water Forum Kyoto 2003.
Auckland Mayoral candidate 2010.
Botany by-election candidate 2011
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
Attendee: Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference (Brisbane) 2009
Attendee: Transparency International 14th Anti-Corruption Conference
(Bangkok) 2010
There is a bit more traffic than usual on the site this afternoon, probably due to the widespread linking to “Pagani Dead Wrong” by the likes of Audrey Young and others. New server is holding up pretty well to the loading.
But I wish that I’d gotten the second part of the server upgrade operational and pushed the bots off to a separate server.
The downside of the server upgrades is that there are losses of parts of the system until I get them back into play again. That is one of them 🙁 Just at present it is about the last one 🙂 The problem is that it uses a very effective search system (Sphinx Search) that has been interfering with the running of the site recently as the number of posts and comments has been escalating.
The idea is to run the sphinx indexer on the old server which will have a replicated database (ie seconds behind the new server). The loading on that system should be somewhat lower because it will deal with the rest of the world (95% of our robot readers). NZ and aussie who are more than 95% of our human readers will run on the new server.
It’s been said (Woody Allan?) that the difference between tragedy and comedy is time. The same can be said about tragedy and plain-speaking / political debate.
Has enough time past before we speak plainly about Pike River mine fire?
During the coverage in the days after the disaster I became increasing annoyed (and at my age that is often) with the complaints from the family because the authorities were not doing enough to RECOVER (repeat : recover) the bodies.
I understand the desire to recover the bodies of loved ones, however there must be a limit. Mining is a dangerous occupation and anyone entering it (and their family) should have accepted the fact, from the get-go, that if a disaster happened their body may not be recovered – that they could be entombed forever.
As such, there should be no expectation of a right to have the bodies recovered. Once a determination had been made that there was no possibility of survival then the recovery should be guided by what is reasonable given that the miners and their families knew what they were getting into.
Then figures have been release today show that the police operation has cost $10.9m.
A lot of time and effort has gone into doing the best by the grieving families and communities but now the government has thrown an election bribe to Greymouth of $3.5 million for a sports centre.
Given the amount of private giving, a national ceremony, a royal visit, millions spent on a rescue / recovery, OSH and police investigations and what will be an expensive royal commission costing millions, is a new sports centre just a “nice to have”?
Or is it too soon to be hard-nosed about such things?
Anti-spam : intervals (should be of a suitable period?)
@ ianmac
If it doesn’t turn up tomorrow night write to TV3 and demand an explanation. It could be a very interesting exercise! Don’t email… they’re not duty bound to reply to emails.
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
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What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
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Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
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‘
In the rankings of wilful idiocy, this is up there, with building the Fukashima nuclear plant on the waterfront of a coast with a known Tsunami risk.
6.4 earthquake in seabed off the East Coast
Umm…… Isn’t this where Petrobras hopes to put down a very fragile Deep Sea test drill thread into?
Isn’t this the exact sort of test drill thread that ruptured in the Gulf of Mexico, even without an earthquake.
Let this be the definitive rebuttal to those who wish to drill baby drill Jenny although you don’t even need ‘natural causes‘ to create a hideous disaster in the deep drilling industry.
Yeah! The Government is obviously blinded by money.
I got up to check how big the Earthquake was and after an hour of waiting for Geonet to put it on their website, got pissed off and went back to bed. Our tsunami warning system is woefully inadequate and all the money New Zealand has spent on seismic monitoring stations is for the oil industry to gain data. Fuckers!
You have to wonder if the sonic booms into the sea floor have caused this quake.
According to the geonet site, the earthquake info was published 30 minutes after the earthquake. I guess you didn’t see it.
http://geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/3499092g.html
“Universal Time April 18 2011 at 13:02”
“Earthquake information last modified: 2011 Apr 18 13:31 (UT).”
“You have to wonder if the sonic booms into the sea floor have caused this quake.”
No, you don’t really. Seismic imaging is is like a pin-prick in intensity compared to a chainsaw cutting off your arm (an earthquake).
Perhaps I missed it but I doubt it, however half an hour is a lifetime in such circumstances; or a lot of lives if there is a tsunami triggered. There’s no excuses for such a woeful system that could cost many lives.
Being that the American army has developed the technology for warfare and that when a build up of pressure exists, even a small shock can set it off… Your completely unscientific reasoning Lanthanide, has no basis in reality.
A seismic source like Vibroseis is used onshore and either an airgun or a plasma sound source are used offshore. I’ve worked as part of an onshore survey team and unless you were standing beside the thumper truck you wouldn’t feel a thing and if you think that a seismic source would have enough energy to trigger an earthquake I’d say you’d know sfa.
http://www.ecgs.lu/ecgs-fkpe-workshop-induced-seismicity/
http://www.beachapedia.org/Seismic_survey
http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/marine/sonarvideo/video.asp
http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/marine/sonar.asp
Nothing there about offshore seismic surveying and earthquakes sport.
And yes, the ocean is a noisy place and loud noises have an adverse effect on marine life but loud noises don’t cause earthquakes.
It was on Twitter within 11 minutes.
Wow! 11 minutes, I wonder why it took them another twenty minutes (according to their website/over an hour by my count) to put it online?
If you read deeper in the site they explain why it takes time to publish what becomes an official determination.
And….my understanding is that geonet is not the CD tsunami warning system.
I also understand that we rely on “Our American Cousins” for threats from the north and north east but we are unprotected from stuff coming from somewhere like Chile.
Here is rare earth man again explaining why all is cool and no risk is taken by our corporate plunderers.
He, rare earth man how about those fuel rods melting through the bottom of the containment in reactor one, two, three with radiation being too high for any human to be able to enter the reactors? What you reckon, everybody and their dog is evacuating Tokyo, should Rob Fyfe pull finger and retreat his Air new Zealand crew too?
Very good interview with David Cunliffe on Morning Report this morning here. David spoke about the roll out of policy the need for it to be fiscally coherent but the overwhelming need to do something for ordinary kiwi families who are hurting under the onslaught of increased prices.
He kept the language simple and called Key’s statement that price rises are beyond the control of the Government for what it is, a lie.
He talked about an increase in the minimum wage and a fair tax policy as a start.
More of this please Labour.
Yes, I just caught a brief summary of it. My first thought is that Labour are taking up the call from some online to front-foot things, and set the agenda more, and for the Labour team to front up, not just play the National game of a presidential-like focus on leaders.
Yep at long last 🙂
Yes, it was very very good. I’d much appreciate if someone could transcribe it (at work and can’t listen to MP3s, or I would).
The Cunlifffe interview on RNZ this morning begins:
The next part of the Cunliffe interview (up to 3.4 mins of a 4.4 min interview):
RNZ: But the government is saying, if you take out the petrol and diesel, most of the other increases balance out; the tax cuts for example:
DC: I’ve got the Stats Department figures in front of me for the year to March, Household utilities were up 4%, food is up 4.8%, alcohol, beverages and tobacco up 11.4%. Look, apart from the smokes and the beer, the rest of it is stuff that people just cannot afford. They cannot avoid and 4.8% for food in a year when people have had wage rises of less than 2% is a kick in the guts for Kiwi families who just cannot afford it. So I’m just sick to death of hearing a Prime Minister who made a cool $5million on his investments last year, telling other people they choose to be poor. He should put himself in their shoes and try to feed a family of 3 kids on 80 bucks a week groceries like the story like the story we heard from Maori budget advice service yesterday.
RNZ: OK but the, um, it’s not all bad, is it, Mr Cunliffe. I mean as the Prime Minister points out, interest rates are at the lowest levels since the 1960s.
DC: The interest rates are low, Simon, because the economy is in a hole so deep it can’t see the light at the top of the tunnel. I mean, that is hardly something to celebrate. But you know a government is desperate when they say, “Oh, interest rates are low, because the economy’s as flat as a pancake.” [Laughing] And the reason it’s as flat as a pancake, is not because it’s somebody else’s fault. As Treasury said, it’s not because of the earthquake – two thirds of the reasons are non-earthquake related. It is because the government has no idea how to grow an economy. They have no plan for growth.
RNZ: What would Labour actually do?
DC: Well, firstly Labour would take immediate steps to relieve the pressure on ordinary Kiwi household budgets. That means adjusting the minimums wage upwards very quickly. That means fair tax policies so everybody pays their fair share and everybody gets a fair go. And part of that is GST off fruit and vegetables. That’s 5 or 6 bucks a week for a struggling family. And it’s the first $5,000 of everything that everybody earns tax free.
The final part of the Cunliffe interview:
And it’s the first $5,000 of everything that everybody earns tax free, within the first 5 years. That’s 10 bucks on the table for a family that can’t feed its kids. Now that’s not everything, by any means, but that’s a real tangible, definite, costed down-payment on our intentions and our values, which are to put ordinary New Zealand people ahead of profit and put food back on the tables of families that are struggling to feed their kids..
RNZ: Mr Cunliffe, is there room in the budget to put those measures through though?
DC: Oh yes, there is. I can tell you that I have a spreadsheet, which can, ah, roll out debt reduction within the forecast period, quite happily and can front end-load some immediate relief to New Zealand families. And we have pledged – I will repeat thi pledge on, and now we will go to this election with a fully-costed, fiscally responsible set of policies that will relieve the pressure on Kiwi households, and grow the economy and give New Zealand the brighter future that its been cheated of , by this lacklustre National government.
RNZ: When will we see that?
DC: You will see that well before the election. You will see announcements rolling out within the next few months following the Budget. You will already see, Labour out of the gates, and campaigning hard against this iniquitous asset sales programme, against rises in the cost of living, and on the call for the good Kiwi jobs and the best start for our kids. Those are our early themes. We are going to be rolling out campaign announcements as we get near the election. But mark my words it’s a fully-costed, robust programme that can be paid for, and will make a difference.
Thanks very very much Carol, truly appreciated. Now we have a nice record we can link to when someone says “what are Labour going to do? what’s their policy”.
Seems like we’ll start to see a lot more of their policy in the next 2-3 months.
So to get that we don’t really have to vote Labour in until 2014? It doesn’t sound like a first term policy, or he would surely be pushing that point.
PeteG, is that anything like National’s promise not to do all sorts of things in their first term? So we can expect the second term to be full of leftover business from failed 2005 scenarios? The Hollow Men Revisited! Who remembers Key’s brazenness from 2005 about using the second term to do the business?
Deferring it is similar, but I suspect more due to financial constraints rather than not wanting to scare the electorate.
But the situation now is much different. In 2008 voters were tired of Labour and a cautious National could cruise in. Now the polls suggest the voters are not yet tired of National (despite a few lefties having nightmares) and they are still tired of old Labour trying to sound even older.
Its a first term policy. And there are a bunch of other good’uns coming too.
Hold on to your hats.
What financial constraints? The top 100 entries on the NZ rich list control somewhere around $60B in assets between them.
I have to agree (though I’m wary of false dawns).
It was almost Winstonesque (but with none of the obfuscation, confrontational attacks on the interviewer, lack of clarity and ‘the reality is’…). In other words it sounded passionate, committed, serious and ‘important’.
I said to my wife that this was feistier and clearer than anything I’d heard from Labour in a while. It also pre-empted the critical ‘memes’ around (e.g., about costings). Even in listing Labour’s policies that could help ordinary families Cunliffe didn’t over-egg it. He said it’s a start and spoke about $6 here and $10 there.
Irrespective of it being election year, the major supposedly left-wing party really needs to be making these points clearly – and often. The message will resonate.
100% Agree with everything you said.
Now that is what I would expect from a leader of the party, But you can’t have everything. Well said, finally something.
I just watched Riz Khan interview with Alaine de Botton, questioning the western contemporary notion of success, as summarised in the promo for the interview:
de Botton expresses pretty much my views on success, but he clarifies, deepens and extends it by setting it in its historical and political context. He talked about the unrealistic notion of success in the west, at its most extreme in the US, where we are all meant to aspire to be Bill Gates, in a supposedly meritocratic society; a society where people are told we make our own luck. He said it breeds greed and envy because it can only be achieved by the few.
I liked the bit when de Botton replied to Khan’s question about who he sees as heroes. de Botton said it is the publicly unknown people who do a little bit extra to make the world more humane, stable and sane, eg the mother who gets up alittle bit earlier to help her child with homework, the public servant who goes that extra yard to help someone, etc.
In the interview there were quite a few references to de Botton’s book Satus Anxiety. I see there are some vids on youtube of de Botton talking about this.
…in line with that, perhaps your good selves could see the way clear to helping these heroes out.
We come in peace, with love in our hearts
humble in acknowledgement of the supreme creator.
We seek not to harm, nor to destroy,
but to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors,
to learn the truth that was lost,
to heal the wounds of past injustices.
May we forever walk in the light,
be guided, strengthened and protected
by the sacred spirit and the divine energy.
http://pollywannacracka.blogspot.com/2011/04/things-we-do-for-love.html
BTW i’m looking to transcend my hero status and become a god. Forget western standards of success.
This is how we role in Pasifika… 🙂
Polly, be careful about deity status, tends to spread you a bit thin being omnipresent.
Heh…cheers B
i’ll settle for demigod status and am already working on immortalising our exploits in word…
…by the time i’m finished we’re gonna be the equals of Maui or Odysseus
Jenny I saw a series on de Botton on the TV ages ago and remember he we was speaking with a man who felt the need to have heaps of watches to match his ensembles and his constant need to turn over and refresh his wardrobe. IIRC this man would not even donate his barely worn clothes to charity but would throw them out in case he spotted them being worn by someone else – the ultimate in status anxiety.
With maybe a touch of OCD thrown in? I actually feel sorry for him…
Not hard to see the Nats investment in mediaworks paying off with last nights lead item on tv3 late news as……not chch, nor japan/ Libya or any actual events but a poll they claimed said 78% don’t see goff as PM.
Taxpayer funded electioneering so blatant you could plant a blue flag on it…..nats I’m lovin it.
Which is why I am now boycotting TV3 news. I’m not watching anymore of their blatantly biased electioneering.
UN finds credibility gap on emissions
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10720250&ref=newsl_morningnewsdirect_J20080513_133717_5781_6889_875540616
Mr Terry’s analysis concludes that some of the emissions reductions the Government is claiming for the ETS are, in any case, dodgy.
We didn’t really need a UN report to know that – we just have to realise that 90% of anything NACT say is an outright lie.
Agreed! It is sort of just confirming what we all knew anyway. With a bit more pressure though, maybe the Natz will wake up from their right-wing dream, which is our nightmare.
I thought about the usa report on their government finances from Standard and Poor that they are uniquely named to provide silent censure, ie the usa financial health is in its long-term condition which is standard – poor!
Carter who has NACT positions in agriculture and economic development I think, shows their wonky attitude to building this country’s capabilities in business and encouraging employment rich ones. This morning he was talking down the Pike River hopes, though they are building a conference centre which is something. But building is not the expertise that contractors have. Along with the conference centre the gummint could provide scholarships that are bonded in health, business etc. so youth with qualities for those areas can help to make a wider economy.
Also recently Carter spoke about putting biosecurity costs on horticultural producers. Fancy burdening people who are taking another road beside dairy, and we desperately need to have diversity, with costs and difficulties that arise directly from government choice and action in having open markets. Biosecurity is the responsibility of government, this attitude by this NACT government to make it user pays is totally irresponsible, short-sighted, neo-liberal ideological, places unreasonable cost burdens on hard-working small companies and can lead us into disastrous collapses of hard-won markets for producers here.
“Also recently Carter spoke about putting biosecurity costs on horticultural producers.”
If that’s the case, it is very odd policy.
Is it ‘just’ some proportion of the biosecurity costs (a levy or something)?
Biosecurity covers more than just agricultural/horticultural pests/diseases (includes human health, dangerous animals – e.g., poisonous snakes – and, in America, is primarily short for ‘anti-terrorist’ security – anthrax et al.) and I can’t see how you’d separate out the costs in any way that would be remotely fair (what proportion of someone’s time is devoted to apple-related biosecurity issues?? Peach issues? grapes? ???).
Bill O’Reilly (RNZ News) seems to think that kiwi’s only have to cater for the effects of ‘underlying’ inflation. I have news for Bill, and it’s all bad – we have to pay the real inflation rate even if it’s not on essentails like food, fuel, power, etc
Rger Ailes. Strange fish.
http://gawker.com/#!5793012
9 Things The Rich Don’t Want You To Know About Taxes
For three decades we have conducted a massive economic experiment, testing a theory known as supply-side economics. The theory goes like this: Lower tax rates will encourage more investment, which in turn will mean more jobs and greater prosperity—so much so that tax revenues will go up, despite lower rates. The late Milton Friedman, the libertarian economist who wanted to shut down public parks because he considered them socialism, promoted this strategy. Ronald Reagan embraced Friedman’s ideas and made them into policy when he was elected president in 1980.
Deepwater Horizons Poisonous Legacy
http://thejackalman.blogspot.com/2011/04/deepwater-horizons-poisonous-legacy.html
Tomorrow marks a date that will be forever remembered as a dark day in human history. The explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon as it was drilling a test well off Louisiana’s coast on the 20th April 2010, will leave its mark in the Gulf of Mexico for centuries to come. Two days after the initial explosion, the rig sank into the ocean and left a poisonous legacy that should never be forgotten.
The Gulf War.
The oceanographer Ed Levine said, “With all of the skimmers in the world out there, you might as well be using thimbles.”
You guys are talking crap, if we are going to have an oil spill it’s best to have one where it won’t cause any polution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-QNAwUdHUQ
What! Since when does an oil spill not cause pollution? Perhaps you are advocating that oil tankers be made of papier mache or something similar?
todd, oil spills do not cause any pollution if there are no environmentalists around to witness it. It’s a known physical law, dude.
Yep thats why some icebergs have, or had a black ring around them from tankers scrubbing their tanks way out at sea.
That’s really funny. I’ll have to send it on to a few people I know. Amazing how many people think it’s real.
More seriously single-hull tankers were meant to be phased out beginning 2005 to prevent spills like the Prestige. The EU expected all single-hulls to be phased out by the end of 2010 and New Zealand likewise. I’m not sure how far it’s moved on since then, as far as I can tell transporting the stuff has been way more likely to cause a spill than drilling for it – pipelines and ships…(Gulf of Mexico excepted).
How to get Labour/NZF higher in the polls????
Simple, just get Winnie to announce a new policy of Capital Punishment…. with Malcolm Chaston as the posterboy there is a huge market for votes here and no other party is pushing it.
guaranteed to get Winnie over 5%
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/4904789/Chopper-beats-beamer-for-Key
Would you believe it! Key ordered up an Airforce Chopper to take him to his V8 photo op, then back again. What sort of arrogance and wasting taxpayers money is this. Remember the hooha for a past PM being raced in a car to catch a plane?
Nice2have.
Well I posted this In the message boards but just in case stuff do their usual to what i write i said this
So he probably could have used one of his nice shiney beemers with seat warmers, and drive to Hamilton from AK, then use a puddle jumper for the last little bit cost?? Not too much for diesel in a nice new Beemer they do run lean, and a puddle jumper ?? $500 bucks.
But Oh No John Key has to come in in a Vietnam era Huey, probably dreaming of twin mini guns to straffe the poor below, and imagining the smell of napalm.
Bloody Photo OP
HOWICK BY-ELECTION:
First Candidates Public Meeting
TONIGHT 19 April 2011 7.30pm
Ormiston Senior College
Ormiston Road
FLAT BUSH
Organised by Botany /Flat Bush Residents and Ratepayers Assn:
The ‘platform’ upon which Independent Candidate Penny Bright is standing:
I, Penny Bright, am calling for a ‘partial’ RATE$ REVOLT!
NO RATE$ INCREASES!
The Auckland Council is proposing is to put the rates up 4.9%!
So much for the ‘economies of scale’ with the $upercity amalgamation!
WHAT UTTER RUBBISH!
As I tried to warn people of Auckland during the Auckland Council Mayoral campaign – the Auckland $upercity IS a ‘super ripoff’!
Pity about the $upercity ‘transition’ and ‘integration’ costs?
Seems they are proving to be more than the ‘economies of scale’ – arising from the forced amalgamation of eight Councils, which were railroaded through Parliament in another ‘Rogernomic$ blitzkreig’ with the public being denied as citizens our lawful right to a binding poll.
Did Treasury do any ‘cost-benefit analysis’ here, comparing the ‘benefits’ of ‘economies of scale’ vs’ costs of ‘transition and integration’?
DID ANYONE?
My candidates statement – which will be going out to over 90,000 voters, will be saying the following:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CANDIDATE PROFILE STATEMENT:
The Auckland ‘Supercity’ is indeed proving to be a ‘super ripoff’!
Effectively it has been a corporate raid, by unelected business interests to run the Auckland region ‘like a business – by business – FOR business’.
Bigger contracts – for bigger contractors.
The public never voted for this, or the ‘$upercity’, full stop!
The books are NOT open.
We don’t know the names of these contractors; the scope,term or value of these contracts.
Have there been arguably corrupt ‘conflicts of interest’ in the awarding of these contracts?
The root cause of corruption is privatised contracts – how is it decided who gets the contracts?
We need determined ‘Public Watchdogs’ to help protect our public assets, public monies and public health and safety.
NO RATE$ INCREASES!
Cut rates by cutting out consultants and private contractors!
Bring back Council ‘Works Departments’!
STOP PRIVATISATION!
STOP ASSET SALES!
http://waterpressure.wordpress.com
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
http://www.stopthesupercity.org.nz
http://www.stopprivatisation.org.nz
Penny Bright
Judicially recognised ‘Public Watchdog’ on Metrowater, water and
Auckland regional governance matters.
‘World Water Warrior’ – NZ attendee at World Water Forum Kyoto 2003.
Auckland Mayoral candidate 2010.
Botany by-election candidate 2011
‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
Attendee: Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference (Brisbane) 2009
Attendee: Transparency International 14th Anti-Corruption Conference
(Bangkok) 2010
Go Penny!
The mail system that underlies the “contact us”, “contribute”, “registration”, and “notify me of followup” is now back online.
Some of you will be receiving queued mail.
There is a bit more traffic than usual on the site this afternoon, probably due to the widespread linking to “Pagani Dead Wrong” by the likes of Audrey Young and others. New server is holding up pretty well to the loading.
But I wish that I’d gotten the second part of the server upgrade operational and pushed the bots off to a separate server.
The search doesn’t work for me (usually it does). Is that operator error or part of the upgrade?
The downside of the server upgrades is that there are losses of parts of the system until I get them back into play again. That is one of them 🙁 Just at present it is about the last one 🙂 The problem is that it uses a very effective search system (Sphinx Search) that has been interfering with the running of the site recently as the number of posts and comments has been escalating.
The idea is to run the sphinx indexer on the old server which will have a replicated database (ie seconds behind the new server). The loading on that system should be somewhat lower because it will deal with the rest of the world (95% of our robot readers). NZ and aussie who are more than 95% of our human readers will run on the new server.
It will be operational again tonight hopefully.
It’s been said (Woody Allan?) that the difference between tragedy and comedy is time. The same can be said about tragedy and plain-speaking / political debate.
Has enough time past before we speak plainly about Pike River mine fire?
During the coverage in the days after the disaster I became increasing annoyed (and at my age that is often) with the complaints from the family because the authorities were not doing enough to RECOVER (repeat : recover) the bodies.
I understand the desire to recover the bodies of loved ones, however there must be a limit. Mining is a dangerous occupation and anyone entering it (and their family) should have accepted the fact, from the get-go, that if a disaster happened their body may not be recovered – that they could be entombed forever.
As such, there should be no expectation of a right to have the bodies recovered. Once a determination had been made that there was no possibility of survival then the recovery should be guided by what is reasonable given that the miners and their families knew what they were getting into.
Then figures have been release today show that the police operation has cost $10.9m.
A lot of time and effort has gone into doing the best by the grieving families and communities but now the government has thrown an election bribe to Greymouth of $3.5 million for a sports centre.
Given the amount of private giving, a national ceremony, a royal visit, millions spent on a rescue / recovery, OSH and police investigations and what will be an expensive royal commission costing millions, is a new sports centre just a “nice to have”?
Or is it too soon to be hard-nosed about such things?
Anti-spam : intervals (should be of a suitable period?)
That’s odd. At 5:30pm Campbell Live advertised an item for tonight about Hide Act and Epsom. But it appears to have been pulled. If so by whom?
@ ianmac
If it doesn’t turn up tomorrow night write to TV3 and demand an explanation. It could be a very interesting exercise! Don’t email… they’re not duty bound to reply to emails.
I have sent an e-mail but take your advice after tomorrow night. Ta.
Received a reply from TV3. Epson Hide story tomorrow Wed.
Just enough time for approval by Joyce’s office and a bit of friendly re-editing based on feedback.