Open Mike 19/04/2017

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 19th, 2017 - 80 comments
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For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

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80 comments on “Open Mike 19/04/2017 ”

  1. Secrecy over VIP political figure’s visit –Queenstown/Arrowtown? Todd Barclay?

  2. AsleepWhileWalking 2

    Agora Financial is heavily promoting Pot Stocks…apparently Marijuana is about to cause a massive boom in the US economy.

    It will be interesting to see what effects this has over here.

  3. One Anonymous Bloke 3

    Where’s that whinging conspiracy theorist Ian when you need him? Always bleating on about the Selwyn River and how nobody reports that it’s flowing again.

    Well Ian, you can stop wailing, because now someone has.

    But oops! What’s this right there in the article?

    Record low flows this summer had been caused by two things – the most significant being the three very dry winters Canterbury had experienced in the last three years, meaning there had been little ground water recharge across the Canterbury Plains.

    The second was irrigation, which accounted for about 15 to 20 per cent of the flows in all groundwater fed streams, [Environment Canterbury chief scientist Dr Tim] Davie said.

    My bold.

    I guess Ian will have to keep on playing the victim.

  4. Tamati Tautuhi 4

    Yep heard the Selwyn River is flowing again, only took two Cyclones?

  5. dukeofurl 5

    US carrier Carl Vinson that was supposed to be heading to coast off North Korea was heading in other Direction

    “Aircraft Carrier Wasn’t Sailing to Deter North Korea, as U.S. Suggested
    ..Carl Vinson, and the four other warships in its strike force were at that very moment sailing in the opposite direction, to take part in joint exercises with the Australian Navy in the Indian Ocean, 3,500 miles southwest of the Korean Peninsula.”

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/world/asia/aircraft-carrier-north-korea-carl-vinson.html?_r=0

    More Trump fake news

  6. The Chairman 6

    I see Little is calling for “a bit of a breather” when it comes to immigration.

    But what does that actually mean exactly? Where is their policy?

    It’s extremely difficult for voters to take Labour seriously when they fail to have alternative policy.

    • Tamati Tautuhi 6.1

      Just the left wing of the same bird chirping to the faithful?

      • The Chairman 6.1.1

        The rhetoric will resonate with a number. But without policy behind it, it means little.

    • joe90 6.2

      Just for you, in a sippy cup……

      /

      Labour’s immigration policy will focus foremost on whether the number of people entering New Zealand on work visas can be cut, and those positions filled by locals, leader Andrew Little says.

      http://www.interest.co.nz/news/87017/labours-immigration-policy-focus-foremost-whether-people-entering-nz-work-visas-can-be

      • The Chairman 6.2.1

        That’s just a report and more rhetoric lacking full details. Where is their actual policy?

        • dukeofurl 6.2.1.1

          Its election year. These things are usually staged at appropriate times for full policy launch.
          Dont want national stealing it do we ?

          Were you thinking of voting 6 months early then ?

          • The Chairman 6.2.1.1.1

            “Were you thinking of voting 6 months early then?”

            No, don’t be silly. It’s not about that, it’s about Labour being able to effectively challenge the Government while giving voters time to adsorb it.

            “Don’t want national stealing it do we?”

            Nothing wrong with Labour dragging National to the Left. Moreover, as I stated to Anne, National can decide to adopt (or implement a version of) Labour’s policy at any given time, hence that argument (keeping their powder dry) doesn’t stack up.

    • Anne 6.3

      …difficult for voters to take Labour seriously when they fail to have alternative policy.

      Hey Chairman you know why. Labour is between a rock and a hard place when it comes to revealing policy detail. Release it too soon and the Nats implement a version of them and the public in their infinite wisdom (?) give them the credit. Release it too late (and too complicated) and the public don’t have time to absorb what it means. The latter happened in 2014.

      The answer? Hang on until after the budget then keep it simple!

      They have been working on policy detail for the past two years. My pick is: they will start releasing those details from later next month.

      • The Chairman 6.3.1

        Hi Anne.

        Not having policy makes any attempt of Labour challenging the Government look pathetic. One of the first questions asked will be what are Labour going to do differently?

        Sorry, but National can decide to adopt (or implement a version of) Labour’s policy at any given time, hence that argument doesn’t stack up.

        As for the argument that voters were unable to absorb all of their policies last time, it further highlights why they should be putting them out now, giving voters time to digest them.

        However, from the discussions I’ve had, it was more of a case of voters not liking them opposed to not understanding them. Which, of course, led to Little dropping a number of them.

        This limited approach to policy suggests Labour don’t want to scare voters off again. The problem is, if they don’t have confidence in them, they can’t expect voters too.

        • McFlock 6.3.1.1

          Thing is, if it’s released incrementally then it’s really obvious that national is copying each policy as it’s released (otherwise the nats are releasing substantive policy slower than Labour). If nats release a policy then Labour does and the Labour version strikes a chord, then the nats have to reverse their policy to make it labour-lite.

          • The Chairman 6.3.1.1.1

            Whether released incrementally or not, it’s rather obvious if policy has been copied.

            Moreover, if Labour were any slower in releasing policy, the election would be over.

            • McFlock 6.3.1.1.1.1

              Oh bollocks. The campaign period hasn’t even started yet. And it’s a shedload more obvious to say “we released that last week” rather than “well, if you refer to page 25 of the manifesto you might remember we launched in january…”

              Even besides that, releasing policy all at once is a fucking stupid idea – each core sector of policy needs to be campaigned towards the people who value it most, and releasing policy all at once floods people who might be interested in more than one policy. So you release your otago bit of regional development policy while you’re visiting otago, you release your conservation policy talking to a bunch of conservationists at an event important to them, you release your small business policy to a chamber of commerce meeting, and you release your capital gains policy during a prison visit 😛

              Thing is, all of these different policy announcements take time to schedule anyway. Your idea of just putting out a manifesto and being done with it is a fool’s errand.

              • The Chairman

                Oh rubbish. A copy is a copy regardless of when it’s been released. Having it in the manifesto gives them the reference to prove it. So while it may not be fresh in voters minds, it’s easy enough to point to, thus making it obvious to the media and voters it’s been copied.

                And just because it was released last week doesn’t mean National can’t copy it tomorrow.

                I’m not suggesting they release all their policy at once. However, seeing as the election is only months away, holding off put’s them in the position you’ve just decried. Overwhelming voters with a large policy dump just before the election.

                • McFlock

                  Dude, it’s advertising. It works best when it’s fresh. It works best when it’s already in their minds, rather than having to point them to it.

                  I’m not saying release it all in one week – they’re doing it about right. Decent announcements every couple of weeks, and I expect that frequency to increase as the election approaches.

                  • The Chairman

                    Pointing it out to them will freshly put it back into voters minds.

                    Whenever policy is released the media generally seek out the opposition’s take on it, thus giving Labour the opportunity to replant it.

                    The problem is, Labour aren’t making policy announcements every couple of weeks, they’ve only got around 10 announced policies listed on their website.

                    Amongst other things, a number of people I know are concerned about Labour’s compulsory KiwiSaver and their variable savings rate, yet with the election only months away Labour has done nothing to appease this concern. Voters are still unsure if it’s being dropped or not?

                  • The Chairman

                    Unfortunately, it seems we will have to wait. But considering the major change Labour was proposing and the unsettling impact it had on a number of voters, it’s surprising Labour didn’t pick up on it and put the concern to rest. As they did with lifting the retirement age.

                    A number were taken back by the fact Labour were going to hand control of the variable saving rate to the Reserve Bank and were concerned about the uncertainty the variable savings rate posed. Which, with no ceiling (as they last proposed) could potentially hit low income earners hard.

        • Sacha 6.3.1.2

          And here’s the govt doing exactly what people have been saying – gazumping Labour on immigration policy because they can: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11840831

          • BM 6.3.1.2.1

            Labour doesn’t have an immigration policy, how do you gazump something that doesn’t exist?

            • Sabine 6.3.1.2.1.1

              Whats Nationals policy on immigration?

            • Sacha 6.3.1.2.1.2

              Labour has been talking about immigration in media in recent days. Not everything needs to be written in a manifesto, comrade.

              • BM

                Talking about immigration is not policy.

                Once I see it in the announced policies section of the Labour website I’ll consider it Labour policy until then it’s just a few thoughts which may/may not be acted upon.

                • The Chairman

                  Exactly.

                • Sacha

                  And people have explained to you why it’s not written there yet.

                  • The Chairman

                    Yes, and their argument doesn’t stack up.

                    Labour have been touting this old line (keeping their powder dry) for years.

                    Is it any wonder they’re trailing in the polls? How can one say they are going to vote Labour when one doesn’t know what their policies are?

                    A number of voters don’t trust Labour, and they trust them even less when they don’t know what their policies are.

              • The Chairman

                Yes, Labour have been talking about it and they announced they are not prepared to place a cap on immigration while also calling for “a bit of a breather”, thus it looks like they are trying to have a quid each way.

                Voters require to know their policy position, rhetoric means little.

                What will this bit of a breather mean? How will it be achieved?

            • The Chairman 6.3.1.2.1.3

              “Labour doesn’t have an immigration policy, how do you gazump something that doesn’t exist?”

              Indeed.

    • Draco T Bastard 6.4

      But what does that actually mean exactly?

      Well, hopefully they’re talking about a moratorium of at least five years. That, IMO, would be the minimum needed to sort out some of the issues regarding housing and infrastructure.

      • The Chairman 6.4.1

        It is highly unlikely Labour would put in place a moratorium. Their focus seems to be on reducing work visas. But without any policy in place, we don’t actually know.

        Polls indicate a good number of voters want to reduce immigration, but as Labour are unwilling to put a cap in place, it seems they are once again on the wrong side of public opinion.

  7. greywarshark 7

    Someone experienced, thoughtful and successful with economic policies for the good of the country. Was on Radionz yesterday.

    business economy
    18 Apr 2017
    “The financial system is designed the wrong way”
    From Nine To Noon, 10:13 am on 18 April 2017
    Listen duration 19′ :56″
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=201840650

    Lynn Freeman meets nobel laureate Muhammud Yunus, known around the world as the grandfather of social business and microfinance. He says entrepreneurship is in our dna, and the financial system doesn’t work to support those who want to start a business.

    Professor Yunus founded the Grameen Bank in the 1970s, giving tiny loans of $30 or $40, often to poor, illiterate women. The bank has 9 million borrowers with a repayment rate of almost 100%.

  8. greywarshark 8

    Someone experienced, thoughtful and successful with economic policies for the good of the country. Was on Radionz yesterday.

    business economy
    18 Apr 2017
    “The financial system is designed the wrong way”
    From Nine To Noon, 10:13 am on 18 April 2017
    Listen duration 19′ :56″
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=201840650

    Lynn Freeman meets Nobel Laureate Muhammud Yunus, known around the world as the grandfather of social business and microfinance. He says entrepreneurship is in our dna, and the financial system doesn’t work to support those who want to start a business.

    Professor Yunus founded the Grameen Bank in the 1970s, giving tiny loans of $30 or $40, often to poor, illiterate women. The bank has 9 million borrowers with a repayment rate of almost 100%.

    He spoke on April 10 in Auckland at AUT University.
    Details:
    https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2017/professor-muhammad-yunus-public-dialogue/auckland
    The Aera Foundation is bringing the grandfather of social business and microfinance, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, is visiting New Zealand for the first time. A groundbreaking social entrepreneur, economist, and global thinker, Professor Muhammad Yunus pioneered the concept of microcredit when he founded the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.

    There is a link to the Aera Foundation if you want to learn more about them.

  9. greywarshark 9

    Ten green bottles hanging on the wall. If one green bottle should deliberately be stolen or fouled then …..

    Listen duration 4′ :54″
    Scientists say man made climate change has led to a river disappearing in Canada.

  10. greywarshark 10

    Radionz
    housing
    9:36 am today

    Cohousing: the solution to a crisis?
    From Nine To Noon, 9:36 am today
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=201840650
    Listen duration 13′ :56″

    As policy makers puzzle over how to increase the supply of housing around the country a group of people in Dunedin think they’ve found a novel solution. The group are hoping to build New Zealand’s second ever co-housing community on the site of an old primary school in High Street. Kathryn Ryan talks to the head of the project, Catherine Spencer

  11. joe90 11

    Corrupt AF.

    A Chilean billionaire whose company is behind a mine opposed by treaty tribes is renting a million-dollar home to the daughter of President Donald Trump.

    Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, both work at the White House. They are in a position to influence the administration’s position on a mining development in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which falls within Ojibwe treaty territory in Minnesota, independent journalist Mary Annette Pember reported on Indian Country Media Network.

    But the White House told The Wall Street Journal that the connection between the couple and mining magnate Andrónico Luksic is coincidence. He purchased the $5.5 million mansion in the Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, D.C., after the November election and agreed to rent it to Trump and Kushner for $15,500 a month, the paper reported.

    “That’s a terrible investment,” Joshua Adler, who owns multiple properties in the wealthy neighborhood, told The Journal. He said the Trump-Kushner family is “getting use of a $5.5 million home for far less than it normally costs to have a home of that value.”

    The Obama administration put a halt to the Twin Metals mine development in December, citing threats to the environment. Luksic’s firm is suing the federal government in hopes of overturning the decision.

    https://www.indianz.com/News/2017/04/18/foreign-billionaire-behind-mine-opposed.asp

    https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/politics/trump-kushner-townhouse-deal-magnate/

  12. fisiani 12

    Since Chicken announced “No New Taxes” No qualification was given. No Ifs and no buts. National have now brought in Pay Equity that will cost $2,000,000,000 and will have further ramifications in the public and private sector. The budget will also bring new spending in Health and Education as always. Without increased taxes or borrowing I cannot understand how Chicken could keep such a pledge. Stephen Joyce will flatten Robbo’s unbelievable figures in the campaign. Why are Labour committed to NO new Taxes.

    • McFlock 12.1

      link pls because I think you’re lying.

      I think what Little actually said was

      We’re not planning on raising taxes and we’re going to see what the Government talks about, you know, in its tax changes that it’s foreshadowed, but we are making no plan for lifting taxes.

      and We are not planning on any tax changes for the 2017 election. We will finely calibrate what we do once we see what the Government does in its foreshadowed tax changes, which we assume will be in this year’s budget, but who knows?

      So, no changes planned, based on current situation and contingent on what the budget is this year, which doevetails nicely with the fact that Labour said around the same time that it was going to review and possibly completely overhaul the tax system when it gets elected. So hardly “no new taxes”, you lying piece of crapulence.

      • Fisiani 12.1.1

        So are you saying that there will be huge tax increases under a Labour government

        • McFlock 12.1.1.1

          No, I’m saying you lied when you said “Chicken announced “No New Taxes” No qualification was given”. Put up or shut up, fuckball.

          • Alan 12.1.1.1.1

            charming, winning kudos for the left again

            • McFlock 12.1.1.1.1.1

              Well, when all you have to defend an outright lie is a tone argument, you can fuck off, too.

              I’ve never understood the mentality that is content to receive a tax cut while children go to hospital with third world conditions but blushes whenever someone says a rude word.

          • Fisiani 12.1.1.1.2

            We’re not planning on raising taxes is the same as No New Taxes which is of course a lie.

            • KJT 12.1.1.1.2.1

              Like. “We will not raise GST”. Eh!e

            • Draco T Bastard 12.1.1.1.2.2

              No it’s not you liar.

              Not Planning To means that, due to circumstances such as National lying about the state of the economy, plans can change.

              No New Taxes means that, even if circumstances are dire, they won’t add any new taxes.

              But you already knew that because it’s been explained to you several times.

            • McFlock 12.1.1.1.2.3

              No they’re not the same, and besides “We will finely calibrate what we do once we see what the Government does in its foreshadowed tax changes, which we assume will be in this year’s budget, but who knows?” is an absolutely explicit qualification.

              You’re a lying piece of shit who owes Labour and Little an apology. Frankly, you owe humanity an apology for giving us all a bad rap.

  13. ropata 13

    The great ‘living within our means’ con: Why you’re more in debt than ever
    Governments have always set the rules where money is concerned. The greatest lie ever sold is that the Australian Government can run out of Australian dollars.

    But the Govt cannot run out of money…[so]when it saves instead of spending…we as individuals…run out of cash. https://t.co/2vNn18FIpo— NewZealandEconomics (@economicsNZ) April 19, 2017

    • Draco T Bastard 13.1

      Thing ism there is a necessity to live within our means but it’s the limited physical resources that need to be saved and reused. Money is nothing and is always created ex nihilo.

  14. greywarshark 14

    Your daily laugh? Think of our two main political parties. I wish they would put an effort into competing like these two – from a long ago time.
    Anything you can do i can do better.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO23WBji_Z0

  15. McFlock 15

    lol forgot I’d restarted my machine. Replies in moderation. One day I”ll learn…

  16. Peggy 16

    This has been building for a while now, but there are stories appearing daily like this and not just in the Daily Mail:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4423238/New-Met-chief-Dick-says-diversity-heart-role.html

    I notice that Paula Bennett and Judith Collins love to push these sorts of stories.

    Personally I don’t care whether it is a lesbian or a heterosexual who is hitting me with a truncheon, I just don’t want to be beaten thanks.

    Equality is when there is both a boot and a high heel in your face?

    Also, on the Spinoff…. an article claiming that the National Party is Feminist – that even Bill English is.

    I have long suspected that there is a campaign by Mi6 and others to push “diversity” and feminism for selfish anterior reasons. But it is more likely a cultural trend being pushed by those that benefit from it. Bennett etc push it because they are women, so essentially as a backhand compliment.

    Nobody is going to object, because they will be pegged (no pun intended) as a male threatened with emasculation. But strategically it is quite clever. Take the left’s ground, or what’s left of it: few argue for the other once-were-precepts of the left.

    If National succeeds, along wither the Police and other authorities, what reason might people have to vote Labour or the Greens, parties whose vocal membership often focuses mostly on gender and “diversity” issues.

    I would love to think that all sectors of society of all political persuasion internalize feminist principles. Perhaps this cultural shift – or the tail end of it, now all the hard battles are won and it is easy to stand up like some kind of hero without being knocked down – will force the left to focus on other things, such as human welfare more generally and economic inequality? I hope. Thoughts?

    • David Mac 16.1

      I agree Peggy, sideshows have diluted Labour’s message and appeal. Yet the message is as pure and simple as it always has been ‘A fair go for everyone’ but is getting lost in the translation. Fragmented points of difference with the competition and narrow concern pet issues push the lure of ‘all encompassing’ aside.

      I feel it has much to do with why the guy with 2 ladders on the roof of his van doesn’t vote Labour anymore.

      He can won back, he needs to believe that Labour do indeed represent ‘A fair go for everyone. Houses for all of those prepared to make a realistic sacrifice rather than personal wealth generating machines. A new hip for his Mum prior to his attending her funeral.

      I feel that the fair go for each and every one of us message is Labour’s ace card, always has been, it needs tabling, in spades.

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    Wellington Council hoardings proclaim its preparations for population growth, but around the country councils are putting things on hold in the absence of clear funding pathways for infrastructure, and despite exploding migrant numbers. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Cabinet meets in earnest today to consider the new Government’s 100-day ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • National takes over infrastructure
    Though New Zealand First may have had ambitions to run the infrastructure portfolios, National would seem to have ended up firmly in control of them.  POLITIK has obtained a private memo to members of Infrastructure NZ yesterday, which shows that the peak organisation for infrastructure sees  National MPs Chris ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • At a glance – Evidence for global warming
    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 ...
    2 days ago
  • Who’s Driving The Right-Wing Bus?
    Who’s At The Wheel? The electorate’s message, as aggregated in the polling booths on 14 October, turned out to be a conservative political agenda stronger than anything New Zealand has seen in five decades. In 1975, Bill Rowling was run over by just one bus, with Rob Muldoon at the wheel. In ...
    2 days ago
  • Sanity break
    Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Sanity break
    Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • National’s murderous smoking policy
    One of the big underlying problems in our political system is the prevalence of short-term thinking, most usually seen in the periodic massive infrastructure failures at a local government level caused by them skimping on maintenance to Keep Rates Low. But the new government has given us a new example, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • NZ has a chance to rise again as our new government gets spending under control
    New Zealand has  a chance  to  rise  again. Under the  previous  government, the  number of New Zealanders below the poverty line was increasing  year by year. The Luxon-led government  must reverse that trend – and set about stabilising  the  pillars  of the economy. After the  mismanagement  of the outgoing government created   huge ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    2 days ago
  • KARL DU FRESNE: Media and the new government
    Two articles by Karl du Fresne bring media coverage of the new government into considerations.  He writes –    Tuesday, November 28, 2023 The left-wing media needed a line of attack, and they found one The left-wing media pack wasted no time identifying the new government’s weakest point. Seething over ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • PHILIP CRUMP:  Team of rivals – a CEO approach to government leadership
    The work begins Philip Crump wrote this article ahead of the new government being sworn in yesterday – Later today the new National-led coalition government will be sworn in, and the hard work begins. At the core of government will be three men – each a leader ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Black Friday
    As everyone who watches television or is on the mailing list for any of our major stores will confirm, “Black Friday” has become the longest running commercial extravaganza and celebration in our history. Although its origins are obscure (presumably dreamt up by American salesmen a few years ago), it has ...
    Bryan GouldBy Bryan Gould
    2 days ago
  • In Defense of the Media.
    Yesterday the Ministers in the next government were sworn in by our Governor General. A day of tradition and ceremony, of decorum and respect. Usually.But yesterday Winston Peters, the incoming Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister, of our nation used it, as he did with the signing of the coalition ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Tuesday, Nov 28
    Nicola Willis’ first move was ‘spilling the tea’ on what she called the ‘sobering’ state of the nation’s books, but she had better be able to back that up in the HYEFU. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • PT use up but fare increases coming
    Yesterday Auckland Transport were celebrating, as the most recent Sunday was the busiest Sunday they’ve ever had. That’s a great outcome and I’m sure the ...
    3 days ago
  • The very opposite of social investment
    Nicola Willis (in blue) at the signing of the coalition agreement, before being sworn in as both Finance Minister and Social Investment Minister. National’s plan to unwind anti-smoking measures will benefit her in the first role, but how does it stack up from a social investment viewpoint? Photo: Lynn Grieveson ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Giving Tuesday
    For the first time "in history" we decided to jump on the "Giving Tuesday" bandwagon in order to make you aware of the options you have to contribute to our work! Projects supported by Skeptical Science Inc. Skeptical Science Skeptical Science is an all-volunteer organization but ...
    3 days ago
  • Let's open the books with Nicotine Willis
    Let’s say it’s 1984,and there's a dreary little nation at the bottom of the Pacific whose name rhymes with New Zealand,and they've just had an election.Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, will you look at the state of these books we’ve opened,cries the incoming government, will you look at all this mountain ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: Stopping oil
    National is promising to bring back offshore oil and gas drilling. Naturally, the Greens have organised a petition campaign to try and stop them. You should sign it - every little bit helps, and as the struggle over mining conservation land showed, even National can be deterred if enough people ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Don’t accept Human Rights Commission reading of data on Treaty partnership – read the survey fin...
    Wellington is braced for a “massive impact’ from the new government’s cutting public service jobs, The Post somewhat grimly reported today. Expectations of an economic and social jolt are based on the National-Act coalition agreement to cut public service numbers in each government agency in a cost-trimming exercise  “informed by” head ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • The stupidest of stupid reasons
    One of the threats in the National - ACT - NZ First coalition agreements was to extend the term of Parliament to four years, reducing our opportunities to throw a bad government out. The justification? Apparently, the government thinks "elections are expensive". This is the stupidest of stupid reasons for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • A website bereft of buzz
    Buzz from the Beehive The new government was being  sworn in, at time of writing , and when Point of Order checked the Beehive website for the latest ministerial statements and re-visit some of the old ones we drew a blank. We found ….  Nowt. Nothing. Zilch. Not a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • MICHAEL BASSETT: A new Ministry – at last
    Michael Bassett writes – Like most people, I was getting heartily sick of all the time being wasted over the coalition negotiations. During the first three weeks Winston grinned like a Cheshire cat, certain he’d be needed; Chris Luxon wasted time in lifting the phone to Winston ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Luxon's Breakfast.
    The Prime Minister elect had his silver fern badge on. He wore it to remind viewers he was supporting New Zealand, that was his team. Despite the fact it made him look like a concierge, or a welcomer in a Koru lounge. Anna Burns-Francis, the Breakfast presenter, asked if he ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • LINDSAY MITCHELL:  Oranga Tamariki faces major upheaval under coalition agreement
     Lindsay Mitchell writes – A hugely significant gain for ACT is somewhat camouflaged by legislative jargon. Under the heading ‘Oranga Tamariki’ ACT’s coalition agreement contains the following item:   Remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 According to Oranga Tamariki:     “Section ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • BRIAN EASTON:  Peters as Minister
    A previous column looked at Winston Peters biographically. This one takes a closer look at his record as a minister, especially his policy record. Brian Easton writes – 1990-1991: Minister of Māori Affairs. Few remember Ka Awatea as a major document on the future of Māori policy; there is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Cathrine Dyer's guide to watching COP 28 from the bottom of a warming planet
    Is COP28 largely smoke and mirrors and a plan so cunning, you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel? Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: COP28 kicks off on November 30 and up for negotiation are issues like the role of fossil fuels in the energy transition, contributions to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Monday, Nov 27
    PM Elect Christopher Luxon was challenged this morning on whether he would sack Adrian Orr and Andrew Coster.TL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am on Monday November 27, including:Signs councils are putting planning and capital spending on hold, given a lack of clear guidance ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the new government’s policies of yesteryear
    This column expands on a Werewolf column published by Scoop on Friday Routinely, Winston Peters is described as the kingmaker who gets to decide when the centre right or the centre-left has a turn at running this country. He also plays a less heralded but equally important role as the ...
    4 days ago
  • The New Government’s Agreements
    Last Friday, almost six weeks after election day, National finally came to an agreement with ACT and NZ First to form a government. They also released the agreements between each party and looking through them, here are the things I thought were the most interesting (and often concerning) from the. ...
    4 days ago
  • How many smokers will die to fund the tax cuts?
    Maori and Pasifika smoking rates are already over twice the ‘all adult’ rate. Now the revenue that generates will be used to fund National’s tax cuts. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The devil is always in the detail and it emerged over the weekend from the guts of the policy agreements National ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How the culture will change in the Beehive
    Perhaps the biggest change that will come to the Beehive as the new government settles in will be a fundamental culture change. The era of endless consultation will be over. This looks like a government that knows what it wants to do, and that means it knows what outcomes ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • No More Winnie Blues.
    So what do you think of the coalition’s decision to cancel Smokefree measures intended to stop young people, including an over representation of Māori, from taking up smoking? Enabling them to use the tax revenue to give other people a tax cut?David Cormack summed it up well:It seems not only ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #47
    A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on the Skeptical Science  Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Nov 19, 2023 thru Sat, Nov 25, 2023.  Story of the Week World stands on frontline of disaster at Cop28, says UN climate chief  Exclusive: Simon Stiell says leaders must ‘stop ...
    5 days ago
  • Some of it is mad, some of it is bad and some of it is clearly the work of people who are dangerous ...
    On announcement morning my mate texted:Typical of this cut-price, fake-deal government to announce itself on Black Friday.What a deal. We lose Kim Hill, we gain an empty, jargonising prime minister, a belligerent conspiracist, and a heartless Ayn Rand fanboy. One door closes, another gets slammed repeatedly in your face.It seems pretty ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • “Revolution” is the threat as the Māori Party smarts at coalition government’s Treaty directi...
    Buzz from the Beehive Having found no fresh announcements on the government’s official website, Point of Order turned today to Scoop’s Latest Parliament Headlines  for its buzz. This provided us with evidence that the Māori Party has been soured by the the coalition agreement announced yesterday by the new PM. “Soured” ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The Good, the Bad, and the even Worse.
    Yesterday the trio that will lead our country unveiled their vision for New Zealand.Seymour looking surprisingly statesmanlike, refusing to rise to barbs about his previous comments on Winston Peters. Almost as if they had just been slapstick for the crowd.Winston was mostly focussed on settling scores with the media, making ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • When it Comes to Palestine – Free Speech is Under Threat
    Hi,Thanks for getting amongst Mister Organ on digital — thanks to you, we hit the #1 doc spot on iTunes this week. This response goes a long way to helping us break even.I feel good about that. Other things — not so much.New Zealand finally has a new government, and ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Thank you Captain Luxon. Was that a landing, or were we shot down?
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Also in More Than A FeildingFriday The unboxing And so this is Friday and what have we gone and done to ourselves?In the same way that a Christmas present can look lovely under the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Cans of Worms.
    “And there’ll be no shortage of ‘events’ to test Luxon’s political skills. David Seymour wants a referendum on the Treaty. Winston wants a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Labour’s handling of the Covid crisis. Talk about cans of worms!”LAURIE AND LES were very fond of their local. It was nothing ...
    6 days ago
  • Disinformation campaigns are undermining democracy. Here’s how we can fight back
    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Misinformation is debated everywhere and has justifiably sparked concerns. It can polarise the public, reduce health-protective behaviours such as mask wearing and vaccination, and erode trust in science. Much of misinformation is spread not ...
    6 days ago
  • Peters as Minister
    A previous column looked at Winston Peters biographically. This one takes a closer look at his record as a minister, especially his policy record.1990-1991: Minister of Māori Affairs. Few remember Ka Awatea as a major document on the future of Māori policy; there is not even an entry in Wikipedia. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago
  • The New Government: 2023 Edition
    So New Zealand has a brand-spanking new right-wing government. Not just any new government either. A formal majority coalition, of the sort last seen in 1996-1998 (our governmental arrangements for the past quarter of a century have been varying flavours of minority coalition or single-party minority, with great emphasis ...
    6 days ago
  • The unboxing
    And so this is Friday and what have we gone and done to ourselves?In the same way that a Christmas present can look lovely under the tree with its gold ribbon but can turn out to be nothing more than a big box holding a voucher for socks, so it ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • A cruel, vicious, nasty government
    So, after weeks of negotiations, we finally have a government, with a three-party cabinet and a time-sharing deputy PM arrangement. Newsroom's Marc Daalder has put the various coalition documents online, and I've been reading through them. A few things stand out: Luxon doesn't want to do any work, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Hurrah – we have a new government (National, ACT and New Zealand First commit “to deliver for al...
    Buzz from the Beehive Sorry, there has been  no fresh news on the government’s official website since the caretaker trade minister’s press statement about the European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement. But the capital is abuzz with news – and media comment is quickly flowing – after ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Christopher Luxon – NZ PM #42.
    Nothing says strong and stable like having your government announcement delayed by a day because one of your deputies wants to remind everyone, but mostly you, who wears the trousers. It was all a bit embarrassing yesterday with the parties descending on Wellington before pulling out of proceedings. There are ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Coalition Government details policies & ministers
    Winston Peters will be Deputy PM for the first half of the Coalition Government’s three-year term, with David Seymour being Deputy PM for the second half. Photo montage by Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: PM-Elect Christopher Luxon has announced the formation of a joint National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government with a ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • “Old Coat” by Peter, Paul & Mary.
     THERE ARE SOME SONGS that seem to come from a place that is at once in and out of the world. Written by men and women who, for a brief moment, are granted access to that strange, collective compendium of human experience that comes from, and belongs to, all the ...
    6 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 23-November-2023
    It’s Friday again! Maybe today we’ll finally have a government again. Roll into the weekend with some of the articles that caught our attention this week. And as always, feel free to add your links and observations in the comments. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    7 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s strategy for COP28 in Dubai
    The COP28 countdown is on. Over 100 world leaders are expected to attend this year’s UN Climate Change Conference in in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which starts next Thursday. Among the VIPs confirmed for the Dubai summit are the UK’s Rishi Sunak and Brazil’s Lula da Silva – along ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    7 days ago
  • Coalition talks: a timeline
    Media demand to know why a coalition government has yet to be formed. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    7 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Nov 24
    Luxon was no doubt relieved to be able to announce a coalition agreement has been reached, but we still have to wait to hear the detail. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago
  • Passing Things Down.
    Keeping The Past Alive: The durability of Commando comics testifies to the extended nature of the generational passing down of the images, music, and ideology of the Second World War. It has remained fixed in the Baby Boomers’ consciousness as “The Good War”: the conflict in which, to a far ...
    7 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #47 2023
    Open access notables How warped are we by fossil fuel dependency? Despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine, 35-40 million cubic meters per day of Russian natural gas are piped across Ukraine for European consumption every single day, right now. In order to secure European cooperation against Russian aggression, Ukraine must help to ...
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Further humanitarian support for Gaza, the West Bank and Israel
    The Government is contributing a further $5 million to support the response to urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, bringing New Zealand’s total contribution to the humanitarian response so far to $10 million. “New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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