“The longer Labour keeps repeating the same mistakes – reinforcing the values it should be contesting – the further to the right it will push the nation, and the more remote its chances of election will become.”
Indeed, which is something the local Labour Party should take note of. CV often points this out. And interestingly, is often attacked for doing so.
I was just about to put that one up myself. It is a very good article. The whole thing is quotable, but I will add this bit:
“Rebuilding a political movement means espousing what is desirable, then finding ways to make it feasible. The hopeless realists propose the opposite. They assemble a threadbare list of policies they consider feasible, then seek to persuade us that this package is desirable.”
The whole article is excellent. Monbiot points out the obvious – that while Corbyn has little chance of winning the next election, the same is true of his rivals. Corbyn’s advantage over them is that he can at least begin restoring the party.
Thanks for this link. Great article that I hope every NZ Labour MP reads. Another clip that resonated with me was:
“Tony Blair won three elections, but in doing so he made future Labour victories less likely. By adopting conservative values, conservative framing and conservative language, he shifted the nation to the right, even when he pursued leftwing policies such as the minimum wage, tax credits and freedom of information. You can sustain policies without values for a while but then, like plants without soil, the movement wilts and dies.”
There have been a few discussions here on the Standard about the values of the Labour Party that are espoused on their website, but are not always reflected in media statements.
Richie McCaw remains aloof from officially accepting dear leader’s embrace in terms of a knighthood and a parliamentary career so far, so the generous way to view it is that he is not a Nat supporter but doing what needs to be done to survive up till the “rubber wool cub”
whereas until rugby people prove otherwise (like Mr Weepu) I regard them as co-opted torys needing to be outed–Whaadarrrrryaaa!!!!
It’s scary the number who will be Tories. I guess it stands to reason because of the income bracket they are in and the fact they are impressionable young men who haven’t seen much of life.
That article isn’t as bad as Hamish Rutherford’s yesterday. Hamish starts out reasonably well but about halfway through can’t help sticking the boot into David Cunliffe and making the claim that no-one cared…
Although then Opposition leader David Cunliffe grizzled that it was “not often you see a major sporting body getting involved in politics” the photo passed with little real controversy.
– Hamish Rutherford
I fucking cared, Hamish, you prat! I should have made more noise.
More pics of John Key prostituting himself at the feet of McCaw, sorry…
you can piss off–Mr “all politicians”–ShonKey’s dedicated virtual stalking of McCaw is a standout case of planned capture for PR purposes as opposed to the common photo op
Wouldn’t it be great if an All Black captain came out and said I don’t like being used as a political tool by the PM and I’ve never supported his parties policies. Bliss. We would need someone like a David Pocock who would do that.
Mr Key in many of the cringe inducing ‘me and Richie’ photos is looking more like Rigsby played by Leonard Rossiter in the TV series Rising Damp.
Has a similar personality too.
Leading Israeli journalist, Bradley Burston writes:
“It’s Time to Admit It. Israeli Policy Is What It Is: Apartheid
I used to be one of those people who took issue with the label of apartheid as applied to Israel. Not anymore.”
read more: http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/a-special-place-in-hell/.premium-1.671538
For those who deny that “anti-semitism” is often exploitatively defined as: “criticism of Israeli Govt” : Greenwald on Twitter, linking to the article above.
I would say when it comes to landcorp they have seen the opportunity they’ve been looking for . But only a fool sells at the bottom of a cycle so its either incompetent or more likely part of the plan.
Totally planned so the sale price is low for the buyers.
All the while the owned MSM cheer on another genius move from the masters of business and run puff/sdiversion pieces on flags/ritchie etc….imagine what it’ll be like when the WC kicks off.
Which pretty much means that someone’s $100b richer and it isn’t NZ.
Lost Solid Energy
Lost the power companies
Didn’t lose them at all – Nationals rich mates are about to snap them up for pennies on the dollar.
Lost dairy
Wants to sell the farm
Those two seem to go together once you take into account Nationals desire to sell NZ as cheaply as possible to foreign interests.
Bill English = total failure
That truly does depend on what Blinglish was trying to achieve. Considering his consistency of driving down prices for NZ land and businesses I’d say that he’s achieved exactly what he set out to achieve – selling NZ to foreign owners as cheaply as possible.
Yup and Hoskins gives winnie a bat to be bashed with by calling him ‘grumpy and bored’, I will enjoy Winnie having fun with such a childish emotive response.
“Years of austerity, immigration, poverty and a growing wealth gap – the European Union today is far from the Utopia some used to imagine when it was created. Now, with current politicians unable to solve the issues people are facing, the whole Union is being torn apart by rising far-right and far-left parties; People seek innovation in politics, seeing EU’s stagnant leadership unwilling to act. But are these new parties able to deliver on their promises? Is there even an alternative way for Europe? We ask these questions – and many more! – to a philosopher, activist and author of ‘What does Europe want?’ Srecko Horvat is on Sophie&Co today”.
“All right, Steven, let him speak.”
Hosking and Joyce gang up every Wednesday on NewstalkZB. Wednesday Politics, NewstalkZB, Wednesday 19 August 2015
Mike “Contra” Hosking, Steven Joyce, Grant Robertson
The radio station NewstalkZB is notorious in New Zealand. It’s a 24/7 forum for the community’s most haplessly bewildered souls. If you want to know what unread nincompoops, flat earthers, ACT voters, ratbags and downright racists think about the issues of the day, just tune in to NewstalkZB.
And their callers are almost as bad.
One of the worst programs, even on this endless horror show, is Wednesday Politics, a ten-minute exercise in contempt and destruction. This program is far worse than low farce, it’s an insult to the intelligence. Steven Joyce and Mike “Contra” Hosking gang up every week to deride, disrupt and hoot at the regular Labour Party representative, Annette King. She somehow handles it in good humour, but it’s quite clear what Hosking and Joyce aim to do each week: disrupt her incessantly, and make it impossible to discuss anything seriously.
Filling in for Annette King this morning was Grant Robertson. As usual, Joyce dominated proceedings from start to finish. In the first of the two segments, Joyce did almost all the talking, and Robertson politely let him talk.
Following the advertising break, it was supposed to be Robertson’s turn to talk. He spoke for approximately three seconds before Joyce talked over the top of him. Robertson tried to continue, and Joyce disrupted him seven times—yes, I counted.
Robertson pleaded: “I let you have your say.” Hosking, supposed to be some sort of adjudicator, said to Joyce: “All right, Steven, let him speak.” Joyce ignored Hosking and continued to loudly overtalk and disrupt, shouting out insults.
I can’t even remember what they were talking about now—-and that’s exactly why Hosking and Joyce do that each week. Mission accomplished.
Thanks for report Morrissey. Listening to that is a dirty job and I’m glad you have the determination to do it.
Do you think there is anything positive for Labour at all in going on to it, or indeed any of the opposition parties? There would be a howl go up from NewstalkZB’s theatre of the absurd but it sounds as if that would be a minor blow to the opposition compared to the multiple ones when they try and participate in this abbatoir of intelligent discussion.
The SPCA can be appealed to, or the Council or police, when there are attack dogs about. There is little power available to appeal to in this case for other Parties, or those of the listeners who understand what is going on. And what is going on is an attack on reasoned political discussion and a farce of welcoming left and right speakers, which is achieved by RadioNZ with Williams and Hooton, though done in a low-key (huh) way.
QFT
what an offense to humanity that station is..
bring back “Dr Paul” – at least it was what it claimed to be – pure fiction.
now they broadcast fiction and lies dressed up as fact.
Education and NCEA. A cool analysis of the lacks resulting from NCEA targetting by the education boffins from a NZ university dean noticing the negative effects of those students getting to university with the right NCEA background.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201767090
This voice piece from RadioNZ this morning is about some clever engineering that has come from the university professor Dale Carnegie and his students at Victoria University.
About halfway through the discussion there is a definite criticism against NCEA that it does not give an incentive for pupils to strive because of the blunt marking. Also they tick boxes, students passing one subject to NCEA level, then another in a silo approach, and with little connectedness, and they may forget earlier material by the time they pass the next units.
Background:
Robot creating engineer wins a top tertiary teaching award
9:34 AM. Dale Carnegie is the head of Victoria University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science. He was last week given the 2015 Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Excellence award for his engaging teaching style and what students described as “infectious enthusiasm”. Professor Carnegie has long promoted engineering as a career, he is currently working on a robot prototype for use in search and rescue due to its ability to move over difficult terrain.
It’s time for another change to our education system. And this should start with all the pavlovian boffins in the Department of Education picking up ideas for policies from hyped up overseas educationalists filled with esoteric and expansive ideas that seem modern. Try looking for practically applied intelligent programs and practices in learning, and ask the non-education university lecturers what they want so as to get direction from outside the present loop of high-paid purveyors of cant.
I just mention that I have feelings of doom and gloom about the development of robots and their use to relieve humans of work and often, so called drudge jobs. The latest, talked about in this clip, is that they are being developed to do caring roles. I think these could be the ones presently carried out by, mostly women, who are poorly paid but need the money or are prepared to do the job because they know they bring comfort and personal interest to the vulnerable.
There’s an unusual story contained in the many links of that article, of how he divorced his wife over a disagreement of which school their son would go to. Bizarre. I don’t believe it was solely about that, maybe a final straw/late trigger type of thing – the article says the problem went back at least two years – yet they both use that incident as the public story. Do we take their word for it, or make a guess based on what usually happens? You’d think a politician at his level would be more careful.
Which raises two issues for me as spectator: does he have any willingness to compromise realism/Ideals; and can he compromise/harmonise with women. The “old socialist” Britain wasn’t too big on women defining themselves outside the male perspective and with his supporters “yearning” for a return to that past, I wonder if they intend taking a break from various movements of equality/autonomy within society, all pushed aside in favour of nostalgia. About the only immediately believeable and “do-able” idea the papers like to lazily trot out from a seemly impossible list, is the rent controls.
@Charles
I don’t like leaders being picked at or discarded because they are not perfect in word and deed. Leave Corbyn alone to fight about schools with his wife.
Here is a link that gives what might be regarded as knightly virtues to be adhered to, in today’s eyes. The link has a comment that most of these were gathered in hindsight. It could be that in medieval times you could be a knight if you were a mercenary with your own armour and were prepared to swear to protect a certain leader. http://chivalrytoday.com/knightly-virtues/
They have decided on a list of seven virtues.
1 Courage
2 Justice
3 Mercy
4 Generosity
5 Faith
6 Nobility
7 Hope
Perhaps we should have a template of attributes to sort out the sheep from the goats, the ugly ducklings that could be swans, the jesters who aren’t fools from the others.
What other attributes should they have. The list doesn’t say anything about truthfulness, thoughtfulness, diplomacy, wisdom, farsightedness and good judgment as to oneself, one’s team and people in general.
Truthfulness is good but needs to be balanced by thoughtfulness and diplomacy as blurting unvarnished truths is often not the best way forward. Wisdom advises when, what, where and why and farsightedness enables future scenarios and outcomes to be envisaged practically. Understanding people helps in knowing who is a rock and reliable, who is flaky, who is loose tongued and untrustworthy.
Leave Corbyn alone? You kidding me? “Charles opinion brings down Corbyn” hahaha I can see the UK headlines now. You haven’t read or comprehended my post at all.
The eagerness for people to dishonestly project their own issues onto the success or failure of J.Corbyn and reluctance to consider the details, methods or context of his politics is a little bit disturbing, but not at all surprising. He clearly is a sacred cow, here. Tough shit.
There’s a big rolling smear campaign on to take Corbyn down; I expect more tales about his distant past to start surfacing once the PI’s and the tabloids have had a chance to dig further.
I am brassed off at the thought of paying GST on a book I have to import because I can’t get it in NZ, on which I may have to pay $US 12 shipping, and then GST on the combined amount. It mounts up to expensive for me on a low income even if the total is under $30.
Already the fact sheet for Customs is explaining that GST has to be paid on everything plus import duty on some things. I thought that it was still being discussed by parliament.
I thought that this great move of dropping all our tariffs, losing all our manufacturing jobs, was to have a payoff of making everything cheaper in NZ. But instead the government has made everything more expensive by adding a 15% surcharge on everything we do or buy. It’s a hell of an impost. Gummint is putting its hands into the bottom of our pockets where the last coins are rattling around.
On the one hand government’s actions kill off jobs, then they destroy working conditions, decrease wages by not setting minimum wages which represent livable amounts or allow for even low inflation. If year by year there is a no rise or one below measured inflation your wage is dropping. And that doesn’t allow for the housing and rental inflation.
Are you talking about a single book you got pinged for, or a change in policy? I’ve bought stuff from overseas and never paid GST or customs duty on it, and I thought that Customs basically didn’t care about most things under a certain value.
I’ve not heard of them charging GST before either.
Generally speaking, they won’t charge GST on items worth less than $400 because it’s just not worth the effort. Thing is, GST is now killing local stores (both online and offline) because people can easily bypass it by buying offshore. The governments fix to this is to have it so that GST will be paid on all items bought offshore despite the fact that it will cost even more.
The proper fix is, of course, to drop GST and raise other taxes but National don’t like that idea as it means that the rich will actually have to start paying their way.
Thanks DTB I thought most people would know all about the past methods. I looked up an Australian seller on Trademe and found this new button to see what duties might have to be paid and found a No. 28 sheet for Customs and it sounded as if they were all ready to dump GST on imported goods asap.
And I heard talking about ALL imports which is why I brought up my book purchases – not doing many booksellers out of business, me. More The Warehouse etc and the general remaindering.
Also the drop-sellers? who put a quarter of a million books onto Trademe in three months. Amazing but true. The site is deluged by these books and I don’t think TM even rake any money off them for their listings which would make them millions if at only 10c a listing.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/281699/govt-asks-for-feedback-on-gst-plan
It is about creating a level playing field for collecting GST and putting New Zealand businesses and jobs ahead of the interests of overseas retailers, but it must be done with the least possible inconvenience to New Zealand consumers,” Mr McClay said.
Read the full discussion document (PDF, 305KB) and summary (PDF, 518KB).
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/281655/buyers-set-to-pay-gst-on-online-services
It is currently losing an estimated $180 million of revenue to online purchases, a figure that is rising every year, and plans to extend GST to all online purchases to patch up the ever-widening hole in revenue.
Prime Minister John Key said GST on some online purchases could be in place by Christmas.
$180 million does not seem a big amount when there is so much money to spend on monuments, flags and emoluments! The rest of us need liniments after grazing meetings with these bruising bullrushers.
His “reasons” for with-holding before, will be used the when he will refuse when asked by Beverley Wakim. Not telling you. Its private.
Because if he was involved, he would simply refuse to incriminate himself. He has before rather suffer the outcry, than commit hari-kari.
I didn’t want to have to spell out why this competition could cause “offence or distress” here, but because the BSA decided (spoiler alert) that it was, in fact, fine, allow me to explain. In being asked to essentially deep-throat a cucumber, this Bachelorette was reduced to being a sexual object, whose value hinged explicitly on how well she could suck a dick.
Yeah, I think I’ll continue to not listen to The Edge or, in fact, anything produced by MediaWorks.
I highly recommend this article for anyone interested in Donald Trump, Fox News and American politics. It answers the question of why Fox News turned on Trump in the first Republican debate.
Dr. Phil calls a mass murderer a “modern day American hero”;
Next day he gives an hour’s platform to a KKK Imperial Wizard. Dr. Phil, TV3, Wednesday 19 August 2015
(The show first screened in the U.S. on March 17, 2015)
I’ve just watched Dr. Phil McGraw give an hour’s free, virtually uninterrupted access to an Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. The pretext for granting him this free advertising was the conflict between the Imperial Wizard and his daughter, who is pregnant to a black man.
After the Imperial Wizard had shared his views on blacks, Jews, homosexuals, and the law—he expressed hatred and contempt for all of them—Dr. Phil brought on a couple of religious experts, one of them black and one Jewish. This had the predictable effect on the Imperial Wizard.
A comical moment came when the Imperial Wizard unleashed a torrent of abuse at another guest: “You look like a Jew! I don’t want to listen to anything you say!” The man revealed himself to be a Roman Catholic, with the surname Gallagher. This elicited general laughter, except from the grim-faced Imperial Wizard.
If you think what Dr. Phil said during today’s program shows that he is a decent, concerned and compassionate person, you might like to consider what he had to say on his show the day before that. Compared to the person he is praising here, the Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan is Albert Schweitzer…..
The life and death of Chris Kyle has captivated millions. He risked his life fighting for this country. He miraculously survived the most dangerous combat zones …. the brutal, heart-breaking, senseless murder of a modern-day American hero. Who DOES this? Was it mental illness or just pure evil?
Later in the show, he badgers Eddie Ray Routh’s father, after introducing him and his wife as the parents of “one of the most hated figures of modern times”…
DR. PHIL: I understand y’all must be heart-broken. I UNDERSTAND mental illness. RAYMOND ROUTH: They think our son is the evilest son of a bitch in the whole world. DR. PHIL: You say people think he is the evilest son of a bitch on the planet. What he did was an evil act. You agree with that? To murder those two young men was EGREGIOUS and WRONG. ….
You obviously didn’t read the whole article PR – most of the commentators are saying dairy farmers still need to be very cautious, and it could be up to another six months before Fonterra’s position improves.
What’s more – the other story highlighted in that “good news for dairying” story says a lower volume of product was put up to auction to ensure a good price for it.
The fact that existing supply is being prevented from reaching the market, in order to bolster a falling price, is evidence of the problem PR is flailing to deny.
Economic isn’t exactly their strong point, though.
That was a gambit done in the 60s – 70s. Stockpiling has been done before. Surely Fonterra and the fab farmers couldn’t think seriously of doing something that was done in the past.
Looks like you need some basic training in production-supply-demand with a futures market on top.
It is “good news” only in the respect that Fonterra finally did what they should have done at the end of 2013/4 season, put out some market signals that
their stockpile of dairy products was growing,
that production needed to be reduced,
that supply would be constrained over the next 12 months
They would have gotten a similar, if more muted, response from the market for exactly the same reason. The signal that supply would be constrained would have been factored into everyone’s bids.
Instead they did that 18 months later because it appears that they kept hoping that something would miraculously happen to make it all better… But they got the usual response for when people start believing in fairyland as adults – nothing but a brutal reality.
Labour has been banging on about this since early 2014. I have been pointing out the structural stupidity of depending on a near raw commodity for growth for years earlier.
Did you just wake up? Or do you just have a weak brain that can’t retain information for more than a few days?
Blinglish going ahead with more asset sales according Grant Robertson. I found this gem from Blingish in the middle of the article which makes for great ironing when placed in the context of his direction of Solid Energy over the last six years.
The boards are just there to do what the shareholder wants. If we think they should make changes to how they’re running their business we would certainly communicate with them. The Government often discusses policy … without discussing directly with the board.
Ah, but does Blinglish actually think that giving rich people taxpayers money is a waste of money? He wasn’t shy about rorting the rules to get us to pay for his house.
Indeed, who could forget the double-dipping. Perhaps he felt it was compulsory to waste tax-payers money then and has only now changed his mind since his asset sales program flopped.
Today It feels like we should listen to Tourettes – “John Keys’s son is a DJ”. Just to remind us were we are at with this out of touch Tory government.
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
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 ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
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 ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
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. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland A bright Eta Aquariid meteor photobombed this photo of comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) in May 2020.Jonti Horner Meteors – commonly known as shooting stars – can be seen on any night of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Current concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But CO₂ levels today, and those that might occur in coming decades, did occur millions of years ago. ...
Winston Peters has been keen to dismiss speculation on our involvement in Aukus but will give a speech tonight on the direction of our foreign policy, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Usmar, Lecturer in Critical Media Literacies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images With the coalition government’s ban of student mobile phones in New Zealand schools coming into effect this week, reaction has ranged from the sceptical (kids will just get ...
A new report on protecting journalism and democracy in New Zealand recommends a levy be charged on global platforms like Facebook and Google to fund media firms undertaking public interest reporting. It also calls for the reinstatement of a powerful Broadcasting Commission to distribute public funding for journalism and other ...
On International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the wider union movement are celebrating the proud history of the labour movement during a tough time for working people. ...
From bills to beards, a walk through the former Green co-leader’s time in politics. After close to a decade in politics, James Shaw is preparing to bid farewell to parliament. Tonight will see the former minister deliver his valedictory address, certain to be a speech filled with Shaw’s trademark wit ...
Two months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins’ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day Fa’anānā Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...
India’s election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Here’s how voting works and what’s at stake.The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the world’s population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the world’s most populous country ...
Comment: Journalists are very good at telling other people’s stories, but they fall well short when writing about their own profession. Perhaps that is why it is so undervalued. Every successive poll on the public’s attitude toward journalism is more alarming than the last. In the last month we have ...
Opinion: A young Māori woman and her Pacific partner arrive at their local hospital by ambulance. She has gone into labour at just under 24 weeks, but the couple haven’t recognised the symptoms – and don’t know the risks of premature birth for their baby. By the time they arrive, ...
Behind closed doors, NZ First will be arguing fiercely against any watering down of the ministerial decision-making powers in the Bill The post Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlash appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Emotional scenes played out in the Invercargill courthouse on the first two days of the coronial inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones, in which the boy’s mother was accused of disposing of her son’s body. The second season of Newsroom’s award-nominated podcast The Boy in the Water ...
Opinion: The impression from the carpark is very inviting. The area is well fenced but barred so there is easy visibility of loved ones. Inside, the spaces are welcoming and clean and staff are friendly and clearly comfortable. I am greeted by ‘Kim’. She has worked here for three years, ...
After the Christchurch earthquake, the then-national civil defence boss compared his experience to “putting a team on the rugby field who have never ever played together before”. Now, eight years later – and following a damning inquiry into the emergency response of cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and the Auckland anniversary weekend floods – ...
“I had just come off the end of a major robbery case which I had been working on for six months when I got a call on the afternoon of September 1, 1992, that some remains had been found at a building site in Devonport, so I drove over with ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 1 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Asia Pacific Report A Pacific civil society alliance has condemned French neocolonial policies in Kanaky New Caledonia, saying Paris is set on “maintaining the status quo” and denying the indigenous Kanak people their inalienable right to self-determination. The Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations (PRNGOs) Alliance, representing some 15 groups, said in ...
Koi Tū New Zealand cannot sit back and see the collapse of its Fourth Estate, the director of Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, Sir Peter Gluckman, says in the foreword of a paper published today. The paper, “If not journalists, then who?” paints a picture of an industry ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Foreign investment proposals with implications for Australia’s strategic or economic security will face tougher scrutiny, under a policy overhaul to be announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday. At the same time, the government ...
A Waitangi Tribunal inquiry report has warned government that a repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act could cause harm to children in care. ...
The Treasury has published today three new papers covering government consumption multipliers, automatic stabilisers and the impacts of global shocks on New Zealand’s economy. ...
Asia Pacific Report The Pacific state of Hawai’i’s House of Representatives has joined the state’s Senate in calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, becoming the first state to pass such a resolution, reports Hawaii News Now. In March, the Senate passed a ceasefire resolution with a 24–1 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Ferrie, A/Prof, UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research and ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Technology Sydney PsiQuantum The Australian government has announced a pledge of approximately A$940 million (US$617 million) to PsiQuantum, a quantum computing start-up company based in Silicon Valley. Half ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science, University of South Australia Cameron Prins/Shutterstock If you spend a lot of time exploring fitness content online, you might have come across the concept of heart rate zones. Heart rate zone training has become more ...
SPECIAL REPORT:By Eugene Doyle He is the most popular Palestinian leader alive today — and yet few people in the West even know his name. Absolutely no one in Gaza or the West Bank does not know him. That difference speaks volumes about who dominates the media narrative that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will McCallum, PhD Candidate – School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University Earlier this year, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of not supporting Operation Sovereign Borders – the military-led border security operation that has “closed Australia’s borders ...
By Melyne Baroi in Port Moresby A Papua New Guinea MP, Peter Isoaimo, who had been ousted by the National Court in an alleged bribery case, has been reinstated by the Supreme Court on appeal. A three-member Supreme Court bench found that the National Court had erred in finding that ...
Publisher Chris Holdaway reflects on the unique project of collecting the work of the late, terrific poet Schaeffer Lemalu. One of the nice things you can do as a truly independent publisher is to make the books that writers want to make, whatever they happen to be. That’s how I’ve ...
Those profiled in the stamp series served on overseas deployments from 1995 onwards, and all have been awarded theNew Zealand Operational Service Medal. ...
Last night’s dismal poll result for the coalition government shows the limits of trying to govern as an opposition, argues Joel MacManus. There’s a quote from the American political activist Barbara Deming: “Vengeance is not the point; change is. But the trouble is that in most people’s minds, the thought ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shireen Morris, Associate Professor and Director of the Radical Centre Reform Lab at Macquarie University Law School, Macquarie University Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock Foreign interference in Australian democracy poses a growing risk to our national sovereignty. It refers to coercive, corrupt or ...
A defendant charged by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has pleaded guilty to four charges of obtaining by deception in relation to a mortgage fraud scheme. Sentencing has been scheduled for 14 August 2024. ...
What to say when pesky journalists ask gotcha questions like ‘can you name a single book you’ve ever read?’ and ‘did you read it, or did you just see the movie?’This week, Act Party arts spokesperson Todd Stephenson foolishly agreed to an interview with Newsroom’s Steve Braunias regarding his ...
Explainer - What will a ban on cellphones in schools achieve? Can students use them during lunch breaks? And what happens if you need to contact your child? ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodi Rowley, Curator, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology, Australian Museum, UNSW Sydney Jodi Rowley, CC BY-NC-ND In winter 2021, Australia’s frogs started dropping dead. People began posting images of dead frogs on social media. Unable to travel to investigate the deaths ...
In the year ended March 2024, 0.4 percent of home transfers were to people who didn’t hold New Zealand citizenship or a resident visa, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wasay Majid, Research Assistant , University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau New Zealand’s accommodation supplement scheme is facing scrutiny, with Social Development Minister Louise Upston recently saying “there is merit in considering whether the current settings are fair and sustainable long-term”. The ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor The first prime ministerial candidate has been announced in Solomon Islands and it is not Manasseh Sogavare. The man of the hour is Jeremiah Manele, the MP for Hograno/Kia/Havulei constituency in Isabel Province, who served as minister of foreign affairs in the last government. ...
Protesting the removal of bins by leaving piles of your dog’s shit for others to deal with doesn’t make you a hero – it’s precious and entitled behaviour. You haven’t truly lived until you’ve stood on the shoreline of Auckland’s Cheltenham beach, desperately trying to scoop increasingly liquid dog shit ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon will be alert to the factors driving the dire polling, but won't be waving the white flag just yet, RNZ political editor Jo Moir writes. ...
Writer, teacher and academic Vincent O’Sullivan died on Sunday 28 April. Here we gather tributes from friends, colleagues, and students who remember his extraordinary contributions. I went down to the garage tonight. There was a bird shrieking out in the bush, in the dark, maybe a kākā. Miraculously, through the ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a burnt-out corporate escapee explains how she gets by ‘working as little as possible’. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 31 Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: Contractor in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Schmidt, Professor of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney Albert Russ / Shutterstock The icebreaker of many a barbeque conversation is something like “what do you do for a crust?” “I teach chemistry at university,” is what we usually reply. Then silence. Our ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asher Flynn, Associate Professor of Criminology, Monash University Shutterstock Sexual harassment is often considered to be a person-to-person act, but new research shows Australians are also experiencing and perpetrating workplace harassment in large numbers through technology. Our latest study shows one ...
A petition signed by more than 16,500 people, demanding the government take stronger action to halt the genocide of Palestinians by the State of Israel, is being presented to the House of Representatives today by Hon Phil Twyford. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Burnett, Honorary Associate Professor, ANU College of Law, Australian National University jenmartin/Shutterstock April has been a bad month for the Australian environment. The Great Barrier Reef was hit, yet again, by intense coral bleaching. And Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek delayed ...
Winston Peters might not give a ‘rat’s derriere’ about last night’s poll, but it revealed the unusual absence of a honeymoon period and little payoff for the government’s action plan approach, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marco de Jong, Lecturer, Law School, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Details released by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet under the Official Information Act reveal New Zealand officials have been considering involvement in AUKUS from the outset. ...
The government's treatment of Māori raised eyebrows, with countries saying New Zealand needed to do more to reduce health, education and justice inequities. ...
The age of criminal responsibility was one of numerous human rights issues raised during Aotearoa New Zealand’s UPR. Other key themes were racism and discrimination, the disproportionate representation of Māori in prison, and to uphold the UN Declaration ...
In a sitdown interview ahead of his final day at Parliament this week, the former Green Party co-leader tells RNZ about his lowest point during 2017's rough election campaign. ...
Is the fringe radio station really in a financial crisis, or is it just running a hyped-up donation drive? Fringe internet radio station Reality Check Radio was launched by the anti-vaccine mandates group Voices for Freedom in March 2023. For the next year, it undertook probably the most aggressive promotional ...
Above the Fold: On Monday, the biggest Māori screen production company faced down the biggest funder of Māori content at the High Court. It was an incredibly tense moment – then, just as quickly, it resolved. Duncan Greive breaks down a strange day in the screen sector.Yesterday morning, Māori ...
“The middle ground is a magic mountain that retreats as you approach. The more you chase it from the left, the further to the right it moves.”
Brilliant stuff from Monbiot. Applies here to Labour and our political landscape too!
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/18/jeremy-corbyn-rivals-chase-impossible-dream
“The longer Labour keeps repeating the same mistakes – reinforcing the values it should be contesting – the further to the right it will push the nation, and the more remote its chances of election will become.”
Indeed, which is something the local Labour Party should take note of. CV often points this out. And interestingly, is often attacked for doing so.
I was just about to put that one up myself. It is a very good article. The whole thing is quotable, but I will add this bit:
“Rebuilding a political movement means espousing what is desirable, then finding ways to make it feasible. The hopeless realists propose the opposite. They assemble a threadbare list of policies they consider feasible, then seek to persuade us that this package is desirable.”
+1
That’s exactly what Labour have been doing for the last 20 years.
The whole article is excellent. Monbiot points out the obvious – that while Corbyn has little chance of winning the next election, the same is true of his rivals. Corbyn’s advantage over them is that he can at least begin restoring the party.
Thanks for this link. Great article that I hope every NZ Labour MP reads. Another clip that resonated with me was:
“Tony Blair won three elections, but in doing so he made future Labour victories less likely. By adopting conservative values, conservative framing and conservative language, he shifted the nation to the right, even when he pursued leftwing policies such as the minimum wage, tax credits and freedom of information. You can sustain policies without values for a while but then, like plants without soil, the movement wilts and dies.”
There have been a few discussions here on the Standard about the values of the Labour Party that are espoused on their website, but are not always reflected in media statements.
“Key Love” continues unabated, no less than 3 pics accompanying this puff piece include the defacto (since Rugby News election 2014 cover) all black captain snuggling up to the real one…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11499241
Richie McCaw remains aloof from officially accepting dear leader’s embrace in terms of a knighthood and a parliamentary career so far, so the generous way to view it is that he is not a Nat supporter but doing what needs to be done to survive up till the “rubber wool cub”
whereas until rugby people prove otherwise (like Mr Weepu) I regard them as co-opted torys needing to be outed–Whaadarrrrryaaa!!!!
It’s scary the number who will be Tories. I guess it stands to reason because of the income bracket they are in and the fact they are impressionable young men who haven’t seen much of life.
That article isn’t as bad as Hamish Rutherford’s yesterday. Hamish starts out reasonably well but about halfway through can’t help sticking the boot into David Cunliffe and making the claim that no-one cared…
– Hamish Rutherford
I fucking cared, Hamish, you prat! I should have made more noise.
More pics of John Key prostituting himself at the feet of McCaw, sorry…
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71232403/will-the-all-blacks-always-love-being-pictured-with-the-prime-minister
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11499241
First photo in the article……sure at least one of the three in the background is taking the piss.
I noticed they changed the photo when I first saw that article key and McCaw where having a beer.
Hard to know because there’ve been so many articles, and so many photos of beers.
Perhaps John Key has a drinking problem. He certainly sounds like he does when he speaks.
https://blog.labour.org.nz/tag/richie-mccaw/
Oh please, all politicians love cuddling upto popular sports stars
you can piss off–Mr “all politicians”–ShonKey’s dedicated virtual stalking of McCaw is a standout case of planned capture for PR purposes as opposed to the common photo op
Wouldn’t it be great if an All Black captain came out and said I don’t like being used as a political tool by the PM and I’ve never supported his parties policies. Bliss. We would need someone like a David Pocock who would do that.
Mr Key in many of the cringe inducing ‘me and Richie’ photos is looking more like Rigsby played by Leonard Rossiter in the TV series Rising Damp.
Has a similar personality too.
@Tiger
Not so much Key love in the Dom Post-in fact it is getting royally stuck into Key, Groser and the Nats in today’s editorial here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/71236492/editorial-john-key-is-being-arrogant-over-protests-against-free-trade
With Little performing well, the economy shaking, McCully’s antics looking shady and Key talking rubbish about TPPA, this looks like a turning point.
Once again, National introduces a bill to which the only sane response can be that our properties will be returned to their rightful owners without compensation at the next change of government.
There is no alternative.
Absolutely shocking.
Extraordinary powers, exempt from social, environmental and financial oversight obligations.
Despotism.
Key is like the guy in the credit card add.
Richie can I do a 3 way handshake.
Awh Richie can I give you a knighthood
Team photo.
Awh Richie
Leading Israeli journalist, Bradley Burston writes:
“It’s Time to Admit It. Israeli Policy Is What It Is: Apartheid
I used to be one of those people who took issue with the label of apartheid as applied to Israel. Not anymore.”
read more: http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/a-special-place-in-hell/.premium-1.671538
For those who deny that “anti-semitism” is often exploitatively defined as: “criticism of Israeli Govt” : Greenwald on Twitter, linking to the article above.
Paywalled so here’s the full article via Naomi Wolf.
https://medium.com/@thepalestineproject/it-s-time-to-admit-it-israeli-policy-is-what-it-is-apartheid-e6d19bde2f58
The record of Bill English:
$100billion of debt
Lost Solid Energy
Lost the power companies
Lost dairy
Wants to sell the farm
Yup…. lost in any language
Bill English = total failure
I would say when it comes to landcorp they have seen the opportunity they’ve been looking for . But only a fool sells at the bottom of a cycle so its either incompetent or more likely part of the plan.
Totally planned so the sale price is low for the buyers.
All the while the owned MSM cheer on another genius move from the masters of business and run puff/sdiversion pieces on flags/ritchie etc….imagine what it’ll be like when the WC kicks off.
+1
Which pretty much means that someone’s $100b richer and it isn’t NZ.
Didn’t lose them at all – Nationals rich mates are about to snap them up for pennies on the dollar.
Those two seem to go together once you take into account Nationals desire to sell NZ as cheaply as possible to foreign interests.
That truly does depend on what Blinglish was trying to achieve. Considering his consistency of driving down prices for NZ land and businesses I’d say that he’s achieved exactly what he set out to achieve – selling NZ to foreign owners as cheaply as possible.
This government is losing hold of its core narrative of safety and competence and charming leadership.
They are relying harder on a core of friendly journalists, and co-branding into sport and other patriotic injections.
The economy is out of their control, and drifting. Even a complete milk revival won’t turn years of corrosion.
They are into the inevitable decline of losing in 2017.
Yup and Hoskins gives winnie a bat to be bashed with by calling him ‘grumpy and bored’, I will enjoy Winnie having fun with such a childish emotive response.
Funny how we’ve come to respect a good old fashioned two-faced polly like Winnie, you have to tip your hat.
In about three minutes, this explains how popular movements happen:
https://youtu.be/nU7dxkIz1Vs?t=260
Watch the full seven minutes for all the details, because the early stages always seem uncertain.
Brilliant! That’s the dream in so many different areas of life.
‘Europe today sells itself to other powers like China – philosopher’
https://www.rt.com/shows/sophieco/258825-eu-immigration-poverty-utopia/
“Years of austerity, immigration, poverty and a growing wealth gap – the European Union today is far from the Utopia some used to imagine when it was created. Now, with current politicians unable to solve the issues people are facing, the whole Union is being torn apart by rising far-right and far-left parties; People seek innovation in politics, seeing EU’s stagnant leadership unwilling to act. But are these new parties able to deliver on their promises? Is there even an alternative way for Europe? We ask these questions – and many more! – to a philosopher, activist and author of ‘What does Europe want?’ Srecko Horvat is on Sophie&Co today”.
“All right, Steven, let him speak.”
Hosking and Joyce gang up every Wednesday on NewstalkZB.
Wednesday Politics, NewstalkZB, Wednesday 19 August 2015
Mike “Contra” Hosking, Steven Joyce, Grant Robertson
The radio station NewstalkZB is notorious in New Zealand. It’s a 24/7 forum for the community’s most haplessly bewildered souls. If you want to know what unread nincompoops, flat earthers, ACT voters, ratbags and downright racists think about the issues of the day, just tune in to NewstalkZB.
And their callers are almost as bad.
One of the worst programs, even on this endless horror show, is Wednesday Politics, a ten-minute exercise in contempt and destruction. This program is far worse than low farce, it’s an insult to the intelligence. Steven Joyce and Mike “Contra” Hosking gang up every week to deride, disrupt and hoot at the regular Labour Party representative, Annette King. She somehow handles it in good humour, but it’s quite clear what Hosking and Joyce aim to do each week: disrupt her incessantly, and make it impossible to discuss anything seriously.
Filling in for Annette King this morning was Grant Robertson. As usual, Joyce dominated proceedings from start to finish. In the first of the two segments, Joyce did almost all the talking, and Robertson politely let him talk.
Following the advertising break, it was supposed to be Robertson’s turn to talk. He spoke for approximately three seconds before Joyce talked over the top of him. Robertson tried to continue, and Joyce disrupted him seven times—yes, I counted.
Robertson pleaded: “I let you have your say.” Hosking, supposed to be some sort of adjudicator, said to Joyce: “All right, Steven, let him speak.” Joyce ignored Hosking and continued to loudly overtalk and disrupt, shouting out insults.
I can’t even remember what they were talking about now—-and that’s exactly why Hosking and Joyce do that each week. Mission accomplished.
Thanks for report Morrissey. Listening to that is a dirty job and I’m glad you have the determination to do it.
Do you think there is anything positive for Labour at all in going on to it, or indeed any of the opposition parties? There would be a howl go up from NewstalkZB’s theatre of the absurd but it sounds as if that would be a minor blow to the opposition compared to the multiple ones when they try and participate in this abbatoir of intelligent discussion.
The SPCA can be appealed to, or the Council or police, when there are attack dogs about. There is little power available to appeal to in this case for other Parties, or those of the listeners who understand what is going on. And what is going on is an attack on reasoned political discussion and a farce of welcoming left and right speakers, which is achieved by RadioNZ with Williams and Hooton, though done in a low-key (huh) way.
QFT
what an offense to humanity that station is..
bring back “Dr Paul” – at least it was what it claimed to be – pure fiction.
now they broadcast fiction and lies dressed up as fact.
yep, taken one for the troops, listening that bollocks
Education and NCEA. A cool analysis of the lacks resulting from NCEA targetting by the education boffins from a NZ university dean noticing the negative effects of those students getting to university with the right NCEA background.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201767090
This voice piece from RadioNZ this morning is about some clever engineering that has come from the university professor Dale Carnegie and his students at Victoria University.
About halfway through the discussion there is a definite criticism against NCEA that it does not give an incentive for pupils to strive because of the blunt marking. Also they tick boxes, students passing one subject to NCEA level, then another in a silo approach, and with little connectedness, and they may forget earlier material by the time they pass the next units.
Background:
Robot creating engineer wins a top tertiary teaching award
9:34 AM. Dale Carnegie is the head of Victoria University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science. He was last week given the 2015 Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Excellence award for his engaging teaching style and what students described as “infectious enthusiasm”. Professor Carnegie has long promoted engineering as a career, he is currently working on a robot prototype for use in search and rescue due to its ability to move over difficult terrain.
It’s time for another change to our education system. And this should start with all the pavlovian boffins in the Department of Education picking up ideas for policies from hyped up overseas educationalists filled with esoteric and expansive ideas that seem modern. Try looking for practically applied intelligent programs and practices in learning, and ask the non-education university lecturers what they want so as to get direction from outside the present loop of high-paid purveyors of cant.
I just mention that I have feelings of doom and gloom about the development of robots and their use to relieve humans of work and often, so called drudge jobs. The latest, talked about in this clip, is that they are being developed to do caring roles. I think these could be the ones presently carried out by, mostly women, who are poorly paid but need the money or are prepared to do the job because they know they bring comfort and personal interest to the vulnerable.
How Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn would govern Britain.
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/08/jeremy-corbyn-labour-britain/401492/
There’s an unusual story contained in the many links of that article, of how he divorced his wife over a disagreement of which school their son would go to. Bizarre. I don’t believe it was solely about that, maybe a final straw/late trigger type of thing – the article says the problem went back at least two years – yet they both use that incident as the public story. Do we take their word for it, or make a guess based on what usually happens? You’d think a politician at his level would be more careful.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/1999/may/13/uk.politicalnews2
Which raises two issues for me as spectator: does he have any willingness to compromise realism/Ideals; and can he compromise/harmonise with women. The “old socialist” Britain wasn’t too big on women defining themselves outside the male perspective and with his supporters “yearning” for a return to that past, I wonder if they intend taking a break from various movements of equality/autonomy within society, all pushed aside in favour of nostalgia. About the only immediately believeable and “do-able” idea the papers like to lazily trot out from a seemly impossible list, is the rent controls.
@Charles
I don’t like leaders being picked at or discarded because they are not perfect in word and deed. Leave Corbyn alone to fight about schools with his wife.
Here is a link that gives what might be regarded as knightly virtues to be adhered to, in today’s eyes. The link has a comment that most of these were gathered in hindsight. It could be that in medieval times you could be a knight if you were a mercenary with your own armour and were prepared to swear to protect a certain leader.
http://chivalrytoday.com/knightly-virtues/
They have decided on a list of seven virtues.
1 Courage
2 Justice
3 Mercy
4 Generosity
5 Faith
6 Nobility
7 Hope
Perhaps we should have a template of attributes to sort out the sheep from the goats, the ugly ducklings that could be swans, the jesters who aren’t fools from the others.
What other attributes should they have. The list doesn’t say anything about truthfulness, thoughtfulness, diplomacy, wisdom, farsightedness and good judgment as to oneself, one’s team and people in general.
Truthfulness is good but needs to be balanced by thoughtfulness and diplomacy as blurting unvarnished truths is often not the best way forward. Wisdom advises when, what, where and why and farsightedness enables future scenarios and outcomes to be envisaged practically. Understanding people helps in knowing who is a rock and reliable, who is flaky, who is loose tongued and untrustworthy.
Leave Corbyn alone? You kidding me? “Charles opinion brings down Corbyn” hahaha I can see the UK headlines now. You haven’t read or comprehended my post at all.
The eagerness for people to dishonestly project their own issues onto the success or failure of J.Corbyn and reluctance to consider the details, methods or context of his politics is a little bit disturbing, but not at all surprising. He clearly is a sacred cow, here. Tough shit.
I don’t get what Corbyn has done or said to earn such personal enmity from you?
Charles
You have your sacred cows. I have mine. And frankly I think you talk BS half the time. The other half is okay.
I think the reasons he and his wife separated are none of our business. I’d be more interested in how he relates with women staff, colleagues etc.
Is there any reason to suspect his gender politics apart from that?
There’s a big rolling smear campaign on to take Corbyn down; I expect more tales about his distant past to start surfacing once the PI’s and the tabloids have had a chance to dig further.
I am brassed off at the thought of paying GST on a book I have to import because I can’t get it in NZ, on which I may have to pay $US 12 shipping, and then GST on the combined amount. It mounts up to expensive for me on a low income even if the total is under $30.
Already the fact sheet for Customs is explaining that GST has to be paid on everything plus import duty on some things. I thought that it was still being discussed by parliament.
I thought that this great move of dropping all our tariffs, losing all our manufacturing jobs, was to have a payoff of making everything cheaper in NZ. But instead the government has made everything more expensive by adding a 15% surcharge on everything we do or buy. It’s a hell of an impost. Gummint is putting its hands into the bottom of our pockets where the last coins are rattling around.
On the one hand government’s actions kill off jobs, then they destroy working conditions, decrease wages by not setting minimum wages which represent livable amounts or allow for even low inflation. If year by year there is a no rise or one below measured inflation your wage is dropping. And that doesn’t allow for the housing and rental inflation.
Are you talking about a single book you got pinged for, or a change in policy? I’ve bought stuff from overseas and never paid GST or customs duty on it, and I thought that Customs basically didn’t care about most things under a certain value.
I’ve not heard of them charging GST before either.
because they havn’t till now. wont just be physical items either. i think the idiots in msm are calling it the netflix bill
so what’s being discussed here is new govt policy? Might be good if that’s spelled out.
Generally speaking, they won’t charge GST on items worth less than $400 because it’s just not worth the effort. Thing is, GST is now killing local stores (both online and offline) because people can easily bypass it by buying offshore. The governments fix to this is to have it so that GST will be paid on all items bought offshore despite the fact that it will cost even more.
The proper fix is, of course, to drop GST and raise other taxes but National don’t like that idea as it means that the rich will actually have to start paying their way.
Thanks DTB I thought most people would know all about the past methods. I looked up an Australian seller on Trademe and found this new button to see what duties might have to be paid and found a No. 28 sheet for Customs and it sounded as if they were all ready to dump GST on imported goods asap.
And I heard talking about ALL imports which is why I brought up my book purchases – not doing many booksellers out of business, me. More The Warehouse etc and the general remaindering.
Also the drop-sellers? who put a quarter of a million books onto Trademe in three months. Amazing but true. The site is deluged by these books and I don’t think TM even rake any money off them for their listings which would make them millions if at only 10c a listing.
Radionz reports:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201766822
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/281638/government-weighs-up-online-gst-options
Mr Key said the Government was trying to be fair to both retailers and consumers.
“But the problem is the Government is trying to balance up the need to be both fair to existing retailers who have bricks and mortar on the ground.
“The fact that we’ve got a hole in our revenue accounts that is emerging because more and more purchases are happening online.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/281699/govt-asks-for-feedback-on-gst-plan
It is about creating a level playing field for collecting GST and putting New Zealand businesses and jobs ahead of the interests of overseas retailers, but it must be done with the least possible inconvenience to New Zealand consumers,” Mr McClay said.
Read the full discussion document (PDF, 305KB) and summary (PDF, 518KB).
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/281655/buyers-set-to-pay-gst-on-online-services
It is currently losing an estimated $180 million of revenue to online purchases, a figure that is rising every year, and plans to extend GST to all online purchases to patch up the ever-widening hole in revenue.
Prime Minister John Key said GST on some online purchases could be in place by Christmas.
$180 million does not seem a big amount when there is so much money to spend on monuments, flags and emoluments! The rest of us need liniments after grazing meetings with these bruising bullrushers.
A worthy cause… ‘Give-A-Little fund for Jane Kelsy’s legal challenge to TPPA secrecy’
https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/tppnosecrecy/
Please let others know too. Thanks.
Thanks for putting that up Clem – we do have to front up for our ‘knights’. I must look to see what I’ve got left after the bills.
Key is under investigation for refusing to release correspondence with Rachel Glucina over Ponytailgate. About fucking time.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71258555/ponytailgate-correspondence-with-gossip-columnist-probed
His “reasons” for with-holding before, will be used the when he will refuse when asked by Beverley Wakim. Not telling you. Its private.
Because if he was involved, he would simply refuse to incriminate himself. He has before rather suffer the outcry, than commit hari-kari.
How Did The Edge Get Away With the Cucumber Number?
Yeah, I think I’ll continue to not listen to The Edge or, in fact, anything produced by MediaWorks.
I highly recommend this article for anyone interested in Donald Trump, Fox News and American politics. It answers the question of why Fox News turned on Trump in the first Republican debate.
http://www.vox.com/2015/8/8/9121377/donald-trump-megyn-kelly
Dr. Phil calls a mass murderer a “modern day American hero”;
Next day he gives an hour’s platform to a KKK Imperial Wizard.
Dr. Phil, TV3, Wednesday 19 August 2015
(The show first screened in the U.S. on March 17, 2015)
I’ve just watched Dr. Phil McGraw give an hour’s free, virtually uninterrupted access to an Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. The pretext for granting him this free advertising was the conflict between the Imperial Wizard and his daughter, who is pregnant to a black man.
After the Imperial Wizard had shared his views on blacks, Jews, homosexuals, and the law—he expressed hatred and contempt for all of them—Dr. Phil brought on a couple of religious experts, one of them black and one Jewish. This had the predictable effect on the Imperial Wizard.
A comical moment came when the Imperial Wizard unleashed a torrent of abuse at another guest: “You look like a Jew! I don’t want to listen to anything you say!” The man revealed himself to be a Roman Catholic, with the surname Gallagher. This elicited general laughter, except from the grim-faced Imperial Wizard.
The show ended with some uplifting rhetoric from the host. You can watch the whole thing here if you want….
http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/2380
If you think what Dr. Phil said during today’s program shows that he is a decent, concerned and compassionate person, you might like to consider what he had to say on his show the day before that. Compared to the person he is praising here, the Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan is Albert Schweitzer…..
Later in the show, he badgers Eddie Ray Routh’s father, after introducing him and his wife as the parents of “one of the most hated figures of modern times”…
DR. PHIL: I understand y’all must be heart-broken. I UNDERSTAND mental illness.
RAYMOND ROUTH: They think our son is the evilest son of a bitch in the whole world.
DR. PHIL: You say people think he is the evilest son of a bitch on the planet. What he did was an evil act. You agree with that? To murder those two young men was EGREGIOUS and WRONG. ….
Watch the whole miserable performance here, if you can bear it….
http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/2377
Yeah its only one increase after several falls but it really does seem that everytime Labour declares a crisis in an industry that industry improves 🙂
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1508/S00097/q-a-andrew-little-theres-a-crisis-in-dairy.htm
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/dairy/71247428/early-days-warning-as-gdt-dairy-prices-rebound
I think you will find most dairy farmers would agree with Andrew Little.
The point being its funny that Labour announces a crisis in an industry and then the next news from that industry is good news
If Labour really wanted to help NZ all they have to do is announce a crisis and then hey presto its all good
I’m sure theres some ancient greek myth equivalent to the current NZ Labour party
What I find “funny” are RWNJs trivialising a very serious threat to the New Zealand economy.
You obviously didn’t read the whole article PR – most of the commentators are saying dairy farmers still need to be very cautious, and it could be up to another six months before Fonterra’s position improves.
What’s more – the other story highlighted in that “good news for dairying” story says a lower volume of product was put up to auction to ensure a good price for it.
So the whole “good news” thing is a FUDGE !
The fact that existing supply is being prevented from reaching the market, in order to bolster a falling price, is evidence of the problem PR is flailing to deny.
Economic isn’t exactly their strong point, though.
All those dairy conversions ae? I guess some of them are no longer dairy farmeres so no need to worry about what happens next.
Fonterra’s squeezing of supply isn’t going to be able to counter production growth in China, Russia, India and the Americas for very long.
It’s a short term price bump at best, and will undermine faith in Fonterra’s auction system.
Yup.
I guess it will be too much to expect oversupply may also bring about some discussion about the management of dairy conversions in the first place.
They think that stockpiling at home to artificially increase the price is going to do what eaxactly?
Amateurs.
That was a gambit done in the 60s – 70s. Stockpiling has been done before. Surely Fonterra and the fab farmers couldn’t think seriously of doing something that was done in the past.
I think that would be Cassandra, Prickish Rogue.
Looks like you need some basic training in production-supply-demand with a futures market on top.
It is “good news” only in the respect that Fonterra finally did what they should have done at the end of 2013/4 season, put out some market signals that
They would have gotten a similar, if more muted, response from the market for exactly the same reason. The signal that supply would be constrained would have been factored into everyone’s bids.
Instead they did that 18 months later because it appears that they kept hoping that something would miraculously happen to make it all better… But they got the usual response for when people start believing in fairyland as adults – nothing but a brutal reality.
Labour has been banging on about this since early 2014. I have been pointing out the structural stupidity of depending on a near raw commodity for growth for years earlier.
Did you just wake up? Or do you just have a weak brain that can’t retain information for more than a few days?
.
All explained here.
Typical short-term thinking. Oh look, one blip of a data point totally disproves your argument, haha!
Except I don’t see dairy farmers looking particularly happy.
They are somewhat more realistic than that.
It seems like these Ideologues from the loony right, think farmers and traditional conservatives are stupid or something.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/71273523/government-eyes-up-to-2-billion-in-asset-sales-and-capital-recyling
Blinglish going ahead with more asset sales according Grant Robertson. I found this gem from Blingish in the middle of the article which makes for great ironing when placed in the context of his direction of Solid Energy over the last six years.
– Blinglish
and this…
– Blinglish again
SCF anyone? Solid Energy anyone? Novopay anyone?
Ah, but does Blinglish actually think that giving rich people taxpayers money is a waste of money? He wasn’t shy about rorting the rules to get us to pay for his house.
Indeed, who could forget the double-dipping. Perhaps he felt it was compulsory to waste tax-payers money then and has only now changed his mind since his asset sales program flopped.
Today It feels like we should listen to Tourettes – “John Keys’s son is a DJ”. Just to remind us were we are at with this out of touch Tory government.
Fucking brilliant.