In the context of the Ministry of Education’s recent announcements about Communities of Online Learning this makes an interesting read. The October 2015 National Study of Online Charter Schools was conducted by the University of Washington, Stanford University, and Mathematica Policy Research, and provides a thorough analysis of the operations of (American) online charter schools, their policy environments and impacts on student achievement.
Being even more crap than an average US education is truly lame. I wonder whether the problem is online learning per se, or whether right wing incompetence and malice is the bigger issue.
In either event, I wonder how much the National Party took in bribes to inflict it on our kids.
A few weeks before the scheduled start of term, a small group of wealthy industry leaders who grew up in the city offered to plug the hole in the education budget with millions of their own philanthropic dollars. Foster was thrilled, but soon the donors wanted more control over how the funds were spent, and they insisted on having oversight of the district’s fiscal health. They made their support contingent on establishing a new system of ‘charter’ schools (publicly-funded but privately managed), which have become a cornerstone of efforts by billionaire philanthropists to reform the national education system.
The strings attached to the donors’ money weren’t attractive, but no support was forthcoming from the state, and retaining control over schools wouldn’t matter if they were bankrupt or closed. So Foster agreed to meet their conditions.
And we wonder why this government keeps underfunding education and other essential government services.
A great read on this proposed ‘land wars’ commeration by Moana Jackson. if you want to understand this issue from a Māori perspective then this is a good starter. And yep other Māori may have other positions on it.
I personally find Moana Jackson’s views align with mine – in some ways I wish I could vote for him in a Māori electorate and then I remember what often happens to tangata whenua when they get in the big house and I’m so glad he is removed and above party parlimentary politics.
As some have noted, they were “sovereignty wars”, which more aptly recognises them as colonising wars to take power.
Bingo!
That’s exactly what they were. The English capitalists saw land and resources that they didn’t own/control and set about taking it for themselves. And, of course, the dispossession caused Māori to look for jobs in the capitalists businesses that they never needed to do before thus increasing available manpower for exploitation.
“you’ll probably need it”
I don’t think this is the worst thing.
The worst problem we are likely to have is that the water supply will be interrupted where the supply pipelines cross faults.
Then we will have a hospital without any water. The Council refuse to build a reservoir to supply water to the hospital in an emergency. Every other Council in the country does it. The Wellington City Council would far rather spend the ratepayer’s money on the ridiculous cycle lanes and on mad plans for extending the runway at the airport or bringing back the trams.
We might have a hospital building after an earthquake but it won’t be able to provide any medical treatment.
What a Fuck up – coming to us too, soon with our Americanisation/Western ideology of disaster relief that if you combine with CV’s The “Intellectual Yet Idiot” Class – explains the problem …
“Red Cross Built Exactly 6 Homes For Haiti With Nearly Half A Billion Dollars In Donations”
All the road links will be shut for at least a couple of weeks. Will make it very difficult to get much relief into the city, except via boat (and the wharf etc are likely to be pretty smashed up).
This aligns very much with my idea that up to 85% of all crime is preventable if you get in early enough. A brave initiative and one that could transform Aboriginal life:
Declining NZ – 1st world to 5th? Stop the rot! Stop the rort!
Ambulance service declining, serious.
Legal aid services declining, non-existent in some areas.
Under the previous Liberal State govt Victoria went through a long and bitter paramedic/ambo dispute. Ugly and totally unnecessary.
Speaking from first hand knowledge of the people who do this very demanding work, work that results in the highest family break-up rates, the very high depression and suicide rates, covert substance abuse and PTSD rates … I know there is a LOT that needs addressing in this area.
No matter how calm and professional the ambo appears on the scene, it is not possible for them to avoid the psychic imprints created by dealing constantly with others in pain and profound distress.
And low pay rates merely compound the harm, reinforcing a sense of being under-valued. Their organisations absolutely need better resourcing in order to mitigate the stress. All this is well known and understood.
What a day to be a kiwi. Our leader in charge of UN world security in Americas most important city currently facing new terror. As well as managing the superpowers after escalation that could lead to World War in Syria.
Ok those comparisons are a bit unfair considering they never made it to the PM position. Personally I think all of those people could perform better than Key on that stage.
So, just to clarify, you think Goff, Shearer, Cunliffe or Little would perform better on the world then John Key who has proven to be able mix, negotiate and make friends with people in the highest positions of power on the world stage
I know you’re left and I know you hate John Key but get some perspective, John Key is a proven quantity (mind you Goff did good work on the FTA with China so maybe he could make a decent fist of it) but if you took of your blinkers you’d see the john Key is the best person available to do this
My blinkers? Has it occurred to you that it might be you who is unwilling to think critically. You’ve just written a puff piece and I don’t know if you’re taking the piss or doing your best to be a defender.
Yes, I think the Labour leaders could perform better in terms of things like leadership, diplomacy and character on the world stage than the current. Being able to mix and be nice with world leaders is something the PM is very good at. I think people want a bit more than that though, and they might ask what our glorious leader has achieved on the world stage in 8 years.
Once again you demonstrate one of the main issues of the left in NZ and that is underestimating John Key, I get that you don’t like him but acknowledging that hes very good at politics doesn’t mean you support him
When the left underestimates John Key he just cries all the way to another election win
But its ok because you got a good hit on him and called him a lapdog
No he’s not good at politics – the business is governing, not lying about governing. Key gets a 2 out of 10 for governing – tyrants that systematically shoot their citizens are a 1. If Key were not utter shit I’d support him – back when he was trying to get elected and made some promising speeches on housing I thought the Gnats had finally found someone with a shred of talent. No such luck.
I’m not underestimating him at all. Being a lapdog gives an appearance of good politics as he gets on well with all rich people but no actual good politics.
PR – Key is a toadying minor member of the Wall St. club, nothing more nothing less. History will not be kind to him as all his ‘niceties’ will be recorded as nothing more than deceit, in the course of duty to his masters.
I think it’s more that the qualities you admire in key are the qualities that some despise. The key to key is that he has normalised outright lying, pretend caring,and abhorent behaviour/slurs/non-apologies. He is the most disgusting and embarrasing PM weve ever had imo.
How do you know more people disagree than agree? The low voter turnout makes it impossible to know for sure, as you’ll attribute it to satisfaction with the system while others point to alienation from it.
There are both rational and irrational reasons to dislike John Key – as there are to uncritically admire the worst PM NZ has ever had. So what’s your deal PR, are you having his baby?
DUDE!!!! a spades a spade, I don’t see any of those labour leaders mincing a catwalk, telling rape jokes, planking, pony tail pulling, acting a buffoon on prime time US TV or a multitude of other, what a fuckwit actions by John the clown Key.
Do you think any of the world leaders will take the clown PM seriously at anything.
Dumb kiwi’s may think the sun shines out his arse like you, but the world has quite a different opinion to his parties policies and his in particular actions.
I know PR your one of a few lonely battlers for National and John but for fucks sake man, he’s a class clown admit it.
The 2017 election hasn’t happened yet and John key lost the leaders debate in 2014. Liar John key wouldn’t be where he is today if it hadn’t been for his dirty politics, abuse of the PM’s office and a lying, complicit msm Puckish Rogue.
No, I mean when future historians look at Key’s legacy of:
1. Throwing away the excellent fiscal position Clark left us
2. Failing to get the flag changed
3. Botching the Christchurch rebuild and failing to deliver a 21st century-city ready to face future energy shortages, by failing to institute basic minimum energy efficiency requirements
4. Selling off SoEs
5. Stopping contributions to the superannuation fund
6. Locking hundreds of thousands of NZers out of the housing market
7. Failing to address poverty, ensuring that we have locked in decades of increased health spending
Those seem like the biggies that will have impacts that future historians will be chastising this government for.
I’m sure there are other things; I didn’t even touch on the environment.
National is coming to the end of its 3rd term and they’re still as popular as when they started, obviously the voter considers them to be a good government.
Then you come here and read some of the stuff and you’d think you’ve either ended up in a alternative dimension where NZ is ruled by a crazed tyrant or on some parody site.
“telling rape jokes”
Citation? I did see a video were other people were making rape references towards the PM, but I’ve never seen/heard him make one.
“planking”
Citation? I saw a picture of Max Key planking, not the PM though.
“acting a buffoon on prime time US TV ”
Citation? Unless you are talking about reading a David Letterman top 10 list? In which case he is keeping good company Barack Obama (at least twice).
“or a multitude of other, what a fuckwit actions by John the clown Key”
Any other ACTUAL examples?
DUDE!!!! It looks like your spade may not be a spade afterall…
Pulls hair of young girls (plural) caught on film and you love him.
Panama papers, (more to come) and stuffed up NZ reputation. Got caught lying and you love him.
Massive amounts of corporate welfare and you love him
Declining water and land quality, but shusshhhh we not aloud to talk about that…Key says nothing, and you love him.
No ministerial responsibility, so stuck a collection of piss poor ministers who think nothing of braking the law, but all you need Bob is for the P.M. to just smile and you love him.
You’re wasting your breath, Adam. As Bomber Bradbury is so fond of saying, Key could tear the head off a kitten live on television, and he’d only go up in the estimation of people like Bob. Some folk are just doing far too nicely under our current administration, and perish the thought the gravy train is derailed by paltry considerations like… I don’t know, not being a complete bastard?
… john Key is the best person available to do this…
Are they going to be doing some currency trading? Blathering about whose shirt is gay or which celebs they’d like to fuck? It says something pretty terrible about NZ if John Key is the best person available for serious negotiations at the UN.
“No longer swimmable: A community mourns its lost river”
extract…
“The Selwyn River was once one of the world’s greatest trout fisheries.
In the 1960s, the trout population reached 65,000, enough to stock every river in the South Island.
There are now just several hundred trout in the river. Those remaining are thin and inedible due to the river’s health.
The river’s problems were the result of “poor incremental decisions” over several decades, North Canterbury Fish & Game environmental adviser Scott Pearson said.
Intensive farming had become too widespread in the area, and too much water was being extracted for irrigation.”
We are destroying the ecology of our nation, and sooner or later we will find out that it is the same ecology within which we need to live. (Contaminated aquifers, anyone)
I grew up swimming and fishing in many of those rivers in the 70’s and 80’s as I kid I think back and they always seemed pure and crystal clear, you could see the rocks ..it was pristine i’m talking the Waitaki river area.
It was also mainly sheep and grain farming back then. Says something doesn’t it.
I read that article and my heart sank. It’s like watching the foresters clear the amazon and no one can do anything about it. Unless they take proactive action and that’s the saddest part.
Farmers are doing fuck all, saying they are, and screwing us all.
Well, the MOU with the Greens was a good start but the relationship needs to go much further. Labour cannot and will not achieve electoral success on its own any more. There have been too many changing political parameters over recent times that have clouded the judgement of a shallower and more transient population. JK and his govt. can continue to be as incompetent as we have thus far witnessed and it is unlikely to dent their overall popularity.
As Bryan Gould postulates, Labour need to show a far greater willingness to respond to National with a totally different value system that means something to people in this day and age. In my view the Greens and Labour need to barnstorm the appropriate ‘new’ values message then use it [loudly] day in and day out at every opportunity. They need to show how those values would be applied to every aspect of the voters’ life and every issue that arises so voters can start to understand what will be different under a Lab/Green government.
At the moment they don’t see a hell of a lot of difference so its largely a case of…. better the devil you know etc. It is a brave exercise because there will be major efforts by the govt. and their media lackeys to ridicule both parties, but if they don’t do it they can kiss goodbye to any chance of success next year.
Dead right Anne. “At the moment they don’t see a hell of a lot of difference ‘……. believe it or not that’s because there isn’t a hell of a lot of difference. It’s the very problem we’ve been banging on about for months. Many Labour supporters on this site don’t seem to be able to understand this.
Little and co. have to stop being like dogs barking at passing cars and do far more than just trying to be the ‘softer’ side of neoliberalism.
Dead right Anne. “At the moment they don’t see a hell of a lot of difference ‘……. believe it or not that’s because there isn’t a hell of a lot of difference. It’s the very problem we’ve been banging on about for months.
For some of us it’s actually been years. The Labour leadership continue to fail to listen.
+100 Anne and Garibaldi…imo they need to extend an olive branch of peace to Hone Harawira and the Mana/Internet Party…and bring it in to the same MOU .
This would really attract the attention of voters and the working class/underclass in New Zealand!
….but I doubt Labour would be willing to do this….which means to me it is really NOT a working class party for grassroots /flaxroots NZers but has turned into a Liberal Party
Doesn’t help that Hone is trying to snuggle up to National’s Maori party that will eat up the Mana party for it’s own survival, like the Nats did to Act. Would have thought Hone should be talking to the Lab/Greens, who have given an open invitation to any party to join them to change the government, instead of the Maori party that have no intention of leaving the Nats, despite Hone saying he won’t support anyone that supports National. So what’s Hone going to do? the onus is on him.
Jeeze you can talk rubbish sometimes. You have no knowledge, no insight and no clue – but you are good at making up shit to fit your labour agenda so that’s something I spose of labour are your god.
Andrew doesn’t come across like that, over the last two years of attempting to get that angry andy label to stick, it really hasn’t.
at all mate.
In fact he’s quite calm under pressure, when his seat collapsed twice I saw a bloke who took it in his stride.
Charisma, err ive seen more from a dead fish, but there’ a glimmer, you couldn’t say Helen has Charisma, more like the matron you dare not piss off. So that’s not everything.
keys clown Charisma’s starting to wear thin though now mate, I mean there’s only so long people will support his easy going couldn’t give a fuck ways.., swings and round-abouts.
Is Keys prefered PM status still at those all time rock star highs mate? Or has Farrar been spending more time with his Nazi beliefs and running the tax and ratepayers joke.
Where does the little fuck get time to sleep I wonder..
As Bryan Gould postulates, Labour need to show a far greater willingness to respond to National with a totally different value system that means something to people in this day and age.
But you wouldn’t want to ‘scare the horses’ would you, by presenting options that ‘swing voting middle class NZ’ would find controversial, unorthodox or plain unacceptable.
The best sales people are utterly authentic in their belief in the product or service that they are trying to sell.
Labour MPs are capitalists, they believe in free markets and in free trade, they believe that NZ cannot afford NZ super without drastic cut backs.
So that’s what they have to try and sell, because they certainly don’t believe in “democratic socialism”, as stated in the party’s own constitution, no more.
Yes, that’s a real stumbling block to being successful in selling a concept or product, if you don’t believe what you’re promoting is any good then you’ll never be successful.
Which then raises the question why do left wing people support Labour?, they’re obviously not the party that’s going to promote what they want?
Which then raises the question why do left wing people support Labour?, they’re obviously not the party that’s going to promote what they want?
Well, I have been asking the same questions, and it is an unpopular subject to broach with some, because as far as I can see: old time loyalty/lesser of 2 evils.
“Which then raises the question why do left wing people support Labour?, they’re obviously not the party that’s going to promote what they want?”
I think most don’t (which is evident in Labour’s election result). From what I’ve gathered most of them no longer partake for that very reason (they see no difference between the two).
I support labour because I believe a union man like Andrew will do the right thing when he is PM. For working people, and in fact all NZ’ers.
I think he will and has the right attitude to make a fair NZ and keep the Greens better idea’s rolling along and holding their more whack idea’s in check.
But you wouldn’t want to ‘scare the horses’ would you, by presenting options that ‘swing voting middle class NZ’ would find controversial, unorthodox or plain unacceptable.
Well, that’s a view that is less acceptable to most Labour members than you are prepared to admit CV. The so-called middle of the road voters can’t be completely ignored, but my argument (and Bryan Gould’s I think) is that Lab and Greens need to re-think their values strategy in such a way they are seen to represent a whole new approach to governance that will hopefully encourage voters to contemplate voting for them again. So far, it hasn’t happened and it won’t happen unless the two parties work as one for this coming election. It will mean some concessions on both sides of course. For starters, the Greens have grown their polling numbers since the last election but they may have to be prepared to sacrifice any further growth in the interest of electoral success. Labour also will have to concede some of their voters to the Greens and not try to lure them back.
I have long viewed Lab. and the Greens as an electoral entity and that should be the way of the future. It’s time they publicly acted as such (both parties can still maintain their individual personalities) so that the rest of the population starts to recognise them in the same way. If, and when it happens the media story will start to change and that will have an impact on the voters’ perceptions.
Anne I hope your idea of ” concessions ” encompasses working the electorate seat by seat to get an optimal result for the Left? Because, like Key, I believe we have to do what it takes to win. It’s no use pussyfooting around doing otherwise and if the MOU doesn’t include this then I think it wiil be fruitless.
Anne I hope your idea of ” concessions ” encompasses working the electorate seat by seat to get an optimal result for the Left?
Totally.
I’m on record here more times than I can remember and have stated my view at in-house Labour meetings… telling them “to stop bloody pussyfooting around” and say and do what they mean dah de dah de dah. 😈
I know and you know Anne that the Labour membership is often far to the Left of the Parliamentary Labour Party. The issue is that the PLP think that the general membership are largely unrealistic and uninformed about what ‘mainstream NZ’ would be prepared to accept in terms of left wing policy.
Yes, CV. I know. But the PLP is getting closer to the membership little by little – pun wasn’t intended but appropriate. I’ve listened carefully to the rhetoric coming from some who were regarded as being to the right of the party and have picked up an encouraging move back towards the membership. In one case in particular, I’ve been so pleased with their recent reflections that I’m once again a strong supporter of the MP concerned.
So legalisation of medicinal marijuana or cannabis is NOT the problem for the elderly and those in pain in New Zealand ….but corporate capture BIG PHARMA prescription opiods is! ( are New Zealand politicians also captured ?)
….BIG PHARMA is a multi billion dollar pain killer industry and it opposes the legalisation of medicinal marijuana or medicinal cannabis!
THE PROBLEM in the USA:
‘Americans consume vast majority of the world’s opioids’
While the elderly New Zealanders and others in pain suffer because this government and Peter Dunne has denied them legal access to medicinal cannibas…there are political lobby groups involved and big Bucks..pharmaceutical companies and the alcohol industry
‘Opioid use decreases in US states that legalize medical marijuana – study’
“New research shows a decline in the use of opioid painkillers in US states that allow people to treat pain with medical marijuana, affirming the fears of Big Pharma who have been vigorously seeking to frustrate efforts to legalize the herb….
“Given the growing opioid overdose epidemic, campaigning against medical marijuana is morally repugnant.”
“We cannot allow prescription drug companies to block the legalization of #medicalcannabis http://huff.to/2clBjZY”
“Addictive painkiller profiteer donates $500k to fight cannabis legalization in #Arizona http://on.rt.com/7oux”
…”Insys isn’t the first pharmaceutical company to be found bankrolling anti-marijuana legislation though with a number of alcohol and pharmaceutical companies “heavily” invested in such laws in a number of states, according to The Intercept.
The Chinese will practice their normal approach of focussing on making profitable business, staying out of the politics, and paying whatever back handers are required to keep an operation running and in the black.
I have a feeling that Mugabe and his cronies are going to find such an approach quite acceptable.
“An insider in the tobacco industry said the Chinese company would be paying a hefty rental for the land they are now using to the “political” men who now own the farms.”
Here is the letter signed by Trump himself, which the Trump/Pence campaign delivered to his “pro-life” base of support this week, released by the anti-abortion, forced birth organization that styles itself, perversely, as the “Susan B. Anthony List:”
I am committed to:
Nominating pro-life justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Signing into law the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would end painful late-term abortions nationwide.
Defunding Planned Parenthood as long as they continue to perform abortions…
Making the Hyde Amendment permanent law to protect taxpayers from having to pay for abortions.
The Susan B. Anthony list is an extremist, anti-woman group that opposes a woman’s right to an abortion in all circumstances and also opposes many forms of contraception.
“By championing child care, paid maternity leave, and over-the-counter birth control
In an attempt to chip away at Hillary Clinton’s double-digit lead with women voters, Donald Trump is ditching some aspects of GOP orthodoxy and embracing feminist stances on contraception, child care and paid leave….
( Trump on the abortion issue is still not good however…In this day and age of USA poverty, world over- population and womens rights …abortion should be a woman’s choice and safe medical abortion should be state funded and free as it is in most Western countries
…presumably Trump would support the ‘morning after pill’ as a method of contraception and over the counter
….but this is not enough for unwanted pregnancies later term, which for various reasons women and girls did not terminate earlier…women should not be forced into the desperation and dangers of backstreet abortions)
Also keep in mind, that neither of the blokes will ever be pregnant, nor will they ever take the pill, nor will they ever risk their lives by giving birth, nor will they ever have to choose between career and child rearing or home making if you prefer that term, nor will they ever be told by a Pharmacist that that over the counter pill, or plan b. or condoms, will not be handed out cause its against the religious believes of the pharmacist who happens to believe that the Pill is an abortifact and that every sexual encounter should lead to blessings from god until the uterus falls out or the incubator dies in childbirth.
but then he retracted that comment, maybe he mis – spoke or maybe his daughter told him to shut up, or maybe someone told him that a whole lot of women in the US have abortions every year and how would you punish them? Murder 1? or like the Lady in the ling below – both fetizide and murder? Ahh, i am sure tomorrow he will say something else.
and do keep in mind, that should Trump die the next in line to the Presidency is Mike Pence. Even tho, no one really likes to think about that. Cause ….Hillary. OR something.
But hey nothing of that matters, cause Trump is gonna defund Planned Parenthood, the one clinic all over the US that offers affordable healthcare to women who otherwise may not have the funds to get it.
Cause nothing says i ma gonna love me some wimmin then taking away their health care provider and the place that offers sexual health care. And his women will still get their abortions should they need them, cause they have the cash and the passports to leave the country.
Fuck sake, be a Trumpie all you want, but don’t pretend that anyone running on the republican ticket will offer anything to women in regards to healthcare.
For every 12 women who will vote for Hillary Clinton, at least ten women will vote for Trump, according to the latest LA Times/USC tracking poll of 3000 voters.
So Trump is not that far behind Clinton when it comes to support from women.
My bet is that he will close that gap further, and gain support from more women.
But hey nothing of that matters, cause Trump is gonna defund Planned Parenthood, the one clinic all over the US that offers affordable healthcare to women who otherwise may not have the funds to get it.
Yes, Trump said that he will defund PP if and only if they continue to do abortions.
But it’ll be one of those things that he won’t quite get around to actually doing, like building The Wall.
..a tragedy but at least it has water still in it….our local river is a dirty little trickle…not enough even for a swimming hole…once upon a time people from Christchurch used to spend their summer holidays by it camping
….those were the days when even the poor were wealthy in the things that mattered
WashPost Makes History: First Paper to Call for
Prosecution of Its Own Source (After Accepting Pulitzer)
by GLENN GREENWALD, The Intercept, Sept. 19, 2016
THREE OF THE four media outlets that received and published large numbers of secret NSA documents provided by Edward Snowden — The Guardian, the New York Times, and The Intercept –– have called for the U.S. government to allow the NSA whistleblower to return to the U.S. with no charges. That’s the normal course for a news organization, which owes its sources duties of protection, and which — by virtue of accepting the source’s materials and then publishing them — implicitly declares the source’s information to be in the public interest.
But not the Washington Post. In the face of a growing ACLU and Amnesty-led campaign to secure a pardon for Snowden, timed to this weekend’s release of the Oliver Stone biopic “Snowden,” the Post editorial page today not only argued in opposition to a pardon, but explicitly demanded that Snowden — the paper’s own source — stand trial on espionage charges or, as a “second-best solution,” accept “a measure of criminal responsibility for his excesses and the U.S. government offers a measure of leniency.”
Hillary Clinton: Boycotting North Carolina Is Noble
and Just; Boycotting Israel Is Bigoted and Hateful
by GLENN GREENWALD, The Intercept, Sept. 14, 2016
….Could someone explain why it’s noble, enlightened, justifiable, and progressive to boycott an American state, but hateful, bigoted, retrograde, and evil to support a boycott of a foreign country that has been imposing a brutal, discriminatory, and illegal occupation for many decades, a boycott that is led by people with virtually no political rights? How did that happen? Hillary Clinton is far from the only person espousing this bizarre distinction — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as but one example, is punishing companies that support a boycott of Israel while forcing state employees to honor the boycott of North Carolina — but what could possibly justify U.S. politicians drawing the moral and ethical lines about boycotts in this manner?
My response to Chris Trotter’s latest post on The Daily Blog promoting ‘the surge’ for ‘millennial’ Auckland Mayoral candidate, Chloe Swarbrick.
I like Chloe.
She’s friendly, personable, articulate and presents very well on the campaign trail.
Her policies – not so much.
Chloe supports privatisation via Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs).
More significantly, Chloe supports the Auckland Unitary Plan and intensification, as do Generation Zero.
In my considered opinion, this ‘One Plan’ for Auckland has been ‘democracy for developers’ and dominated by the interests of commercial property developers and investors represented by the NZ Property Council.
Auckland Council and most Auckland Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) are members of the NZ Property Council, which in my considered opinion, as an anti-corruption campaigner is a significant and arguably corrupt ‘conflict of interest’.
As ‘activists get things done’ I have petitioned Parliament for an inquiry and provided evidence recently to the Local Government and Environment Select Committee in support of my petition, calling for an inquiry into the alleged conflict of interest regarding Auckland Council’s membership of the NZ Property Council.
In my considered opinion, Generation Zero, in their support for the Auckland Unitary Plan and intensification, pushing the line that those residents and ratepayers attempting to defend their local communities against decimation by developers, are effectively been promoted as selfish baby boomers stopping young people from getting their foot on the property ladder.
How convenient for the NZ Property Council to have these young advocates, on the same page, singing their same tune, but in a way that is far more effective pushing young vs old than if this were done by suited middle-aged property developers?
In my considered opinion, Generation Zero are effectively the ‘Youth Branch’ of the NZ Property Council.
Unlike all the Auckland Mayoral candidates, (including Chloe) I am actively opposed to corrupt corporate control by the 1%, locally, nationally and internationally.
For years I have actively campaigned against Council (Corporate) Controlled Organisations (CCOs), Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
Because I am the only Auckland Mayoral candidate directly standing up to corrupt corporate control by the 1%, the effective censorship I have been facing by (corporate controlled) mainstream media is simply breath-taking in how blatant it has been.
In 2013, in the only poll that counts, the election result, I polled 4th, with 11,723 votes.
That was before Auckland Council tried to force the rating sale of my freehold home, over my disputing and refusing to pay rates because of the Council’s failure to disclose where exactly public monies are being spent on private sector consultants and contractors.
Although some citizens (who are not familiar with their lawful rights and the Council’s statutory obligations under s.17 of the Public Records Act 2005 (google it), apparently want me to have a frontal lobotomy and forget mine, and just be a good sheepish slave and just pay my rates, like they do, I’m not budging until I get the transparency to which I, and all citizens are entitled.
So, that is why, unlike Chloe, I’m not getting the TV coverage and being excluded from mainstream media Auckland Mayoral debates.
The real debate would be between myself and Phil Goff.
The topic?
Rogernomic$ wrecked Auckland.
What do you say to that Chris?
A real ‘meat and spuds’ debate on the substantive issues, rather than the candy floss ‘bubble and fluff’ we’re getting now?
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 ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
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 ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
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Asia Pacific Report A score of Palestine solidarity protesters draped themselves in white shrouds with mock blood in a sombre “die-in” demonstration at Te Komitanga Square — the heart of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city — today as speakers urged people to take a stronger boycott against Israeli products. The ...
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A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
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Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
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Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
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Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
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Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
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In the context of the Ministry of Education’s recent announcements about Communities of Online Learning this makes an interesting read. The October 2015 National Study of Online Charter Schools was conducted by the University of Washington, Stanford University, and Mathematica Policy Research, and provides a thorough analysis of the operations of (American) online charter schools, their policy environments and impacts on student achievement.
https://credo.stanford.edu/pdfs/Online%20Press%20Release.pdf
Being even more crap than an average US education is truly lame. I wonder whether the problem is online learning per se, or whether right wing incompetence and malice is the bigger issue.
In either event, I wonder how much the National Party took in bribes to inflict it on our kids.
Why should Bill Gates decide how our children should be educated?
And we wonder why this government keeps underfunding education and other essential government services.
That Kellyann from Trump’s team, she got game.
A seasoned pro toe to toe against leftie luvvie Bill Mayer:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bill-maher-trump-campaign-manager-evil_us_57dd92f9e4b08cb140962d64?section=&
The full interview was scary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maL6-l3DdHk
The worst part, the Trump people have no difficulty lying. It seems like second nature.
I loathe Trump and all he stands for, but hell I respect his team and their tactics.
First nature. I’m surprised Hooton hasn’t given them his CV… Maybe he has. >:)
Yep, RWNJs have to lie else they wouldn’t be able continue their depredations on the people and society.
A great read on this proposed ‘land wars’ commeration by Moana Jackson. if you want to understand this issue from a Māori perspective then this is a good starter. And yep other Māori may have other positions on it.
I personally find Moana Jackson’s views align with mine – in some ways I wish I could vote for him in a Māori electorate and then I remember what often happens to tangata whenua when they get in the big house and I’m so glad he is removed and above party parlimentary politics.
http://e-tangata.co.nz/news/moana-jackson-facing-the-truth-about-the-wars
Bingo!
That’s exactly what they were. The English capitalists saw land and resources that they didn’t own/control and set about taking it for themselves. And, of course, the dispossession caused Māori to look for jobs in the capitalists businesses that they never needed to do before thus increasing available manpower for exploitation.
+1 Marty.
Moana Jackson is , as always, great but so is this e-tangata site. Always an interesting, well-informed read.
Totally agree Karen
Civil Defence Centres reformed into ‘Community Emergency Hubs’, which won’t stock survival supplies
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/84349936/wellingtons-civil-defence-centres-reformed-into-community-emergency-hubs-which-wont-stock-survival-supplies
Good luck to you Wellington, you’ll probably need it in the next few decades.
Unfortunately, mistakes in this won’t be acknowledged until after a disaster strikes and lives are lost as a result.
“you’ll probably need it”
I don’t think this is the worst thing.
The worst problem we are likely to have is that the water supply will be interrupted where the supply pipelines cross faults.
Then we will have a hospital without any water. The Council refuse to build a reservoir to supply water to the hospital in an emergency. Every other Council in the country does it. The Wellington City Council would far rather spend the ratepayer’s money on the ridiculous cycle lanes and on mad plans for extending the runway at the airport or bringing back the trams.
We might have a hospital building after an earthquake but it won’t be able to provide any medical treatment.
What a Fuck up – coming to us too, soon with our Americanisation/Western ideology of disaster relief that if you combine with CV’s The “Intellectual Yet Idiot” Class – explains the problem …
“Red Cross Built Exactly 6 Homes For Haiti With Nearly Half A Billion Dollars In Donations”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/04/red-cross-haiti-report_n_7511080.html
We can add to that the harden up and she’ll be right culture.
Indeed, alwyn. That’s another concern.
All the road links will be shut for at least a couple of weeks. Will make it very difficult to get much relief into the city, except via boat (and the wharf etc are likely to be pretty smashed up).
Patients are being harmed by the deteriorating finances of ambulance services, a paramedics’ group says.
“New Zealand’s two ambulance services are facing a funding crisis
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11709706
1. Why are there two ambulance services anyway?
2. Why aren’t those services fully funded by government?
Good questions.
There should only be one fully funded by the taxpayer IMO.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11711892
Doesn’t make it any better of course (encouraging/forcing someone isn’t cool) but it shows why its always good to wait for all the details to emerge
We waited: the facts came out. They vindicate Scarlette.
I note that you choose to describe forcible sexual contact as “not cool”, as though some minor social faux-pas has been committed.
Maybe however the initial furore was over Chiefs players committing the acts whereas its turned out to be a bus driver
I wasn’t describing forcible sexual contact as not cool but rather the encouraging/egging someone on
He says:
“She came up and gave me a hug and a kiss and gave one of the other players a hug. She didn’t seem upset at all.”
I think we can all agree it was rather sordid
You had it right the first time when you pointed out that in this context, “encouraging” and “forcing” are interchangeable.
As long as you realise I was referring to the encouraging/forcing aspect of it, not the actual physical contact which is a separate issue
Keep telling yourself that.
Yes I believe that encouraging someone to do something is a separate issue to that person then doing it
Both are culpable but are culpable for seperate actions
Scarlette has made reference to the violence she feared if she responded to the ‘encouragement’ in the ‘wrong’ way.
When was the last time you were physically bullied?
In a court of law would the bus driver and players involved in the incident be charged with the same or separate offences?
According to the Crimes Act, the same offence:
Thanks McFlock, I stand corrected
No, they’re culpable for the same action because the action was a direct result of their actions.
Well it’s not like inciting unlawful acts is a crime or anything.
Good interview by Winona LaDuke from Standing Rock.
http://m.democracynow.org/stories/16610
Worth noting a lot of fake photos of protest on the net esp fbook. The powers that be must be worried.
This aligns very much with my idea that up to 85% of all crime is preventable if you get in early enough. A brave initiative and one that could transform Aboriginal life:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-19/four-corners-bourkes-experiment-in-justice-reinvestment/7855114
Incidentally Bourke holds a very symbolic place in the Australian psyche as the ‘place where the outback begins’.
Declining NZ – 1st world to 5th? Stop the rot! Stop the rort!
Ambulance service declining, serious.
Legal aid services declining, non-existent in some areas.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Under the previous Liberal State govt Victoria went through a long and bitter paramedic/ambo dispute. Ugly and totally unnecessary.
Speaking from first hand knowledge of the people who do this very demanding work, work that results in the highest family break-up rates, the very high depression and suicide rates, covert substance abuse and PTSD rates … I know there is a LOT that needs addressing in this area.
No matter how calm and professional the ambo appears on the scene, it is not possible for them to avoid the psychic imprints created by dealing constantly with others in pain and profound distress.
And low pay rates merely compound the harm, reinforcing a sense of being under-valued. Their organisations absolutely need better resourcing in order to mitigate the stress. All this is well known and understood.
What a day to be a kiwi. Our leader in charge of UN world security in Americas most important city currently facing new terror. As well as managing the superpowers after escalation that could lead to World War in Syria.
Makes me proud…
It is pretty impressive, imagine if *insert any Labour leader since Helen Clark* was there, it ‘d be a shambles and NZ would be a laughing stock
Ok those comparisons are a bit unfair considering they never made it to the PM position. Personally I think all of those people could perform better than Key on that stage.
So, just to clarify, you think Goff, Shearer, Cunliffe or Little would perform better on the world then John Key who has proven to be able mix, negotiate and make friends with people in the highest positions of power on the world stage
I know you’re left and I know you hate John Key but get some perspective, John Key is a proven quantity (mind you Goff did good work on the FTA with China so maybe he could make a decent fist of it) but if you took of your blinkers you’d see the john Key is the best person available to do this
My blinkers? Has it occurred to you that it might be you who is unwilling to think critically. You’ve just written a puff piece and I don’t know if you’re taking the piss or doing your best to be a defender.
Yes, I think the Labour leaders could perform better in terms of things like leadership, diplomacy and character on the world stage than the current. Being able to mix and be nice with world leaders is something the PM is very good at. I think people want a bit more than that though, and they might ask what our glorious leader has achieved on the world stage in 8 years.
Hes the head of the International Democratic Union
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2014/11/key_elected_head_of_the_international_democrat_union.html
Hes friends with Obama (the democrat if you didn’t know) while still managing to keep China onside
He can mange this:
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/key-chases-trade-deals-in-talks-uk-ministers-farewells-david-cameron while also working this at the same time http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/key-nz-will-get-there-with-europe-trade-agreement-2016071123
Do you think he won’t manage it?
So my opinion based on Keys past performance whereas yours seems to be based on nothing
You chose the wrong ballpark PR.
Goff is FA since way back – Key is two orders of magnitude down.
Shearer also has FA form – better at it than mudwrestling the greasy pigs that the Gnats put in parliament.
& Cunliffe is smarter than any of them.
If it’s snuggling up to a corrupt leader like Berlusconi Key’s your man – actual foreign policy nah.
QFT
Yep, he’s a proven lapdog to those who are rich and powerful.
No, lapdogs are pretty much useless at everything except looking decorative and doing what they’re told.
Once again you demonstrate one of the main issues of the left in NZ and that is underestimating John Key, I get that you don’t like him but acknowledging that hes very good at politics doesn’t mean you support him
When the left underestimates John Key he just cries all the way to another election win
But its ok because you got a good hit on him and called him a lapdog
No he’s not good at politics – the business is governing, not lying about governing. Key gets a 2 out of 10 for governing – tyrants that systematically shoot their citizens are a 1. If Key were not utter shit I’d support him – back when he was trying to get elected and made some promising speeches on housing I thought the Gnats had finally found someone with a shred of talent. No such luck.
Yip, if Key had actually delivered on his underclass and housing promises, then he wouldn’t be too bad.
Damn straight – aspirational future – wage parity with Oz – 170 000 jobs – what’s not to like?
I’m not underestimating him at all. Being a lapdog gives an appearance of good politics as he gets on well with all rich people but no actual good politics.
PR – Key is a toadying minor member of the Wall St. club, nothing more nothing less. History will not be kind to him as all his ‘niceties’ will be recorded as nothing more than deceit, in the course of duty to his masters.
You know how some right wingers got really irrational about Helen Clark?
I’d suggest that some of you are well down that same path
I think it’s more that the qualities you admire in key are the qualities that some despise. The key to key is that he has normalised outright lying, pretend caring,and abhorent behaviour/slurs/non-apologies. He is the most disgusting and embarrasing PM weve ever had imo.
Unfortunately for you more people disagree with you then agree
How do you know more people disagree than agree? The low voter turnout makes it impossible to know for sure, as you’ll attribute it to satisfaction with the system while others point to alienation from it.
Fair enough, enough people agree with and vote accordingly the same as me
So you voted for him – has he ever done anything to make you regret that?
There are both rational and irrational reasons to dislike John Key – as there are to uncritically admire the worst PM NZ has ever had. So what’s your deal PR, are you having his baby?
DUDE!!!! a spades a spade, I don’t see any of those labour leaders mincing a catwalk, telling rape jokes, planking, pony tail pulling, acting a buffoon on prime time US TV or a multitude of other, what a fuckwit actions by John the clown Key.
Do you think any of the world leaders will take the clown PM seriously at anything.
Dumb kiwi’s may think the sun shines out his arse like you, but the world has quite a different opinion to his parties policies and his in particular actions.
I know PR your one of a few lonely battlers for National and John but for fucks sake man, he’s a class clown admit it.
I’m pretty sure that he won’t be doing anything like that over at the UN, however if he does feel free to point this out to me
“I know PR your one of a few lonely battlers for National and John but for fucks sake man, he’s a class clown admit it.”
– Yet somehow the polls seem to disagree with you, funny that
The class clown is usually quite popular. They just get shown up at exam time.
Do you mean like the 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2017 elections or leaders debates?
Yeah we all know most people are easily led by empty promises
The 2017 election hasn’t happened yet and John key lost the leaders debate in 2014. Liar John key wouldn’t be where he is today if it hadn’t been for his dirty politics, abuse of the PM’s office and a lying, complicit msm Puckish Rogue.
yes he did lose the debate to Cunliffe; too bad the caucus was so keen to dump Cunliffe thereafter.
Agreed, but that’s politics.
No, I mean when future historians look at Key’s legacy of:
1. Throwing away the excellent fiscal position Clark left us
2. Failing to get the flag changed
3. Botching the Christchurch rebuild and failing to deliver a 21st century-city ready to face future energy shortages, by failing to institute basic minimum energy efficiency requirements
4. Selling off SoEs
5. Stopping contributions to the superannuation fund
6. Locking hundreds of thousands of NZers out of the housing market
7. Failing to address poverty, ensuring that we have locked in decades of increased health spending
Those seem like the biggies that will have impacts that future historians will be chastising this government for.
I’m sure there are other things; I didn’t even touch on the environment.
8. Winning an MMP record breaking 4th consecutive term…?
You think that future historians will be scathing of the present National Govt – but what will they make of the Labour Party of this time?
Yeah, the disconnect with reality on this site is something to behold.
Does go a long way in explaining why the left is complete shit though.
Oh look BM just going with his usual response – abuse.
Good to see you still bridled with your hard right ideological blinkers.
National is coming to the end of its 3rd term and they’re still as popular as when they started, obviously the voter considers them to be a good government.
Then you come here and read some of the stuff and you’d think you’ve either ended up in a alternative dimension where NZ is ruled by a crazed tyrant or on some parody site.
It is entertaining though.
@BM,
None of the things I have listed are opinions.
I like how you just don’t care for the dispossessed and down trodden PR, you just in your love of power mode.
At least your only a mildly dishonest Tory scum bag, I’ll give you that.
so your saying that theres two JKs, PR?
the global stateman for the top brass overseas, and the class clown type for the folks back home?
what does that say about NZers?
PS: you’re doing a fair bit of goal post shifting on this one 🙂
Phew red mist is thick with this one
“telling rape jokes”
Citation? I did see a video were other people were making rape references towards the PM, but I’ve never seen/heard him make one.
“planking”
Citation? I saw a picture of Max Key planking, not the PM though.
“acting a buffoon on prime time US TV ”
Citation? Unless you are talking about reading a David Letterman top 10 list? In which case he is keeping good company Barack Obama (at least twice).
“or a multitude of other, what a fuckwit actions by John the clown Key”
Any other ACTUAL examples?
DUDE!!!! It looks like your spade may not be a spade afterall…
Sheesh, Bob – fetish much…
PM lies, gets caught lying and you love him.
Pulls hair of young girls (plural) caught on film and you love him.
Panama papers, (more to come) and stuffed up NZ reputation. Got caught lying and you love him.
Massive amounts of corporate welfare and you love him
Declining water and land quality, but shusshhhh we not aloud to talk about that…Key says nothing, and you love him.
No ministerial responsibility, so stuck a collection of piss poor ministers who think nothing of braking the law, but all you need Bob is for the P.M. to just smile and you love him.
People like you…
You’re wasting your breath, Adam. As Bomber Bradbury is so fond of saying, Key could tear the head off a kitten live on television, and he’d only go up in the estimation of people like Bob. Some folk are just doing far too nicely under our current administration, and perish the thought the gravy train is derailed by paltry considerations like… I don’t know, not being a complete bastard?
“John Key who has proven to be able mix, negotiate and make friends with people in the highest positions of power on the world stage”
I agree, John Key makes a good MC and showman.
… john Key is the best person available to do this…
Are they going to be doing some currency trading? Blathering about whose shirt is gay or which celebs they’d like to fuck? It says something pretty terrible about NZ if John Key is the best person available for serious negotiations at the UN.
Yeah hes probably got no experience in negotiations at all 🙂
The Nats, and yes man John Key included, have shown that they couldn’t negotiate their way out of a paper bag.
To be fair, sending Key is better than sending McCully.
Pulitzer in hand, the WaPo calls for the prosecution of their own source.
https://theintercept.com/2016/09/18/washpost-makes-history-first-paper-to-call-for-prosecution-of-its-own-source-after-accepting-pulitzer/
Unfuckingbelievable.
We need a new word for “about an order of magnitude beyond hypocrisy”.
Not so much journalists as mouthpieces for the Washington DC deep state.
Have I missed something but wouldn’t that mean the Post gets prosecuted as well?
“No longer swimmable: A community mourns its lost river”
extract…
“The Selwyn River was once one of the world’s greatest trout fisheries.
In the 1960s, the trout population reached 65,000, enough to stock every river in the South Island.
There are now just several hundred trout in the river. Those remaining are thin and inedible due to the river’s health.
The river’s problems were the result of “poor incremental decisions” over several decades, North Canterbury Fish & Game environmental adviser Scott Pearson said.
Intensive farming had become too widespread in the area, and too much water was being extracted for irrigation.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/84116972/no-longer-swimmable-a-community-mourns-its-lost-river
So sad, they die slowly, one by one, and we watch and we hope and we pray and another one dies today.
We are destroying the ecology of our nation, and sooner or later we will find out that it is the same ecology within which we need to live. (Contaminated aquifers, anyone)
I grew up swimming and fishing in many of those rivers in the 70’s and 80’s as I kid I think back and they always seemed pure and crystal clear, you could see the rocks ..it was pristine i’m talking the Waitaki river area.
It was also mainly sheep and grain farming back then. Says something doesn’t it.
I read that article and my heart sank. It’s like watching the foresters clear the amazon and no one can do anything about it. Unless they take proactive action and that’s the saddest part.
Farmers are doing fuck all, saying they are, and screwing us all.
http://www.bryangould.com/what-more-can-labour-do/
What more can Labour do?
Well, the MOU with the Greens was a good start but the relationship needs to go much further. Labour cannot and will not achieve electoral success on its own any more. There have been too many changing political parameters over recent times that have clouded the judgement of a shallower and more transient population. JK and his govt. can continue to be as incompetent as we have thus far witnessed and it is unlikely to dent their overall popularity.
As Bryan Gould postulates, Labour need to show a far greater willingness to respond to National with a totally different value system that means something to people in this day and age. In my view the Greens and Labour need to barnstorm the appropriate ‘new’ values message then use it [loudly] day in and day out at every opportunity. They need to show how those values would be applied to every aspect of the voters’ life and every issue that arises so voters can start to understand what will be different under a Lab/Green government.
At the moment they don’t see a hell of a lot of difference so its largely a case of…. better the devil you know etc. It is a brave exercise because there will be major efforts by the govt. and their media lackeys to ridicule both parties, but if they don’t do it they can kiss goodbye to any chance of success next year.
Dead right Anne. “At the moment they don’t see a hell of a lot of difference ‘……. believe it or not that’s because there isn’t a hell of a lot of difference. It’s the very problem we’ve been banging on about for months. Many Labour supporters on this site don’t seem to be able to understand this.
Little and co. have to stop being like dogs barking at passing cars and do far more than just trying to be the ‘softer’ side of neoliberalism.
For some of us it’s actually been years. The Labour leadership continue to fail to listen.
+100 Anne and Garibaldi…imo they need to extend an olive branch of peace to Hone Harawira and the Mana/Internet Party…and bring it in to the same MOU .
This would really attract the attention of voters and the working class/underclass in New Zealand!
….but I doubt Labour would be willing to do this….which means to me it is really NOT a working class party for grassroots /flaxroots NZers but has turned into a Liberal Party
I couldn’t agree more Chucky. Like you I doubt that Labour has got the sense to get Hone back( by getting Kelvin higher on the list).
Sorry Chooky, bit of a blunder there on my part !
lol…dont worry…i note i have also gone from maroony purple to green…but you are blue…i would have thought you would be a red
Doesn’t help that Hone is trying to snuggle up to National’s Maori party that will eat up the Mana party for it’s own survival, like the Nats did to Act. Would have thought Hone should be talking to the Lab/Greens, who have given an open invitation to any party to join them to change the government, instead of the Maori party that have no intention of leaving the Nats, despite Hone saying he won’t support anyone that supports National. So what’s Hone going to do? the onus is on him.
Jeeze you can talk rubbish sometimes. You have no knowledge, no insight and no clue – but you are good at making up shit to fit your labour agenda so that’s something I spose of labour are your god.
Don’t be so stupid and blind Marty Mars.
You just make up stuff.
You need people with charisma,appeal and likability to be able to sell a new concept.
The dour and angry Andrew Little, in combination with the sanctimonious Metiria Turei are not really the people you want for that job.
Who could fill that role on the left?, no idea.
Andrew doesn’t come across like that, over the last two years of attempting to get that angry andy label to stick, it really hasn’t.
at all mate.
In fact he’s quite calm under pressure, when his seat collapsed twice I saw a bloke who took it in his stride.
Charisma, err ive seen more from a dead fish, but there’ a glimmer, you couldn’t say Helen has Charisma, more like the matron you dare not piss off. So that’s not everything.
keys clown Charisma’s starting to wear thin though now mate, I mean there’s only so long people will support his easy going couldn’t give a fuck ways.., swings and round-abouts.
Is Keys prefered PM status still at those all time rock star highs mate? Or has Farrar been spending more time with his Nazi beliefs and running the tax and ratepayers joke.
Where does the little fuck get time to sleep I wonder..
+1 Richard Rawshark
Such a drag.
But you wouldn’t want to ‘scare the horses’ would you, by presenting options that ‘swing voting middle class NZ’ would find controversial, unorthodox or plain unacceptable.
It’s how you sell it.
The left desperately needs sales people, the best thing they could ever do is send their MPs on a few sales courses.
The best sales people are utterly authentic in their belief in the product or service that they are trying to sell.
Labour MPs are capitalists, they believe in free markets and in free trade, they believe that NZ cannot afford NZ super without drastic cut backs.
So that’s what they have to try and sell, because they certainly don’t believe in “democratic socialism”, as stated in the party’s own constitution, no more.
Yes, that’s a real stumbling block to being successful in selling a concept or product, if you don’t believe what you’re promoting is any good then you’ll never be successful.
Which then raises the question why do left wing people support Labour?, they’re obviously not the party that’s going to promote what they want?
Is it more to do with there’s no one else?
Well, I have been asking the same questions, and it is an unpopular subject to broach with some, because as far as I can see: old time loyalty/lesser of 2 evils.
The only thing I can think of is that it would be easier to modify an existing brand such as Labour than try and start a party from scratch.
The problem with that theory is what you’ve pointed out before is that the power lies inn a very small group of people, who you can’t change.
Bm your’e full of it. According to your reasoning you would be a supporter of Jeremy Corbyn?
BM is such a drag.
There’s a pragmatism too – thus far no left block can oust Key without Labour (without resorting to physicality).
Thus far no left block can oust Key with Labour, you mean.
“Which then raises the question why do left wing people support Labour?, they’re obviously not the party that’s going to promote what they want?”
I think most don’t (which is evident in Labour’s election result). From what I’ve gathered most of them no longer partake for that very reason (they see no difference between the two).
Others have moved to the Greens or NZ First.
Still the largest left party by a long way and I don’t really consider NZ first as left, more old school conservative.
“Still the largest left party….”
For those that still partake. Largely living off its legacy of being the party of the left.
However, it’s now a centrist party.
NZF may be more old school conservative, but with Labour moving so far right, NZF have become more left than Labour in a number of areas.
+100…”NZF have become more left than Labour in a number of areas”
I support labour because I believe a union man like Andrew will do the right thing when he is PM. For working people, and in fact all NZ’ers.
I think he will and has the right attitude to make a fair NZ and keep the Greens better idea’s rolling along and holding their more whack idea’s in check.
The other lot seem to only help themselves?
What policies do you believe support your belief, Richard?
+1 Richard Rawshark
a “union man”?
You mean a white collar former union lawyer?
“union lawyer”
What’s the problem with that?
A suit and tie facsimile of a “union man”
What’s wrong with a suit and tie?
But you wouldn’t want to ‘scare the horses’ would you, by presenting options that ‘swing voting middle class NZ’ would find controversial, unorthodox or plain unacceptable.
Well, that’s a view that is less acceptable to most Labour members than you are prepared to admit CV. The so-called middle of the road voters can’t be completely ignored, but my argument (and Bryan Gould’s I think) is that Lab and Greens need to re-think their values strategy in such a way they are seen to represent a whole new approach to governance that will hopefully encourage voters to contemplate voting for them again. So far, it hasn’t happened and it won’t happen unless the two parties work as one for this coming election. It will mean some concessions on both sides of course. For starters, the Greens have grown their polling numbers since the last election but they may have to be prepared to sacrifice any further growth in the interest of electoral success. Labour also will have to concede some of their voters to the Greens and not try to lure them back.
I have long viewed Lab. and the Greens as an electoral entity and that should be the way of the future. It’s time they publicly acted as such (both parties can still maintain their individual personalities) so that the rest of the population starts to recognise them in the same way. If, and when it happens the media story will start to change and that will have an impact on the voters’ perceptions.
Anne I hope your idea of ” concessions ” encompasses working the electorate seat by seat to get an optimal result for the Left? Because, like Key, I believe we have to do what it takes to win. It’s no use pussyfooting around doing otherwise and if the MOU doesn’t include this then I think it wiil be fruitless.
Anne I hope your idea of ” concessions ” encompasses working the electorate seat by seat to get an optimal result for the Left?
Totally.
I’m on record here more times than I can remember and have stated my view at in-house Labour meetings… telling them “to stop bloody pussyfooting around” and say and do what they mean dah de dah de dah. 😈
I know and you know Anne that the Labour membership is often far to the Left of the Parliamentary Labour Party. The issue is that the PLP think that the general membership are largely unrealistic and uninformed about what ‘mainstream NZ’ would be prepared to accept in terms of left wing policy.
Yes, CV. I know. But the PLP is getting closer to the membership little by little – pun wasn’t intended but appropriate. I’ve listened carefully to the rhetoric coming from some who were regarded as being to the right of the party and have picked up an encouraging move back towards the membership. In one case in particular, I’ve been so pleased with their recent reflections that I’m once again a strong supporter of the MP concerned.
+1’s on your comments Anne!
So legalisation of medicinal marijuana or cannabis is NOT the problem for the elderly and those in pain in New Zealand ….but corporate capture BIG PHARMA prescription opiods is! ( are New Zealand politicians also captured ?)
….BIG PHARMA is a multi billion dollar pain killer industry and it opposes the legalisation of medicinal marijuana or medicinal cannabis!
THE PROBLEM in the USA:
‘Americans consume vast majority of the world’s opioids’
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/27/americans-consume-almost-all-of-the-global-opioid-supply.html
https://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-activities/testimony-to-congress/2016/americas-addiction-to-opioids-heroin-prescription-drug-abuse
http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-figures.pdf
THE PROBLEM in NEW ZEALAND:
While the elderly New Zealanders and others in pain suffer because this government and Peter Dunne has denied them legal access to medicinal cannibas…there are political lobby groups involved and big Bucks..pharmaceutical companies and the alcohol industry
‘Opioid use decreases in US states that legalize medical marijuana – study’
https://www.rt.com/usa/359655-marijuana-laws-opioid-usage/
“New research shows a decline in the use of opioid painkillers in US states that allow people to treat pain with medical marijuana, affirming the fears of Big Pharma who have been vigorously seeking to frustrate efforts to legalize the herb….
“Given the growing opioid overdose epidemic, campaigning against medical marijuana is morally repugnant.”
“We cannot allow prescription drug companies to block the legalization of #medicalcannabis http://huff.to/2clBjZY”
“Addictive painkiller profiteer donates $500k to fight cannabis legalization in #Arizona http://on.rt.com/7oux”
…”Insys isn’t the first pharmaceutical company to be found bankrolling anti-marijuana legislation though with a number of alcohol and pharmaceutical companies “heavily” invested in such laws in a number of states, according to The Intercept.
https://theintercept.com/2016/09/14/beer-pot-ballot/
One percenter investors are excited.
/
.
Why are white men poised to get rich doing the same thing African-Americans have been going to prison for?
http://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000004642370/jay-z-the-war-on-drugs-is-an-epic-fail.html?src=vidm
Have you seen how much Gunja those dudes smoke, they need time in jail to chill between tokes man!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11712476
Well, well, well things are getting interesting in Zimbabwe
Folks have been waiting for Mugabe to drop dead for the last fifteen or twenty years.
The really “interesting” times will be after that happens.
Mugabe death and Chinese money, sounds like something Forsythe would’ve wrote
Forsythe or Joseph Conrad.
Sounds like Zimbabwe is being colonised by the Chinese. So, yeah, I suppose that would be interesting.
In the short term it might help alleviate some of the problems…maybe
The Chinese will practice their normal approach of focussing on making profitable business, staying out of the politics, and paying whatever back handers are required to keep an operation running and in the black.
I have a feeling that Mugabe and his cronies are going to find such an approach quite acceptable.
They know how to do business
well the Tibetans find them pretty political
http://freetibet.org/take-action/videos-graphics/facts
“I have a feeling that Mugabe and his cronies are going to find such an approach quite acceptable.”…so does jonkey nact and he is selling New Zealand
Mugabe has and is betraying his country
Interesting how the West hasn’t regime changed Mugabe years ago.
agreed…maybe they thought he would do himself in…but he hasnt…or his compatriots would do him in…but they havent (yet)
“An insider in the tobacco industry said the Chinese company would be paying a hefty rental for the land they are now using to the “political” men who now own the farms.”
Whereas we sell ours.
Yeah, there is that.
they should be careful….remember Idi Amin?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsion_of_Asians_from_Uganda
China’s turn.
https://soundcloud.com/chinatalkingpoints/chinas-role-in-africas-looting-machine
+100…yup …and the Chinese have also looted Tibet
‘The global cost of China’s destruction of the ‘roof of the world’ ‘
http://www.theecologist.org/investigations/natural_world/1367651/the_global_cost_of_chinas_destruction_of_the_roof_of_the_world.html
https://www.savetibet.org/resources/all-about-tibet/tibetan-environment/
(Pity the West killed Gaddafi
http://libyasos.blogspot.co.nz/2011/10/gaddafi-placed-97-billion-to-free.html
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/muammar-gaddafi-the-african-who-cleansed-the-continent-from-the-humiliation-of-apartheid/ )
Turning back the clock.
Here is the letter signed by Trump himself, which the Trump/Pence campaign delivered to his “pro-life” base of support this week, released by the anti-abortion, forced birth organization that styles itself, perversely, as the “Susan B. Anthony List:”
The Susan B. Anthony list is an extremist, anti-woman group that opposes a woman’s right to an abortion in all circumstances and also opposes many forms of contraception.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/9/16/1571102/-While-The-Media-Fixated-On-Birtherism-Here-Is-What-Trump-Pledged-To-Do-To-Women-s-Rights
On the other hand:
‘How Donald Trump Is Trying to Win Over Women Voters’
http://time.com/4495895/donald-trump-womens-issues/
“By championing child care, paid maternity leave, and over-the-counter birth control
In an attempt to chip away at Hillary Clinton’s double-digit lead with women voters, Donald Trump is ditching some aspects of GOP orthodoxy and embracing feminist stances on contraception, child care and paid leave….
( Trump on the abortion issue is still not good however…In this day and age of USA poverty, world over- population and womens rights …abortion should be a woman’s choice and safe medical abortion should be state funded and free as it is in most Western countries
…presumably Trump would support the ‘morning after pill’ as a method of contraception and over the counter
….but this is not enough for unwanted pregnancies later term, which for various reasons women and girls did not terminate earlier…women should not be forced into the desperation and dangers of backstreet abortions)
Yeah, offering pittance paid for by eliminating all those undeserving welfare bludgers is a winner.
you might want to acquaint yourself with Mike Pence before you gush to much about Trump and his ‘generosity’ to women.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/donald-trump-commits-to-defunding-abortion-planned-parenthood-if-elected
Also keep in mind, that neither of the blokes will ever be pregnant, nor will they ever take the pill, nor will they ever risk their lives by giving birth, nor will they ever have to choose between career and child rearing or home making if you prefer that term, nor will they ever be told by a Pharmacist that that over the counter pill, or plan b. or condoms, will not be handed out cause its against the religious believes of the pharmacist who happens to believe that the Pill is an abortifact and that every sexual encounter should lead to blessings from god until the uterus falls out or the incubator dies in childbirth.
but then Trump will make America great again. and who gives a shit about a few women who might not get to see that great great tremendously great day cause they could not get the health care they needed cause the life of the unborn baby (or clumps of cells that have miscarriaged).
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/19/mike-pence-republicans-defund-planned-parenthood-abortion
but then hey, as Trump said if women had abortions they should be punished?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Jpoecf0xY
but then he retracted that comment, maybe he mis – spoke or maybe his daughter told him to shut up, or maybe someone told him that a whole lot of women in the US have abortions every year and how would you punish them? Murder 1? or like the Lady in the ling below – both fetizide and murder? Ahh, i am sure tomorrow he will say something else.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/30/donald-trump-women-abortions-punishment
Maybe punishment should look like 20 years for fetizide and murder cause why the fuck not?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/22/purvi-patel-abortion-sentence-reduced
Mike Pence https://www.reddit.com/r/Indiana/comments/4u6qfr/why_is_mike_pence_disliked_in_indiana/
and do keep in mind, that should Trump die the next in line to the Presidency is Mike Pence. Even tho, no one really likes to think about that. Cause ….Hillary. OR something.
But hey nothing of that matters, cause Trump is gonna defund Planned Parenthood, the one clinic all over the US that offers affordable healthcare to women who otherwise may not have the funds to get it.
Cause nothing says i ma gonna love me some wimmin then taking away their health care provider and the place that offers sexual health care. And his women will still get their abortions should they need them, cause they have the cash and the passports to leave the country.
Fuck sake, be a Trumpie all you want, but don’t pretend that anyone running on the republican ticket will offer anything to women in regards to healthcare.
who exactly is “gushing”?…sounds like you…or is it frothing?
any other comment?
No?
No
For every 12 women who will vote for Hillary Clinton, at least ten women will vote for Trump, according to the latest LA Times/USC tracking poll of 3000 voters.
So Trump is not that far behind Clinton when it comes to support from women.
My bet is that he will close that gap further, and gain support from more women.
Yes, Trump said that he will defund PP if and only if they continue to do abortions.
But it’ll be one of those things that he won’t quite get around to actually doing, like building The Wall.
Another river stuffed up by birds and drought. Well, that is if you believe Professor Rowarth.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/84116972/no-longer-swimmable-a-community-mourns-its-lost-river
..a tragedy but at least it has water still in it….our local river is a dirty little trickle…not enough even for a swimming hole…once upon a time people from Christchurch used to spend their summer holidays by it camping
….those were the days when even the poor were wealthy in the things that mattered
WashPost Makes History: First Paper to Call for
Prosecution of Its Own Source (After Accepting Pulitzer)
by GLENN GREENWALD, The Intercept, Sept. 19, 2016
THREE OF THE four media outlets that received and published large numbers of secret NSA documents provided by Edward Snowden — The Guardian, the New York Times, and The Intercept –– have called for the U.S. government to allow the NSA whistleblower to return to the U.S. with no charges. That’s the normal course for a news organization, which owes its sources duties of protection, and which — by virtue of accepting the source’s materials and then publishing them — implicitly declares the source’s information to be in the public interest.
But not the Washington Post. In the face of a growing ACLU and Amnesty-led campaign to secure a pardon for Snowden, timed to this weekend’s release of the Oliver Stone biopic “Snowden,” the Post editorial page today not only argued in opposition to a pardon, but explicitly demanded that Snowden — the paper’s own source — stand trial on espionage charges or, as a “second-best solution,” accept “a measure of criminal responsibility for his excesses and the U.S. government offers a measure of leniency.”
……
Read more….
https://theintercept.com/2016/09/18/washpost-makes-history-first-paper-to-call-for-prosecution-of-its-own-source-after-accepting-pulitzer/
Hillary Clinton: Boycotting North Carolina Is Noble
and Just; Boycotting Israel Is Bigoted and Hateful
by GLENN GREENWALD, The Intercept, Sept. 14, 2016
….Could someone explain why it’s noble, enlightened, justifiable, and progressive to boycott an American state, but hateful, bigoted, retrograde, and evil to support a boycott of a foreign country that has been imposing a brutal, discriminatory, and illegal occupation for many decades, a boycott that is led by people with virtually no political rights? How did that happen? Hillary Clinton is far from the only person espousing this bizarre distinction — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as but one example, is punishing companies that support a boycott of Israel while forcing state employees to honor the boycott of North Carolina — but what could possibly justify U.S. politicians drawing the moral and ethical lines about boycotts in this manner?
…..
Read more….
https://theintercept.com/2016/09/13/hillary-clinton-boycotting-north-carolina-is-noble-and-just-boycotting-israel-is-bigoted-and-hateful/
+100 Morrissey…thanx for those links…Greenwald is a journalist always worth reading and listening to
voting today,
so many nice talented Labour and Greens people to give a tick.
My response to Chris Trotter’s latest post on The Daily Blog promoting ‘the surge’ for ‘millennial’ Auckland Mayoral candidate, Chloe Swarbrick.
I like Chloe.
She’s friendly, personable, articulate and presents very well on the campaign trail.
Her policies – not so much.
Chloe supports privatisation via Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs).
More significantly, Chloe supports the Auckland Unitary Plan and intensification, as do Generation Zero.
In my considered opinion, this ‘One Plan’ for Auckland has been ‘democracy for developers’ and dominated by the interests of commercial property developers and investors represented by the NZ Property Council.
Auckland Council and most Auckland Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) are members of the NZ Property Council, which in my considered opinion, as an anti-corruption campaigner is a significant and arguably corrupt ‘conflict of interest’.
As ‘activists get things done’ I have petitioned Parliament for an inquiry and provided evidence recently to the Local Government and Environment Select Committee in support of my petition, calling for an inquiry into the alleged conflict of interest regarding Auckland Council’s membership of the NZ Property Council.
In my considered opinion, Generation Zero, in their support for the Auckland Unitary Plan and intensification, pushing the line that those residents and ratepayers attempting to defend their local communities against decimation by developers, are effectively been promoted as selfish baby boomers stopping young people from getting their foot on the property ladder.
How convenient for the NZ Property Council to have these young advocates, on the same page, singing their same tune, but in a way that is far more effective pushing young vs old than if this were done by suited middle-aged property developers?
In my considered opinion, Generation Zero are effectively the ‘Youth Branch’ of the NZ Property Council.
Unlike all the Auckland Mayoral candidates, (including Chloe) I am actively opposed to corrupt corporate control by the 1%, locally, nationally and internationally.
For years I have actively campaigned against Council (Corporate) Controlled Organisations (CCOs), Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).
Because I am the only Auckland Mayoral candidate directly standing up to corrupt corporate control by the 1%, the effective censorship I have been facing by (corporate controlled) mainstream media is simply breath-taking in how blatant it has been.
In 2013, in the only poll that counts, the election result, I polled 4th, with 11,723 votes.
That was before Auckland Council tried to force the rating sale of my freehold home, over my disputing and refusing to pay rates because of the Council’s failure to disclose where exactly public monies are being spent on private sector consultants and contractors.
Although some citizens (who are not familiar with their lawful rights and the Council’s statutory obligations under s.17 of the Public Records Act 2005 (google it), apparently want me to have a frontal lobotomy and forget mine, and just be a good sheepish slave and just pay my rates, like they do, I’m not budging until I get the transparency to which I, and all citizens are entitled.
So, that is why, unlike Chloe, I’m not getting the TV coverage and being excluded from mainstream media Auckland Mayoral debates.
The real debate would be between myself and Phil Goff.
The topic?
Rogernomic$ wrecked Auckland.
What do you say to that Chris?
A real ‘meat and spuds’ debate on the substantive issues, rather than the candy floss ‘bubble and fluff’ we’re getting now?
Kind regards
Penny Bright
2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
‘Activists – get things done’