In New Zealand the news that the $1.8 billion given by the taxpayers to South Canturbury Finance after a 30 minute meeting of cabinet, is now under criminal investigation for fraud, can only make you agree with Monbiot that: “If ever you needed evidence that our governments operate in the interests of the elite, rather than the world as a whole, here it is.”
Why Is It So Easy to Save the Banks – but So Hard to Save the Biosphere?
by George Monbiot
capping climate change would cost around 1% of global GDP, while sitting back and letting it hit us would cost between 5 and 20%. One per cent of GDP is, at the moment, $630bn. By March 2009, Bloomberg has revealed, the US Federal Reserve had committed $7.77 trillion to the banks. That is just one government’s contribution: yet it amounts to 12 times the annual global climate change bill. Add the bailouts in other countries, and it rises several more times.
This support was issued on demand: as soon as the banks said they wanted help, they got it. On just one day the Federal Reserve made $1.2tr available – more than the world has committed to tackling climate change in 20 years……
Much of this was done both unconditionally and secretly: it took journalists two years to winkle out the detail. The banks shouted “help” and the government just opened its wallet. This all took place, remember, under George W Bush, whose administration claimed to be fiscally conservative.
But getting the US government to commit to any form of bailout for the planet – even a couple of billion – is like pulling teeth. “Unaffordable!” the Republicans (and many of the Democrats) shriek. It will wreck the economy! We’ll go back to living in caves!
I’m often struck by the wildly inflated rhetoric of those who accuse environmentalists of scaremongering. “If those scaremongers have their way they’ll destroy the entire economy” is the kind of claim uttered almost daily, without any apparent irony.
No legislator, as far as I know, has yet been able to explain why making $7.7tr available to the banks is affordable, while investing far smaller sums in new technologies and energy saving is not……..
……..So why is it so easy to save the banks and so hard to save biosphere? If ever you needed evidence that our governments operate in the interests of the elite, rather than the world as a whole, here it is.
Not that I agreed with the bailouts but it is not correct to quote figures the way it has been presented here and claim it is equivalent to expenditure when it is more accurate to state much of it was loans or guarrantees. For example the several hundred billion dollar TARP funds have largely been repaid by the banks that took up the funds and the repayments included interest.
“capping climate change would cost around 1% of global GDP”
I seriously, seriously doubt that. The main source of CO2 pollution is coal fired power plants and transportation use of oil.
Drastically curtailing output from both sources entails replacing the built up capital stock of power plants and cars, globally. That’s going to cost a lot more than 1% of global GDP. That’s before you even confront the ridiculous social pressures that have resulted in the car designs we have today (particularly in the US) where drivers want to feel “safe” even if it means everyone else on the road it more at risk in an accident and fuel consumption is pushed sky-high.
To whoever is continuing to white ant David Cunliffe from within the Labour caucus, please stop. If you want a united party that is capable of winning the next election this is a bad thing to do.
Hardly a united party the way the shearer Cunliffe contest played out mickey….old v new and highly unlikely it will stop with the usual suspects behind the white anting and leaks, it’s all they know.
Some of the MPs who lined up in the opposing camp are believed to have pushed for Mr Cunliffe to be left off the front bench altogether.
My words for the individuals in question are stronger than yours mickeysavage. If it continues then they need to be exposed for the childish pratts (or should it be brats) they must be. A number of us know something of what has been going on behind the scenes, and it looks like commonsense has at last prevailed. I hope it is true that David Cunliffe has been offered an ‘appropriate’ portfolio and a level of seniority befitting his abilities. We will find out later today.
So if United Future and its malleable open buttshine policy of allowing the largest party to advance its main policies has credibility what would have happenned if Labour had been able to form the government? Would Dunne have changed everything he has said about asset sales since the election and said asset sales are no good? Would it have resulted in UF doing a complete 100% arse-about? And if so, what does that say about the usefulness of United Future for NZ’s future?
Unless you think minor parties should hold the major parties to ransom United Future’s position seems eminently sensible. Peter Dunne realises that he is very much a junior partner in the arrangement and that this means that while he can expect some policy concessions it would be crazy to expect he could dictate terms. So in your extremely hypothetical situation I would expect Peter Dunne to bow to Labour’s anti-Asset sales policy commitment if they had the numbers to form the next Government if they offered him the opportunity to be part of it.
Unless you think minor parties should hold the major parties to ransom United Future’s position seems eminently sensible.
It’s not a question of holding them to ransom but of their being support for the policy. UF wasn’t voted in on Nationals policies but their own which have now changed to Nationals. That’s called lying and corruption.
Talking about deliveries Pete have you got your new portrait of OverDunne for your bedside table yet? If you real lucky it may have Banks and Key in the photo too.
If he turns out to be right wing like you Pete I will personally pay for your new wig.
Can’t see him going down Dunnys right wing s-bend plumbing though Pete.
Felix? Labour? You are confused. I have been watching him for years
My guess. He might vote for Labour if he was desperate – and probably has. But he generally votes leftish protest. Probably for more different parties than most protest voters.
But he does delight in harassing the pompous and seeing if they can think. Mostly the victims come from the right. But I have seen him harass just about every political belief. He is agnostic about them. It’s the type of person that he is interested in
Peter Dunne could easily have supported Labour’s no asset sales policy seeing as UF had no policy to sell assets. Agreeing with National was a coalition concession, regarding National’ls plans as not being a strong enough to draw a line over it (in line with much of the electorate).
United Future made it clear though that overall the party would find it too difficult to suppport some of Labour’s other policies, like raising tax rates that had just been lowered, raising the age of eligibility for Super, and arbitrarily raising the minium wage.
And UF are against Labour’s proposed CGT – the international trend is against comprehensive CGT – and UF believes our current level of CGT, strengthened last year, is sufficient.
Labour tried to buy, bluster and bullshit their way to power. But yeah, whatever they tried didn’t really matter.
Greens benefited from slick marketing of vegan pie in the sky policies. What will really matter if they ever get into power is if they can maintain integrity with their populist cetre-ish promises and at the same time keep their activist core happy. Next election they will actually have to front up with a viable plan.
You’re quite wrong Gosman, roughly half of the NZ public oppose the policies, methods and tactics of the right-wing, and for most socially concerned people in NZ politics really is a fight to the death to kill off neo-con free-market ideology
roughly half of the NZ public oppose the policies, methods and tactics of the right-wing
You’ve got no way of knowing that, and it is obviously not going to be correct.
We know about half the voters voted for a party that is not part of the coalition government. We have no idea how many of them “oppose the policies, methods and tactics of the right-wing”. A preference of one party over another does not determine opposition.
A vote for a non coalition party does not necessarily prove support for “the policies, methods and tactics of the left-wing” either.
Actually that’s exactly what a vote means, Pete. It tells us what policies people support and oppose.
You can argue that it’s imprecise, of course, and you can argue that some people might support more than one party’s policies. And that’s what your argument above boils down to – that someone could vote Labour or Green but still support asset sales for example.
I realise that thinking through the implications of your statements has never been your strong suit, but you should be very careful with this one or you’re going to find it awfully tricky to keep claiming the National/ACT/UF has a mandate to do anything.
An increased margin in Ohariu is a reasonable mandate for Dunne to do what he campaigned on – which is what he is doing.
Being a party with a pivotal vote is seriously in the business of government. Labour and Greens are showing their ineffectual miffedness.
You’re ignoring the fact that National tightened up on New Zealand’s CGT last year?
Labour didn’t even give a priority to CGT in their campaigning, it was more of a Hail Mary policy than something they were dedicated to handing over to experts to work out for them.
“An increased margin in Ohariu is a reasonable mandate for Dunne to do what he campaigned on – which is what he is doing.”
Pete finally acknowledges that UF is a fig leaf for independent Ohariu MP Peter Dunne.
And if you are going to quote margins, a statistical figure with little political value, how about quoting UF’s vote nationally, which is politically important. Did it go up or did it go down, Pete? And if it went down, what do you think that means in terms of Dunne’s mandate to flog assets?
Dunne’s only mandate is that he promised during the election campaign to be a stable partner for National. This is why all Nat party supporters in his electorate voted him in. The concept of UF being independent (let alone an independent party) is laughable as is clearly reflected in its national vote.
As you know the UF party vote went down. That adds weight to the mandate via an electorate that gave most support to National. It was also an electorate who voted for a candidate that clearly indicated he would allow National’s major policy to proceed. Even some Labour MPs recognise this. And…
This Parliament was democratically elected and if the government of the day has the numbers to pass legislation, it is not for us to try to frustrate that.
Don’t be a moron, pete – there is a significant difference between filibustering parliament so nothing gets done, and actively supporting legislation put forward by your coalition partner.
The electorate did not give majority support to national, or asset sales of any extent. Your spineless party does that. Don’t pretend it’s not peter dunne selling half the family silver – he’s on the team, and they can’t do it without him.
Hint for felix – I copied that quote so it sort of follows that I’d know where it comes from. And yes, I do know Eddie isn’t an MP.
[lprent: I should hope not – I don’t allow sitting MP’s here unless they are on a clearly stated guest post – they have their own usual channels. The moderation difficulties from people on unrelated issues climbing on a soapbox in their posts are rather high. We can only give up the required amount of volunteered moderator time when it is important (like the leadership posts a few weeks ago). ]
“Players Kieran Read and Andy Ellis ceremonially led the one-of-a-kind Boeing 777-300ER aircraft out of Boeing’s paint hangar facility in Seattle on Friday night.
Read said the plane looked “sensational” and would “really turn heads” at airports around the world.”
Would have thought that Read would have been to enough international airports to know that, at most of them, “people” don’t get much of a chance to see other planes on the tarmac.
By the way, given the current PM’s tendancy to make policy on the hoof, is this the next step in the black flag with a silver fern becoming our national flag by default?
“operate in the interests of the elite”. Yes Jenny, the investors in South Canterbury finance that were the recipients of the bail out, would be the elite. Many of those people who were retired were the elite who’s taxes paid for say, the power stations National are privatising, many of the roads you drive on, the rail system throughout the country and the hospitals that have been built, amongst other things. Of course they are the “elite”. Methinks you wouldn’t know an “elite” if you fell over one.
Yep you would be quite surprised how many of the investors were just average people who had come into a bit of money due to their Mum and Dad passing on.
For example a truckie that I knew who was on the bones of his arse suddenly because $700k better off when his Mum died and her house was sold off.
Thought he was being wise by investing in a finance company unfortunately as so many found out that wasn’t the case.
Thought he was being wise by investing in a finance company unfortunately as so many found out that wasn’t the case.
Greedy for returns more like, so greedy that he didn’t diversify his portfolio of $700K between banks and finance companies, or between different finance companies full stop.
Any amounts invested over $250K should have received a 50% haircut. Your truckie example would have lost $225K of his $700K mal-investment.
That would have protected the vast majority of mum and dad savers as well as the taxpayer, and given the capitalist speculators an education. It’s not real capitalism without real risks, after all.
I have worked all my life in manual labour mate as in farm work for Dept lands and surveys for 11 years,followed by manual labour in a glasshouse for quite a few years followed by commercial cleaning while i went to University
it got to the point where no more so i got educated so blow that out yur ass
kris, as always, out of touch with reality. No, not all of them built the roads, though some of them probably did. They did drive the stock trucks, build houses, cut meat in a butchers, sweep the board at the freezing works, worked at the wharf, worked in shops, were nurses, teachers and served fish and chips, cleaned the local schools and offices, chiselled gravestones, laid carpet, tiled roof’s, and fixed cars, just to name a few.
For a university educated person, you really have no idea about followng a series of posts, have you kris? But then, one can get a degree in woman’s studies these days, so maybe I’m being a bit harsh.
“I have worked all my life in manual labour mate as in farm work for Dept lands and surveys for 11 years,followed by manual labour in a glasshouse for quite a few years followed by commercial cleaning while i went to University
it got to the point where no more so i got educated so blow that out yur ass”
And for a university educated person, I’m not sure you can say “all my life” in one breath and then say you got educated and no more, since this would imply that you didnt work “all your life” as a labourer.
Amounts invested over $250K should have been haircut by 50%. End of story. Protect small investors, protect the tax payer, and remind capitalist speculators that real capitalism involves real financial risks.
One change I’d like to see in parliament is the abolishment of party leaders who hold single seats in parliament.
Currently such people get a much larger salary due to their status, but really they’re not much more than independents when it comes to power in the house. I think instead of paying them an increased salary, they should get the same amount of money that any independent would be paid, and the difference between that and the a party leader salary go directly to the party for party development purposes. UF, ACT and Mana obviously need some party development and Jim Anderton’s Progressives could’ve used some too.
I’m listening to NinetoNoon with Kathryn Ryan talking about the committee on poverty to John Pagani (who has made some good points such as the problem of low wages and the working poor) and some woman who talks in that exasperated voice that middle class women often adopt when talking about people in need. Her answer to poverty is to get better housing that is warm and the children will be so much healthier and able to learn better. It’s the RMA and the new building regulations that are more stringent because of earthquake strengthening (and she unfortunately brought up the example of them affecting a new winery that could collapse and smash a wine barrel) and this is making housing too dear and people can’t get their own home which they can keep warm and that’s what is needed to solve our problems. (Also note the recent housing study that sees the problem of housing as bringing down the price of sections by councils increasing bare land zones to increase supply. So that speculators can snap it up and make good profits? Everybody should see the dreadfully designed ‘tract housing in South Auckland by the way. Truman had better.)
Guess who – I’ve just checked – Deborah Coddington. What a pillock. Her approach reminds me of the tone that Muriel Newman once showed when talking knowledgably (hah) about Maori issues with two activists. ACT both aren’t they. Why is Deborah Coddington regarded as someone whose opinions are worth considering. Her approach is at a level that women in the coffee set would have if they ever tried to discuss politics.
I think it was Deborah Coddington I heard on National Radio last week complaining about the rising cost of living and how things were getting so expensive.
Her specific example was the cost of getting parts for her name brand Italian designed kitchen stove.
Today she ejaculated the idea that the real root cause of poverty is that vineyards have to comply with the RMA and it’s too strict, especially after Christchurch.
I Coddington you not.
EDIT: hurr durr I didn’t see the prism’s comment above. Bad felix.
Felix – I guess that my comments are usually long and busy people like yourself have to skim them. I always try to bring in background and explain myself, probably to myself, and short summaries don’t do it for me. I’ll follow my own advice to others which is to paragraph more. Personally I find it easier to pick up the various threads of the comment then.
Cheaper housing would without doubt help many of the New Zealanders struggling with those things (lordy knows why i don’t count us in this group – typical medium class aspirans s’pose). And the RMA has diddly squat to do with it. neither does earthquake strengthening.
There was far greater cost added by the New Zealand government to housing this year when the GST increase put the cost up by about $10,000 per house.
Similarly, over the last handful of years, far greater cost has been added by local authorities to housing when their reserve and development contributions put the cost up by about $15,000 per house.
There you go – with those two alone, both government, the cost has risen by $25,000.
Now also, lets reverse those and go a bit further – knock the New Zealand government’s GST off new housing completely (like fruit and vege) and there is $60,000. And knock each local council’s reserve and development ‘contributions’ (tax) and there is another $25,000.
There you go, with those two alone the cost can drop by $85,000.
Government needs to be building 10,000 new houses a year itself.
Remember, by taking the taxes off housing you’d be providing an effective tax payer subsidy to private industry. Instead of doing that you might as well build them yourself.
“Remember, by taking the taxes off housing you’d be providing an effective tax payer subsidy to private industry.”
No that’s not the case. There would be a small windfall to some in the industry at the start point only but immediately after that the industry would find its standard profit margin level again, being probably New Zealand’s most mature and competitive industry, so there would be no greater profit margins than there are today. The effect however would be a significant drop in both the cost of new housing and the value of existing housing as a flow on effect.
As for replacing the lost taxes – well that’s a political question. For example, should new housing for our families and people be taxed at the same rate as ferraris? Should newcomers to a region be required to pay upfront for the lifetime cost of the infrastructure associated with the house, or should it be spread across both the existing population and the future generations?
And watch as rates go up. Not that that can be stopped anyway as all the councils are going for more sprawl – the most expensive housing development available.
The best thing to do to bring down house prices is to build more state (and council) housing. Way more elegant than a CGT.
If we have more people going into state housing (with various mechanisms available for people to purchase their state house), there would be less people going into private rentals, especially those at the bottom end of society, and less demand for private rental leads to a fall in rents, and investors, in the face of falling returns, sell out (though I belive that the slum lords will be the ones selling out. The decent and more professional like landlords would probably stay in the market).
RIP Vaclav Havel, leader of the Czechoslovakia’s “velvet revolution”.
Even a purely moral act that has no hope of any immediate and visible political effect can gradually and indirectly, over time, gain in political significance.
Letter to Czechoslovak Communist Party chairman Alexander Dubček (August 1969)
I realize that this post is somewhat redundant, being that John Key has said marijuana will not be decriminalized while he is Prime Minister. This position is somewhat idiotic… especially when you consider the following evidence concerning the overal benefits to society decriminalization would facilitate…
The front bench line up is Mr Shearer, Grant Robertson, David Parker (Finance), Jacinda Ardern (Social Development), David Cunliffe (Economic Development), Clayton Cosgrove (State Owned Enterprises and Commerce), Shane Jones (Regional Development, Fisheries), Nanaia Mahuta (Education). – c/p from NZ Herald.
Five don’t hold electorate seats. One won his electorate but saw the party vote fall behind the Greens.
Clayton Cosgrove and Shane Jones? Seriously? I don’t get the Labour party sometimes.
Someone’s salary being talked about on radio this a.m. went up from $470,000 p.a. to $520,000 or near. We are in a recession aren’t we? Even if it was overseas they are in a recession – everyone is.
My relative doing essential IT work got a 1.5% rise. I wonder where this guy (presumably) lives? Perhaps I can line the road as his limo passes and he can toss bread to myself and other lower classes like Emperior Selassie used to in Ethiopia. Or perhaps he can buy bags of wheat and trickle down the contents out of the window so we can gather it off the road then make our own bread or feed it to our hens.
It’s worse than that… his pay has risen 45% in four years, the time he has been in office.
And worse again because it is justified by the mayor through “that’s what all ceo’s get. Haven’t you seen how much their pay rates climb? Well, so should his.” True dinks.
vto
Wasn’t Bob Parker actually demanding that this man get the position – a favourite of his and threatening to stand down otherwise? If so it smacks of USA croneyism where the newly elected bring in their own people for each job manager. I don’t know why Chch didn’t stick to Jim Anderton he would have been excellent. I have a feeling that Chch is too toffy nosed and NACT so always tend to slide to the blue direction.
Yes prism, it’s all over the Press this morning. Not a single person in support except the mayor and deputy. Parker has made yet another political blue. He only became mayor again because ofthe September earthquake – otherwise Jim Anderton was about to fly in. And no, Chch sin’t that blue. Mostly red. Bits of blue in the leafy parts.
North Korea’s glorious leader, Kim Jong Il, has died. State TV reported that he succumbed to physical and mental over-work. No, really. It wasn’t his addiction to whiskey, cigars and porn, it was over-work. Honest.
One ‘Dear Leader’ down, one to go. Obviously Kim and ShonKey are majorly dissimilar, bar both having an official “ministry of truth” style media bubble and living luxurious insulated lifestyles unlike many of their citizens.
Hopefully this will spell the end of the communist dictatorship in North Korea and open the door to reunification.
If the North Korean generals had any guts, they would launch a coup, take over and open a full dialog with the West (and South), with a view to reunification.
BNZ head of research Stephen Toplis is headlined today on Stuff about the NZ economy.
Firstly, does anyone see the backwards nonsense in having someone so knottedly conflicted to comment on the economy? Ask yourself what is in the best interests of BNZ. How can he possibly be independent and given credence?
And secondly, in spite of Toplis’s position which must include the obligation to never ever talk down anything that may affect BNZ’s position, he says this at the end…”we cling to our view that the New Zealand economy can continue to fumble its way ahead, albeit that the task is becoming more difficult by the day”
cling … fumble … more difficult …
the writing is on the wall and even the local banksters are struggling to keep a straight face.
Fact of the matter is that the academic economics profession has sold out to a dangerous mix of sloppy intellectualism and its corporate sponsors.
Corporate media only give airtime to ‘approved’ orthodox economics commentators, and economics departments excel in wallowing in the types of orthodox neoliberal theories which big corporate sponsors and employers will approve of.
I remain a big fan of Steve Keen (google his blog debtdeflation). His latest published paper is excellent and smashes the neoliberal macroeconomics that so many still crow about as being our path to salvation (while quietly ignoring that it is the path we followed to bring us to this unhappy place).
And just when you thought people had some semblance of integrity we have the ‘virtual’ protest action – how pathetic.
When those people actually front up to the Ports of auckland, check out the work, talk to the people as to why they are protesting, why the SOE has them on lockout by Ports of Auckland which Key’s government has been lining our asset up for asset sale to foreigners well before the work action, then they may have some semblance of gravitas – otherwise piss off you wankers.
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This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
Even Stevens: Over the 33 years between 1990 and 2023 (and allowing for the aberrant 2020 result) the average level of support enjoyed by the Left and Right blocs, at roughly 44.5 percent each, turns out to be, as near as dammit, identical.WORLDWIDE, THE PARTIES of the Left are presented ...
Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
Waitangi Day is a time to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stand together for a just and fair Aotearoa. Across the motu, communities are gathering to reflect, kōrero, and take action for a future built on equity and tino rangatiratanga. From dawn ceremonies to whānau-friendly events, there are ...
Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
The Prime Minister’s speech 10 days or so ago kicked off a flurry of commentary. No one much anywhere near the mainstream (ie excluding Greens supporters) questioned the rhetoric. New Zealand has done woefully poorly on productivity for a long time and we really need better outcomes, and the sorts ...
President Trump on the day he announced tariffs against Mexico, Canada and China, unleashing a shock to supply chains globally that is expected to slow economic growth and increase inflation for most large economies. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
Trump being Trump, it won’t come as a shock to find that he regards a strong US currency (bolstered by high tariffs on everything made by foreigners) as a sign of America’s virility, and its ability to kick sand in the face of the world. Reality is a tad more ...
A listing of 24 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, January 26, 2025 thru Sat, February 1, 2025. This week's roundup is again published soleley by category. We are still interested in feedback to hone the categorization, so if ...
What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
Shane Jones announced today he would be contracting out his thinking to a smarter younger person.Reclining on his chaise longue with a mouth full of oysters and Kina he told reporters:Clearly I have become a has-been, a palimpsest, an epigone, a bloviating fossil. I find myself saying such things as: ...
Warning: This post contains references to sexual assaultOn Saturday, I spent far too long editing a video on Tim Jago, the ACT Party President and criminal, who has given up his fight for name suppression after 2 years. He voluntarily gave up just in time for what will be a ...
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 from the Gigafact team in collaboration with members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is global warming ...
Our low-investment, low-wage, migration-led and housing-market-driven political economy has delivered poorer productivity growth than the rest of the OECD, and our performance since Covid has been particularly poor. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty this ...
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
One of those blasts from the past. Peter Dunne – originally neoliberal Labour, then leader of various parties that sought to work with both big parties (generally National) – has taken to calling ...
Completed reads for January: I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson The Black Spider, by Jeremias Gotthelf The Spider and the Fly (poem), by Mary Howitt A Noiseless Patient Spider (poem), by Walt Whitman August Heat, by W.F. Harvey Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson ...
Do its Property Right Provisions Make Sense?Last week I pointed out that it is uninformed to argue that the New Zealand’s apparently poor economic performance can be traced only to poor regulations. Even were there evidence they had some impact, there are other factors. Of course, we should seek to ...
Richard Wagstaff It was incredibly jarring to hear the hubris from the Prime Minister during his recent state of the nation address. I had just spent close to a week working though the stories and thoughts shared with us by nearly 2000 working people as part of our annual Mood ...
Odd fact about the Broadcasting Standards Authority: for the last few years, they’ve only been upholding about 5% of complaints. Why? I think there’s a range of reasons. Generally responsible broadcasters. Dumb complaints. Complaints brought under the wrong standard. Greater adherence to broadcasters’ rights to freedom of expression in the ...
And I said, "Mama, mama, mama, why am I so alone"'Cause I can't go outside, I'm scared I might not make it homeWell I'm alive, I'm alive, but I'm sinking inIf there's anyone at home at your place, darlingWhy don't you invite me in?Don't try to feed me'Cause I've been ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ star is on the rise, having just added the Energy, Local Government and Revenue portfolios to his responsibilities - but there is nothing ambitious about the Government’s new climate targets. Photo: SuppliedLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate ...
It may have been a short week but there’s been no shortage of things that caught our attention. Here is some of the most interesting. This week in Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt took a look at public transport ridership in 2024 On Thursday Connor asked some questions ...
The East Is Red: Journalists and commentators are referring to the sudden and disruptive arrival of DeepSeek as a second “Sputnik moment”. (Sputnik being the name given by the godless communists of the Soviet Union to the world’s first artificial satellite which, to the consternation and dismay of the Americans, ...
Hi,Back on inauguration day we launched a ridiculous RFK Jr. “brain worms” tee on the Webworm store, and I told you I’d be throwing my profits over to Mutual Aid LA and Rainbow Youth New Zealand. Just to show I am not full of shit, here are the receipts. I ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with regular and special guests, including: on the week in geopolitics, including the latest from Donald Trump over Gaza and Ukraine.Health expert and author David Galler ...
In an uncompromising paper Treasury has basically told the Government that its plan for a third medical school at Waikato University is a waste of money. Furthermore, the country cannot afford it. That advice was released this week by the Treasury under the Official Information Act. And it comes as ...
Back in November, He Pou a Rangi provided the government with formal advice on the domestic contribution to our next Paris target. Not what the target should be, but what we could realistically achieve, by domestic action alone, without resorting to offshore mitigation. Their answer was startling: depending on exactly ...
Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...
Back in 2022, when the government was consulting internally about proactive release of cabinet papers, the SIS opposed it. The basis of their opposition was the "mosaic effect" - people being able to piece together individual pieces of innocuous public information in a way which supposedly harms "national security" (effectively: ...
With The Stroke Of A Pen:Populism, especially right-wing populism, invests all the power of an electoral/parliamentary majority in a single political leader because it no longer trusts the bona fides of the sprawling political class among whom power is traditionally dispersed. Populism eschews traditional politics, because, among populists, traditional politics ...
I’ve spent the last week writing a fairly substantial review of a recent book (“Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism: How we crushed the curve but lost the race”) by a couple of Australian academic economists on Australia’s pandemic policies and experiences. For all its limitations, there isn’t anything similar in New Zealand. ...
Mr Mojo Rising: Economic growth is possible, Christopher Luxon reassures us, but only under a government that is willing to get out of the way and let those with drive and ambition get on with it.ABOUT TWELVE KILOMETRES from the farm on the North Otago coast where I grew up stands ...
You're nearly a good laughAlmost a jokerWith your head down in the pig binSaying, 'Keep on digging.'Pig stain on your fat chinWhat do you hope to findDown in the pig mine?You're nearly a laughYou're nearly a laughBut you're really a crySongwriter: Roger Waters.NZ First - Kiwi Battlers.Say what you like ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...
A long time ago, Brian Turner wrote a poem in which, among the mountains, as he slept on a river flat … My speechless ancestors played like mice among my dreamsand he woke to the river running over my bed of stone. I have come to know that where a ...
Pacific Media Watch President Donald Trump has frozen billions of dollars around the world in aid projects, including more than $268 million allocated by Congress to support independent media and the free flow of information. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has denounced this decision, which has plunged NGOs, media outlets, and ...
Otago University professor of international relations Robert Patman says New Zealand should provide a robust response to Donald Trump's Gaza plan, and also "should stop tip-toeing" around Trump. ...
The new minister of transport has opened the door for public consultation on at least some of the speed limit changes the government said would be automatic. ...
Officially, they’re called ‘memecoins,’ but Kōura Wealth founder Rupert Carlyon says the crypto world has another name for them: ‘shitcoins’.In digital finance, that phrase is used for tokens that have no true value – in essence, a money-grab.A few days before his inauguration, US President Donald Trump launched his own ...
Madeleine Chapman reflects on the week that was. Guy Williams has made a whole show off the joke that he is a “volunteer” journalist. So getting publicly owned by David Seymour while trying to act as a journalist is a good and timely reminder not to underestimate the nuance and ...
Many of Sāmoa’s beloved dishes are the result of cultural collaboration, writes Madeleine Chapman. All photos by Jin FelletIf you ever find yourself at a barbecue in a Sāmoan home, there’s 99% chance that sapasui (chop suey) will be on the table. For the past century, sapasui has ...
The funnyman takes us through his life in television, including Jono and Ben mayhem, live Telethon flubs, and funnelling all those experiences into his new comedy Vince. There’s an inciting incident in Three’s new comedy Vince where morning television presenter Vince Walters (Jono Pryor) is visiting sick kids in hospital ...
People often claim they just want Waitangi Day to be a celebration. At Waitangi, away from the headlined political acrimony and the marae ātea, celebrating is what most people are doing. The Spinoff Essay showcases the best essayists in Aotearoa, on topics big and small. Made possible by the generous ...
Is there anything more fashionable than a Māori get together? One of the best things about Northland is that nobody cares what they look like — probably because they’re all naturally more stylish than the rest of us, famously. Māori from the Far North, especially. In 27 degree heat, wearing ...
I’ve been in love with him since last July, but it’s only now in this tepid hotel room that I find myself wondering why. The first thing he does when we arrive is smoke a cone in the bathroom – he emerges, hacking up a lung, fists thrust into his ...
MONDAY“Name,” barked a representative of the lower orders.I regarded him with a look of stern disapproval, and told him from up high, “May I remind you that I have name suppression. I shall also thank you to ask with more respect as befits a former president of the Act Party, ...
Books of Mana: 180 Māori-Authored Books of Significance, edited by Jacinta Ruru, Angela Wanhalla and Jeanette Wikaira has just been released by Otago University Press. In this essay, Books are Taonga, Jeanette Wikaira explores her personal relationship to books and their value.For me, books are taonga. The knowledge ...
Get to know Tara, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Tara’s human for their support! Dog name: Tara Age: Two Breed: Mostly Border Collie and a little bit Catahoula Leopard dog If dog ...
Health NZ's CEO has resigned, but frontline healthworkers are sceptical that installing new leadership will make any difference to a system grappling with problems. ...
Health NZ's CEO has resigned, but frontline healthworkers are sceptical that installing new leadership will make any difference to a system grappling with problems. ...
Gail Duncan, Chairperson of the St Peter’s on Willis Social Justice Group, one of the organisations invited to submit on the Bill, says the Government’s actions are unprecedented. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amani Kasherwa, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland In late January, a rebel group that has long caused mayhem in the sprawling African nation of Democratic Republic of Congo took control of Goma, a major city of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University An ad falsely depicting independent candidate Alex Dyson as a Greens member.ABC News/Supplied The highly pertinent case of a little-known independent candidate in the Victorian seat of Wannon has exposed a gaping ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland Nik/Unsplash You might have heard that eating too many eggs will cause high cholesterol levels, leading to poor health. Researchers have examined the science behind this myth again, and ...
Everything you missed from the third day of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard four hours of oral submission. Read our recaps of day one of the hearings here, and day two here. Parliament was quiet on Friday for the third day of hearings on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University Tijana Simic/Shutterstock The news last week that three people in Sydney were hospitalised with botulism after receiving botox injections has raised questions about the regulation of the cosmetic injectables industry. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jens Blotevogel, Principal Research Scientist and Team Leader for Remediation Technologies, CSIRO Mino Surkala, Shutterstock Lithium-ion batteries are part of everyday life. They power small rechargeable devices such as mobile phones and laptops. They enable electric vehicles. And larger versions store ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edith Jennifer Hill, Associate Lecturer, Learning & Teaching Innovation, Flinders University Netflix Netflix’s new limited series, Apple Cider Vinegar, tells the story of the elaborate cancer con orchestrated by Australian blogger Annabelle (Belle) Gibson. The first episode opens with Gibson’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dee Ninis, Earthquake Scientist, Monash University Greece’s government has just declared a state of emergency on the island of Santorini, as earthquakes shake the island multiple times a day and sometimes only minutes apart. The “earthquake swarm” is also affecting other ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Western Australian state election will be held on March 8. A Newspoll, conducted January 29 to February 4 from a sample ...
She’s back behind the wheel, and this time, she wants to find out what it is that makes us tick. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. After a prolific career on stage and screen, 83-year-old Miriam Margolyes is on the road again. ...
A new poem by Jordan Hamel. Real Poet Every word earned its place and so did he, so should you. Real poet lives in the capital but writes himself into the Mackenzie country golden hour, man of the paper land, he neglects to mention his pollen ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Understanding Te Tiriti by Roimata Smail (Wai Ako Press, $25) No better time to get ...
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Alex Casey and Gabi Lardies dissect their Laneway 2025 experience. Gabi Lardies: Hi Alex :))))))) Congratulations on not getting sunburnt. Everyone I talked to at Laneway yesterday was braving the sun for one thing. Charli XCX. How was your brat experience?Alex Casey: We will talk about the rest of ...
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In New Zealand the news that the $1.8 billion given by the taxpayers to South Canturbury Finance after a 30 minute meeting of cabinet, is now under criminal investigation for fraud, can only make you agree with Monbiot that: “If ever you needed evidence that our governments operate in the interests of the elite, rather than the world as a whole, here it is.”
Why Is It So Easy to Save the Banks – but So Hard to Save the Biosphere?
by George Monbiot
Thanks for that link. I have passed it on. Onward the 99%, keep exposing the truth and putting it out there!
Not that I agreed with the bailouts but it is not correct to quote figures the way it has been presented here and claim it is equivalent to expenditure when it is more accurate to state much of it was loans or guarrantees. For example the several hundred billion dollar TARP funds have largely been repaid by the banks that took up the funds and the repayments included interest.
“capping climate change would cost around 1% of global GDP”
I seriously, seriously doubt that. The main source of CO2 pollution is coal fired power plants and transportation use of oil.
Drastically curtailing output from both sources entails replacing the built up capital stock of power plants and cars, globally. That’s going to cost a lot more than 1% of global GDP. That’s before you even confront the ridiculous social pressures that have resulted in the car designs we have today (particularly in the US) where drivers want to feel “safe” even if it means everyone else on the road it more at risk in an accident and fuel consumption is pushed sky-high.
To whoever is continuing to white ant David Cunliffe from within the Labour caucus, please stop. If you want a united party that is capable of winning the next election this is a bad thing to do.
Hardly a united party the way the shearer Cunliffe contest played out mickey….old v new and highly unlikely it will stop with the usual suspects behind the white anting and leaks, it’s all they know.
Welcome to the minor party table.
Ingrained habits of negative politics can be a bugger when they keep biting you party’s own bum.
From the article mickeysavage linked to:
Some of the MPs who lined up in the opposing camp are believed to have pushed for Mr Cunliffe to be left off the front bench altogether.
My words for the individuals in question are stronger than yours mickeysavage. If it continues then they need to be exposed for the childish pratts (or should it be brats) they must be. A number of us know something of what has been going on behind the scenes, and it looks like commonsense has at last prevailed. I hope it is true that David Cunliffe has been offered an ‘appropriate’ portfolio and a level of seniority befitting his abilities. We will find out later today.
Now why when reading your comment did the name Mallard immediately come to mind ?
So if United Future and its malleable open buttshine policy of allowing the largest party to advance its main policies has credibility what would have happenned if Labour had been able to form the government? Would Dunne have changed everything he has said about asset sales since the election and said asset sales are no good? Would it have resulted in UF doing a complete 100% arse-about? And if so, what does that say about the usefulness of United Future for NZ’s future?
Unless you think minor parties should hold the major parties to ransom United Future’s position seems eminently sensible. Peter Dunne realises that he is very much a junior partner in the arrangement and that this means that while he can expect some policy concessions it would be crazy to expect he could dictate terms. So in your extremely hypothetical situation I would expect Peter Dunne to bow to Labour’s anti-Asset sales policy commitment if they had the numbers to form the next Government if they offered him the opportunity to be part of it.
It’s not a question of holding them to ransom but of their being support for the policy. UF wasn’t voted in on Nationals policies but their own which have now changed to Nationals. That’s called lying and corruption.
Very funny. There was no lying involved, everything has been done as indicated during the campaign.
Labour didn’t campaign on changing their leader straight after the election, how corrupt. Liars.
Greens campaigned on having a Memorandum of Understanding with National, that hasn’t happened, how corrupt. Liars.
Dunne has been far more true to his word than both.
Promise nothing, deliver nothing.
Can’t go wrong.
As felix said, there has been no word to be true to.
Felix will have been referring to Labour, Greens, Mana and NZ First. Everyone knew they weren’t promises because they could never be delivered.
Talking about deliveries Pete have you got your new portrait of OverDunne for your bedside table yet? If you real lucky it may have Banks and Key in the photo too.
Oh look, there goes Pete not being a right-winger again.
Oh, maybe you were right after all, this makes me 7/8 in line with David Farrar, and 6/8 in line with some other guy…so I guess that makes him a right winger too.
What’s the matter with being a right-winger? I was one once and constantly have flashbacks and will probably lurch back there again from time to time.
If he turns out to be right wing like you Pete I will personally pay for your new wig.
Can’t see him going down Dunnys right wing s-bend plumbing though Pete.
Pete thinks he can hold me to the views of the Labour leadership.
Silly Pete.
felix, you can’t avoid being seen as a sorry apologist for Labour.
That’s what happens here, people apply whatever labels and accuse any associations they want to.
Felix? Labour? You are confused. I have been watching him for years
My guess. He might vote for Labour if he was desperate – and probably has. But he generally votes leftish protest. Probably for more different parties than most protest voters.
But he does delight in harassing the pompous and seeing if they can think. Mostly the victims come from the right. But I have seen him harass just about every political belief. He is agnostic about them. It’s the type of person that he is interested in
You may have missed a bit of the game. felix is as Labour as I’m right wing.
If he wants to try harrassing right wingers I could suggest a few but it might be a bit outside his comfort zone.
Of course Pete.
You support a right-wing govt but you’re not a right winger.
I don’t support Labour but I’m a Labour supporter.
It’s all becoming clear to me now.
Peter Dunne could easily have supported Labour’s no asset sales policy seeing as UF had no policy to sell assets. Agreeing with National was a coalition concession, regarding National’ls plans as not being a strong enough to draw a line over it (in line with much of the electorate).
United Future made it clear though that overall the party would find it too difficult to suppport some of Labour’s other policies, like raising tax rates that had just been lowered, raising the age of eligibility for Super, and arbitrarily raising the minium wage.
And UF are against Labour’s proposed CGT – the international trend is against comprehensive CGT – and UF believes our current level of CGT, strengthened last year, is sufficient.
♪ Anyway the wind blows, doesn’t really matter… ♫
Funny.
Labour tried to buy, bluster and bullshit their way to power. But yeah, whatever they tried didn’t really matter.
Greens benefited from slick marketing of vegan pie in the sky policies. What will really matter if they ever get into power is if they can maintain integrity with their populist cetre-ish promises and at the same time keep their activist core happy. Next election they will actually have to front up with a viable plan.
♫ …tooooo Peeeeeete…… ♪
Politics is not a fight to the death Felix regardless of the hard left’s outdated class war meme.
“Politics is not a fight to the death”
Only give your narrow world view, Gosman.
Hmmm,
I don’t consider Warren Buffet a hardcore leftist and here is what he said: It’s a class war and my side is winning!
You’re quite wrong Gosman, roughly half of the NZ public oppose the policies, methods and tactics of the right-wing, and for most socially concerned people in NZ politics really is a fight to the death to kill off neo-con free-market ideology
roughly half of the NZ public oppose the policies, methods and tactics of the right-wing
You’ve got no way of knowing that, and it is obviously not going to be correct.
We know about half the voters voted for a party that is not part of the coalition government. We have no idea how many of them “oppose the policies, methods and tactics of the right-wing”. A preference of one party over another does not determine opposition.
A vote for a non coalition party does not necessarily prove support for “the policies, methods and tactics of the left-wing” either.
Actually that’s exactly what a vote means, Pete. It tells us what policies people support and oppose.
You can argue that it’s imprecise, of course, and you can argue that some people might support more than one party’s policies. And that’s what your argument above boils down to – that someone could vote Labour or Green but still support asset sales for example.
I realise that thinking through the implications of your statements has never been your strong suit, but you should be very careful with this one or you’re going to find it awfully tricky to keep claiming the National/ACT/UF has a mandate to do anything.
What’s the tag for the musical notes felix?
If you’re using windows the easiest way is Alt+13 and Alt+14.
A few other ways with more musical symbols and different note-values are described here: http://fsymbols.com/computer/music-note/
Evasions, excuses, and half truths PG.
“UF had no policy [other than] agreeing with National” — Fixed it for you.
A slim margin in the Ohariu electorate does not constitute a mandate to sell strategic public assets.
CGT: It’s the OECD norm, but who cares as long as we can push the property bubble a bit further eh?
PS: The notion of a UF “party” is a joke, Dunne retires at the next election and the Useless Follicles will be forgotten
An increased margin in Ohariu is a reasonable mandate for Dunne to do what he campaigned on – which is what he is doing.
Being a party with a pivotal vote is seriously in the business of government. Labour and Greens are showing their ineffectual miffedness.
You’re ignoring the fact that National tightened up on New Zealand’s CGT last year?
Labour didn’t even give a priority to CGT in their campaigning, it was more of a Hail Mary policy than something they were dedicated to handing over to experts to work out for them.
“An increased margin in Ohariu is a reasonable mandate for Dunne to do what he campaigned on – which is what he is doing.”
Pete finally acknowledges that UF is a fig leaf for independent Ohariu MP Peter Dunne.
And if you are going to quote margins, a statistical figure with little political value, how about quoting UF’s vote nationally, which is politically important. Did it go up or did it go down, Pete? And if it went down, what do you think that means in terms of Dunne’s mandate to flog assets?
Dunne’s only mandate is that he promised during the election campaign to be a stable partner for National. This is why all Nat party supporters in his electorate voted him in. The concept of UF being independent (let alone an independent party) is laughable as is clearly reflected in its national vote.
As you know the UF party vote went down. That adds weight to the mandate via an electorate that gave most support to National. It was also an electorate who voted for a candidate that clearly indicated he would allow National’s major policy to proceed. Even some Labour MPs recognise this. And…
Do you know who said this?
Don’t be a moron, pete – there is a significant difference between filibustering parliament so nothing gets done, and actively supporting legislation put forward by your coalition partner.
The electorate did not give majority support to national, or asset sales of any extent. Your spineless party does that. Don’t pretend it’s not peter dunne selling half the family silver – he’s on the team, and they can’t do it without him.
“Do you know who said this?”
Lolz, I do. I don’t think Pete does though. (Hint for Petey – it wasn’t an MP)
Hint for felix – I copied that quote so it sort of follows that I’d know where it comes from. And yes, I do know Eddie isn’t an MP.
[lprent: I should hope not – I don’t allow sitting MP’s here unless they are on a clearly stated guest post – they have their own usual channels. The moderation difficulties from people on unrelated issues climbing on a soapbox in their posts are rather high. We can only give up the required amount of volunteered moderator time when it is important (like the leadership posts a few weeks ago). ]
You’re a dag Pete, but in the agricultural rather than the colloquial sense.
Anyone can scroll up and see what you were thinking. Lolz.
All-black jet thrills our world champions
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10774025
“Players Kieran Read and Andy Ellis ceremonially led the one-of-a-kind Boeing 777-300ER aircraft out of Boeing’s paint hangar facility in Seattle on Friday night.
Read said the plane looked “sensational” and would “really turn heads” at airports around the world.”
Would have thought that Read would have been to enough international airports to know that, at most of them, “people” don’t get much of a chance to see other planes on the tarmac.
By the way, given the current PM’s tendancy to make policy on the hoof, is this the next step in the black flag with a silver fern becoming our national flag by default?
“operate in the interests of the elite”. Yes Jenny, the investors in South Canterbury finance that were the recipients of the bail out, would be the elite. Many of those people who were retired were the elite who’s taxes paid for say, the power stations National are privatising, many of the roads you drive on, the rail system throughout the country and the hospitals that have been built, amongst other things. Of course they are the “elite”. Methinks you wouldn’t know an “elite” if you fell over one.
hah but these elites as u put them wouldnt have BUILT them would they??? as in shovel and actual MANUAL work
hell i seen donkey running with a football in his claws on tv last week
what a try hard
So when was the last time you used a spade in manual work Kris, and I am not talking about turning over your garden.
Many people have been severly burnt by finance companies and most of these are people are joe average, noob.
Yep you would be quite surprised how many of the investors were just average people who had come into a bit of money due to their Mum and Dad passing on.
For example a truckie that I knew who was on the bones of his arse suddenly because $700k better off when his Mum died and her house was sold off.
Thought he was being wise by investing in a finance company unfortunately as so many found out that wasn’t the case.
Greedy for returns more like, so greedy that he didn’t diversify his portfolio of $700K between banks and finance companies, or between different finance companies full stop.
Any amounts invested over $250K should have received a 50% haircut. Your truckie example would have lost $225K of his $700K mal-investment.
That would have protected the vast majority of mum and dad savers as well as the taxpayer, and given the capitalist speculators an education. It’s not real capitalism without real risks, after all.
I have worked all my life in manual labour mate as in farm work for Dept lands and surveys for 11 years,followed by manual labour in a glasshouse for quite a few years followed by commercial cleaning while i went to University
it got to the point where no more so i got educated so blow that out yur ass
kris, as always, out of touch with reality. No, not all of them built the roads, though some of them probably did. They did drive the stock trucks, build houses, cut meat in a butchers, sweep the board at the freezing works, worked at the wharf, worked in shops, were nurses, teachers and served fish and chips, cleaned the local schools and offices, chiselled gravestones, laid carpet, tiled roof’s, and fixed cars, just to name a few.
so if they were so successful why bail them out?
For a university educated person, you really have no idea about followng a series of posts, have you kris? But then, one can get a degree in woman’s studies these days, so maybe I’m being a bit harsh.
“I have worked all my life in manual labour mate as in farm work for Dept lands and surveys for 11 years,followed by manual labour in a glasshouse for quite a few years followed by commercial cleaning while i went to University
it got to the point where no more so i got educated so blow that out yur ass”
And for a university educated person, I’m not sure you can say “all my life” in one breath and then say you got educated and no more, since this would imply that you didnt work “all your life” as a labourer.
Amounts invested over $250K should have been haircut by 50%. End of story. Protect small investors, protect the tax payer, and remind capitalist speculators that real capitalism involves real financial risks.
One change I’d like to see in parliament is the abolishment of party leaders who hold single seats in parliament.
Currently such people get a much larger salary due to their status, but really they’re not much more than independents when it comes to power in the house. I think instead of paying them an increased salary, they should get the same amount of money that any independent would be paid, and the difference between that and the a party leader salary go directly to the party for party development purposes. UF, ACT and Mana obviously need some party development and Jim Anderton’s Progressives could’ve used some too.
According to Hone he got an extra 7k for being a party leader so he donated it to a food bank.
All MPs should be paid the same amount. There really is no reason to pay party leaders or ministers more.
Tolley’s a liar!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10774036
Indeed
Generally speaking more shit happens due to idiocy than malice.
Do not underestimate the power of Stupid!
The first of the bailouts: http://aotearoaawiderperspective.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/iag-australia-has-bought-the-solvent-bits-of-ami-insurance-while-you-are-going-to-pay-for-the-bad-bits/
The latest instalment from our fascist friends…under urgency, to boot. And they accuse Labour of creating a nanny state:
http://www.networkonnet.co.nz/index.php?section=latest&id=372
I’m listening to NinetoNoon with Kathryn Ryan talking about the committee on poverty to John Pagani (who has made some good points such as the problem of low wages and the working poor) and some woman who talks in that exasperated voice that middle class women often adopt when talking about people in need. Her answer to poverty is to get better housing that is warm and the children will be so much healthier and able to learn better. It’s the RMA and the new building regulations that are more stringent because of earthquake strengthening (and she unfortunately brought up the example of them affecting a new winery that could collapse and smash a wine barrel) and this is making housing too dear and people can’t get their own home which they can keep warm and that’s what is needed to solve our problems. (Also note the recent housing study that sees the problem of housing as bringing down the price of sections by councils increasing bare land zones to increase supply. So that speculators can snap it up and make good profits? Everybody should see the dreadfully designed ‘tract housing in South Auckland by the way. Truman had better.)
Guess who – I’ve just checked – Deborah Coddington. What a pillock. Her approach reminds me of the tone that Muriel Newman once showed when talking knowledgably (hah) about Maori issues with two activists. ACT both aren’t they. Why is Deborah Coddington regarded as someone whose opinions are worth considering. Her approach is at a level that women in the coffee set would have if they ever tried to discuss politics.
I think it was Deborah Coddington I heard on National Radio last week complaining about the rising cost of living and how things were getting so expensive.
Her specific example was the cost of getting parts for her name brand Italian designed kitchen stove.
Un-fucking-believable.
That’ll be her.
Today she ejaculated the idea that the real root cause of poverty is that vineyards have to comply with the RMA and it’s too strict, especially after Christchurch.
I Coddington you not.
EDIT: hurr durr I didn’t see the prism’s comment above. Bad felix.
Felix – I guess that my comments are usually long and busy people like yourself have to skim them. I always try to bring in background and explain myself, probably to myself, and short summaries don’t do it for me. I’ll follow my own advice to others which is to paragraph more. Personally I find it easier to pick up the various threads of the comment then.
In this case it was my own silly fault for reading the thread from the bottom up 😀
Cheaper housing would without doubt help many of the New Zealanders struggling with those things (lordy knows why i don’t count us in this group – typical medium class aspirans s’pose). And the RMA has diddly squat to do with it. neither does earthquake strengthening.
There was far greater cost added by the New Zealand government to housing this year when the GST increase put the cost up by about $10,000 per house.
Similarly, over the last handful of years, far greater cost has been added by local authorities to housing when their reserve and development contributions put the cost up by about $15,000 per house.
There you go – with those two alone, both government, the cost has risen by $25,000.
Now also, lets reverse those and go a bit further – knock the New Zealand government’s GST off new housing completely (like fruit and vege) and there is $60,000. And knock each local council’s reserve and development ‘contributions’ (tax) and there is another $25,000.
There you go, with those two alone the cost can drop by $85,000.
Government needs to be building 10,000 new houses a year itself.
Remember, by taking the taxes off housing you’d be providing an effective tax payer subsidy to private industry. Instead of doing that you might as well build them yourself.
“Remember, by taking the taxes off housing you’d be providing an effective tax payer subsidy to private industry.”
No that’s not the case. There would be a small windfall to some in the industry at the start point only but immediately after that the industry would find its standard profit margin level again, being probably New Zealand’s most mature and competitive industry, so there would be no greater profit margins than there are today. The effect however would be a significant drop in both the cost of new housing and the value of existing housing as a flow on effect.
As for replacing the lost taxes – well that’s a political question. For example, should new housing for our families and people be taxed at the same rate as ferraris? Should newcomers to a region be required to pay upfront for the lifetime cost of the infrastructure associated with the house, or should it be spread across both the existing population and the future generations?
And watch as rates go up. Not that that can be stopped anyway as all the councils are going for more sprawl – the most expensive housing development available.
The best thing to do to bring down house prices is to build more state (and council) housing. Way more elegant than a CGT.
If we have more people going into state housing (with various mechanisms available for people to purchase their state house), there would be less people going into private rentals, especially those at the bottom end of society, and less demand for private rental leads to a fall in rents, and investors, in the face of falling returns, sell out (though I belive that the slum lords will be the ones selling out. The decent and more professional like landlords would probably stay in the market).
RIP Vaclav Havel, leader of the Czechoslovakia’s “velvet revolution”.
Letter to Czechoslovak Communist Party chairman Alexander Dubček (August 1969)
Washington Post obituary: Vaclav Havel, dissident playwright and former Czech president.
http://www.3news.co.nz/John-Key-and-his-vineyard-investments/tabid/1382/articleID/157713/Default.aspx
See the PM appeared to be pushing his tipple on Breakfast this morning.
http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/52-000-bottle-pm-s-wine-dropped-in-carpark-4662186
He also still appears a bit miffed that McCaw didn’t accept the Prime Minister’s offer of a knighthood.
Saw that –
and
reply
Funny, never seen during the election campaign, now never out of the media spotlight.
Decriminalizing marijuana
I realize that this post is somewhat redundant, being that John Key has said marijuana will not be decriminalized while he is Prime Minister. This position is somewhat idiotic… especially when you consider the following evidence concerning the overal benefits to society decriminalization would facilitate…
Labour’s lineup has been announced.
The front bench line up is Mr Shearer, Grant Robertson, David Parker (Finance), Jacinda Ardern (Social Development), David Cunliffe (Economic Development), Clayton Cosgrove (State Owned Enterprises and Commerce), Shane Jones (Regional Development, Fisheries), Nanaia Mahuta (Education). – c/p from NZ Herald.
Five don’t hold electorate seats. One won his electorate but saw the party vote fall behind the Greens.
Clayton Cosgrove and Shane Jones? Seriously? I don’t get the Labour party sometimes.
An interview with anthropologist David Graeber, the author of Debt: The First 5000 Years.
Helps if I post on the right page.
So – John Key replaced a bottle of his brand of wine when the person who bought it for charity accidentally dropped it. Good on him.
A very good trick, seeing as Key hasn’t included vintners or vinyards in this year’s register of pecuniary interests.
Sound familiar? Well, it was previously mentioned in the standard here and here.
I guess a blind trust with partial sight was deemed to be fine.
Someone’s salary being talked about on radio this a.m. went up from $470,000 p.a. to $520,000 or near. We are in a recession aren’t we? Even if it was overseas they are in a recession – everyone is.
My relative doing essential IT work got a 1.5% rise. I wonder where this guy (presumably) lives? Perhaps I can line the road as his limo passes and he can toss bread to myself and other lower classes like Emperior Selassie used to in Ethiopia. Or perhaps he can buy bags of wheat and trickle down the contents out of the window so we can gather it off the road then make our own bread or feed it to our hens.
The top 0.1% get pay increases in line with the increase in money supply.
None of this CPI/inflation matched crap the rest of us are lucky to even get.
The guy is the CEO of Chch council.
Couldn’t let the top dogs suffer like the munted general public now could we.
It’s worse than that… his pay has risen 45% in four years, the time he has been in office.
And worse again because it is justified by the mayor through “that’s what all ceo’s get. Haven’t you seen how much their pay rates climb? Well, so should his.” True dinks.
vto
Wasn’t Bob Parker actually demanding that this man get the position – a favourite of his and threatening to stand down otherwise? If so it smacks of USA croneyism where the newly elected bring in their own people for each job manager. I don’t know why Chch didn’t stick to Jim Anderton he would have been excellent. I have a feeling that Chch is too toffy nosed and NACT so always tend to slide to the blue direction.
Anderton would have made a brilliant Christchurch Mayor — probably would have redeemed his part in destroying the Alliance.
But I guess the tectonic plates had other ideas 🙂
IMO Council CEO’s should be appointed in a transparent manner, perhaps elected by the council concerned…
Yes prism, it’s all over the Press this morning. Not a single person in support except the mayor and deputy. Parker has made yet another political blue. He only became mayor again because ofthe September earthquake – otherwise Jim Anderton was about to fly in. And no, Chch sin’t that blue. Mostly red. Bits of blue in the leafy parts.
Big fail on Parker’s part.
Is this the same bloke that helped Hamilton win the V8 racing?
What’s worse is that the person you’re talking about is the Christchurch Council CEO! Disgusting!
North Korea’s glorious leader, Kim Jong Il, has died. State TV reported that he succumbed to physical and mental over-work. No, really. It wasn’t his addiction to whiskey, cigars and porn, it was over-work. Honest.
One ‘Dear Leader’ down, one to go. Obviously Kim and ShonKey are majorly dissimilar, bar both having an official “ministry of truth” style media bubble and living luxurious insulated lifestyles unlike many of their citizens.
Hopefully this will spell the end of the communist dictatorship in North Korea and open the door to reunification.
If the North Korean generals had any guts, they would launch a coup, take over and open a full dialog with the West (and South), with a view to reunification.
Really looking forward to seeing how Comrade Jacinda gets on in her new role!!!!! What the hell has she ever done to become #4 in the pecking order?
Yes big advancement. Fair question – is it on merit or on being gorgeous? Either one will do.
Good question for the pctorians.
BNZ head of research Stephen Toplis is headlined today on Stuff about the NZ economy.
Firstly, does anyone see the backwards nonsense in having someone so knottedly conflicted to comment on the economy? Ask yourself what is in the best interests of BNZ. How can he possibly be independent and given credence?
And secondly, in spite of Toplis’s position which must include the obligation to never ever talk down anything that may affect BNZ’s position, he says this at the end…”we cling to our view that the New Zealand economy can continue to fumble its way ahead, albeit that the task is becoming more difficult by the day”
cling … fumble … more difficult …
the writing is on the wall and even the local banksters are struggling to keep a straight face.
2012.
it’s all on.
Fact of the matter is that the academic economics profession has sold out to a dangerous mix of sloppy intellectualism and its corporate sponsors.
Corporate media only give airtime to ‘approved’ orthodox economics commentators, and economics departments excel in wallowing in the types of orthodox neoliberal theories which big corporate sponsors and employers will approve of.
I remain a big fan of Steve Keen (google his blog debtdeflation). His latest published paper is excellent and smashes the neoliberal macroeconomics that so many still crow about as being our path to salvation (while quietly ignoring that it is the path we followed to bring us to this unhappy place).
The paper can be found here:
http://www.eap-journal.com/archive/v41_i3_01-keen.pdf
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1112/S00685/virtual-business-protest-over-port-strikes-attracts-700.htm
And just when you thought people had some semblance of integrity we have the ‘virtual’ protest action – how pathetic.
When those people actually front up to the Ports of auckland, check out the work, talk to the people as to why they are protesting, why the SOE has them on lockout by Ports of Auckland which Key’s government has been lining our asset up for asset sale to foreigners well before the work action, then they may have some semblance of gravitas – otherwise piss off you wankers.
I have never seen a tax cut put out a fire. I have never seen a tax cut build a bridge or clean up toxic atmosphere.
Barney Frank, The Great American Debates: ‘There’s Too Much Government In My Life’
The CEO of Christchurch City Council has been awarded a $68,000 pay rise.
That should go down well with those paying double rates because they can’t live in their own homes.
Look mate, all the CEO has to do is fire two labouring or minimum wage positions at the Council and he’ll have covered off his own payrise.
Problem solved.
Actually, I figured he could sell one of those JK bottles of wine. That should almost cover his pay rise.
My bet is it would taste like weasels piss and I’d not drink any of it, just like I can’t stomach his ancient policies.