I’m dissapointed that so much infrastructure was temporary and removed after the WC. Some Train stations have been revamped up to 3 times in the last 2-3 years FFS !
IMO RWC missed an opportunity to solve the eden park issue. Mallard’s an idiot on most issues but a waterfront stadium was and still is a good idea rather than a crappy largely open stadium in the suburbs in an inclement weather city.
Key and McCully etc only had to get the fanzone sorted and made a meal of that.
What a load of meaningless….twaddle”…..Has someone in this govt. department got an American or French degree in post modernism b***sh*t?
Not that keen on economists per- se but at least some of them from universities are providing some criticism of the report.
Be nice to see some other university types standing up to the BS so prevalent in our society today.
e.g. ‘…..”An understanding of the planning and operational excellence required to deliver major events is now embedded within government and the wider sports community,” the report said…….
While attendance forecasts had been met and visitor forecasts surpassed, it remained to be seen how the World Cup performed against economic forecasts in the longer term.
“The economic impact of large sports events can be difficult to quantify as it is calculated on the basis of money spent that would not have been otherwise,” the report said……..’
Got mine earlier this week. Had to laugh when I received an identical envelope in the same post with my first request for money from the Labour Party.
There’s something strange about becoming a member just as the party reaches what I sincerely hope will be its nadir. Do we phone the LEC rep and introduce ourselves or what? I’m pretty sure meetings are a thing of the past. Will be interesting to see how this party operates.
Your branch and/or LEC secretary will be notified, js. Most meetings are over for the year, but I would expect you will be invite to pop along to the first event next year. It would be great if you joined Victory for Labour; its a regular donation that also covers your annual dues and, in part, funds your branch.
I think it’s way too early to become a member of the Labour Party when there’s no evidence that they’ve ditched their right-wing welfare stance on welfare. Annette King and Jacinda Ardern and the rest of Labour have for a very long time been deadly silent on where they see their welfare policies going. Ardern bleats on about National’s “attacks” on beneficiaries but then refuses to say what Labour would do differently. The same thing happened after the Richardson/Shipley tag team did a job on beneficiaries throughout the 1990s. Labour protested loudly then turned around and carried on with precisely the same agenda as National. Even now Ardern’s managed to get Bennett to take yet another slice off one of the add-on benefits the transition to work grant while her leader thinks he’s a doctor qualified to say there are people who shouldn’t get a sickness benefit because they look like they’re able to work. Far from being “rejuvenated” and “fresh” all the signs are there for it being yet another continuation of National’s assault on the poor, in the same way that happened between 1999 and 2008. Who wants to be a member of a party that does that? And why the hell are we still trusting them?
Sue Bradford’s done a good piece here that talks about Labour’s handywork on our social security system:
Just check where the money is going. I am quite happy to support the party organisation financially and that is where a lot of the donation money goes to these days.
What is it about leaders of conservative parties and their refusal to read things which are politically damaging.
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The Federal Court in Australia has released a judgment heavily criticising members of the Liberal Party and how the court process was abused to get at former speaker Peter Slipper.
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Abbott has been asked what he thinks about it and has replied by saying he has not read the judgment.
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See no evil, hear no evil …
3 seconds into that clip and I was reaching for the sick bucket.
But you know, like attracts like as they say. Only a total tard would listen to “the edge” and only a total tard would vote shonkey. Our glorious nation eh?
Try listening to some actual independant music stations and see how much key is lampooned on an almost daily basis
And this wanker(fucktard) is our Prime minister, at 8.12 in he refers to Kevin Rudd as an opposition MP in Australia, BTW if you can watch it that far in, keep vomit buckets handy
Apparently Dunnokeyo’s memory returned this morning when he specifically recalled eating maggots the last time he was on the Edge. It was the hosts who had the brainfade this time and couldn’t remember. (Wonder if it was from eating dead rats?)
Don’t moan abut the quality or not of Key. It seems that every second PM or leader that I hear about has been on the take or should be a busker. I think recently, Greece, France has had some doozeys, the USA always has some unbelievable, Italy has laid down the red carpet for a media magnate who seems to be on monkey glands, etc.
We never try to achieve highly for ourselves these days, just keep comparing us to overseas choosing the lowest. We don’t know how lucky we are – compared to Syria?
Current education policy is a train wreck – Key appointed Tolley who appointed Longstone to carry out NACT agenda. And Key will probably come out of this squeaky clean…
And Longstone will carry the can for the new pay system as well …
Well, here is one report that Key and Co probably would have liked to go “under the radar” over the silly season – but has now been delayed. It is short so will quote it in full
An Auditor General's report into the Government's handling of a proposal for Sky City to build an international convention centre in exchange for more pokie machines has been delayed until next year.
The Office of the Auditor General had previously announced it hoped to release the report before Christmas but now says it will not be published this year.
It said draft copies of the report had been sent to relevant interested parties in December 12. It had previously hoped to get their response and be in a position to finalise the report quickly.
But it appears the consultation process – expected to include Sky City, other bidders and the Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development – is taking longer than expected.
"Although we and the other parties involved are working to complete the report as soon as possible, we can now advise that it will not be published this year. No further comment will be provided at this stage; media and interested parties will be notified of publication 24 hours in advance.ââ
The article is "lost' in the bowels of Stuff online, so thanks to Robert Winter's post "Rebstock, and now the pokies?" for the link.
And a big thanks to lprent for the Feeds column now on TS – I am finding it a great source for posts elsewhere and links such as to this article that I would otherwise miss.
Update: another little bit on this from Stuff’s ‘Today in Politics’ article today:
SkyCity convention centre report delayed till new year
The Auditor-General’s Office has put on the backburner the publication of a report into the process that led to SkyCity winning the right to build a convention centre. Last week it sent a draft to “relevant interested parties” for consultation and said it hoped to publish the final version this year.
But yesterday it said it had postponed it until next year, prompting speculation it included adverse findings that had caused one party to “push back”.
Stuff headline:
Education Boss quits……..
Will we hear of incompetence OR of Ministerial interference from a complete control freak in the days to come?
Women health workers in Pakistan killed by taleban for giving polio vaccinations. The cruellers shot one person on the excuse that they were trying to kill off the nation with western disease.
In the USA the religious tie up foreign aid so they canât have contraceptives or condoms and not abortions. 50% apparently believe that the age of the earth is under a million years.
I donât see how we can ever get an informed enlightened world where there is such wilful ignorance and domination of education and truth.
I wonder how many off you watched the “Secret of the Manor Born ” on Prime.
Now my first years of work was under those conditions , low wages and the class system in full force and woe betide any one who stepped out of line.
At its end we all thought it would never return unfortunately we are returning to those
awful conditions. .We have returned to the huge gap between rich and poor. A return to servants and home help at low wages . Unions have lost any strength and workers are unorganized.
This is the result of Conservative Right Wing governments. And unless working people wake up the
the gap,will,widen further
Watching this I couldn’t help but feel saddened thinking of the generations of workers rights that have been really hard won, including lives lost in the struggle, that have now almost disappeared – when we think of where we are now. Have also been watching History of Wales and History of Scotland lately. Both series covered the industrial revolution and the impact it had on the working populations of those Countries in terms of their health and social and political outcomes: the coal mines of Wales and the steel yards of Scotland. Seems we turned a full wheel of the political and market spectrum and here we are again without jobs and the jobs we have can sometimes be unsafe and life threatening. (Think modern day mining around the globe and even here at Pike River) Perhaps there is a return to the past PP. Its the same masters in charge.
And heres another report from the International Labor Rights Forum on modern day company knowledge of unsafe work conditions and the lack of attempt to remedy it, or even provide the basics of a safe and healthy workplace, let alone decent wages and conditions.
A listing of 25 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 15, 2024 thru Sat, December 21, 2024. Based on feedback we received, this week's roundup is the first one published soleley by category. We are still interested in ...
Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...
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. Are we heading ...
So the Solstice has arrived – Summer in this part of the world, Winter for the Northern Hemisphere. And with it, the publication my new Norse dark-fantasy piece, As Our Power Lessens at Eternal Haunted Summer: https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/issues/winter-solstice-2024/as-our-power-lessens/ As previously noted, this one is very ‘wyrd’, and Northern Theory of Courage. ...
The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, âsaving the planetâ is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on UnsplashEvery morning I get up at 3am to go around the traps of news sites in Aotearoa and globally. I pick out the top ones from my point of view and have been putting them into my Dawn Chorus email, which goes out with a podcast. ...
Over on Kikorangi Newsroom's Marc Daalder has published his annual OIA stats. So I thought I'd do mine: 82 OIA requests sent in 2024 7 posts based on those requests 20 average working days to receive a response Ministry of Justice was my most-requested entity, ...
Welcome to the December 2024 Economic Bulletin. We have two monthly features in this edition. In the first, we discuss what the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update from Treasury and the Budget Policy Statement from the Minister of Finance tell us about the fiscal position and what to ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi have submitted against the controversial Treaty Principles Bill, slamming the Bill as a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an attack on tino rangatiratanga and the collective rights of Tangata Whenua. âThis Bill seeks to legislate for Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles that are ...
I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
Our economy has experienced its worst recession since 1991. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, December 20 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above and the daily Pick ‘n’ Mix below ...
Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the week we’ve been collecting stories for our final roundup of the year. As we start to wind down for the year we hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and new year. If you’re travelling please be safe on ...
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the year’s news with: on climate. Her book of the year was Tim Winton’s cli-fi novel Juice and she also mentioned Mike Joy’s memoir The Fight for Fresh Water. ...
The Government can head off to the holidays, entitled to assure itself that it has done more or less what it said it would do. The campaign last year promised to âget New Zealand back on track.â When you look at the basic promisesâto trim back Government expenditure, toughen up ...
Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment:Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...
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 guests and , ...
âLike you said, Iâm an unreconstructed socialist. Everybody deserves to get something for Christmas.ââONE OF THOSE had better be for me!â Hannah grinned, fascinated, as Laurie made his way, gingerly, to the bar, his arms full of gift-wrapped packages.âOf course!â, beamed Laurie. Depositing his armful on the bar-top and selecting ...
Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. âThe data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
One last thing before I quitI never wanted any moreThan I could fit into my headI still remember every single word you saidAnd all the shit that somehow came along with itStill, there's one thing that comforts meSince I was always caged and now I'm freeSongwriters: David Grohl / Georg ...
Sparse offerings outside a Te Kauwhata church. Meanwhile, the Government is cutting spending in ways that make thousands of hungry children even hungrier, while also cutting funding for the charities that help them. It’s also doing that while winding back new building of affordable housing that would allow parents to ...
It is difficult to make sense of the Luxon Coalition Governmentâs economic management.This end-of-year review about the state of economic management â the state of the economy was last week â is not going to cover the National Party contribution. Frankly, like every other careful observer, I cannot make up ...
This morning I awoke to the lovely news that we are firmly back on track, that is if the scale was reversed.NZ ranks low in global economic comparisonsNew Zealand's economy has been ranked 33rd out of 37 in an international comparison of which have done best in 2024.Economies were ranked ...
Remember those silent movies where the heroine is tied to the railway tracks or going over the waterfall in a barrel? Finance Minister Nicola Willis seems intent on portraying herself as that damsel in distress. According to Willis, this countryâs current economic problems have all been caused by the spending ...
Similar to the cuts and the austerity drive imposed by Ruth Richardson in the 1990’s, an era which to all intents and purposes we’ve largely fiddled around the edges with fixing in the time since – over, to be fair, several administrations – whilst trying our best it seems to ...
String-Pulling in the Dark: For the democratic process to be meaningful it must also be public. WITH TRUST AND CONFIDENCE in New Zealandâs politicians and journalists steadily declining, restoring those virtues poses a daunting challenge. Just how daunting is made clear by comparing the way politicians and journalists treated New Zealanders ...
Dear Nicola Willis, thank you for letting us know in so many words that the swingeing austerity hasn't worked.By in so many words I mean the bit where you said, Here is a sea of red ink in which we are drowning after twelve months of savage cost cutting and ...
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral organisation committed to advancing open government. Countries which join are supposed to co-create regular action plans with civil society, committing to making verifiable improvements in transparency, accountability, participation, or technology and innovation for the above. And they're held to account through an Independent ...
Today I tuned into something strange: a press conference that didn’t make my stomach churn or the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Which was strange, because it was about the torture of children. It was the announcement by Erica Stanford — on her own, unusually ...
This is a must watch, and puts on brilliant and practical display the implications and mechanics of fast-track law corruption and weakness.CLICK HERE: LINK TO WATCH VIDEOOur news media as it is set up is simply not equipped to deal with the brazen disinformation and corruption under this right wing ...
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Acting Secretary Erin Polaczuk is welcoming the announcement from Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden that she is opening consultation on engineered stone and is calling on her to listen to the evidence and implement a total ban of the product. âWe need ...
The Government has announced a 1.5% increase in the minimum wage from 1 April 2025, well below forecast inflation of 2.5%. Unions have reacted strongly and denounced it as a real terms cut. PSA and the CTU are opposing a new round of staff cuts at WorkSafe, which they say ...
The decision to unilaterally repudiate the contract for new Cook Strait ferries is beginning to look like one of the stupidest decisions a New Zealand government ever made. While cancelling the ferries and their associated port infrastructure may have made this year's books look good, it means higher costs later, ...
Hi there! I’ve been overseas recently, looking after a situation with a family member. So apologies if there any less than focused posts! Vanuatu has just had a significant 7.3 earthquake. Two MFAT staff are unaccounted for with local fatalities.It’s always sad to hear of such things happening.I think of ...
Today is a special member's morning, scheduled to make up for the government's theft of member's days throughout the year. First up was the first reading of Greg Fleming's Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill, which was passed unanimously. Currently the House is debating the third reading of ...
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Willis blamed Treasury for changing its productivity assumptions and Labour’s spending increases since Covid for the worsening Budget outlook. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, December 18 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast above ...
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AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...
The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi are saying that the Government should do the right thing and deliver minimum wage increases that donât see workers fall further behind, in response to todayâs announcement that the minimum wage will only be increased by 1.5%, well short of forecast inflation. âWith inflation forecast ...
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In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Governmentâs achievements. âIt certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition governmentâs approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after youâve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Governmentâs planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulationâs report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whÄnau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under Nationalâs Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Governmentâs latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te PÄti MÄori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te PÄti MÄori government. This warning comes ahead of todayâs third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Governmentâs announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning itâs a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing.   ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to âsuper chargeâ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the countryâs gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-nationalâs disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Governmentâs new child poverty targets that are based on a new âpersistent povertyâ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Governmentâs Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets.  ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata MÄori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for MÄori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Billâwhich allows landlords to end tenancies with no reasonâignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Memberâs Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing âlossmaking paper productionâ. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatreâs restoration. ...
Today, the Green Party of Aotearoa proudly unveils its new Emissions Reduction PlanâHe Ara Anamataâa blueprint reimagining our collective future. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. âThe Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). âAt my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,â Mr Luxon says. âNew Zealandâs ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealandâs intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. âThe government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,â Mr Penk says. âApplications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Governmentâs measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âImproving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. âOur focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. âThe redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. âRegulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. âSynthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the NgÄruawÄhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âI would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. âI would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. âIt has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whataâs appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayersâ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. âTreasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. âFreedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last yearâs Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Networkâs new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.âThe Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. âDelivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. âCabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. âAs a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. âMr Horsleyâs experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. âHe is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. âEarlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. âThe Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill â the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawkeâs Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.âThe Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. âPlanting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. âThese trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). âThe Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. âThis Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
âAccelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,â says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mĆ te tangata, mahia â if itâs good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sectorâs delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for MÄori and all New Zealanders, MÄori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. âI would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. âThe appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Boardâs capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. âIn the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Governmentâs $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. âThis fund is part of the Governmentâs commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commissionâs plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.âThe Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best â providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Governmentâs Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.âNew Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.âCouncils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealandâs Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shukerâs new novel about⊠an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free â overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Hereâs how to make it to Jesusâs birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update âfucked up your lifeâ? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries â and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report âIt looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,â says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israelâs ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly ârisk-averse approachâ to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a âfreedom of speech statementâ ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
Itâs a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
Comment: If we say the word âdementiaâ, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...
Piracy is a reality of modern life â but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright lawâs conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...
The Ćtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a âcase of the give-upsâ. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeuâs Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, heâs not planning on simply idling his way through â he wants the late ...
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ćtautahi rest homes.Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...
Asia Pacific Report Fiji activists have recreated the nativity scene at a solidarity for Palestine gathering in Fijiâs capital Suva just days before Christmas. The Fiji Womenâs Crisis Centre and Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network recreated the scene at the FWCC compound â a baby Jesus figurine lies amidst the ...
By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Scully, Professor in Modern History, University of New England Bunker.Image courtesy of Michael Leunig, CC BY-NC-SA Michael Leunig â who died in the early hours of Thursday December 19, surrounded by âhis children, loved ones, and sunflowersâ â was the ...
The House - On Parliament's last day of the year, there was the rare occurrence of a personal (conscience) vote on selling booze over the Easter weekend. While it didn't have the numbers to pass, it was a chance to get a rare glimpse of the fact ...
A new poem by Holly Fletcher. bejeweled log i was dreaming about wasps / wee darlings that followed me / ducking under objects / that i was fated to pickup / my fingers seeking / and meeting with tiny proboscisâs / but instead / i wake up / roll sideways ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne Versta/Shutterstock Australians are exposed to some of the highest levels of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the world. While we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Terry, Professor of Business Regulation, University of Sydney Michael von Aichberger/Shutterstock Even if youâve no idea how the business model underpinning franchises works, thereâs a good chance youâve spent money at one. Franchising is essentially a strategy for cloning ...
If something big is going to happen in Ferndale, itâs going to happen at Christmas. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If thereâs one episode of Shortland Street you should watch each year, itâs the annual Christmas cliffhanger. The final episode of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William A. Stoltz, Lecturer and expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University US President-elect Donald Trump has named most of the members of his proposed cabinet. However, heâs yet to reveal key appointees to Americaâs powerful cyber warfare and intelligence institutions. ...
Announcing the top 10 books of the the year at Unity Booksâ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber, $37) The phenomenal Irish writer is the unsurprising chart topper for 2024 with her fourth novel that, much like her first ...
Another fantastic legacy of Helen Clark…Her involvement in the bid and commitment to the tournament is what got us this event and its enduring legacy.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8096698/NZ-keeps-on-winning-from-RWC-report
Key…well he ummmm fucked up a hand shake
I’m dissapointed that so much infrastructure was temporary and removed after the WC. Some Train stations have been revamped up to 3 times in the last 2-3 years FFS !
IMO RWC missed an opportunity to solve the eden park issue. Mallard’s an idiot on most issues but a waterfront stadium was and still is a good idea rather than a crappy largely open stadium in the suburbs in an inclement weather city.
Key and McCully etc only had to get the fanzone sorted and made a meal of that.
What a load of meaningless….twaddle”…..Has someone in this govt. department got an American or French degree in post modernism b***sh*t?
Not that keen on economists per- se but at least some of them from universities are providing some criticism of the report.
Be nice to see some other university types standing up to the BS so prevalent in our society today.
e.g.
‘…..”An understanding of the planning and operational excellence required to deliver major events is now embedded within government and the wider sports community,” the report said…….
While attendance forecasts had been met and visitor forecasts surpassed, it remained to be seen how the World Cup performed against economic forecasts in the longer term.
“The economic impact of large sports events can be difficult to quantify as it is calculated on the basis of money spent that would not have been otherwise,” the report said……..’
Enough said
Maybe read to the bottom of the article…
This is a load of BS spin, nothing else!
Verification of membership has just arrived in the post this morning. Looking forward to what’s coming next đ
Ditto here.
Got mine earlier this week. Had to laugh when I received an identical envelope in the same post with my first request for money from the Labour Party.
There’s something strange about becoming a member just as the party reaches what I sincerely hope will be its nadir. Do we phone the LEC rep and introduce ourselves or what? I’m pretty sure meetings are a thing of the past. Will be interesting to see how this party operates.
Your branch and/or LEC secretary will be notified, js. Most meetings are over for the year, but I would expect you will be invite to pop along to the first event next year. It would be great if you joined Victory for Labour; its a regular donation that also covers your annual dues and, in part, funds your branch.
Are many attending meetings around the country TRP? In general obviously.
Depends hugely on where you are, the history of the local branches, and the leadership from the MP involved.
Interested in your first impressions.
I think it’s way too early to become a member of the Labour Party when there’s no evidence that they’ve ditched their right-wing welfare stance on welfare. Annette King and Jacinda Ardern and the rest of Labour have for a very long time been deadly silent on where they see their welfare policies going. Ardern bleats on about National’s “attacks” on beneficiaries but then refuses to say what Labour would do differently. The same thing happened after the Richardson/Shipley tag team did a job on beneficiaries throughout the 1990s. Labour protested loudly then turned around and carried on with precisely the same agenda as National. Even now Ardern’s managed to get Bennett to take yet another slice off one of the add-on benefits the transition to work grant while her leader thinks he’s a doctor qualified to say there are people who shouldn’t get a sickness benefit because they look like they’re able to work. Far from being “rejuvenated” and “fresh” all the signs are there for it being yet another continuation of National’s assault on the poor, in the same way that happened between 1999 and 2008. Who wants to be a member of a party that does that? And why the hell are we still trusting them?
Sue Bradford’s done a good piece here that talks about Labour’s handywork on our social security system:
http://pundit.co.nz/blogs/sue-bradford
Looking forward to what’s coming next.
A letter from President, Moira Coatsworth asking for money that’s what.
I note she talks about an unforgettable conference. I’ll say it was unforgettable. đĄ
Edit: I see just saying has already told you.
Just check where the money is going. I am quite happy to support the party organisation financially and that is where a lot of the donation money goes to these days.
I thought you had gone green…… your political party affiliation seems to be all over the place like a hippo’s shit.
What is it about leaders of conservative parties and their refusal to read things which are politically damaging.
Â
The Federal Court in Australia has released a judgment heavily criticising members of the Liberal Party and how the court process was abused to get at former speaker Peter Slipper.
Â
Abbott has been asked what he thinks about it and has replied by saying he has not read the judgment.
Â
See no evil, hear no evil …
http://www.theedge.co.nz/John-Key-in-studio-with-Jay-Jay-Mike–Dom/tabid/106/articleID/24882/Default.aspx
For those who dont know why John Key is the most popular PM in NZ history
Helen was way more popular you fool.
Labour leader for how long?
Prime Minister for how long?
Would have won in 2008 if it wasn’t for the corrupt MSM and the promises of interest free loans from John Key to media works
You’re always good for a laugh fisiani.
3 seconds into that clip and I was reaching for the sick bucket.
But you know, like attracts like as they say. Only a total tard would listen to “the edge” and only a total tard would vote shonkey. Our glorious nation eh?
Try listening to some actual independant music stations and see how much key is lampooned on an almost daily basis
And this wanker(fucktard) is our Prime minister, at 8.12 in he refers to Kevin Rudd as an opposition MP in Australia, BTW if you can watch it that far in, keep vomit buckets handy
Shit like this morning effort makes me cringe to be a Kiwi. You’re a Prime Minister for fucks sake, grow up and exhibit some gravitas.
Apparently Dunnokeyo’s memory returned this morning when he specifically recalled eating maggots the last time he was on the Edge. It was the hosts who had the brainfade this time and couldn’t remember. (Wonder if it was from eating dead rats?)
Don’t moan abut the quality or not of Key. It seems that every second PM or leader that I hear about has been on the take or should be a busker. I think recently, Greece, France has had some doozeys, the USA always has some unbelievable, Italy has laid down the red carpet for a media magnate who seems to be on monkey glands, etc.
We never try to achieve highly for ourselves these days, just keep comparing us to overseas choosing the lowest. We don’t know how lucky we are – compared to Syria?
Well well well, look at this.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8099165/Education-secretary-set-to-quit
How boring if they get some one who is half competent.
Current education policy is a train wreck – Key appointed Tolley who appointed Longstone to carry out NACT agenda. And Key will probably come out of this squeaky clean…
And Longstone will carry the can for the new pay system as well …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10855074
Will Parata do the decent thing? I am suspecting not. Despite Longstone doing her masters bidding, no shit can stick to a minister of this govt.
The longer she stays the more the support for this regime will crumble.
Well, here is one report that Key and Co probably would have liked to go “under the radar” over the silly season – but has now been delayed. It is short so will quote it in full
An Auditor General's report into the Government's handling of a proposal for Sky City to build an international convention centre in exchange for more pokie machines has been delayed until next year.
The Office of the Auditor General had previously announced it hoped to release the report before Christmas but now says it will not be published this year.
It said draft copies of the report had been sent to relevant interested parties in December 12. It had previously hoped to get their response and be in a position to finalise the report quickly.
But it appears the consultation process – expected to include Sky City, other bidders and the Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development – is taking longer than expected.
"Although we and the other parties involved are working to complete the report as soon as possible, we can now advise that it will not be published this year. No further comment will be provided at this stage; media and interested parties will be notified of publication 24 hours in advance.ââ
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8094626/Pokies-for-convention-centre-report-delayed
The article is "lost' in the bowels of Stuff online, so thanks to Robert Winter's post "Rebstock, and now the pokies?" for the link.
And a big thanks to lprent for the Feeds column now on TS – I am finding it a great source for posts elsewhere and links such as to this article that I would otherwise miss.
Update: another little bit on this from Stuff’s ‘Today in Politics’ article today:
SkyCity convention centre report delayed till new year
The Auditor-General’s Office has put on the backburner the publication of a report into the process that led to SkyCity winning the right to build a convention centre. Last week it sent a draft to “relevant interested parties” for consultation and said it hoped to publish the final version this year.
But yesterday it said it had postponed it until next year, prompting speculation it included adverse findings that had caused one party to “push back”.
Surprise, surprise!
PS – bold is mine.
No problem. I actually stuck it there mostly for myself for exactly that reason
Stuff headline:
Education Boss quits……..
Will we hear of incompetence OR of Ministerial interference from a complete control freak in the days to come?
Women health workers in Pakistan killed by taleban for giving polio vaccinations. The cruellers shot one person on the excuse that they were trying to kill off the nation with western disease.
In the USA the religious tie up foreign aid so they canât have contraceptives or condoms and not abortions. 50% apparently believe that the age of the earth is under a million years.
I donât see how we can ever get an informed enlightened world where there is such wilful ignorance and domination of education and truth.
A foundation to enable Freedom of the Press has been set up:
https://www.pressfreedomfoundation.org/blog/2012/12/freedom-press-foundation-established-crowd-fund-transparency-journalism
and an article about the foundation:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-ellsberg/wikileaks-funding_b_2313376.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false
I wonder how many off you watched the “Secret of the Manor Born ” on Prime.
Now my first years of work was under those conditions , low wages and the class system in full force and woe betide any one who stepped out of line.
At its end we all thought it would never return unfortunately we are returning to those
awful conditions. .We have returned to the huge gap between rich and poor. A return to servants and home help at low wages . Unions have lost any strength and workers are unorganized.
This is the result of Conservative Right Wing governments. And unless working people wake up the
the gap,will,widen further
Hello PP. Was that show on last week, thursday at 8.30pm?
Sure was Rosie .How the hell was there not a Revolution. It only strengthened
my hatred of Tories. And I’m a mild sort off person..
This one?
Yes, thats the one thanks DTB.
Watching this I couldn’t help but feel saddened thinking of the generations of workers rights that have been really hard won, including lives lost in the struggle, that have now almost disappeared – when we think of where we are now. Have also been watching History of Wales and History of Scotland lately. Both series covered the industrial revolution and the impact it had on the working populations of those Countries in terms of their health and social and political outcomes: the coal mines of Wales and the steel yards of Scotland. Seems we turned a full wheel of the political and market spectrum and here we are again without jobs and the jobs we have can sometimes be unsafe and life threatening. (Think modern day mining around the globe and even here at Pike River) Perhaps there is a return to the past PP. Its the same masters in charge.
And heres another report from the International Labor Rights Forum on modern day company knowledge of unsafe work conditions and the lack of attempt to remedy it, or even provide the basics of a safe and healthy workplace, let alone decent wages and conditions.
http://laborrights.org/sites/default/files/publications-and-resources/Deadly_Secrets.pdf
Whither Populuxe1?
Mass Murder Advocate Fails to Front His Critics
I note with some concern that poor old Populuxe1 has failed to surface after being keel-hauled by all and sundry yesterday.
I can see four possible explanations for his failure to mount an argument in defence of himself and his outlandish statement on Open Mike:
1.) He lacks the wherewithal to mount a coherent argument;
2.) He is “on leave”, a la the Rt. Hon. Hekia Parata;
3.) He is licking his wounds and preparing for an AWESOME comeback, where he sprays around even more awesomely absurd epithets;
4.) In his shame and desperation, the poor oaf has actually shown some courage and taken the time-honored option, viz. …..
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Giotto_-_Scrovegni_-_-47-_-_Desperation.jpg
Conoisseurs of the bizarre and deranged can peruse the poor chap’s comment by clicking here….
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-18122012/comment-page-1/#comment-564232
Intesingly red alert isn’t being moderatated to the same degree these days…love live CV.
Maybe they should unban everyone and start again.
Disabled the wysiwyg comments for a few days as it was popping up on everyone’s replies.
I have to look at the versions of tinyMCE running on here now…