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.’’
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 can’t have contraceptives or condoms and not abortions. 50% apparently believe that the age of the earth is under a million years.
I don’t 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.
. . Former Police, Corrections, and Justice Minister in the previous John Key government, Judith Collins, has been ridiculed on social media after posting a comment on Twitter that was patently untrue; . Wrong!! National did not remove Prisoners’ ability to vote. Parliament voted through a Private Member’s Bill ...
Speaker Trevor Mallard was left to look after Jones, while his usual caretaker, Winston Peters, underwent surgery. A truly adorable scene from Parliament yesterday has gone viral, after Speaker Trevor Mallard cradled an extremely drunk Shane Jones in his arms while the House was in session. Loud “awwww”s could be ...
Western media have defended their decision not to cover the fires so as not to give them any oxygen. Social media outrage continues to grow around the sentiment that mainstream western media is devoting too little coverage to an ongoing series of fires in the Amazon rainforest, and in doing ...
A Long Time Ago, In A Parallel Universe Far, Far Away: The political journalist scratched his head in confusion. Only then did he notice the name of the building: ‘The Jacinda Ardern Presidential Library and Public Resource Centre’. Making his way inside to the information desk, he asked the librarian ...
Too Much Of Nothing: In many respects it is the power of a free press to keep history’s images vivid and clear that renders it so important to the life of our democracy. It was the Czech writer, Milan Kundera, who said it best: “The struggle of man against power ...
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A new study claims to find that a mother’s exposure to fluoridated water during pregnancy may decrease the IQ of male children – but is it correct? (Photo: Getty Images) Anti-fluoride campaigners are promoting ...
Yesterday the Greater Wellington Regional Council unanimously declared a climate emergency. They've also set themselves a goal of being carbon neutral by 2030, though this only applies to their direct emissions. Still, its a good step, and as usual it invites the question: where is Parliament? When are we going ...
That's the only way to describe the government's plans for a Parliamentary Budget Office to allow opposition parties to get an independent costing of their policies. When the idea was first floated back in 2016 as an office within Treasury, I thought that wasn't independent enough and argued that it ...
Today is a Member's day, and after the third reading of Hamish Walker's KiwiSaver (Oranga Tamariki Guardians) Amendment Bill, Parliament will be continuing the committee stage of David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill. The bigots have put up another pile of amendments in an effort to delay or wreck ...
Television advertising has a huge impact on our lives. Even if we don’t recognise that, we know it has to be true, since otherwise why would advertisers spend so much on it? Its significance, however, is greater than simply the influence it has on what we purchase and consume. It ...
by Jan Rivers More than 30 years ago a Commission of Inquiry was held in New Zealand to investigate, amongst other things, whether women with cervical cancer were aware that they had been part of a research project and whether they were properly informed of the treatment options ...
Everyone Wants To Be Fuhrer: When fascist groups are discussed, the image conjured-up in the minds of most New Zealanders is one of pathetic misfits. This negative impression is reinforced by the latter’s idiotic embrace of the swastika. Even in the second decade of the twenty-first century, the baleful legacy ...
by Philip Ferguson This weekend just past marks the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, the most famous of the great 1960s music festivals. It was held over the weekend (Friday-Monday) of August 15-18, 1969. Woodstock was a highpoint of the US ‘counter-culture’, and also the beginning of its end. When exploring the ...
It looks like the government has won over the public on its vehicle feebate scheme:A feebate scheme that would transfer hundreds of millions of dollars from buyers of higher-emission cars into the pockets of people buying EVs and other more fuel-efficient vehicles has been winning favour with submitters, the Government ...
When people suggest lowering the voting age, others argue that the young are too uneducated or silly to exercise the duties of citizenship. Australian John Quiggin has just blown that argument out of the water:Looking at the array of ignorant and vindictive old men attacking Greta Thunberg and other young ...
In the previous two posts, I laid out the context and set the theoretical framework to answer a question: whether indigenous economies should take the LEAP. This final part outlines ways to conceive of practicing mana motuhake within the existing legal system by carving out special jurisdictions that enable Indigenous ...
Fully Informed? Labour’s 2017 promises raised expectations that were little short of revolutionary. Unfortunately, they were never adequately shaken through the fiscal sieve. The hard economic work was not done – and it shows. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s critics have long complained that her grasp of the way the New ...
You cannot expect to pound communities into the ground day after day, year after year, decade after decade and just expect them to take it lying down. There’s a point at which the place will explode. And we’re faced with some very big ructions on both sides of the Atlantic ...
Back in May, Destiny Church leaders Brian and Hannah Tamaki launched another political party. Despite consisting entirely of followers of their religion, they grandly called it "Coalition New Zealand", in a vain effort to suggest it was something broader. But when they applied for registration, submitters opposed the name, as ...
The following article is excerpted and translated from two articles in recent issues of Lutte de Classe (Class Struggle), the magazine of Lutte Ouvrière (Workers Struggle), the revolutionary workers group active in France. We don’t necessarily agree with everything in it – for instance, the 1956-62 war for independence involved rather more revolutionary forces than ...
The Pacific is on the front line of climate change, and if we don't cut emissions quickly, some countries are literally going to be underwater. Because of this, small Pacific states had tried to use this week's Pacific Islands Forum meeting to get Pacific countries to agree to ending coal ...
To Limit Another's Rights Is To Limit One's Own: Is it too much to expect senior members of our Government to be capable of explaining that we protect the rights of human-beings precisely because not even the most depraved act can cancel-out the fact that its perpetrator is also a ...
Going Down? Once truth and propaganda become fused in the minds of one’s followers, debate and discussion become redundant. If one’s opponents are all outrageous liars, then engaging with them in any way is pointless. Rather than waste its time, a political party should, instead, target all its messages at ...
This section builds on Part 1 of this series to provide a theoretical basis for the final instalment (part 3 – to come). Self-determination: law or resurgence — or both? International law promotes the principal of equal treatment and self-determination, which includes peoples’ rights to freely pursue their social, cultural and ...
Everyone was outraged yesterday to learn that the Christchurch shooting accused had been able to send mail from prison to his Nazi fans, apparently pushing more hate. "How could this possibly happen", people asked. Simple: because New Zealand is a civilised country, and so we let prisoners send and receive ...
If we are to avoid dangerous anthropogenic climate change, we need to rapidly decarbonise our transport fleet. The good news: its starting to happen:The number of electric vehicles on New Zealand's roads have nearly tripled in the past two years. There are currently 15,453 registered electric vehicles (EVs), up ...
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The views-per-page for some of my recent postings:Depressing, isn't it? Provide thoughtful and wise commentary on the mainstream of British politics and no-one notices. Make a passing reference to Tommy DICKHEAD Robinson in a thread title and you get hundreds of views. Write something about anti-Semitism and you get another ...
The government has announced plans to move the Treaty of Waitangi and other taonga to a new site. Great news! So where are they going? Right next to the old one:The new plan will see a new 22,000-square-metre archive built on the former site of Defence House - the former ...
Back in June, StatsNZ went public about a project to track population data on an hourly level by using people's cellphones. It wasn't as bad as it initially looked - they were receiving no individual data, only counts by suburb - but there was still a huge consent problem, so ...
Most economists agree that a currently slowing economy could do with some stimulus – and they would also agree that there is no shortage of infrastructure projects which could be brought to productive fruition with help from that stimulus. In view of the current practice of sub-contracting economic policy decisions ...
I did an interview on the TVNZ Breakfast Show about the situation in Hong Kong. I tried to frame the issue as a collective action problem between two sides with very different end games. The video is here. Because of time constraints we could not discuss the fact that the ...
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ...
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ...
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We asked a young gay science student and critic of trans ideology and the trans activists’ assault on women’s and gay rights to outline his views on Redline. Thanks to him for his article. by Cian Ó Catháin Gender identity ideology (Gender ID) is ripping through western society at full ...
The Environment Committee is currently hearing submissions on the Zero Carbon Bill, and Stuff is reporting on the submissions. Today, they're covering yesterday they heard from "NZ" Steel:NZ Steel has told MPs it may be forced to close with the loss of thousands of jobs if changes aren't made to ...
Students are striking against climate change on September 27. And this time, they're asking everyone to join them:Students are taking to the streets, beaches and parks on 27 September, and we're inviting everyone to join us. That's right, this is an intergenerational issue, and you're all invited to put pressure ...
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This handy Queer Theory Glossary is from thetranswidow.com In case you’ve had trouble keeping up with the spate of new queer theory terms, here’s a handy glossary for your reference. Queer – A straight person with an interesting haircut. Non-binary/genderqueer – A chubby young female, typically 16-28, who has ...
by Daphna Whitmore US social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt spoke on 1 August in Auckland to a crowd of around one thousand people. He is best known for his bookThe Coddling of the American Mind which examines the new climate of trigger warnings and acute sensitivity of Gen Z. ...
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by Don Franks Way back when British guitar virtuoso Joe Brown was a beginning session guy he got to back a visiting American artist. Young Joe was an able technician but had yet to learn some points of professionalism. Part way through “Five foot high and rising” Joe tired of ...
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‘Original Sin’ of Land Confiscation at Ihumātao is a wrong that can be put right by Government says Justice & Peace Commission of Catholic Diocese of Auckland ...
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a press conference on August 19 that her government is likely to impose new restrictions on prisoners’ rights to send letters. She said the law could be changed in “weeks.” ...
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Auckland Action Against Poverty joins the Children’s Commissioner , The Green Party , The New Zealand Drugs Foundation , Child Poverty Action Group and other organisations in the calls for an immediate end to the drug testing benefit sanctions. ...
Negotiations between Port Otago workers represented by the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) and the Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) and management failed today and the unions have issued notice of an overtime ban from Saturday 7th September. ...
Queenstown Lakes District Council’s comments that it has applied for a consent to pollute waterways to avoid 'prosecutions by the Otago Regional Council' are unacceptable,’ Fish & Game New Zealand Chief Executive Martin Taylor says. ...
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This Saturday, Pakuranga Hunt Day at the Ellerslie Racecourse will see anti-horse racing protesters demonstrating at the corner of Ascot Avenue and Greenlane East. ...
Mayoral candidate John Tamihere will meet with Pacific Island leaders and community elders today at Puhunui Reserve in South Auckland to commit to a Pasefika Cultural Centre. ...
Cruel and invalid Forced Swim Tests carried out at Victoria University of Wellington, will be exposed at the University Open Day today, so prospective students can be warned about the flawed and unethical research being conducted at the institute. ...
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The Council of Licenced Firearm Owners (COLFO) is urging firearms owners to pass on information to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques now that the period for submissions has been extended to 27 September. ...
An application was filed in the Employment Relations Authority in Wellington today, seeking an injunction to prevent the Board of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation from removing the President from office. ...
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The AA is calling on the Government to bring forward critical highway projects while time is spent properly developing the plans for a rapid transit system in Auckland. ...
Between 2015/16 and 2017/18, DHBs spent $280 million treating patients due to adverse drug reactions, reveals the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union in its latest briefing paper on health productivity . ...
The Pay Equity Coalition Auckland (PECA) is pleased the gender pay gap has decreased slightly. Statistics released today show the gap is now 11.9%, nearly 2 percent less than last year. ...
The Council of Licenced Firearm Owners (COLFO) is urging firearms owners to make sure they pass on any information they have to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques before submissions close tomorrow (Friday). ...
The big electricity companies consider solar energy “disruptive” and want pricing to suppress it. In contrast, advocates of local energy say that solar, energy efficiency, and other local energy solutions are the cheapest ways to reduce carbon emissions. ...
The Earthquake Commission and Shine Lawyers are delighted to announce that EQC has reached an agreement with the Gibling family, agreeing to cover the cost of repairs of remaining earthquake damage on their property. ...
Four months into the inquiry, the Royal Commission is gathering significant information and continues to receive valuable submissions from the public, from current and former State servants, experts and community groups. ...
While Fish & Game New Zealand is pleased to see Federated Farmers Environment Spokesperson Chris Allen say that 'we all want good, fresh water', he conveniently overlooks some key facts. ...
What: Wellington demo “Save the Amazon Forest/Salve a Amazônia!” When: Friday, 6 September 2019 from 12:30-13:30 Where: Embassy of Brazil in Wellingtona ...
Rt Hon Trevor Mallard, Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, welcomes the visit of His Excellency Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, President of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal. ...
A cross political Mental Health and Addictions Wellbeing group will be launched on Wednesday 28 August hosted by Sir John Kirwan and Moe Milne (ONZM) who have both been at the forefront of our country’s often difficult conversations about mental ...
Confirmation that the government will be progressing an independent Parliamentary Budget Office is great news for democracy and transparency, Federated Farmers says. ...
At first glance, Simon Bridges’ strident opposition to the government’s proposal to establish an independent office to cost political parties’ election spending plans looks childish and petty. ...
Euthanasia-Free NZ is appalled that Parliament spent so little time debating Part 2 of the End of Life Choice Bill and voted to leave it full of holes. ...
Jordan Williams, a spokesman for the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance and its nationwide sister group the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Auckland Mayor Phil Goff for his comments today that John Tamihere would need the Government’s support to ...
A ‘one size fits all’, inflexible and punitive regulatory regime for water quality just gets backs - and costs - up and most importantly will not work, Federated Farmers says. ...
Mediation yesterday between secondary principals and the government has resulted in a deal that the principals' negotiating team is recommending to its members. ...
Clubs New Zealand welcomes the decision of Justice Minister Andrew Little to put forward a bill amending the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow all licensed premises to remain open for Rugby World Cup matches. ...
The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation has ordered a review looking at labelling of added sugars in food and drinks. An option under investigation is ‘a pictorial approach applied to sugary beverages / sugar-sweetened beverages’ ...
Labour market data released by Statistics New Zealand today indicates that a gender pay gap persists in New Zealand, despite improvement in some areas. ...
In the midst of the 6th Great Extinction Event the coalition, STOP Trashing Our Planet is urging voters to take full responsibility for the legacy we are leaving our children. ...
LGNZ will carefully consider the proposed National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) to assess if it meets the Government’s aim of enabling urban development or simply adds more red tape to the planning process. ...
The giant hand that captivated, delighted and disgusted the nation is now settling into its new Wellington home. For City Gallery Wellington’s blog, Spinoff arts editor Megan Dunn talked to Ronnie van Hout, the man who made Quasi.“Quasi is in the wrong place,” wrote art critic Warren Feeney in 2016, ...
At school camp, the children are banned from having phones, laptops, lollies, chocolate, money, cotton clothing or independent thoughts. They, are, however, allowed home baking – but it’s gotta be hearty. How hearty are you? We are packing for a school camp. If you’re thinking that the middle of winter is ...
Phil Goff’s rival has already pledged an 0800-Jacinda homeless hotline and an 18-lane harbour bridge. What’s next? The two most important people in the 2019 campaign for the Auckland mayoralty faced each other down on Wednesday night across the desk in the NZME debate: Bernard Orsman and Simon Wilson. Correction: it ...
Split Level View Finder: Theo Schoon and New Zealand Art is the exhibition that sparked a protest over issues of cultural appropriation and institutional representation. Theo Schoon is a divisive historical figure. But is his art any good? Martin Patrick reviews.British novelist L.P. Hartley once wrote that “the past is ...
Ahead of debuting her solo show at New Zealand Fashion Week, Korean-NZ couture designer Cecilia Kang talks about growing up ‘feminine’, being influenced by the LGBTQ+ community, and why an ‘administrative error’ at Fashion Week left her so shaken up. ‘I like something big,” says Cecilia Kang, gesturing to the giant ...
The Labour Party is distancing itself from one of its members who is strongly pro-Beijing and has caused controversy in the Chinese community by standing for local office in Auckland. ...
Faced with staff shortages, equipment failures, cancer risks, and a jump in critical calls that can leave them traumatised, some firefighters are wondering if it’s time to hang up the hose. Gareth Shute reports on the dissatisfaction inside Fire and Emergency New Zealand.The state of our nation’s fire service is ...
“She comes over. You’re my mother, she says. Yes, I say. I don’t know you, she says”: a mother and child seaside story by Wellington author Jan Pryor. Photo by Peter Black. ...
On Monday the government announced its new five-year strategy to reduce the Māori prison population. Emilie Rākete looks at another ‘kaupapa Māori’ prison initiative that degrades prisoners and asks if Corrections are capable of seeing it through.On August 19th, the Department of Corrections announced Hōkai Rangi, its new strategy intended ...
By Michael Andrew The Indonesian media is contributing to resentment and racism toward Papuans, according to a human rights researcher and former journalist. Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch Jakarta told Pacific Media Watch many Indonesian journalists either view Papuans as enemy “separatists” or deviants and their reporting tends to convey these ...
Analysis - The prime minister puts a stake in the ground over petrol prices, National balks at having its election promises costed and the government puts millions into helping the homeless. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danilo Ignacio de Urzedo, PhD candidate, University of Sydney Record fires are raging in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, with more than 2,500 fires currently burning. They are collectively emitting huge amounts of carbon, with smoke plumes visible thousands of kilometres away. Fires in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sean Docking, Post-doctoral researcher, La Trobe University Basketball fans around the world were recently sickened by the footage of NBA star Kevin Durant’s Achilles tendon rupturing during a game. But while many think it’s only elite athletes who suffer from Achilles tendon ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University The possibility of blackouts affecting half of Victoria has attracted plenty of attention to a document once read only by industry insiders and policy wonks: the Electricity Statement of Opportunities. The Statement, updated ...
George Clooney sold his tequila company for a billion dollars – but is the stuff any good? The Spinoff finds out. Imagine being so stupidly sexy you sneeze and sell a billion-dollar booze company. That’s what George Clooney did last year, flicking off the tequila business he started accidentally with an ...
The departure of "two Pākehā men" from the government's justice reform group will not hurt the quality of its final report, another member of the team says. ...
Combatting internet-related harm is being stymied by inter-industry disagreement and a lack of information about the extent and nature of the problem, a new report says. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, J.W. Nevile Fellow in Economics and host of The Airport Economist, UNSW Amid the tributes to former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer and the stories of his authenticity, courage and quirky interests – like trains and military history – what ...
Current leader of the National Party, Simon Bridges.Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Is Simon Bridges really trying to channel Donald Trump? Or is he taking his cue from Scott Morrison? Or is he looking to emulate Boris Johnson? Whatever the inspiration, there’s been a clear change in the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]Michelle Grattan talks about the sad news of the passing of former Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer with University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Professor Deep Saini. They also discuss Scott Morrison’s recent announcement about joining ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabriel Crowley, Adjunct Principal Research Fellow, James Cook University In February, about 600,000 cattle were killed by catastrophic flooding across north Queensland’s Carpentaria Gulf plains. The flood waters rose suddenly, forming a wall of water up to 70km wide. Record depths were ...
Simon Day dined alone at Monique Fiso’s Wellington restaurant Hiakai, and discovered it was the perfect way to appreciate the meaning of this special food. “Would you like a few more minutes with your phone?” the waitress at Hiakai asked sympathetically as I mashed a final goodbye text to my wife ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Willamson, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Australia’s gender pay gap is diminishing, says a new report, but some contributors to it seem harder to overcome than others. For me, the finding hit close to home. The report, by KPMG for ...
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 Te Tiriti o Waitangi: The Treaty of Waitangi by Toby Morris with Ross Calman, Mark Derby, and ...
Honey producer Comvita has confirmed a full year net loss of $27.7m with China market access restrictions and tougher regulations locally affecting the company's sales. ...
James Elliott realises John Tamihere's uncosted bridge proposal wasn't actually a metaphor, but a fine example of 'folks is mighty generous with money what they ain’t got'. ...
A new poem by Oamaru-born poet Nick Ascroft.SupermanHalfway up the ascent zigzagging from Royal Terrace to upper Stuart Street carrying four too-heavy grocery bags I begin to understand that I will not make it. My huffing personage – from the fingers, white with the strain, to a face the colour of rhubarb – will ooze into the pavement and roll slowly ...
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.Sound the alarm, because it’s time for another absolute chaos pod. We’re talking haunted dolls in Waipu, we’re talking giant hands taking over Wellington, we’re talking soft serve cones dipped in powdered Milo. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Press, Adjunct Professor, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania This week, the ABC revealed that the Australian Defence Force wants to roll out military technology in Antarctica. The article raises the issue of what is, or is not, ...
New Zealand teacher aides say their pay reflects an outdated idea of what they do. Elizabeth McLeod hears from four TAs, and one parent, about the classroom realities they face every dayCleaning up poo, defusing violent situations, copping physical and verbal abuse: these are the realities of a teacher aide’s ...
The lanky sidekick from Jono and Ben journeys around New Zealand trying to solve small town problems. Does he succeed?Guy Williams, hardly a shy, retiring type, has been screaming out for his own vehicle for years. A loud, lanky, fearless comic, he’s spent nearly a decade in MediaWorks purgatory, sat ...
Ballot Box.Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – The nature of New Zealand general election campaigns could be significantly changed with the proposed establishment of an “umpire” to adjudicate over political party manifesto policies. A suggestion has been put forward by the Government for the establishment of a parliamentary watchdog ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Ihumātao Delphine Herbert and Dan Satherley (Newshub): Tainui to buy Ihumātao land – sources Danielle ...
Extinction Rebellion takes a tour of downtown Wellington to point out the coal industry stalwarts and ask why they’re still there in the face of a climate emergency. “There are coal companies in Wellington??”That’s the incredulous response every single time we mention taking the public on a tour of the biggest ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel A. Ankeny, Professor of History and Philosophy, and Deputy Dean Research (Faculty of Arts), University of Adelaide The South Australian government recently announced its intention to lift the long-standing statewide moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops, following a statutory six-week consultation ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vicki Sentas, Senior Lecturer, UNSW Law, UNSW Being strip searched by the police can be intrusive, humiliating and harmful. Typically, strip searches involve being required to strip naked in front of police officers, who often give the direction to “squat and cough”, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Remond, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Hi, I was just wondering if something’s wrong with me because I’m never happy and never want to do anything and I’m getting really lazy and I really hate school. Thanks – Anonymous ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Zaphir, Researcher for the University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project; and Online Teacher at Education Queensland’s IMPACT Centre, The University of Queensland From as early as Grade 3 teachers start teaching children how to put across their own points of view. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW It’s four years since then Prime Minister Tony Abbott warned Australia had been heading to “a Greek-style economic future”. He was referring to what he said had been happening under the previous Labor government. When Labor ...
Open mike 19/12/2012 
. . Former Police, Corrections, and Justice Minister in the previous John Key government, Judith Collins, has been ridiculed on social media after posting a comment on Twitter that was patently untrue; . Wrong!! National did not remove Prisoners’ ability to vote. Parliament voted through a Private Member’s Bill ...20 hours ago
Speaker Trevor Mallard was left to look after Jones, while his usual caretaker, Winston Peters, underwent surgery. A truly adorable scene from Parliament yesterday has gone viral, after Speaker Trevor Mallard cradled an extremely drunk Shane Jones in his arms while the House was in session. Loud “awwww”s could be ...1 day ago
Western media have defended their decision not to cover the fires so as not to give them any oxygen. Social media outrage continues to grow around the sentiment that mainstream western media is devoting too little coverage to an ongoing series of fires in the Amazon rainforest, and in doing ...1 day ago
A Long Time Ago, In A Parallel Universe Far, Far Away: The political journalist scratched his head in confusion. Only then did he notice the name of the building: ‘The Jacinda Ardern Presidential Library and Public Resource Centre’. Making his way inside to the information desk, he asked the librarian ...2 days ago
2 days ago
Nothing from me tody - I'm off to Christchurch to pretend to be other people for a weekend. Normal bloggage should resume on Tuesday. ...2 days ago
Spark is bracing for a customer backlash as rugby fans all across the country struggle to get a picture on their wireless router. With the Rugby World Cup fast approaching, an elderly Taranaki couple are furious after being told that they still won’t be able to watch the tournament, even ...2 days ago
Several explosions have been reported across Auckland, as well-meaning environmentalists have already begun purchasing too much petrol Starting from next week, customers will no longer need a car to purchase petrol directly from the pump, a development that two major fuel providers are billing as an opportunity to help fight ...2 days ago
A new study claims to find that a mother’s exposure to fluoridated water during pregnancy may decrease the IQ of male children – but is it correct? (Photo: Getty Images) Anti-fluoride campaigners are promoting ... 2 days ago
Television advertising has a huge impact on our lives. Even if we don’t recognise that, we know it has to be true, since otherwise why would advertisers spend so much on it? Its significance, however, is greater than simply the influence it has on what we purchase and consume. It ...4 days ago
by Jan Rivers More than 30 years ago a Commission of Inquiry was held in New Zealand to investigate, amongst other things, whether women with cervical cancer were aware that they had been part of a research project and whether they were properly informed of the treatment options ...5 days ago
Everyone Wants To Be Fuhrer: When fascist groups are discussed, the image conjured-up in the minds of most New Zealanders is one of pathetic misfits. This negative impression is reinforced by the latter’s idiotic embrace of the swastika. Even in the second decade of the twenty-first century, the baleful legacy ...5 days ago
In the previous two posts, I laid out the context and set the theoretical framework to answer a question: whether indigenous economies should take the LEAP. This final part outlines ways to conceive of practicing mana motuhake within the existing legal system by carving out special jurisdictions that enable Indigenous ...7 days ago
Fully Informed? Labour’s 2017 promises raised expectations that were little short of revolutionary. Unfortunately, they were never adequately shaken through the fiscal sieve. The hard economic work was not done – and it shows. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s critics have long complained that her grasp of the way the New ...7 days ago
You cannot expect to pound communities into the ground day after day, year after year, decade after decade and just expect them to take it lying down. There’s a point at which the place will explode. And we’re faced with some very big ructions on both sides of the Atlantic ...1 week ago
1 week ago
Going Down? Once truth and propaganda become fused in the minds of one’s followers, debate and discussion become redundant. If one’s opponents are all outrageous liars, then engaging with them in any way is pointless. Rather than waste its time, a political party should, instead, target all its messages at ...1 week ago
We need to fundamentally reframe our systems settings to address the drivers causing and underpinning inequality; structural change in systems especially financial. The Equality Network Hui was held in Wellington on 27 June 2019. The hui covered important topics such as child poverty; a living wage; taxation; public health; mental ...1 week ago
The views-per-page for some of my recent postings:Depressing, isn't it? Provide thoughtful and wise commentary on the mainstream of British politics and no-one notices. Make a passing reference to Tommy DICKHEAD Robinson in a thread title and you get hundreds of views. Write something about anti-Semitism and you get another ...1 week ago
The government has announced plans to move the Treaty of Waitangi and other taonga to a new site. Great news! So where are they going? Right next to the old one:The new plan will see a new 22,000-square-metre archive built on the former site of Defence House - the former ...2 weeks ago
Back in June, StatsNZ went public about a project to track population data on an hourly level by using people's cellphones. It wasn't as bad as it initially looked - they were receiving no individual data, only counts by suburb - but there was still a huge consent problem, so ...2 weeks ago
I did an interview on the TVNZ Breakfast Show about the situation in Hong Kong. I tried to frame the issue as a collective action problem between two sides with very different end games. The video is here. Because of time constraints we could not discuss the fact that the ...2 weeks ago
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ... 2 weeks ago
Alone, Alone. All, All Alone: Will it be a good or a bad thing, when humanity’s bright blue spacecraft is stricken by the civilisation-destroying problem of Climate Change, that no Huston Control will be standing-by to rescue the crew?“WE HAVE A PROBLEM, HUSTON.” These were the words used by the ...2 weeks ago
Divided Loyalties: Can the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, be relied upon? That’s what the boys and girls at Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon needed to be reassured about. Because, from the perspective of Washington, it’s looking more and more like Jacinda Ardern and her Labour Party comrades are getting ready ...2 weeks ago
This handy Queer Theory Glossary is from thetranswidow.com In case you’ve had trouble keeping up with the spate of new queer theory terms, here’s a handy glossary for your reference. Queer – A straight person with an interesting haircut. Non-binary/genderqueer – A chubby young female, typically 16-28, who has ...2 weeks ago
The winter grazing issue is becoming a highly sensitised one that I hope will not become so politicised that it delays solutions and results in the suicides of some very stressed farmers.Winter grazing has hit the headlines after a determined campaign, including the release of a video of some very ...2 weeks ago
The Green Part has been accused of lack of transparency in two recent situations. The first was the claimed media lockdown during Green's annual conference and the second was Julie Ann Genter's refusal to release a letter she had sent to Phil Twyford.I do get frustrated when journalist's succumb to ...3 weeks ago
Opportunities to dodge tax are shrinking with the completion of a new tax agreement with Switzerland, Revenue Minister Stuart Nash announced today. Mr Nash and the Swiss Ambassador David Vogelsanger have today signed documents to update the double tax agreement (DTA). The previous DTA was signed in 1980. “Double tax ...2 weeks ago
On Newshub Nation: Simon Shepherd interviews Children's Commissioner Andrew Becroft and international children's rights expert Laura Lundy ...16 hours ago
The giant hand that captivated, delighted and disgusted the nation is now settling into its new Wellington home. For City Gallery Wellington’s blog, Spinoff arts editor Megan Dunn talked to Ronnie van Hout, the man who made Quasi.“Quasi is in the wrong place,” wrote art critic Warren Feeney in 2016, ...4 hours ago
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has promised to help Muslim women who are interested in politics. ...11 hours ago
At school camp, the children are banned from having phones, laptops, lollies, chocolate, money, cotton clothing or independent thoughts. They, are, however, allowed home baking – but it’s gotta be hearty. How hearty are you? We are packing for a school camp. If you’re thinking that the middle of winter is ...18 hours ago
Phil Goff’s rival has already pledged an 0800-Jacinda homeless hotline and an 18-lane harbour bridge. What’s next? The two most important people in the 2019 campaign for the Auckland mayoralty faced each other down on Wednesday night across the desk in the NZME debate: Bernard Orsman and Simon Wilson. Correction: it ...19 hours ago
Split Level View Finder: Theo Schoon and New Zealand Art is the exhibition that sparked a protest over issues of cultural appropriation and institutional representation. Theo Schoon is a divisive historical figure. But is his art any good? Martin Patrick reviews.British novelist L.P. Hartley once wrote that “the past is ...19 hours ago
Ahead of debuting her solo show at New Zealand Fashion Week, Korean-NZ couture designer Cecilia Kang talks about growing up ‘feminine’, being influenced by the LGBTQ+ community, and why an ‘administrative error’ at Fashion Week left her so shaken up. ‘I like something big,” says Cecilia Kang, gesturing to the giant ...20 hours ago
The Labour Party is distancing itself from one of its members who is strongly pro-Beijing and has caused controversy in the Chinese community by standing for local office in Auckland. ...20 hours ago
Faced with staff shortages, equipment failures, cancer risks, and a jump in critical calls that can leave them traumatised, some firefighters are wondering if it’s time to hang up the hose. Gareth Shute reports on the dissatisfaction inside Fire and Emergency New Zealand.The state of our nation’s fire service is ...21 hours ago
“She comes over. You’re my mother, she says. Yes, I say. I don’t know you, she says”: a mother and child seaside story by Wellington author Jan Pryor. Photo by Peter Black. ...21 hours ago
On Monday the government announced its new five-year strategy to reduce the Māori prison population. Emilie Rākete looks at another ‘kaupapa Māori’ prison initiative that degrades prisoners and asks if Corrections are capable of seeing it through.On August 19th, the Department of Corrections announced Hōkai Rangi, its new strategy intended ...23 hours ago
By Michael Andrew The Indonesian media is contributing to resentment and racism toward Papuans, according to a human rights researcher and former journalist. Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch Jakarta told Pacific Media Watch many Indonesian journalists either view Papuans as enemy “separatists” or deviants and their reporting tends to convey these ...1 day ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danilo Ignacio de Urzedo, PhD candidate, University of Sydney Record fires are raging in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, with more than 2,500 fires currently burning. They are collectively emitting huge amounts of carbon, with smoke plumes visible thousands of kilometres away. Fires in ...1 day ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sean Docking, Post-doctoral researcher, La Trobe University Basketball fans around the world were recently sickened by the footage of NBA star Kevin Durant’s Achilles tendon rupturing during a game. But while many think it’s only elite athletes who suffer from Achilles tendon ...1 day ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University The possibility of blackouts affecting half of Victoria has attracted plenty of attention to a document once read only by industry insiders and policy wonks: the Electricity Statement of Opportunities. The Statement, updated ...1 day ago
Internet freedom advocates have slammed the Government for proposing censorship of online gambling sites. ...1 day ago
George Clooney sold his tequila company for a billion dollars – but is the stuff any good? The Spinoff finds out. Imagine being so stupidly sexy you sneeze and sell a billion-dollar booze company. That’s what George Clooney did last year, flicking off the tequila business he started accidentally with an ...1 day ago
As Indonesia cracks down on protests in the disputed West Papua territory, the Government has declined to condemn the violence. ...1 day ago
Combatting internet-related harm is being stymied by inter-industry disagreement and a lack of information about the extent and nature of the problem, a new report says. ...1 day ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Harcourt, J.W. Nevile Fellow in Economics and host of The Airport Economist, UNSW Amid the tributes to former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer and the stories of his authenticity, courage and quirky interests – like trains and military history – what ...2 days ago
2 days ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabriel Crowley, Adjunct Principal Research Fellow, James Cook University In February, about 600,000 cattle were killed by catastrophic flooding across north Queensland’s Carpentaria Gulf plains. The flood waters rose suddenly, forming a wall of water up to 70km wide. Record depths were ...2 days ago
Simon Day dined alone at Monique Fiso’s Wellington restaurant Hiakai, and discovered it was the perfect way to appreciate the meaning of this special food. “Would you like a few more minutes with your phone?” the waitress at Hiakai asked sympathetically as I mashed a final goodbye text to my wife ...2 days ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Willamson, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Australia’s gender pay gap is diminishing, says a new report, but some contributors to it seem harder to overcome than others. For me, the finding hit close to home. The report, by KPMG for ...2 days ago
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 Te Tiriti o Waitangi: The Treaty of Waitangi by Toby Morris with Ross Calman, Mark Derby, and ...2 days ago
Honey producer Comvita has confirmed a full year net loss of $27.7m with China market access restrictions and tougher regulations locally affecting the company's sales. ...2 days ago
James Elliott realises John Tamihere's uncosted bridge proposal wasn't actually a metaphor, but a fine example of 'folks is mighty generous with money what they ain’t got'. ...2 days ago
Fees for company directors are not keeping pace with their rising workload, according to a new survey. ...2 days ago
New Zealand teacher aides say their pay reflects an outdated idea of what they do. Elizabeth McLeod hears from four TAs, and one parent, about the classroom realities they face every dayCleaning up poo, defusing violent situations, copping physical and verbal abuse: these are the realities of a teacher aide’s ...2 days ago
The Warehouse Group has upgraded its full year profit expectations again. ...2 days ago
New Zealand-owned Kiwibank says it is winning more customers, demonstrated by a strong increase in deposits and lending. ...2 days ago
Dairy's huge role earning export dollars for New Zealand is facing a threat some say could bring it to its knees. ...2 days ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vicki Sentas, Senior Lecturer, UNSW Law, UNSW Being strip searched by the police can be intrusive, humiliating and harmful. Typically, strip searches involve being required to strip naked in front of police officers, who often give the direction to “squat and cough”, ...2 days ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Remond, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Hi, I was just wondering if something’s wrong with me because I’m never happy and never want to do anything and I’m getting really lazy and I really hate school. Thanks – Anonymous ...2 days ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Zaphir, Researcher for the University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project; and Online Teacher at Education Queensland’s IMPACT Centre, The University of Queensland From as early as Grade 3 teachers start teaching children how to put across their own points of view. ...2 days ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW It’s four years since then Prime Minister Tony Abbott warned Australia had been heading to “a Greek-style economic future”. He was referring to what he said had been happening under the previous Labor government. When Labor ...2 days ago
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 🙂
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. 😡
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.’’
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 can’t have contraceptives or condoms and not abortions. 50% apparently believe that the age of the earth is under a million years.
I don’t 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….
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…