You have to be a real political anorak to give a damn about some emails being released, but the longer Curran refuses to let her Prime Minister off the hook, the worse this is going to get. As Claire Trevett notes:
“The hiring of Handley and then scrapping his appointment before he even began is the messiest mishap of the new Government so far.
The best Labour can hope for is to deal with the fallout efficiently and without being cute about it.
Labour had no doubt hoped the Handley episode would be tidied away with the departure of Curran.
But as long as the contents of those emails remain a secret so too will the suspicion the Prime Minister is somehow involved, or there is something else damaging in there.”
Media should move on. Curren resigned. It’s the media stupid. Take Massay uni, a club wanting to invite Brash, the vc said no.NOt about bRushes freespeach since he got a gig quick smart, and how hilarious, 150 years at still fat in the head old white guy still thinks they are a victim like he has ever had a speach problem.
So M assay did not deny freespeach, just restricted association on their property, the stink would have been Brash meeting said club just outside the campus demanding his right of association, which of course expose how farfetched the whole story was. Farrier turdblossum fails to ignited and blows back on him.
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Mr Speaker, my office has received a number of Official Information Act (OIA) requests, including from the Opposition, and is working on a response to those. We will release that information in accordance with the provisions of the Act once it has been compiled and once it has been processed.
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The text that I received, again, as I said, was in April. I did not directly reply to that text message on that day or engage with him on the CTO role. On the CTO role, I did not engage with Mr Handley via text message.
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, as I acknowledged the very moment I was asked this question, I have known Mr Handley for a number of years and have had correspondence with him for a number of years.
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, as a consequence of the member’s question, I have had my office check. Mr Handley sent me an unsolicited email to my private email on 7 June, which I did not open and which I did not reply to. I’m advised by my staff that it informed me that he’d submitted an application for the role. But, again, it was not something I opened, saw, or replied to.
Hon GRANT ROBERTSON (Acting Minister of State Services): Mr Speaker, as I informed your office, this will be a slightly longer than normal answer. There are three email exchanges. The first: on 11 August, where Derek Handley emails Clare Curran about the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) position and questions about the role of the CTO, including resourcing for the role and potential conflicts of interest. On 14 August, Clare Curran replies to that email, confirming a call to discuss these matters. On 15 August, Derek Handley replies to that, confirming times for the call.
The second exchange: on 19 August, Clare Curran emails Derek Handley regarding logistics around the next step on the process of appointment, including the content of any public statements that might be made, and refers to contract discussions with the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). On 20 August, Derek Handley responds to that email to Clare Curran about those issues, including the contact he has had with DIA and management of conflicts of interest.
The third exchange: on 21 August, Clare Curran emails Derek Handley regarding issues that would be on the work plan of the CTO and attaches some relevant background documents on those issues. On the same day, Derek Handley responds to Clare Curran, acknowledging the material and referring to the discussions that he is having with DIA.
I have sought and received an assurance from the former Minister that these email exchanges will be made available for release subject to the normal Official Information Act (OIA) processes.
So this saga is going to stretch out for a month or two at least.
or a political journalist who needs to create copy every day and who only has the 120 member unicameral parliament of small uncorrupt, and reasonably well run country to work with.
Seriously, these guys would publish an article on the meaning of a discarded chippies packet in the corridor if they thought they could get away with it.
Well, the corporate media could be addressing issues like child poverty, obesity, suicide, depression, unemployment, employment conditions, pay scales, foreign ownership A LOT MORE.
You know all the problems caused by the imposition of neoliberal capitalism on this country.
But they won’t.
They are paid puppets of the establishment.
That was very clear yesterday when the lamestream rated covering an odious ACT leaders right to speak above talking about our amazing suffrage history.
I’d be quite interested in the meaning of a discarded chippiespacket. Far more do than Currans emails which I am sure will bring the Govt down.Sarc. Would also be interested in an inquiry into Gerry Brownlees bullying phone call to young Accountant. Double standards from Dim SIM.
Big is good? Such fpp thinking is just silly when applied to an MMP coalition. He can’t seem to grasp the parity relation. We have a Labour PM and that’s the sole basis for any valid claim that Labour is leading, a claim that loses plausibility every time she doesn’t lead when necessary.
He makes this interesting point: “there is no doubt that Winston coming into 2020 will play the Māori card. You can put your money on it. The question is what will the Māori members of the Labour Party do?” Depends how he plays it.
He makes much of NZF’s wins in the budget, accuses Winston of dictatorship, and then “If Winston and Shane do not pull their heads in, there has to be a confrontation and Prime Minister Ardern will have to say enough is enough.” I agree, call their bluff when necessary, but she must be aware that Winston may have deliberately provoked her to get an early election. No grounds for this scenario currently!
“Tourism remains the saviour of New Zealand’s external accounts, which in June continued the trend of deterioration started in 2017.
In December 2016, the current account deficit hit a low of 2.2% of GDP. That has now climbed to 3.3% of GDP.
Without the services balance, particularly the tourism returns, the deficit would have climbed to 5.1% in the three months ended June, BNZ head of research Stephen Toplis said.
”The good news is we expect the services balance to remain solidly in surplus for the foreseeable future. The bad news is we do not see it growing significantly from here, particularly as growth in inbound tourism is increasingly capacity-constrained.”
Driving the balance further into the red had been the weakness experienced in New Zealand exports. By his estimate, goods export volumes were only 0.3% higher in the June quarter than they were a year earlier.
In stark contrast, import volumes soared 8.4%.” – BNZ Head of Research Stephen Toplis, quoted in ODT.
Capacity constraints are a welcome kind of challenge for the New Zealand government and for businesses to grapple with. (He also neglected to mention that dairy as a commodity set is unrecoverable).
It was also excellent to hear Otago cheery growers (RNZ this morning) will be doubling their production and don’t know where to get the future staff.
Among Prime Minister Ardern’s string of bon mots about the economy in her speech on the weekend, enhancing wealth while dealing with increasing constraints to whole industries was absent.
There lots of areas in which they are successfully working, but this is a real unaddressed biggie.
Once again @ Muttonbird – agree. Ross Bell is a very sensible chap, though I’m not sure his
“”This has been the biggest scam New Zealand has ever seen,” is exactly true.
Immigration scams leading to exploitation and what is effectively people trafficking are just as evil, and they’ve been the result of ten years of bad policy, its implementation and (lack of) enforcement. It’s only now its GRADUALLY being taken more seriously, although there are some pretty simple things that could be done immediately
Perhaps. Both are evil in any case. Summarily prosecuting, convicting, and sentencing social housing tenants without offering defence or recourse on the one hand, and encouraging a fearful, cheap workforce for the benefit of their business friends on the other.
Amazing that he’s untouchable yet Bridges is baying for the blood of Jan Thomas.
And let’s get this straight: Jan Thomas didn’t want a reactionary crank racist doing an unpaid gig on campus, and McKenzie kicked 800 social housing tenants onto the streets unlawfully.
Yep.
Once again, I was hoping Chris Hipkins review of the public service gets to cover issues such as these. So far I’m not that hopeful.
Sure as shit it ain’t what it used to be (in terms of ethical behaviour, codes of conduct, etc.) Sure – it was never perfect, but there are now so many departments and Munstries that are absolutely dysfunctional – they do not serve a public or a functioning democracy.
I doubt any of them (for example) have had any sanction over the use of Thompson and bloody Clark.
Just out of interest Chris do you feel sad re what the Salvation Army is saying about meth evictions and stat housing tenants? Or have you used up all your sadness on a name change?
I think the way the tenants were treated was disgusting.
The Nats had an excuse to start off with as that is the levels they were given to work with, but as it looked more and more like the levels at which it is dangerous were utter shit, there should have been a “Hang on a sec’. Stoppp!!! put all action on tenants on hold till we work this out”
It’ll be outside the terms. Hager’s lawyer appears to be focussed on uncovering police individuals who acted illegally. That’ll be where it stops – unless one of them tells all…
I seem to remember that Helen Clark once made a remark about the economy which caused a flare up in a similar way to that for which Jacinda was criticised the other day. Funny the things you remember in the middle of the night.
National made mistakes from time to time, including at least one that, while different, was arguably much worse than Ardern’s.
In 2011, shortly after the Christchurch earthquake, John Key told financial news agency Bloomberg that he expected the Reserve Bank would cut interest rates. “We’d certainly welcome it.”
The dollar plunged in a way which suggested financial markets believed Key was making the decision.
“Peters is a team player only if he’s in charge of the team. He might behave himself for a while, but in time his natural belligerence and contrarianism will assert itself.”
Which leads to this happening…
“NZ First has now jammed several sticks into the spokes of Labour and the Greens, to the teeth-grinding frustration of the Left. The Government is looking shambolic and there must be doubts about its ability to run a full term.”
Karl du Fresne has explained the dynamics well, and the reason Winston received his 7% on election night. And why going into coalition with him is like walking through a minefield.
Just more spin against the coalition govt by msm..
Anyway who gives a flying f about who Karl (I chose the wrong ice cream flavour boo hoo) voted for. He needs to be given a wheel barrow and do something useful for a change. Try to help out with the coalitions kiwi build building houses
Presumably this appeared here by accident as it appears to be a repeat of a reply to 11 below. Not a criticism; I was just confused for a moment until I realised the situation so thought I would clarify for others.
Being Karl du Fresne, I was not going to bother to read it as I have read his ‘work’ too many times in the past and he is highly predictable.
But I decided I would read it. I have, and my initial thoughts proved right. This article is predictable as always, several days behind the ace ball, out of date like Fresne, and a complete waste of time.
I did get one good laugh from a very quick look at the comments which were also predictably the usual Stuff comments. But the one that made me laugh said words to the effect that the writer voted for NZF in the hope NZF would get rid of those “part-Maoris”.
The writer should have checked who they were voting for. Of the nine NZF MPs, six (2/3rds) are part-Maoris. LOLs.
And this is the type of people that are coming here. Handley is out of a job (but at lease compensated). So in a country that could be attracting the best and brightest, nope we seem to be selecting for scammers and people who contribute to the scams and people with such low skills in areas like IT that they are not employable under normal measures. (IT is desperate for people with skills at the top end not bottom end, like everything bottom end skills are generally obsolete) .
In my view our future is pretty bleak in NZ for our kids of that continues (Auckland is already 50% migrants and more and more scammers being attracted here) because nobody is interested in stopping our country turning into one full of fucked up scamming parasites.
The really smart migrants go to the US and UK for study, NZ has developed a Rogernomics system to get the educationally challenged students here and their road to residency through Internet cafe style jobs and fake jobs.
The problem is, long term, what the fuck is gonna happen to the smart people who already can’t get a job with the low wages and scams – ummm leave and so whose gonna pay the taxes and support the unemployable in their 20’s?
… cos all these people on those fake Internet cafe jobs qualify for welfare eventually and what happens when the fake job ends and they have residency, but if they couldn’t get a legitimate job before, they clearly can’t after and the kiwis have to support and house yet fake employee whose given tens of thousands to another scammer for their expansion here which our government is completely uninterested in stopping and addressing, presumably because they agree with it.
Note the difference with human trafficking, migration fraud and so forth with no action from government compared to the swamp house owned by Aven Raj that has the council. all media and Phil Twyford rushing over to condemn it as third world….
It seems third world migration frauds don’t get the same headlines or attention…
I just have to say with regard to the argie-bargie currently going on in Parliament between the 2 sides in the House – minutiae!
Led by Bridges, the carefully framed and seriously delivered series of questions from the Nat side are in essence simply niggly and akin to a small dog snapping at the heels of someone it doesn’t like. There is no substance. There is no genuine expression of information required. These people are simply trying to bore holes below the waterline in the fond hope that this will be enough to scupper the coalition (Labour-led, of course).
It was my fond hope that, having been beaten and relegated to the opposition benches, National would hunker down, look for new policy, criticise the coalition for its policies which they don’t believe in and promote their own answers, through policy statements, to generate some support for what THEY would do if they were in power.
But oh no! They have turned into an aggressive little Pomeranian yap-yapping at the government’s heels about minutiae that are, in the grand scheme of things, quite irrelevant to bettering NZ for all its citizens. I know why they are doing it. It’s like the kid who can’t get a break, who has no ideas and resorts to foot-tripping or firing water pistols to get some reaction.
The National Party is devoid of ideas for improving the lives of ordinary NZers. They have a droit de seigneur attitude to governing – it’s their right, they have been cheated, this government should not be there, our 42% is more valid, etc, etc, etc.
Until they grow up, understand MMP, start talking about their own policies, and behave like adults in the House, then they won’t be 42% for much longer. The reason they are getting the traction they are is down to unthinking tribalism in part, and the rest is people who listen with half an ear, think with half a brain and take far too much notice of a slanted MSM that is not serving us a well as it might.
It’s time the government parties started badgering the Nats for the result of the leaking investigation on the grounds that it is in the public’s interest… since they accused Labour of doing the leaking.
Nice as that might be Anne, it would be stooping to their level, and the coalition (Labour-led, of course) is showing fine restraint in not doing so. I really hope they continue to be the adults in the room.
Hey, when the nats report back that they checked each other’s emails and did a proper investigation and found it probably wasn’t one of them, Mallard will have to start it up again.
Chris73 is a infowars viewer, his connection with reality is tenuous at best. Unless he has taken his BrainForcePlus™ nutraceutical supplement (contains Soy) then he can connect 3 improbable thing before breakfast.
Actually we don’t know that, thats the problem. I want to know the details so whoever did it (or helped) can suffer the consequences of their actions
Its similar to the NZ Labour Youth Sex Scandal. We all know the, alleged, perpetrator is linked to Labour possibly through family connections but until the truth comes out we can only speculate
Don’t you want to know who it is so they can be dealt with appropriately?
Court process will deal with offender at Labour Youth summit.
I must admit I have curiousity about which caucus member leaked, but beyond that I neither care, nor need to know. Why I was very skeptical about the mental health claims of the leaker, I rather err on the side of caution.
We don’t need to deal with the labyouth guy. Isn’t the matter before the courts? That is the appropriate course of action.
But as for the nat leaker – either a nat leaked to the media directly, or a nat leaked to someone else who leaked to the media. Between what happened in caucus and the expenses only going to the nats in that format, the root source is almost certainly within the nat caucus.
Yeah but Woodn’t be interesting if the, alleged, perp was related to someone high up because then it wouldn’t be a case of handling it poorly, it’d be a cover up
I’m not sure that “stopping salivating tories from speculating about coverups” is a reasonable or even achievable objective for breaching name suppression of a defendent.
Who do I think leaked nat caucus room secrets and the travel expenses?
Almost certainly a nat.
Beyond that, I don’t care. The knives are out in that room, and soimon shat himself into a corner. Long may it last.
Maybe I’m a bit rare in not being much of a panty-sniffer, poking my nose into random places in the guise of “transparency”. But I just don’t get the thrill. I’ve enough shit on in real life without speculating more into existence.
You don’t know for sure but you think its a Nat and thats why I want more transparency , not less so we can have less idle speculation
It’s not “idle speculation”.
At least one of the leaked pieces of information was privvy only to people in the nat caucus room. All pieces of information that were leaked were available to people in the nat caucus room.
Sure, you’re going for the hail Mary pass that the nats will exonerate themselves and Mallard will discover one of his staffers had done something naughty and repeated gossip to cover their arse. The other one has bells on.
Well said, Doog. Actually I am pleased that the Bridges-led National opposition are showing themselves for what they are – and I am sure that they will be losing voters through taking this approach.
I am also pleased that Ardern et al are not retaliating and instead, basically called their bluff over the last day or so with the Crown Maori agency agreement and announcement, the increased refugee announcement etc.
But just one thing … Last week we had Bridges et Co compared to Bichon Frise (h/t lprent) and this week, Pomeranians!
Please, please leave the dogs out of this – all dogs and their breeds are far, far better and more intelligent!
VV – Leader of the Coalition to Ban the Defamation of Dogs (CBDD) – (or any other animals).
Regionally interested people could catch hold of this tree planting plan and get their region going to have young people trained in horticulture, silviculture and fit and keen and ready to take on jobs in tree planting and care in the future.
A greater proportion of indigenous trees are to be planted in the Minster for Regional Economic Development’s plan, thanks to a $240m funding boost from the Provincial Growth Fund. MPI’s forestry service Te Uru Rākau is talking with industry body NZPPI about helping nurseries respond to the demand.
But NZPPI says while Shane Jones’ ten year programme is an exciting opportunity for native tree nurseries, the challenge will be scaling up.
Robert Guyton has worked as a young man planting on steep slopes and says it is very hard. The speaker in this radionz interview referred to some possible automation to assist in moving the project forward. I am sure it has some place in the chain of activity to getting the trees in the ground and beyond. Perhaps Robert you could give your comments or write a piece about what will have to be largely plantation-type planting for most of it, with steep and erosion prone land to be eternal forest (no cutting), what firebreaks, whether less resinous trees than pine would result in less fire risk etc. We should also be planting trees for harvesting for our own wood needs, utilising species from other lands with special properties (Tasmanian hardwoods I have heard of, stone pine? for pinenuts), mixed tree and crop or grazing paddocks on farms also. This would help conserve water from evaporation, give animals a tree and shadow for refuge from the hot sun (with the trunk protected, and of nontoxic type).
Following up on this ambitious and necessary project could be an ongoing feature for TS so that we apply our minds to both political theatre and the real-world problems we want dealt with at the ‘coalface’. Looking through information available about forestry on the internet there is info about pine and native forestry but to get the best results, a simple dichotomy on species like this would not give outcomes that were optimal.
And a pause to think about the cultural effect of trees on us and how practically our civilisation has been built using trees. Interesting thought, am I right in this?:
Paul Robeson’s beautiful voice –
Very interesting views on trees from Ecologist Suzanne Simard
“Her 30 years of research in Canadian forests have led to an astounding discovery: trees talk, communicating often and over vast distances. Trees are much more like us humans that you may think. They are extremely social and depend on each other for their survival. Communication is vital, and a massive web of hair-like mushroom roots transmit secret messages between trees, triggering them to share nutrients and water with those in need.”
“The body of the petition sets out the case for change. It takes as its starting point the almost incredible fact – one still contested by many supposed experts, although confirmed by detailed studies produced by the Bank of England and other central banks – that around 97% of our money has been created, not by the government, but by the commercial banks, which create the money by simply making a bank entry in the accounts of those to whom they lend money, usually on mortgage.
The banks, of course, charge interest on the money they thereby create ex nihilo (or out of nothing) and it is the interest they charge that produces their huge profits of billions of dollars which they then send back, in most cases, to Australia.
What is really astonishing about this state of affairs is that the money supply – one of the key elements in determining our economic success or otherwise – is almost entirely controlled, not by our government or the Reserve Bank, but by foreign-owned commercial banks which operate entirely for profit and are in no way accountable to the New Zealand public.”
I had a dream where Jacinda Ardern spoke about class issues last night. … I mean I knew it was a dream when someone from Labour was talking about poverty without using the word child before it, in my dream the coalition govt outlined a target, actual policies that were designed to lower inequality and share the wealth and a timeline. In my dream the people of New Zealand celebrated a government that was willing to lead on the issues and fight for the majority rather than a minority and the media reported on this fairly and balanced….
Only in a dream land would labour have transformational policies and the guts to implement them and the media be fair and balanced in their reporting.
Back to reality, virtue signaling, tweaks and vague promises
What policies do you think Labour need to put in to lower inequality and share the wealth, fight for the majority rather than a minority and how to get the media reported on this fairly and balanced?
Looks like is going to recommend a CGT, but will provide some options for how that will work in final report due next feb. Also looks like will recommend better environmental taxes, which is awesome, esp. in regards to getting the cost of using natural eco-systems into the cost of what we do and make. No finacial transactions tax, no sugar tax (unless the govt. really really wants it) and probably tweaks to the lower tax-rates and thresholds.
Seems all sensible stuff, nothing to outrageous and appears to be what most normal thinking NZers want…. a better, fairer tax system, not one designed for the benefit of the few
Pleased to see that the recommendation is that tax on income from realised capital gain should be integrated with normal income tax – no separate CGT at a fixed rate.
The equity argument for this is unassailable. Plus, it means that if we raise income tax rates on those with high incomes (as we should), we effectively raise the tax rate on their income from capital as well.
Excellent start – now if only they would recommend gradually dropping and ultimately eliminating the regressive GST.
So GDP up 1% for the quarter. In Mike Hosking’s language that’s 4% annually which has got to be better than anything John Key achieved.
Forestry bumped up agriculture 4.2% – must be all those trees being planted, eh? Seriously though, Kiwibuild and NZFs focus on reviving forestry in the regions is going to be massive for this sector in the coming years. And trees are nice – nicer than cows.
Mining down 20%. Well, boo hoo.
I see Amy Adams was all doom and gloom though, and Farrar will be avoiding this news like the plague.
And growth constraints might be infrastructure (National’s fault), workers (hordes of them are still falling out of the sky), and maybe the cessation of irrigation projects (boo hoo).
Those GDP numbers must be incorrect. The government must me manipulating the figures, bribing officials or something, because Simon and Amy said GDP would slow and business has no confidence and and……..fuck it, I give up
I’m coming out in nostalgic songs – I don’t know whether it is catching but the tunes and words are. Muttonbird says – Why can’t these people be happy?
I want to be happy – here’s an old version and one we would love to sing if National could only settle to make the country happy and themselves try to be happy too.
We would even dance along with David Seymour (I think) if we could all get into line dancing (for the rural people), tangos (for the city slickers) or even the Gay Gordons for those embedded in the past.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aDJGvFSVOQ
Here is the Gay Gordons which looks a slightly tipsy image but a lot of fun.
Notice how the dancers cope with change and manage to dance with different partners all following the same steps and moving in the same direction. A good pattern for us in our politics I think. (If you go onto the Manchester Pride 2016 version you will enjoy the blokes getting stuck in to the Gay Gordons too. I’m impressed by their chutzpah.)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEmTLioBpi0
The corrupt and malevolent Judith Collins is on the attack again.
But
Mr Twyford called on Paula Bennett and the ministers responsible for HNZ at the time to apologise, saying Ms Bennett had “gloated” in the media about evicting tenants.
Sorry Phil. I can’t see that evil cow, Paula Bennett, apologising to anyone, ever.
Victims of wrongful eviction from Housing NZ houses are being compensated.
Which brings the expected sort of response from one of life’s true humanitarians.
Judith Collins said that with people on waiting lists it was “not the time to be saying come back and cook up your meth.”
The scummy behaviour of the initial action getting scummy support with scummy comments from a scummy politician.
Now what was that about being weak and distracted?
Clear decision and also showing compassion. Taken in a timely fashion.
Now what could that be contrasted with today?
Stupidity in Parliament from Ms Collins hating on P users and getting a lawyer’s rebuke from Minister Little about onus of proof and being innocent until found guilty – something Mark Mitchell is supporting in the House as a concept concerning military discipline as I write.
The Minister of Housing acknowledging that the previous government and department has got it wrong for years over the science and the consequential wrong treatment of Housing tenants for alleged “P” use, and making the appropriate apology and rectification.
Asinine questioning from the MP for Kaikoura to Minister Little, using that well-known tag to a question “And if not, why not” when asking the Minister whether he had wrongly briefed Cabinet on a contractual issue. Little dropped his jaw in astonishment at the stupidity of the tail to the question.
How to act appropriately, or not. What happens when standards are breached. A salutary day displaying a contrast in propriety and effective leadership.
Decisive = Ardern facing down Whaitiri at the time of the incident (look me in the eyes and tell me what occurred). A few days to a week at most for the decision to be made.
That is the fairness side of her character. C’mon Chuck, you’re usually a fairly reasonable rwnj who knows the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
It is only right she be given a chance to ‘rehabilitate’ herself. Other PMs on both sides of the house have exercised that prerogative over errant ministers. It usually works.
“It is only right she be given a chance to ‘rehabilitate’ herself.”
I may have agreed with you Anne if it was something out of the blue.
However, Whaitri has form…it has been a revolving door for staff at Whaitri office (I think 6 in less than a year). That tells me she has form and either cannot or will not change her personal trait to bully and intimidate.
Time will tell Chuck. I’ve known such people in the past and its true… some of them are sociopaths and can’t or won’t change. But she’s got to be given the chance and if she doesn’t… it’ll be curtains for her parliamentary career.
But but but he’s a man so he can’t be weak and distracted. And anyway we know Gerry didn’t mean it, And he thought he was talking to (sorry, abusing) someone else. And at least he didn’t “show her the stairwell”. And didn’t she know who he is? He’s Gerry the man.
He’s the guy who can breeze through airport security.
At least he’s met his match with the new Speaker, as he found today.
Kia ora The Am Show The Bird’s brand sustainable manufactured Shoes is great and there new product a bird shade to wear to block the light so one can sleep on planes .
They partnered up with Air New Zealand to make and sell there product’s ka pai.
We need more sustainable products when Te Papatuanuku turns to sustainable prouducts OUR products like wool and wood will commanded a hire price .
OUR carbon neutral goal’s will benefit Aotearoa farmer’s $$$$$$$$$.
When you are in another country one should respect there cultures and you will be treated with respect covering tattoos is there culture so be it .
Eco say’s the Japanese will host a awesome Rugby World Cup it’s been a few year’s in the making ka pai. You no that all of te tangata whenua cultures have been treated like dirt when another culture takes over the law of the whenua.
I say spending on a social media campaigne to educate the youth on diarydack and pee should be include in that youth are all on social media and this great idea will work .
I heard that jerry brownly treated some people the same an what there is no one talking about that should he be rolled judith what’s good for a whaine should be the same for te tane.
The tax working group is just resetting the taxs back to a simler mix to what we had before shonky’s I WILL NOT RAISE GST he did just that after he gave tax cut’s that benefited the wealthy the most will we have a happy society with that system NO.
There you go Sir Michael Cullen Grant Robertson and the tax working group are doing there homework to make sure any new tax’s are not going to have a negative effect on Aotearoa.
Mark so you think getting a sweet $1 million dollars a year in captial gain’s is fare mean while that housing shortage denial policy distorted our housing market to make huge gain’s for the wealthy a direct result from shonky’s policy pushed thousands of people under the bridge . Ka kite ano
Eco met this boy the other day he was nervous talking to much he own’s a few house’s he think’s he can fool Eco Maori but know I know that his action’s are being orchestrated by the muppet sandfly’s he is just a puppet of there’s only fooling himself
Ana to kai P.S I don’t shake people’s hand’s when I know they are puppets.
I see story’s like this all the time trying to change peoples reality on our History for one the settler’s wahine would not have liked it that Maori wahine could own land and they could not . That fact would have upset and influenced settler’s wahine in to protesting about the savages being able to own land that’s how the mind’s worked in those day This would have attracted other wahine to Aotearoa to seek the help rise number’s to get the stupid law’s that ban anyone from there right to vote .Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa Mana is growing to strong for the power’s than be .
Ka kite ano P.S When I unite Tangata whenua O Aotearoa & our Pacifica cousin’s into one VOICE we will be unstop able voice in Aotearoa Ana to kai link is below.
Kia ora Newshub Lets hope that the mokopuna’s of the Carterton school all survive that tragedy .
Some times one has to given the cold hard facts to get the reality to sink in.
I don;t put plastic bag in the recycling and we wash the plastic two reason one it smell if you only send it monthly and its easier to be recycled when cleaned .
There you go the way the court systems work in favour of the wealthy the sea bed mining could open another issue as well we must protect all our taonga from the wealthy money men’s greed.
trump need’s to get with reality trying to build wall’s in the year 2018 is not intelligent
he is only pandering to his core supporters and his ego.
Ka kite ano P.S It is not safe dropping poison out of the sky.
Kia ora The Crowd Goes wild Hope the Wahine Warriors have a good game on the weekend.
That was a mean game for the Bay’s Wahine Kia kaha
The keep or cut there hair is a good cause all the best to Brad I use to have wahine brushing my long hair in the fisherman’s refreshments place in Napier after work long time ago.
Kai pai Levi getting your hair cut on TV in support of Brad .
Ka kite ano P,S I keep it cut now
We have DOC & The Anti 1080 at WAR over the issues of 1080 being dropped in our forest . Now any intelligent person know’s that diplomacy and compromising on both side has a much better out come for both side than War as everyone has great losses in a WAR My tipuna new this and always tried to settle there differences with whiriwhiri.
Most of the Wars that Maori fought before the settlers arrived there was minimal loses of LIFE that’s a fact. .
So what Eco Maori would do is I would go back to that Great pukapuka The Art Of War and see what it says .
In this situation Eco say that the state & te tangata should compromise pay a bounty on all the tails in easy access terrain and use 1080 in all the hard place’s to trap right away from te tangata and in this situation they get the public on side the public get to make money and the state get’s its goal of controlling the pest .
I know that the state will never be able to eliminate pest in Aotearoa we all know the rural communities need more money to its clearly visible of this fact .
Eco still backs DOC good work with Papatuanuku and her Creatures Many thanks DOC.
But hay when I see some thing is wrong I will SPEAK up about it . Ka kite ano
craig heatly book no limits Eco Maori says he is just like shonky and they both have
NO LIMIT’s TO THE DIRTY LYING LOW DOWN THIEVING thing’s they will do to rip other people off .
He does not care that’s his M8 shonkys policy’s that were designed to full his hip pocket and push the lower classes in Aotearoa under a bridge people working 3 job’s in Auckland just to stay afloat .
Why is he launching a book to try and lift his m8 national party out of the gutter .
But sorry it won’t work We all know for someone to make a fortune in such a short time one has to be a big crook they make there own luck with back room deal’s that’s easy for Eco Maori to see.
He say’s Jacinda is inexperienced well she has been in politics for 9 YEAR’s .
She has all ready done a better job than shonky but craig find me some one that you think is perfect and Eco Maori will prove that person to be a liar
Ka kite ano P.S W e know that people who made million’s in the 1980 were ripping the state off buying state asset’s cheap as chips and selling the asset’s for huge mark up that’s a fact Michael fay did with our railway’s link is below
David Parker was in Southland having a meeting with Farmer’s about the environmental concerns he makes a statement that the farmer have not had enough correct laws put in place to stop the few ruining it for the many you see Southland Dairy started booming under shonky rule he did not care about the environment the economy is more important than the environment HOW ELSE CAN ONE EXPLAIN HIS ACTIONS
The thing about Southland’s topography is most dairy land there is just a few feet above the water level that cause problem’s there.
Also it’s cold so they have to put more urea on than up North to get there grass growing to feed there cow’s
A big amount of that ends up in OUR waterways that’s why the waterway’s got so bad so fast.
So lower the stocking rate lower the amount of fertliser put on farm’s GO Organic I say.
Fontrra has not delivered to farmer’s the return’s they were promised when it was formed .
It’s common knowledge that the people milking the cow’s make’s less than the person in a nice warm building pushing button’s with no skill’s get more like $30 a hour
$25 would be ok I say .
It would be good to have a pie chart to show how much of fontrra’s money goes into there salaries and management and how much ends up in OUR farmer’s pocket’s .
Fontrra has been turned into a gravy train for the wealthy executive.
6000 earn $100. k 24 earn A cool million there you go. Ana to kai.
Ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub Cook’s Endeavour might have been found Is cool but now Te Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa Culture is rising up to its rightful Mana after having colonialist suppressing us for 200 years.
That’s a shame that all those people in Tanzania have drowned in that ferry sinking Eco gives his condolence to the people who lost there love ones
Who could be so cruel spraying acid on any thing living a defenseless foul horse its awesome that some people care enough to treat the foul in Britain ka pai.
There you go the cop’s get it wrong all the time 27 years Dickson was locked up and the real killer confessed they still kept him locked up.
It took rich golf people to champion his cause and take his case back to court to get him released that’s the reality of the west justice system’s. The killer was most likely a informant
Wow those fire tornadoes are mean we will have to get use to them if we don’t change our culture and have a culture that thinks about our children’s future over short term profits
The Women in Black look’s like a AUSSE good film I seen a good TV series OffSpring it’s on Net flicks it give Eco A sore face Id give it a 8
Ka kite ano P.S Emma Te Ra was shining bright today
In order to meet our 2050 carbon target and do our bit to avoid making the Earth uninhabitable, New Zealand needs to decarbonise our economy, replacing fossil fuels with electricity in the energy, industrial and transport sectors. The good news is that it will mean cheaper power for all of ...
For those folk who find my other Lock-Down Diary versions too “negative” or otherwise unpalatable… Here’s a photo of a pretty flower, . . Better? Tomorrow’s Sanitised Version: a cute animal video. . . . =fs= ...
. . April 2: Day eight of living in lock-down… Today, my work day starts late. Our rosters and clients have been dramatically changed, lessening (theoretically) the number of people in our work “bubble”. If just one of us catches covid19 the impact could be considerable as Grey Base Hospital ...
As Aotearoa enters week two of lockdown, it’s clear we’re all still working out what our “bubbles” look like and how to stay in them to stop the spread of Covid-19. New to the government’s Covid-19 website is some good guidance for people living in apartment blocks. Recent decades have ...
“There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” Lenin Don’t we all know that feeling now.
Prospect Magazine alerted me to this particularly apt quote. It is a much more evocative quote than Hemingway’s “gradually then suddenly” which is also doing ...
Yesterday was the day the consequences of the lockdown suddenly got very real for many. Firms have been closing and laying people off since the outset of the quarantine but this has mostly been happening out of the public eye. The mass closure of a number of iconic New Zealand ...
Brian Williamson1, Prof Nick Wilson2 (1Economic consultant, UK; 2University of Otago Wellington)In this blog, we outline how a win-win social contract could be forged to address the major dimensions of response to the COVID-19 pandemic when using a mitigation strategy: the particular need to protect older people from high ...
Resuming Normal Service: The Republican Party's nominee for in 1920, Warren Harding, promised the American people: “not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration”. If she wishes to remain our prime minister, then Jacinda Ardern will offer New Zealanders the same.HOW EDUCATED AMERICA snickered when the ...
No Free Society Without A Free And Functioning News Media: If we are to surrender our civil rights to the broader cause of defeating Covid-19, then foreign corporations must, likewise, surrender their right to inflict immense economic and cultural harm on New Zealanders simply because it improves their bottom line.I’M ...
by Daphna Whitmore A third of the world is under lockdown and a clear assessment of this measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 is urgently needed. With any high-stakes decisions it has to be asked what are we dealing with here? Are the measures warranted? Will they achieve their ...
I haven’t done a huge amount in the last few days. I’m reading The Poppy War and I’ve sort of poked at a couple of games – I started SOMA but I’m a wimp and I quit while in the first room after the brain scan. I might try it ...
The swan politicians may be gliding on the water, occasionally snapping at one another. Meanwhile, as the Covid19 crisis illustrates, the officials are desperately paddling below providing the real locomotion. One of the most fatuous recent grandstanding comments (of about a week ago), adding to the public’s anxieties, was ...
Much has been written about the importance of discretion in an emergency situation, and the concerns raised by the potential for it to be exercised arbitrarily. Given the quality of the discussion, there seemed little point in adding to it at any length. In particular, I point to the evidence ...
Today has felt surreal. I was all set to touch base online with my science communication students when a colleague shared the news that Bauer Media would be shutting down its publications immediately. The first link I saw implied it was Woman’s Weekly affected, and even that shocked me. But ...
Bogeymen, Real And Imagined: Is the number of psychopathic and sociopathic individuals in any given society truly as vanishingly small as we like to tell ourselves? Isn’t it more likely that the mass-shooters and serial-killers filling the headlines represent only the tip of a much, much larger iceberg of frightfulness? ...
Outgoing Police Commissioner Mike Bush appeared before the Epidemic Response Committee today, who asked him for the rules police are using to enforce the lockdown. He refused:Police Commissioner Mike Bush has admitted the advice given to Kiwis about what they're able to do during the lockdown hasn't been clear enough. ...
For those folk who find my other Lock-Down Diary versions too “negative” or otherwise unpalatable… Here’s a photo of my cat, . . Better? Tomorrow’s Sanitised Version: a pretty flower. . . . =fs= ...
. . April 1: Day seven of living in lock-down… This morning I had a brief chat with one of my neighbours, “D” (social distance between us, a good three or four metres). I learned he had resigned from his previous job and had been hired by another company – ...
Funnily enough, my thought as I start this post is whether it will be well written enough. Or should that be well enough written? Because so much of what I know about good writing came from my two stints at The Listener, which this morning was shut down due to ...
With normal democratic procedures in abeyance, there were two ways to go. First, it was open for the government to dissolve itself and invite the National Party to join a ministry of national salvation. That would have lessened the democratic deficit of the times by having a team of rivals without ...
Dr Kirsty Ross Children and young people can respond differently in times of distress. This also varies by age and developmental stage, with younger children having more magical and imaginative thinking, and older children having more awareness and knowledge of the issues our communities are facing (which brings up ...
Hungary has been a virtual dictatorship for a decade now, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has gradually eroded its democracy. But now, its official, with the passage of an indefinite emergency law allowing rule by decree:Hungary’s parliament has passed a new set of coronavirus measures that includes jail terms for ...
While the economy is on pause under lockdown, the government is beginning to plan how to cope with the post-lockdown, post-tourism, post-export education world we will eventually find ourselves in. They're planning a lot of infrastructure spending as economic stimulus, and have asked for proposals which can start the moment ...
It's my distraction, setting up tiny scenes to photograph. I've got stuck on the Babushka dolls for now. Something about their bubble shape. Something about their never changing, smiling features, suggesting persistent equanimity. Can we get through everything that is being thrown at us and keep at least a tiny ...
. . March 31: Day six of living in lock-down… This time I managed to sleep a little longer and the alarm woke me at the pre-set time: 6.55am. Then remembered I was working a later shift and could’ve slept in. Oh well, there are things to do at home. ...
Image credit:Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ...
Yesterday's Horizon poll showing support for a "Yes" vote in this year's cannabis referendum sliding into the majority for the first time in a year looked like good news for reformers – and it probably is. But the result warrants some scrutiny.The poll is the fifth in a series commissioned ...
For almost a week now, every one of us who isn’t an essential worker has been confined to their bubble. We are allowed to go shopping for groceries, to visit the doctor, and to get a bit of exercise if we stay local. The reason we are doing this is ...
The Covid-19 saga will no doubt produce many twists and turns for us before it is finally brought to an end. But one thing it has shown us – and what comfort it should bring us – is that our country’s government is in good hands. I am not thinking ...
In the absence of a vaccine or a cure for a deadly disease, staying home in your bubble is what you do, the concept is not new. To the best of my knowledge last time we did this in NZ was for polio, in the years before a vaccine came ...
The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...
This has been a terrible summer for Hector’s dolphins. The first indication was very low numbers of dolphin sightings during late spring and early summer. The Otago University Marine Mammal Research Team has carried out routine dolphin surveys at Banks Peninsula for more than 30 years. In all that time, ...
On March 17, Finance Minister Grant Robertson was quick out of the blocks with an economic rescue package to help businesses through the inevitable recession resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Robertson had pulled together a scheme in short order that so far seems to have saved many jobs. In his ...
The purpose of the lockdown is to save lives, by reducing the spread of covid-19. We won't know if its really working for another week, but given the devastation that will result if it doesn't - 14,000 dead is the optimistic scenario - its definitely worth trying. But pausing the ...
. . March 30: Day five of living in lock-down… Woke up still in darkness. Alarm hadn’t gone off. Turn to radio clock; it’s a few minutes after 6am… I lie there in the dark, waiting to drift off to sleep… but it ain’t happening. Clock ticks over to 6.55 ...
The story of Les Gray, the public sector psychologist who told the truth about his use of cannabis and set off a storm, has a special place in the lore of cannabis reform in New Zealand.When Paul Shannon interviewed Gray for the 'Dope and Hope' issue of Planet magazine in ...
by Phil Duncan For Marxists, a key concern about social trends is their context – not just their causes, but why they happen when they do. Events and phenomena have causes, but they also are time or period-specific. While much of the left have capitulated recently to postmodernism, most notably ...
Since the lockdown began, we've all suddenly been reminded who the actually essential workers in our society are: not the people at the top who pay themselves the big bucks and rort the perks, but the people at the bottom they screw over and squeeze: cleaners, warehouse staff, truck drivers ...
Kia ora! As I've watched nearly all my remaining work vanish over the past couple of days, it has occured to me that one good way to keep me away from arguing with fools on Twitter all the time (in the knowledge that all we're really doing is processing our ...
Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to trying to extirpate the virus that causes COVID-19 from its shores. To do that, as a society we’ve moved to “Level 4”. That means adapting to unprecedented restrictions on our personal freedoms, particularly to our rights to move freely and associate with friends and ...
When the Prime Minister declared a state of emergency last week, she handed the police powers to enforce it. And almost immediately, we started hearing about heavy-handed, arbitrary "enforcement" by police who (at best) cared more about order than law, or (more likely) had no idea what the rules were ...
. . Lock Down: Day 4 – A photo essay with observations . March 29: Usual wake up routine as RNZ snaps on my radio-clock. Jim Mora’s voice slowly enters my conciousness; there’s talk of a second wave of covid19 taking hold in South Korea; the week in Parliament – ...
Yesterday, New Zealand recorded its first Covid-19 related death on the West Coast. Unfortunately this is unlikely to be the only fatality, with the virus now being found in every region of the country.However despite the significant danger, people are still unfortunately breaching lockdown rules.There’s really only one main very ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... ‘Misinformation kills’: The link between coronavirus conspiracies and climate denialGrist / Rob Kim / Stringer / CSA Images Scientific ...
The kids did surprisingly well today – meltdown count was about 3, and mostly fairly short ones. (And a fourth while I was writing.) Game-wise I had a go at Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark. It’s a fairly standard RPG with turn-based combat and what they call a “mature storyline” (it ...
by Don Franks Hi David, Nice hearing from you, I’m glad to hear you’re getting by okay in these grim times. You asked how’s it going for us back here in New Zealand. You would have heard that the whole country is locked down and with breaks for exercise and ...
. . Lock Down: Day 3 – A photo essay with observations . March 28: First day of the first weekend in Lock Down. It feels like it’s been weeks since only Level 3 was declared last Tuesday, only four days ago. Woke up this morning to RNZ; coffee; toast, ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Mar 22, 2020 through Sat, Mar 28, 2020Articles Linked to on FacebookSun, Mar 22, 2020In Just 10 Years, Warming Has Increased the Odds of Disasters by Chelsea Harvey, ...
I’m here in lockdown with my flatmate and her two girls (6 and 2) and it. is. a time. They’re usually really active so to start with the only boardgame in the house is the copy of Guess Who that the 6 year old got for her birthday. Flatmate commented ...
The CV-19 (COVID) pandemic has seen the imposition of a government ordered national quarantine and the promulgation of a series of measures designed to spread the burden of pain and soften the economic blow on the most strategically important and most vulnerable sectors of society. The national narrative is framed ...
. . Lock Down: Day 2 – A photo essay with observations . March 27 – Day 2 of our Strange New World. The Park and Ride near my suburb, usually filled with hundreds of vehicles, had just… four; . . Another drive into Wellington City on a highway nearly ...
Fortune's Children: Under extraordinary pressure, the leader of the Government and the leader of the Opposition will each show us what they are made of. Have they been blessed with intelligence, grace, wit, poise, toughness, empathy and humour – and in what measure? More importantly, to what extent have they ...
If you’ve ever had the misfortune of having to rent a property on the open market in New Zealand, which is one of the most expensive in the entire world, you’ll likely be keenly aware of just how arrogant and entitled landlords and their real estate agents can be.Unfortunately for ...
Society-wise, aside from the specific morbidity shall we say of the medically-oriented aspects of this COVID-19 crisis, what is unfolding before the world is in more than one way an instructive study of humanity and reactions to a high intensity, high stress environment in real time. Friends, we are at ...
Right now low waged and insecure workers are feeling the economic brunt of the looming #Covid19 Recession. In response legal advocate Toby Cooper* and hospitality and worker’s rights advocate Chloe Ann-King, are putting together a series of legal blogs about your employment rights:In this legal blog we outline some ...
by Equipo Jurídico Pueblos and Gearóid Ó Loingsigh (25/03/2020) An escape plan in question On the night of March 21st and the early morning of the 22nd, the forces of the Colombian state stormed into the Modelo prison in Bogotá, murdering 23 prisoners and injuring 83, in response to the ...
When the government banned semi-automatic weapons in response to a terrorist atrocity, gun-nuts were outraged. Mired in toxic American gun culture, they thought owning weapons whose sole purpose was killing people was some sort of "constitutional right", a necessity for "defending themselves" against the government. Now, the Court of Appeal ...
Just before midnight on Wednesday March 25, Aotearoa New Zealand entered a countrywide alert level four lockdown. For at least the next four weeks, everyone who isn’t an essential worker is confined to their bubble. We are doing this to stop the explosive growth in people contracting and dying from ...
. . Lock Down: Day 1 – A photo essay with observations . Day one of the Level 4 nationwide lock-down (or, DefCon 4 as I sometimes cheekily call it) started at 11.59PM on 25 March. For a moment, most of the nation held it’s collective breath. In that brief ...
Broad, Sunlit Uplands: How those words fired my young imagination! Or, perhaps, it is more accurate to say: how those words fused, in my young mind, with the image printed on every packet of Fielder’s Cornflour. Always fascinated by history, especially modern history, I cannot hear Churchill’s wonderfully evocative words, even ...
. . 24 March 2020 9.46AM Number of covid19 cases in Aotearoa New Zealand: 102 . As of 11.59 on Thursday, most of New Zealand will go into “lock down”. People will be expected not to travel to work; not to socialise; and to stay home. I will not be ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections A respected research group, Project Drawdown, finds that deploying solutions consistent with meeting the Paris climate targets would cost tens of trillions of dollars globally. But crucially, those outlays would also yield long-term savings many times larger than the up-front costs. The new 2020 Drawdown ...
It will pass. What happens next? Not immediately, but longer term. There are many opinions, fewer certainties. Will it “change everything!” as many confidently, and contradictorily predict? In this post I look at how foresight can help bound some of the uncertainties so you can more objectively consider the future. ...
We’ve been meaning t write something on Cuba and the coronavirus but have just discovered a very good article on the subject in the US left publication Jacobin. The article looks at how Cuba, a poor country but one where capitalism has been done away with, is leading the way ...
In 2018, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey - two British citizens who had purportedly been stripped of their citizenship by the British government - were captured while fighting for Isis in Syria. The British government then conspired to hand them over to the US, and agreed to provide evidence ...
Transformers: The disaster of the Great Depression was transformed into a new and fairer society by the democratic socialism of the First Labour Government. The disaster of the Covid-19 Pandemic offers a similar transformative possibility to the Labour-NZ First-Green Government. Seize the time, Jacinda! You will never have a better ...
Tamper with The System? Well, we already are. But there's a difference between accidentally trickling sand into a precision gearbox versus formulating a plan to alter it on the fly with improvements in mind. One action is more or less innocently unscrupulous, the other amenable to earning an easy ...
Associate Prof George Thomson, Louise Delany, Prof Nick WilsonWhile it is possible that New Zealand can use intense public health controls to eradicate COVID-19 from the country – we must also plan for other scenarios where thousands of New Zealanders are sick – including many urgently hospitalised.1 Better resilience ...
Kia ora my name is Chloe Ann-King* and I am the founder of Raise the Bar, a campaign and non-profit that gives free legal aid, advocacy and tautoko to hospitality workers in Aotearoa. Right now all over our country hospo workers are being fired at will, having shifts cut or being ...
We're about to do something unprecedented as a nation. We hope that by taking this extraordinary action before a single life in New Zealand has been lost to the deadly novel virus we will save tens of thousands of lives. Our lives. We'll do it together, in households, in isolation ...
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”So writes the author of Ecclesiastes, a book in the Old Testament that’s counted as a ‘wisdom’ book and written as if by an unnamed king of Jerusalem. But who would have thought there would be a time ...
I was surprised when the prime minister described the Economic Response to Covid-19 package as the ‘largest peacetime government spend in New Zealand's history’. Reflecting – checking through history – I realised that the term ‘spend’ was crucial and the package had no income tax cuts. Even so, it has ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says getting New Zealanders back home and other travellers out of the country is "a nightmare for our embassies, consuls, and staff around the world".Speaking to NewstalkZB's Mike Hosking, the Foreign Minister said that he gave a clear message to people travelling overseas that they ...
The domestic travel ban has been lifted for stranded foreign tourists trying to get to international airports to fly home, after the Coalition Government announced a plan to help the tens of thousands of foreigners stranded here. Foreign Minister Rt. Hon. Winston Peters spoke with RNZ's Susie Ferguson said foreign ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters believes the country is rediscovering its resilience and self-reliance through its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.He says he is heartened that the mass majority of New Zealanders are following lockdown rules and that the government looking at the future, including paying to keep much ...
New Zealand can emulate the success of the US after the Great Depression by exploiting our own resources to turn the economy around quickly, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says. Mr. Peters told Magic Talk that New Zealand has an opportunity to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic a "superior, ...
All 45 New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel are either on their way back to New Zealand, or already in the country, according to Defence Minister Ron Mark."Twenty-eight personnel arrived back in New Zealand last week and are in isolation at the Royal New Zealand Air Force base in ...
The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...
We know people are feeling anxious about COVID-19. While the situation is serious, New Zealand has a world-class health system and we’re well-prepared to keep New Zealanders safe. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging New Zealanders overseas to stay where they are amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are reaching a point where the best option for most New Zealanders offshore is to shelter in place, by preparing to safely stay where they are.” "This includes following the instructions ...
Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Foreign Minister Winston Peters is encouraging the tens of thousands of New Zealanders travelling overseas to consider sheltering in place, in light of COVID-19. “Since 18 March, we have been warning New Zealanders offshore that the window for flying ...
Ground-breaking law has passed that will decriminalise abortion and ensure women and pregnant people seeking abortions have compassionate healthcare. ...
The Green Party says that the measures announced by the Government today will help families and businesses to prioritise our collective health and wellbeing in the response to COVID-19. ...
As New Zealanders brace for a global downturn due to Covid-19, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says his Coalition Government’s rescue package "more significant" than any other he's seen around the world. The Coalition is to reveal a multi-billion-dollar stimulus plan on Tuesday afternoon designed to cushion the economic blow ...
The Government will be introducing legislation to make changes to the Companies Act to help companies facing insolvency due to COVID-19 to remain viable and keep New Zealanders in jobs. The temporary changes include: Giving directors of companies facing significant liquidity problems because of COVID-19 a ‘safe harbour’ from insolvency ...
The Government’s plan to cushion the blow of COVID-19 by supporting incomes, jobs and businesses, and position the economy to recover has been backed by another international report. International credit rating agency Moody’s today reaffirmed its highest Aaa credit rating on New Zealand, saying the economy is expected to remain ...
National sports organisations have been given certainty of funding to ensure they can remain viable through the COVID-19 pandemic, Sport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson announced today. “The global spread of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on sport and recreation in New Zealand, including the cancellation or postponement of ...
Changes have been made to allow butchers to process pork, only for supply to supermarkets or other processors or retailers that are open, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. “We carefully weighed the risk of allowing butchers to open their shops for retail customers, but the risk of spreading COVID-19 ...
Essential workers who take leave from work to comply with public health guidance are being supported with a leave scheme to ensure they will continue to receive income, say the Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety Iain Lees-Galloway and Minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni. A number of essential businesses ...
A Government WhatsApp channel has been launched to help make information more easily accessible and shareable in the fight against COVID-19. Govt.NZ, which is free to use on any mobile device, will carry information and news for the public, businesses, healthcare providers, not for profits and local government. It can ...
The Government has announced a plan to enable the safe, orderly exit of tens of thousands of stranded foreign nationals from New Zealand during the current COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has said. “When we moved into lockdown a week ago, the ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says the Government is delivering on its commitment to support general practice doctors and nurses, and pharmacies on the front-line of our fight against COVID-19. "For us to overcome COVID-19, we need community health services such as general practice and community pharmacy to step up ...
Justice Susan Thomas has been appointed Chief High Court Judge, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. She replaces Justice Geoffrey Venning who has resigned from the position. David Parker paid tribute to Justice Venning, who he said had stewarded the High Court very capably over the last five years. “On behalf ...
Businesses can start applying to their banks for loans under the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to support the New Zealand economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re moving quickly to protect New Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy during this unprecedented global economic shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. ...
Work is underway looking at measures to speed up consents for development and infrastructure projects during the recovery from COVID 19, to provide jobs and stimulate our economy. Environment Minister David Parker said the COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global crisis that will have a wide ranging and lasting impact ...
Advance payments will be made to transport construction industry contractors to retain the workforce and ensure it is ready to quickly gear up to build projects which will be vital to New Zealand’s COVID-19 economic recovery, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. He said keeping the workforce required to build ...
The Government has tasked a group of industry leaders to seek out infrastructure projects that are ready to start as soon as the construction industry returns to normal to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones say. The Infrastructure ...
Work to scale up the health system in preparation for COVID-19 was today outlined by Health Minister David Clark, as he reported back to the new Epidemic Response Committee. “We are well placed to contain the spread of COVID-19. We have taken early and decisive action at our borders, and ...
The Government is refining its COVID-19 essential business guidance to include the distribution of news publications for communities which are hard to reach. The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, said the move was in recognition of the importance for New Zealanders who might be harder to ...
The Government is ensuring supermarkets can open on Easter Sunday so we can buy groceries, but stay closed on Good Friday allowing workers to take a break. This provides a balanced approach and ensures we avoid large queues that two days closure may cause. “Supermarkets will be able to open ...
Following the successful conclusion of the Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission at Taji, New Zealand defence personnel are returning to New Zealand from Iraq, in accordance with the Cabinet decision made in June 2019, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. “New Zealand is very ...
The State of National Emergency to help stop the spread of COVID-19 has been extended for a further seven days, Minister of Civil Defence Peeni Henare said. The initial declaration on March 25 lasted seven days and can be extended as many times as necessary. “Since we went into isolation ...
New Zealand’s ability to go hard and go early in the fight against COVID-19 has been underpinned by strong Government finances and the growing economy heading into this global pandemic, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Treasury today released the Crown financial statements for the eight months to the end ...
Health Minister Dr David Clark says 36 new intensive care beds at Christchurch Hospital’s new Hagley building are being fast tracked so they are available for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The Ministry of Health is working with contractor CPB and Canterbury DHB to enable access to the hospital’s ICU, ...
The Government has fast-tracked up to $1 million to help Air New Zealand move urgent freight to and from New Zealand, with the first flight to Shanghai leaving tonight, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Phil Twyford says it’s crucial that trade in vital goods such as medical supplies and ...
New Zealand will temporarily remove tariffs on all medical and hygiene imports needed for the COVID-19 response. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi said today that the New Zealand Customs Service will apply tariff concessions to all diagnostic reagents and testing ...
Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has clarified that the changes to the wage subsidy scheme announced yesterday mean that employers should be passing on the full subsidy to workers, except in the case where the person’s normal income is less than the level of the subsidy. “We still want employers ...
Medical face masks from the national reserve supply are now being distributed to District Health Boards, while at the same time local production is being ramped up. Yesterday more than 640,000 masks were sent to DHBS – that is an immediate two week supply, with more to follow in coming ...
The Government has made modifications to the wage subsidy scheme to ensure people don’t lose their jobs during the national lockdown. These changes will soften the impact of COVID-19 on workers, families and businesses, and position them to exit the lockdown and look to recovery, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. ...
Farmers whose herds were culled in response to the outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis will be able to minimise the tax treatment of their income in some circumstances. Revenue Minister Stuart Nash says Cabinet has agreed to change the law. It means farmers may be eligible to spread their income over ...
A $27 million dollar package, effective immediately, is being provided to social sector services and community groups to ensure they can continue to provide essential support to communities as we stay at home as a nation to stop the spread of COVID-19, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni announced. “At ...
“The guilty plea today will provide some relief to the many people whose lives were shattered by what happened on March 15,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. “These guilty pleas and conviction bring accountability for what happened and also save the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, ...
The Prime Minister is holding daily press conferences to update New Zealanders on the Government's response to COVID-19. Links to videos and transcripts of these updates below. These transcripts also include All of Government press conferences led by Director Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. 25 March: Live update from the Prime ...
Frontline Police numbers have broken through the 10,000 mark for the first time in history as officers step forward to keep the community safe during the COVID19 lockdown. “Two Police graduations in Auckland and Wellington in the past week have been conducted in unprecedented circumstances,” Police Minister Stuart Nash said. ...
Urgent legislation has been passed to support the package of economic and social measures needed to recover from the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. “The COVID-19 Response (Taxation and Social Assistance Urgent Measures) Bill will cushion New Zealanders from the worst economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Revenue Minister ...
From tomorrow, Government support for farmers and growers affected by drought will be expanded and extended across the country, with access to Rural Assistance Payments (RAPS) available throughout the North Island, parts of the South Island and the Chatham Islands, Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni announced. “These challenging conditions have ...
Parliament has passed amendments to legislation that give the Secretary of Education stronger powers to act in the fight to limit the spread of COVID-19, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “They are part of a suite of changes passed under the COVID-19 Response (Urgent Management Measures) Legislation Bill,” Chris ...
Canada, Australia, Chile, Brunei and Myanmar have joined forces with New Zealand and Singapore by committing to keep supply chains open and remove any existing trade restrictive measures on essential goods, especially medical supplies, in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker today welcomed ...
Immediate freeze on rent increases Tenancies will not be terminated during the lock-down period, unless the parties agree, or in limited circumstances Tenants who had previously given notice can stay in their if they need to stay in the tenancy during the lock-down period Tenants will still be able to ...
As New Zealand unites to lock-down in the fight against COVID-19, the Finance Minister is urging all businesses and workers to stay connected over the next four weeks. “We understand the extreme pressure many businesses are under right now. I know most business owners think of their workers as family ...
A State of National Emergency has been declared across the country as the Government pulls out all the stops to curtail the spread of COVID-19. “Today we put in place our country’s second ever State of National Emergency as we fight a global pandemic, save New Zealanders’ lives and prevent ...
Mr Speaker I wish to make a Ministerial Statement under Standing Order 347 in relation to the recent declaration of a State of National Emergency. Having considered the advice of the Director Civil Defence Emergency Management, the Minister of Civil Defence declared a State of National Emergency for the whole of ...
People needing to travel on domestic flights, trains and Cook Strait ferries to get home before the country moves into level 4 lock-down tomorrow night will be able to continue using the passenger services until midnight on Friday, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said today. Domestic passenger services, particularly ferries, have ...
The Government, retail banks and the Reserve Bank are today announcing a major financial support package for home owners and businesses affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19. The package will include a six month principal and interest payment holiday for mortgage holders and SME customers whose incomes have been ...
During the challenges associated with lockdown, the Māori Party are congratulating Ngāti Ruanui and South Taranaki on the decision of the Court of Appeal, announced today, to stop Trans-Tasman Resources plans for risky seabed mining off the South ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sunanda Creagh, Head of Digital Storytelling What does the COVID-19 pandemic sound like? For this episode, Dallas Rogers – a senior lecturer in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney – asked academic colleagues from all over ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sven Gallasch, Lecturer in Law, Swinburne University of Technology “People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion,” wrote Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations (published in 1776), “but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the ...
Environment Minister David Parker has directed officials to find ways to fast-track consents for infrastructure and development projects. He says his goal is to help create a pipeline of projects so that some can start immediately once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted “so people can get back into work as fast ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin Spain and Switzerland top cases, countries converging. Chart by Keith Rankin.Spain and Switzerland top cases, countries converging. Chart by Keith Rankin.Of the larger European countries, Italy is now in third place for known cases per person in the population. Spain has overtaken Switzerland for ...
Contact tracing is a crucial part of the Covid-19 puzzle and technology might prove essential to scaling up New Zealand's tracing capacity, Marc Daalder reports With the lockdown reducing physical contact between members of the public and testing ramping up, the only missing piece of the Covid-19 puzzle is contact tracing. ...
Insolvency laws will be temporarily changed to allow troubled companies to trade while technically insolvent Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced changes to the Companies Act to allow companies to put their debts into "hibernation". Robertson said companies facing liquidity problems would have "safe harbour" from their normal insolvency duties ...
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui and Te Kaahui o Rauru are celebrating the decision of the Court of Appeal, announced today, to stop Trans-Tasman Resources plans for risky seabed mining off the South Taranaki Bight. The Court of Appeal found that there ...
Bernard Hickey talks to Kiwibank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr about a massive spike in US jobless claims, and they talk about an inspiring Kiwi app to fight Covid-19 globally. Guest, Pie Funds chief executive Mike Taylor also joins them to talk about the massive market swings and hopes for recovery. Bernard zooms out ...
Political commentators from the left and right sides of the political divide are questioning the powers being exercised by police during the nation-wide “lockdown”. The Asian Invasion 2019 blog draws attention to the warning sounded by former UK Supreme Court Justice Jonathan Sumption when he challenged Covid-19 actions by British ...
Pacific Media Watch The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) has strongly condemned the shoot-to-kill order by President Rodrigo Duterte this week as a ‘dangerous’ opening to target and kill anyone in a public space. “We are raising the alarm in the international community on President ...
The Reserve Bank looks set to start buying council bonds as well as Government bonds to unfreeze financial markets and allow councils to defer rates and jointly invest in infrastructure with the central Government, Dileepa Fonseka reports In what would be another unprecedented move to calm financial markets and help ...
Four PhD students engaged a clinical psychologist to help them navigate an uncertain time in their studies. They share their findings here.As four PhD students from Massey University’s Joint Centre for Disaster Research we, like many others, can’t stop reading and talking about the unfolding events that have gripped our ...
The SpinoffBy Ashleigh Rushton, Lisa McLaren, Marion Tan & Sara Harrison
Covid-19 testing of the wider population is on the cards as World Health Organisation research shows people are most contagious within their first few days of being infected Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says Covid-19 carriers are highly infectious when they show few signs of carrying the virus. People were ...
Z Energy is the latest company to cut its dividend payout and start talking to its banks about strengthening its finances. Chief executive Mike Bennetts said the company, the largest fuel retailer in the country, had been battered by a range of issues over the past 18 months, and was ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Kang, Associate professor, University of Technology Sydney Young people in Australia are among the fastest-growing group to contract COVID19. According to the Department of Health, there are now more cases in Australia among people aged 20 – 29 years than any ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassandra Pattinson, Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Getting a good night’s sleep can be difficult at the best of times. But it can be even harder when you’re anxious or have something on your mind – a global pandemic, for example. ...
Journalist and Great Barrier Island resident Lindsay Wright reflects on outer gulf pandemic preparedness. Hardy locals can tough it out but Auckland bach owners and boaties should keep their distance. Aotea Great Barrier, the easternmost island in the Hauraki Gulf, are undergoing a Covid-19-inspired population flood. Great Barrier has scenery that makes ...
The Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand is delighted that the government has moved quickly to provide an initial financial support package for pharmacy. The $15 million package was paid this week to pharmacy contract holders. Pharmaceutical Society president ...
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening.The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference and are "as of 9am" of the day. There were 71 new cases of Covid-19 in ...
A new poem by Wellington poet and bookseller Ash Davida Jane. washed up! it gets tiring pushing the fire alarm every nightbut things keep catching on fireor sometimes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Foster, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Sydney Our earliest vertebrate (animals with backbones) ancestors laid eggs, but over millions of years of evolution, some species began to give birth to live young. There is a traditional dichotomy in vertebrate reproduction: species ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Charles Foster, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Sydney Our earliest vertebrate (animals with backbones) ancestors laid eggs, but over millions of years of evolution, some species began to give birth to live young. There is a traditional dichotomy in vertebrate reproduction: species ...
Welcome to the second edition of our lockdown Top 10s. A reminder that this chart has nothing to do with sales or launches or the publishing cycle; these are just books the Unity team love – and this week it’s westerns, full of big skies and long rides and showdowns.AUCKLANDAll ...
Wellington Mayor Andy Foster’s plan to cover revenue shortfalls through borrowing without cutting low priority spending is immoral, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . “Businesses and households across the country are meeting financial challenges ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin John Brophy, Emeritus Professor of Creative writing, University of Melbourne “Katrina, I had in mind a prayer, but only this came,” Bruce Dawe wrote to his infant daughter, new-born, in intensive care, her life in the balance, declaring as poets must ...
The shock closure of Bauer NZ – and with it all of the country’s current affairs magazines – is a stark reminder of the fragile state of local media, writes Mel Bunce, the author of a book on the subject.It is a dark week for journalism in New Zealand, with ...
Join Leonie Hayden as she works through the first four weeks of Scotty Morrison’s Māori Made Easy.Rāmere/FridayWe made it to the end of week one e te whānau. It wasn’t that hard! In fact it was… Māori made easy.To end our week of pronunciation practice we’re going to revisit everything we ...
India faces more challenges battling Covid-19 than any other country in the world. With 1.3 billion inhabitants, hundreds of different languages spoken, and an estimated 80% of the workforce daily wage earners currently without jobs, it could be a recipe for disaster.I’ve been living in India for more than three ...
By Sri Krishnamurthi of Pacific Media Watch The Vanuatu government is using the Covid-19 to impose draconian measures and authoritarian rule by end of last month. Wholesale censorship of all Covid-19 related content has been instituted. Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) took the extraordinary step to ...
People with lower credit scores increased their borrowing upon news of the lockdown, while those with higher scores dropped away. March data from the credit-reporting agency Centrix, which runs credit checks on behalf of banks, finance companies, online lenders, and buy now pay later schemes, showed credit inquiries dropped sharply ...
Small business owners say commercial rent relief is desperately needed if they are to survive past the Covid-19 disruptions. While the wage subsidy helped with staff costs, there is currently no government assistance for commercial rent - which typically accounts for 40 percent of a firm's fixed costs. Landlords and ...
SkyCity is making 200 staff redundant as part of cost cutting because of the Covid-19 virus. The casino operator said it had no choice but to cut the size of the workforce given that once business resumes it will be at much reduced level. Chief executive Graeme Stephens said it's ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Glikson, Earth and paleo-climate scientist, Australian National University At several points in the history of our planet, increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have caused extreme global warming, prompting the majority of species on Earth to die out. In ...
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 contentMedia Henry Cooke (Stuff): There’s no easy way for Government to save media drowning. But a fast fix is ...
Just after midday a cyclist was killed on a straight road on a clear day, after being hit by a van in North Canterbury. Lucinda Rees from NZ School Speeds is asking for the mandatory cyclist/vulnerable road user passing gap, which is in consultation, ...
By Indra Singh in Suva Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says that if Fijians continue to disregard the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic directives from authorities, a nationwide 24-hour curfew could be imposed. His comments come as Fiji yesterday recorded its two latest coronavirus cases, taking the total to seven. Bainimarama said ...
In our new series The Lockdown Letters, some of New Zealand’s best writers tell us what they’ve been up to in the days of Covid-19 alert level four. Today, Ōtaki author Renée.Yes, a few cyclists out and about. I remember my first bike bought from Farmers around 1942, five shillings a ...
Internal memos from NZ’s biggest magazine company, which announced its sudden closure yesterday, state they were lobbying to change a ban on publication. But the minister responsible, Kris Faafoi, has doubled down on rejecting that position, calling those internal communications ‘contradictory’ to what they said to him directly.Magazine publishing giant ...
Up to 100,000 foreigners could be seeking to leave the country in coming weeks, now the Government has relaxed domestic travel restrictions for them. ...
The loss of a loved one can be difficult in the best of times. But it’s even more painful when the planes are grounded.Late on Saturday night, three days into New Zealand’s level four lockdown, Harish got a call from his sister in India telling him that his father had ...
Health Minister David Clark has flouted the Government's advice to exercise locally after confirming he drove to a park to go mountain biking on Thursday. ...
Covid-19 cases top 1m; Trump brags he's #1 on Facebook and says he knows about the virus because a 'friend' got it; UK testing scandal grows; Cats more vulnerable to virus than dogsTicking up to a million cases: A gruesome landmark was passed today when we go over one million ...
“So do not fear, I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” Isaiah 41:10 COVID-19 - Lock down: one week on Welcome to the latest Policy Watch ...
Workers at the Port of Lyttelton are resisting the introduction of casual cargo handlers due to concerns about COVID19. RMTU South Island Organizer John Kerr says there is concern about a Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) proposal to "bring in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Strangio, Associate Professor of Politics, Monash University One of Australia’s preeminent historians, Stuart Macintyre, once observed of John Curtin, the Labor Party leader revered for navigating this nation through the dangers of the second world war, that he would have ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoff Hanmer, Adjunct Professor of Architecture, University of Adelaide New research the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that SARS CoV 2, which causes the disease known as COVID-19 coronavirus, is more stable on plastic and stainless steel than on cardboard or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW The Australian government’s JobKeeper wage subsidy, estimated to cost A$130 billion, is a crucial measure to help keep the economy from completely cratering. But, even if COVID-19 is sufficiently under control for the economy to return ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gordon Menzies, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Technology Sydney During this pandemic, our twin health and economic crises require two different types of concern, and they operate differently. For the health crisis, a high level of concern is necessary. Saving lives ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Harriette Richards, University of Melbourne Times of instability and crisis produce increased nostalgia for the past. We long for a time that no longer exists, or never existed. Like melancholy, nostalgia is a sentiment of loss – one that’s particularly familiar to ...
RBNZ bans bank dividends; Who is next after Bauer's shock closure? Vital plan blocked; Commission wins in real estate price fixing case; Softbank walks out WeWorkNo you won’t: The Reserve Bank took the unprecedented step of prohibiting the banks from paying dividends during the coronavirus crisis or redeeming any ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Media reels after horror week, Wellington Council facing massive budget crunch, and highest single day of new Covid-19 cases.It had always been clear that this was going to be a difficult time for the media, with the Covid-19 downturn hitting ...
Former National Finance Ministers Steven Joyce and Bill English question the severity of the Covid-19 lockdown and ask whether the Government has an exit strategy. Andrew Patterson reports. Steven Joyce and Bill English have seen their fair share of financial crises and natural disasters as the last National Government's finance ...
There is no sign the government will tighten quarantine controls for those arriving at the border, in response to calls from the Opposition to quarantine and test everyone. ...
Two new cases of Covid-19 have been identified in Fiji, prompting a lockdown of its capital. Teuila Fuatai reports. Fijian health authorities are scrambling to identify close contacts of its latest two Covid-19 cases. The couple, from Nabua, Suva, appear unrelated to the country’s previous five. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama ...
Christchurch is a city of contrasts, as some stretch their legs with smiles and others with suspicion. David Williams reports It was no surprise it happened in Christchurch’s student quarter. The smiles of those standing at their gates in Ilam Road broadened as a baby kayak strapped to a skateboard ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level four. The country is shut down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The ...
Suzanne McFadden speaks to two Kiwi 'bubbles' who have unanticipated - but serendipitous - housemates. Sue Bremner has found a silver lining to the brooding cloud of lockdown – it’s meant getting to know the sister who never knew she existed for almost 65 years. Englishwoman Bremner has found herself holed ...
As the walls go up around the world, global trade is feeling the effects. But beyond the short-term pain, what systemic change might we see? Sam Sachdeva reports. International trade was already facing headwinds before the spread of coronavirus - but the pandemic has knocked it well and truly off-course. ...
The decisions by German media giant Bauer to shut its New Zealand magazine operation and NZME’s axing of Radio Sport have been precipitated by the coronavirus. But, as Mark Jennings and Tim Murphy write, the closures are also due to the deeper problems of the local media industry. The sudden announcement ...
How long does it take to recover, how do you know you’ve recovered and can you catch Covid-19 twice? If you’ve had Covid-19 when are you officially recovered? Turns out there’s no test in New Zealand. It's judged by time of onset and last symptoms. How do I tick the ...
The first thing to note about the partying Queenstown backpackers is these acts of youthful rebellion are not an isolated phenomenon. As I write this on April 1, The Guardian is reporting on a group of people in their 20s who took the opportunity to celebrate Spring Break in the ...
Every Friday of lockdown, LockerRoom will share posts from Kiwi sportswomen who've caught our eye with novel ways of keeping on top of their game at home. This week we have Black Ferns making their own training equipment, a Kiwi professional cyclist virtually racing against riders around the world, and ANZ Premiership netballers calling their ...
Steve Braunias pays tribute to the Listener, closed yesterday in the wake of Covid-19's devastation of the economy. This piece to mark the end of the Listener is exactly how I started writing for the Listener: late at night, with instant coffee, in a state of shock. The shock then ...
The shockingly fast collapse of Bauer presents the government with a momentous choice, says Duncan Greive. Will it save the media industry, or concentrate on its own?This moment was always coming. The long, steady flow of advertising revenue to the tech giants has left the private sector media gaunt, much ...
A new app unveiled by the Government to dispense information about Covid-19 can be scaled up to help with pandemic tracking and diagnosing the illness, Marc Daalder reportsA Government WhatsApp channel revealed today will help carry information pertinent to the Covid-19 pandemic to the nation's smartphones - but that's ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As the COVID-19 transforms our individual lives, we are learning a few new things about ourselves as a society. We’ve known Australians suspect authority and, like other Western countries, have come to trust government less ...
About those handles and rails and communal areas …The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 crisis is only possible because of the support of members. If you can, please consider joining Spinoff Members here.As Aotearoa enters week two of lockdown, it’s clear we’re all still working out what our “bubbles” look ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie Quinn, Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellow, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is changing how we live. With a rapid increase in cases, we are now isolating in our homes to “flatten the curve”. However, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In this special hour long podcast presented by Mark Evans, professor of governance and director of Democracy 2025, the panel discusses Australian democracy with Emeritus Professor Ian Chubb and Michelle Grattan. The panel dissects the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The government will provide free child care in a move aimed at ensuring parents, especially in essential services, are able to keep working. More than 945,000 families with 1.3 million children will benefit. The new ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Jackson, Education Policy Lead, Mitchell Institute, Victoria University Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced free childcare for more than one million families, with a funding boost that aims to keep more than 13,000 childcare services across Australia open. In doing so, ...
Open Mike 20/09/2018 
In order to meet our 2050 carbon target and do our bit to avoid making the Earth uninhabitable, New Zealand needs to decarbonise our economy, replacing fossil fuels with electricity in the energy, industrial and transport sectors. The good news is that it will mean cheaper power for all of ...4 hours ago
For those folk who find my other Lock-Down Diary versions too “negative” or otherwise unpalatable… Here’s a photo of a pretty flower, . . Better? Tomorrow’s Sanitised Version: a cute animal video. . . . =fs= ...5 hours ago
As Aotearoa enters week two of lockdown, it’s clear we’re all still working out what our “bubbles” look like and how to stay in them to stop the spread of Covid-19. New to the government’s Covid-19 website is some good guidance for people living in apartment blocks. Recent decades have ...8 hours ago
Yesterday was the day the consequences of the lockdown suddenly got very real for many. Firms have been closing and laying people off since the outset of the quarantine but this has mostly been happening out of the public eye. The mass closure of a number of iconic New Zealand ...9 hours ago
Resuming Normal Service: The Republican Party's nominee for in 1920, Warren Harding, promised the American people: “not heroics, but healing; not nostrums, but normalcy; not revolution, but restoration”. If she wishes to remain our prime minister, then Jacinda Ardern will offer New Zealanders the same.HOW EDUCATED AMERICA snickered when the ...10 hours ago
by Daphna Whitmore A third of the world is under lockdown and a clear assessment of this measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 is urgently needed. With any high-stakes decisions it has to be asked what are we dealing with here? Are the measures warranted? Will they achieve their ...16 hours ago
I haven’t done a huge amount in the last few days. I’m reading The Poppy War and I’ve sort of poked at a couple of games – I started SOMA but I’m a wimp and I quit while in the first room after the brain scan. I might try it ...20 hours ago
Much has been written about the importance of discretion in an emergency situation, and the concerns raised by the potential for it to be exercised arbitrarily. Given the quality of the discussion, there seemed little point in adding to it at any length. In particular, I point to the evidence ...23 hours ago
46 Articles Physical science of global warming & effects Global response of evapotranspiration ratio to climate conditions and watershed characteristics in a changing environment Greenhouse effect: the relative contributions of emission height and total absorption Observations & observational methods of global warming & effects Climate change induced a ...2 days ago
Image credit: Diamond Harbour School Blogs I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or ... 2 days ago
The Covid-19 saga will no doubt produce many twists and turns for us before it is finally brought to an end. But one thing it has shown us – and what comfort it should bring us – is that our country’s government is in good hands. I am not thinking ...2 days ago
The following statement was released on March 28 by the National Network on Cuba, a coalition of 40 groups, based in the United States. In recent weeks, Cuba has deployed hundreds of medical providers to over a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, as well as to their neighbors in Latin ...3 days ago
Yesterday, New Zealand recorded its first Covid-19 related death on the West Coast. Unfortunately this is unlikely to be the only fatality, with the virus now being found in every region of the country.However despite the significant danger, people are still unfortunately breaching lockdown rules.There’s really only one main very ...4 days ago
The CV-19 (COVID) pandemic has seen the imposition of a government ordered national quarantine and the promulgation of a series of measures designed to spread the burden of pain and soften the economic blow on the most strategically important and most vulnerable sectors of society. The national narrative is framed ...6 days ago
Society-wise, aside from the specific morbidity shall we say of the medically-oriented aspects of this COVID-19 crisis, what is unfolding before the world is in more than one way an instructive study of humanity and reactions to a high intensity, high stress environment in real time. Friends, we are at ...7 days ago
Right now low waged and insecure workers are feeling the economic brunt of the looming #Covid19 Recession. In response legal advocate Toby Cooper* and hospitality and worker’s rights advocate Chloe Ann-King, are putting together a series of legal blogs about your employment rights: In this legal blog we outline some ...7 days ago
Kia ora my name is Chloe Ann-King* and I am the founder of Raise the Bar, a campaign and non-profit that gives free legal aid, advocacy and tautoko to hospitality workers in Aotearoa. Right now all over our country hospo workers are being fired at will, having shifts cut or being ...1 week ago
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says getting New Zealanders back home and other travellers out of the country is "a nightmare for our embassies, consuls, and staff around the world". Speaking to NewstalkZB's Mike Hosking, the Foreign Minister said that he gave a clear message to people travelling overseas that they ...3 hours ago
The COVID-19 situation in New Zealand is moving fast - and to avoid what we've seen overseas - the Government's response must be to move fast too. We're committed to keeping New Zealanders safe and well-informed every step of the way. ...6 days ago
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The scale of what we face right now is unlike anything we have ever seen before. Overcoming it is our common purpose. ...1 week ago
The Government will be introducing legislation to make changes to the Companies Act to help companies facing insolvency due to COVID-19 to remain viable and keep New Zealanders in jobs. The temporary changes include: Giving directors of companies facing significant liquidity problems because of COVID-19 a ‘safe harbour’ from insolvency ...2 hours ago
During the challenges associated with lockdown, the Māori Party are congratulating Ngāti Ruanui and South Taranaki on the decision of the Court of Appeal, announced today, to stop Trans-Tasman Resources plans for risky seabed mining off the South ...26 mins ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sunanda Creagh, Head of Digital Storytelling What does the COVID-19 pandemic sound like? For this episode, Dallas Rogers – a senior lecturer in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney – asked academic colleagues from all over ...30 mins ago
Environment Minister David Parker has directed officials to find ways to fast-track consents for infrastructure and development projects. He says his goal is to help create a pipeline of projects so that some can start immediately once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted “so people can get back into work as fast ...32 mins ago
Contact tracing is a crucial part of the Covid-19 puzzle and technology might prove essential to scaling up New Zealand's tracing capacity, Marc Daalder reports With the lockdown reducing physical contact between members of the public and testing ramping up, the only missing piece of the Covid-19 puzzle is contact tracing. ...48 mins ago
Insolvency laws will be temporarily changed to allow troubled companies to trade while technically insolvent Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced changes to the Companies Act to allow companies to put their debts into "hibernation". Robertson said companies facing liquidity problems would have "safe harbour" from their normal insolvency duties ...1 hour ago
Bernard Hickey talks to Kiwibank Chief Economist Jarrod Kerr about a massive spike in US jobless claims, and they talk about an inspiring Kiwi app to fight Covid-19 globally. Guest, Pie Funds chief executive Mike Taylor also joins them to talk about the massive market swings and hopes for recovery. Bernard zooms out ...2 hours ago
Political commentators from the left and right sides of the political divide are questioning the powers being exercised by police during the nation-wide “lockdown”. The Asian Invasion 2019 blog draws attention to the warning sounded by former UK Supreme Court Justice Jonathan Sumption when he challenged Covid-19 actions by British ...2 hours ago
The Reserve Bank looks set to start buying council bonds as well as Government bonds to unfreeze financial markets and allow councils to defer rates and jointly invest in infrastructure with the central Government, Dileepa Fonseka reports In what would be another unprecedented move to calm financial markets and help ...2 hours ago
Four PhD students engaged a clinical psychologist to help them navigate an uncertain time in their studies. They share their findings here.As four PhD students from Massey University’s Joint Centre for Disaster Research we, like many others, can’t stop reading and talking about the unfolding events that have gripped our ...2 hours ago
Covid-19 testing of the wider population is on the cards as World Health Organisation research shows people are most contagious within their first few days of being infected Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says Covid-19 carriers are highly infectious when they show few signs of carrying the virus. People were ...2 hours ago
Z Energy is the latest company to cut its dividend payout and start talking to its banks about strengthening its finances. Chief executive Mike Bennetts said the company, the largest fuel retailer in the country, had been battered by a range of issues over the past 18 months, and was ...2 hours ago
Journalist and Great Barrier Island resident Lindsay Wright reflects on outer gulf pandemic preparedness. Hardy locals can tough it out but Auckland bach owners and boaties should keep their distance. Aotea Great Barrier, the easternmost island in the Hauraki Gulf, are undergoing a Covid-19-inspired population flood. Great Barrier has scenery that makes ...3 hours ago
How is Covid-19 spreading within the country? Newsroom is collating information as it's available to paint a picture of what's happening. The following charts are based on numbers shared at the daily press conference and are "as of 9am" of the day. There were 71 new cases of Covid-19 in ...3 hours ago
Vodafone says its continuing to see significant increases in calls and data on its networks after the first week of level 4 lockdown. ...4 hours ago
The Opposition says the government should be more generous with its wage and business subsidies to help companies survive the economic shutdown. ...5 hours ago
People with lower credit scores increased their borrowing upon news of the lockdown, while those with higher scores dropped away. March data from the credit-reporting agency Centrix, which runs credit checks on behalf of banks, finance companies, online lenders, and buy now pay later schemes, showed credit inquiries dropped sharply ...6 hours ago
Small business owners say commercial rent relief is desperately needed if they are to survive past the Covid-19 disruptions. While the wage subsidy helped with staff costs, there is currently no government assistance for commercial rent - which typically accounts for 40 percent of a firm's fixed costs. Landlords and ...6 hours ago
SkyCity is making 200 staff redundant as part of cost cutting because of the Covid-19 virus. The casino operator said it had no choice but to cut the size of the workforce given that once business resumes it will be at much reduced level. Chief executive Graeme Stephens said it's ...6 hours ago
Up to 100,000 foreigners could be seeking to leave the country in coming weeks, now the Government has relaxed domestic travel restrictions for them. ...8 hours ago
Health Minister David Clark has flouted the Government's advice to exercise locally after confirming he drove to a park to go mountain biking on Thursday. ...8 hours ago
Covid-19 cases top 1m; Trump brags he's #1 on Facebook and says he knows about the virus because a 'friend' got it; UK testing scandal grows; Cats more vulnerable to virus than dogs Ticking up to a million cases: A gruesome landmark was passed today when we go over one million ...8 hours ago
RBNZ bans bank dividends; Who is next after Bauer's shock closure? Vital plan blocked; Commission wins in real estate price fixing case; Softbank walks out WeWork No you won’t: The Reserve Bank took the unprecedented step of prohibiting the banks from paying dividends during the coronavirus crisis or redeeming any ...9 hours ago
Former National Finance Ministers Steven Joyce and Bill English question the severity of the Covid-19 lockdown and ask whether the Government has an exit strategy. Andrew Patterson reports. Steven Joyce and Bill English have seen their fair share of financial crises and natural disasters as the last National Government's finance ...10 hours ago
Two new cases of Covid-19 have been identified in Fiji, prompting a lockdown of its capital. Teuila Fuatai reports. Fijian health authorities are scrambling to identify close contacts of its latest two Covid-19 cases. The couple, from Nabua, Suva, appear unrelated to the country’s previous five. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama ...11 hours ago
Christchurch is a city of contrasts, as some stretch their legs with smiles and others with suspicion. David Williams reports It was no surprise it happened in Christchurch’s student quarter. The smiles of those standing at their gates in Ilam Road broadened as a baby kayak strapped to a skateboard ...11 hours ago
Suzanne McFadden speaks to two Kiwi 'bubbles' who have unanticipated - but serendipitous - housemates. Sue Bremner has found a silver lining to the brooding cloud of lockdown – it’s meant getting to know the sister who never knew she existed for almost 65 years. Englishwoman Bremner has found herself holed ...12 hours ago
As the walls go up around the world, global trade is feeling the effects. But beyond the short-term pain, what systemic change might we see? Sam Sachdeva reports. International trade was already facing headwinds before the spread of coronavirus - but the pandemic has knocked it well and truly off-course. ...12 hours ago
The decisions by German media giant Bauer to shut its New Zealand magazine operation and NZME’s axing of Radio Sport have been precipitated by the coronavirus. But, as Mark Jennings and Tim Murphy write, the closures are also due to the deeper problems of the local media industry. The sudden announcement ...12 hours ago
How long does it take to recover, how do you know you’ve recovered and can you catch Covid-19 twice? If you’ve had Covid-19 when are you officially recovered? Turns out there’s no test in New Zealand. It's judged by time of onset and last symptoms. How do I tick the ...12 hours ago
The first thing to note about the partying Queenstown backpackers is these acts of youthful rebellion are not an isolated phenomenon. As I write this on April 1, The Guardian is reporting on a group of people in their 20s who took the opportunity to celebrate Spring Break in the ...12 hours ago
Every Friday of lockdown, LockerRoom will share posts from Kiwi sportswomen who've caught our eye with novel ways of keeping on top of their game at home. This week we have Black Ferns making their own training equipment, a Kiwi professional cyclist virtually racing against riders around the world, and ANZ Premiership netballers calling their ...12 hours ago
Steve Braunias pays tribute to the Listener, closed yesterday in the wake of Covid-19's devastation of the economy. This piece to mark the end of the Listener is exactly how I started writing for the Listener: late at night, with instant coffee, in a state of shock. The shock then ...12 hours ago
A new app unveiled by the Government to dispense information about Covid-19 can be scaled up to help with pandemic tracking and diagnosing the illness, Marc Daalder reports A Government WhatsApp channel revealed today will help carry information pertinent to the Covid-19 pandemic to the nation's smartphones - but that's ...12 hours ago
You have to be a real political anorak to give a damn about some emails being released, but the longer Curran refuses to let her Prime Minister off the hook, the worse this is going to get. As Claire Trevett notes:
“The hiring of Handley and then scrapping his appointment before he even began is the messiest mishap of the new Government so far.
The best Labour can hope for is to deal with the fallout efficiently and without being cute about it.
Labour had no doubt hoped the Handley episode would be tidied away with the departure of Curran.
But as long as the contents of those emails remain a secret so too will the suspicion the Prime Minister is somehow involved, or there is something else damaging in there.”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12128004
C’mon Curran, release the emails; you can’t fall any further.
Most open and transparent government ever.
Sure does look if they have something to hide.
And you don’t have to be a political anorak- people can see how unprofessionaly Cindys government is handling this – it matters.
Media should move on. Curren resigned. It’s the media stupid. Take Massay uni, a club wanting to invite Brash, the vc said no.NOt about bRushes freespeach since he got a gig quick smart, and how hilarious, 150 years at still fat in the head old white guy still thinks they are a victim like he has ever had a speach problem.
So M assay did not deny freespeach, just restricted association on their property, the stink would have been Brash meeting said club just outside the campus demanding his right of association, which of course expose how farfetched the whole story was. Farrier turdblossum fails to ignited and blows back on him.
It’s out of Curran’s hands.
So this saga is going to stretch out for a month or two at least.
The OIA is such a cowardly defence from the Labour team.
Curran is the receiver and author of the emails, so they are fully her gift to provide.
The Archives people have not even determined if they warrant being official information.
Curran needs to lance this pus out today.
You make it sound like Curran’s work-related e-mails are hers and hers only, which is not the case.
Anyway, Curran’s judgement cannot be trusted.
I agree. Release them.
Surely she’d have to get Handley’s permission first.
No she does not.
Most likely needs Winstons permission
Not if they include personal information.
“…You have to be a real political anorak…”
or a political journalist who needs to create copy every day and who only has the 120 member unicameral parliament of small uncorrupt, and reasonably well run country to work with.
Seriously, these guys would publish an article on the meaning of a discarded chippies packet in the corridor if they thought they could get away with it.
Well, the corporate media could be addressing issues like child poverty, obesity, suicide, depression, unemployment, employment conditions, pay scales, foreign ownership A LOT MORE.
You know all the problems caused by the imposition of neoliberal capitalism on this country.
But they won’t.
They are paid puppets of the establishment.
That was very clear yesterday when the lamestream rated covering an odious ACT leaders right to speak above talking about our amazing suffrage history.
I’d be quite interested in the meaning of a discarded chippiespacket. Far more do than Currans emails which I am sure will bring the Govt down.Sarc. Would also be interested in an inquiry into Gerry Brownlees bullying phone call to young Accountant. Double standards from Dim SIM.
“Would also be interested in an inquiry into Gerry Brownlees bullying phone call to young Accountant.”
It was not an accountant, the phone call was to a law firm and one of the lawyers there.
Tamihere reckons the govt is “Labour-led because they have 46 seats compared with New Zealand First’s nine.” https://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=12127921
Big is good? Such fpp thinking is just silly when applied to an MMP coalition. He can’t seem to grasp the parity relation. We have a Labour PM and that’s the sole basis for any valid claim that Labour is leading, a claim that loses plausibility every time she doesn’t lead when necessary.
He makes this interesting point: “there is no doubt that Winston coming into 2020 will play the Māori card. You can put your money on it. The question is what will the Māori members of the Labour Party do?” Depends how he plays it.
He makes much of NZF’s wins in the budget, accuses Winston of dictatorship, and then “If Winston and Shane do not pull their heads in, there has to be a confrontation and Prime Minister Ardern will have to say enough is enough.” I agree, call their bluff when necessary, but she must be aware that Winston may have deliberately provoked her to get an early election. No grounds for this scenario currently!
Ardern has already caved to Winston and started saying “Coalition govt” instead of “Labour lead govt” since his hissy fit.
Sad really
No more Labour government wiki pages
Seems like, at least for a while they will be all “## National government of NZ” or “## Mingle/Jumble government of NZ”
Chris what a sentimental thing you must be if a name change makes you feel sad.
I prefer to save my sadness for things that really impact people such as homelessness……………….but who am I to invalidate what you feel
In time it will be referred to as the Labour-led coalition, or the Labour-NZF coalition.
It has to be called something.
This excellent speech by Dame Anne Salmond should not go unnoticed here on TS!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/life/107210918/dame-anne-salmond-neoliberal-philosophy-is-toxic-and-a-tragedy-for-women
Thanks incognito, a good read indeed.
“Tourism remains the saviour of New Zealand’s external accounts, which in June continued the trend of deterioration started in 2017.
In December 2016, the current account deficit hit a low of 2.2% of GDP. That has now climbed to 3.3% of GDP.
Without the services balance, particularly the tourism returns, the deficit would have climbed to 5.1% in the three months ended June, BNZ head of research Stephen Toplis said.
”The good news is we expect the services balance to remain solidly in surplus for the foreseeable future. The bad news is we do not see it growing significantly from here, particularly as growth in inbound tourism is increasingly capacity-constrained.”
Driving the balance further into the red had been the weakness experienced in New Zealand exports. By his estimate, goods export volumes were only 0.3% higher in the June quarter than they were a year earlier.
In stark contrast, import volumes soared 8.4%.” – BNZ Head of Research Stephen Toplis, quoted in ODT.
Capacity constraints are a welcome kind of challenge for the New Zealand government and for businesses to grapple with. (He also neglected to mention that dairy as a commodity set is unrecoverable).
It was also excellent to hear Otago cheery growers (RNZ this morning) will be doubling their production and don’t know where to get the future staff.
Among Prime Minister Ardern’s string of bon mots about the economy in her speech on the weekend, enhancing wealth while dealing with increasing constraints to whole industries was absent.
There lots of areas in which they are successfully working, but this is a real unaddressed biggie.
Please add a link when you quote an article like that.
Another great example of how our exchange rate is set incorrectly. With such a massive and ongoing deficit the NZ$ should be dropping.
Wonder where the water’s coming from for that addy. Cherries be thirsty.
More evidence of the pure evil that is the National Party.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/09/dodgy-meth-tests-an-excuse-to-ridicule-state-housing-tenants.html
Once again @ Muttonbird – agree. Ross Bell is a very sensible chap, though I’m not sure his
“”This has been the biggest scam New Zealand has ever seen,” is exactly true.
Immigration scams leading to exploitation and what is effectively people trafficking are just as evil, and they’ve been the result of ten years of bad policy, its implementation and (lack of) enforcement. It’s only now its GRADUALLY being taken more seriously, although there are some pretty simple things that could be done immediately
Perhaps. Both are evil in any case. Summarily prosecuting, convicting, and sentencing social housing tenants without offering defence or recourse on the one hand, and encouraging a fearful, cheap workforce for the benefit of their business friends on the other.
C’mon man, due process is for finance company directors.
I see Andrew McKenzie still has his job too!
Amazing that he’s untouchable yet Bridges is baying for the blood of Jan Thomas.
And let’s get this straight: Jan Thomas didn’t want a reactionary crank racist doing an unpaid gig on campus, and McKenzie kicked 800 social housing tenants onto the streets unlawfully.
Yep.
Once again, I was hoping Chris Hipkins review of the public service gets to cover issues such as these. So far I’m not that hopeful.
Sure as shit it ain’t what it used to be (in terms of ethical behaviour, codes of conduct, etc.) Sure – it was never perfect, but there are now so many departments and Munstries that are absolutely dysfunctional – they do not serve a public or a functioning democracy.
I doubt any of them (for example) have had any sanction over the use of Thompson and bloody Clark.
Let’s not forget kicking people out for having a dog as well.
Andy does have an exceptionally shiny, well covered arse.
Just out of interest Chris do you feel sad re what the Salvation Army is saying about meth evictions and stat housing tenants? Or have you used up all your sadness on a name change?
I think the way the tenants were treated was disgusting.
The Nats had an excuse to start off with as that is the levels they were given to work with, but as it looked more and more like the levels at which it is dangerous were utter shit, there should have been a “Hang on a sec’. Stoppp!!! put all action on tenants on hold till we work this out”
Don’t know why you bothered Muttonbird. Hardly news that National uses dirty tricks to manipulate public opinion. 🙂
But it is something that needs to be shown all the time else people will forget that National are evil.
Interested to know if there was any Political Involvement or Direction given with regards to the search of Nicky Hagar’s house by the NZ Police ?
The IPCA Police Enquiry should uncover whether there was any political involvement in this incident ?
It’ll be outside the terms. Hager’s lawyer appears to be focussed on uncovering police individuals who acted illegally. That’ll be where it stops – unless one of them tells all…
You have an interesting view of the purpose of the IPCA.
I seem to remember that Helen Clark once made a remark about the economy which caused a flare up in a similar way to that for which Jacinda was criticised the other day. Funny the things you remember in the middle of the night.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/107181017/prime-ministers-mixup-could-have-led-to-a-much-more-brutal-economics-lesson
No doubt Key anticipated the drop and bought a few million dollars while awaiting the dollar to rise up again. He was good like that.
“Peters is a team player only if he’s in charge of the team. He might behave himself for a while, but in time his natural belligerence and contrarianism will assert itself.”
Which leads to this happening…
“NZ First has now jammed several sticks into the spokes of Labour and the Greens, to the teeth-grinding frustration of the Left. The Government is looking shambolic and there must be doubts about its ability to run a full term.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/107201479/my-shameful-confession-i-voted-for-winston-and-now-i-apologise
Karl du Fresne has explained the dynamics well, and the reason Winston received his 7% on election night. And why going into coalition with him is like walking through a minefield.
Just more spin against the coalition govt by msm..
Anyway who gives a flying f about who Karl (I chose the wrong ice cream flavour boo hoo) voted for. He needs to be given a wheel barrow and do something useful for a change. Try to help out with the coalitions kiwi build building houses
Btw chuck 1055
100% Doug. Trouble is Nats have nothing.
Loved the comment by someone earlier about msm would focus on an empty chip packet
Msm = bunch of villagers + group think = gossip
Presumably this appeared here by accident as it appears to be a repeat of a reply to 11 below. Not a criticism; I was just confused for a moment until I realised the situation so thought I would clarify for others.
Being Karl du Fresne, I was not going to bother to read it as I have read his ‘work’ too many times in the past and he is highly predictable.
But I decided I would read it. I have, and my initial thoughts proved right. This article is predictable as always, several days behind the ace ball, out of date like Fresne, and a complete waste of time.
I did get one good laugh from a very quick look at the comments which were also predictably the usual Stuff comments. But the one that made me laugh said words to the effect that the writer voted for NZF in the hope NZF would get rid of those “part-Maoris”.
The writer should have checked who they were voting for. Of the nine NZF MPs, six (2/3rds) are part-Maoris. LOLs.
Another day another scam being exposed of fake jobs and residency applications.
Indian woman faces deportation after losing more than $30k to ‘parasite’ scammers
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/366859/indian-woman-faces-deportation-after-losing-more-than-30k-to-parasite-scammers
And this is the type of people that are coming here. Handley is out of a job (but at lease compensated). So in a country that could be attracting the best and brightest, nope we seem to be selecting for scammers and people who contribute to the scams and people with such low skills in areas like IT that they are not employable under normal measures. (IT is desperate for people with skills at the top end not bottom end, like everything bottom end skills are generally obsolete) .
In my view our future is pretty bleak in NZ for our kids of that continues (Auckland is already 50% migrants and more and more scammers being attracted here) because nobody is interested in stopping our country turning into one full of fucked up scamming parasites.
The really smart migrants go to the US and UK for study, NZ has developed a Rogernomics system to get the educationally challenged students here and their road to residency through Internet cafe style jobs and fake jobs.
The problem is, long term, what the fuck is gonna happen to the smart people who already can’t get a job with the low wages and scams – ummm leave and so whose gonna pay the taxes and support the unemployable in their 20’s?
… cos all these people on those fake Internet cafe jobs qualify for welfare eventually and what happens when the fake job ends and they have residency, but if they couldn’t get a legitimate job before, they clearly can’t after and the kiwis have to support and house yet fake employee whose given tens of thousands to another scammer for their expansion here which our government is completely uninterested in stopping and addressing, presumably because they agree with it.
Note the difference with human trafficking, migration fraud and so forth with no action from government compared to the swamp house owned by Aven Raj that has the council. all media and Phil Twyford rushing over to condemn it as third world….
It seems third world migration frauds don’t get the same headlines or attention…
I just have to say with regard to the argie-bargie currently going on in Parliament between the 2 sides in the House – minutiae!
Led by Bridges, the carefully framed and seriously delivered series of questions from the Nat side are in essence simply niggly and akin to a small dog snapping at the heels of someone it doesn’t like. There is no substance. There is no genuine expression of information required. These people are simply trying to bore holes below the waterline in the fond hope that this will be enough to scupper the coalition (Labour-led, of course).
It was my fond hope that, having been beaten and relegated to the opposition benches, National would hunker down, look for new policy, criticise the coalition for its policies which they don’t believe in and promote their own answers, through policy statements, to generate some support for what THEY would do if they were in power.
But oh no! They have turned into an aggressive little Pomeranian yap-yapping at the government’s heels about minutiae that are, in the grand scheme of things, quite irrelevant to bettering NZ for all its citizens. I know why they are doing it. It’s like the kid who can’t get a break, who has no ideas and resorts to foot-tripping or firing water pistols to get some reaction.
The National Party is devoid of ideas for improving the lives of ordinary NZers. They have a droit de seigneur attitude to governing – it’s their right, they have been cheated, this government should not be there, our 42% is more valid, etc, etc, etc.
Until they grow up, understand MMP, start talking about their own policies, and behave like adults in the House, then they won’t be 42% for much longer. The reason they are getting the traction they are is down to unthinking tribalism in part, and the rest is people who listen with half an ear, think with half a brain and take far too much notice of a slanted MSM that is not serving us a well as it might.
100% Doug. Trouble is Nats have nothing.
Loved the comment by someone earlier about msm would focus on an empty chip packet
Msm = bunch of villagers + group think = gossip.
It’s time the government parties started badgering the Nats for the result of the leaking investigation on the grounds that it is in the public’s interest… since they accused Labour of doing the leaking.
Give em a dollop of their own medicine.
Nice as that might be Anne, it would be stooping to their level, and the coalition (Labour-led, of course) is showing fine restraint in not doing so. I really hope they continue to be the adults in the room.
Not a good idea considering how much Labours fingers are, potentially, all over the Dirty Politics of the leaking
Chris 73…..Labour’s fingers are potentiallly all over the leaking…………..a party political broadcast from the National Party.
Thanks to T. Mallard we’ll never will we, thanks Trev
Hey, when the nats report back that they checked each other’s emails and did a proper investigation and found it probably wasn’t one of them, Mallard will have to start it up again.
Chris73 is a infowars viewer, his connection with reality is tenuous at best. Unless he has taken his BrainForcePlus™ nutraceutical supplement (contains Soy) then he can connect 3 improbable thing before breakfast.
I’d imagine Ed probably eats a lot of soy but I don’t, I do have a beard though
(Faith Goldie pops up as well 😉 )
You cling to that fantasy. We all know by now that the leak is from inside the Nats.
Actually we don’t know that, thats the problem. I want to know the details so whoever did it (or helped) can suffer the consequences of their actions
Its similar to the NZ Labour Youth Sex Scandal. We all know the, alleged, perpetrator is linked to Labour possibly through family connections but until the truth comes out we can only speculate
Don’t you want to know who it is so they can be dealt with appropriately?
Court process will deal with offender at Labour Youth summit.
I must admit I have curiousity about which caucus member leaked, but beyond that I neither care, nor need to know. Why I was very skeptical about the mental health claims of the leaker, I rather err on the side of caution.
Mental health claims indeed, trying to think of any Curran(t) MPs that’ve had a major meltdown lately…
Pullya seems a bit off her feed chrissy.
Well when you have bariatric surgery and basically bypass your stomach then yeah I’d imagine you would go off your food
Does it make you leaky chrissy? Even more than usual?
“Off her feed”
Very good. Made me giggle like a kid.🤣
I think it’s a pretty good assumption given how quiet Simon’s gone over it.
Well you know what they say about assumptions
We don’t need to deal with the labyouth guy. Isn’t the matter before the courts? That is the appropriate course of action.
But as for the nat leaker – either a nat leaked to the media directly, or a nat leaked to someone else who leaked to the media. Between what happened in caucus and the expenses only going to the nats in that format, the root source is almost certainly within the nat caucus.
Yeah but Woodn’t be interesting if the, alleged, perp was related to someone high up because then it wouldn’t be a case of handling it poorly, it’d be a cover up
I’m not sure that “stopping salivating tories from speculating about coverups” is a reasonable or even achievable objective for breaching name suppression of a defendent.
Thats what happens in the absence of transparency isn’t it
So who do you think the leaker was?
Obama and the Globalists
I’ve never heard of that group, are they any good?
This is a total farce. The police know and so do a lot lot of other people, I imagine, including Bridges.
Bridges’ daft enquiries are nothing but theatre and the longer it goes without a conclusion, the worse he is going to look.
And you can bet that if it were government related he would have said so by now. He’s that desperate.
Got any proof? No? Pure speculation
Pretty sure Paul Joseph Watson and PrisonPlanet.com have supplied the proof.
Who do I think leaked nat caucus room secrets and the travel expenses?
Almost certainly a nat.
Beyond that, I don’t care. The knives are out in that room, and soimon shat himself into a corner. Long may it last.
Maybe I’m a bit rare in not being much of a panty-sniffer, poking my nose into random places in the guise of “transparency”. But I just don’t get the thrill. I’ve enough shit on in real life without speculating more into existence.
“Almost certainly a nat.”
You don’t know for sure but you think its a Nat and thats why I want more transparency , not less so we can have less idle speculation
It’s not “idle speculation”.
At least one of the leaked pieces of information was privvy only to people in the nat caucus room. All pieces of information that were leaked were available to people in the nat caucus room.
Sure, you’re going for the hail Mary pass that the nats will exonerate themselves and Mallard will discover one of his staffers had done something naughty and repeated gossip to cover their arse. The other one has bells on.
Well said, Doog. Actually I am pleased that the Bridges-led National opposition are showing themselves for what they are – and I am sure that they will be losing voters through taking this approach.
I am also pleased that Ardern et al are not retaliating and instead, basically called their bluff over the last day or so with the Crown Maori agency agreement and announcement, the increased refugee announcement etc.
But just one thing … Last week we had Bridges et Co compared to Bichon Frise (h/t lprent) and this week, Pomeranians!
Please, please leave the dogs out of this – all dogs and their breeds are far, far better and more intelligent!
VV – Leader of the Coalition to Ban the Defamation of Dogs (CBDD) – (or any other animals).
Regionally interested people could catch hold of this tree planting plan and get their region going to have young people trained in horticulture, silviculture and fit and keen and ready to take on jobs in tree planting and care in the future.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018663348/native-trees-enough-to-meet-demand
Chief Executive of New Zealand Plant Producers Incorporated Matthew Dolan talks Kathryn Ryan through concerns over supplying enough native seedlings for the One Billion Trees programme.
A greater proportion of indigenous trees are to be planted in the Minster for Regional Economic Development’s plan, thanks to a $240m funding boost from the Provincial Growth Fund. MPI’s forestry service Te Uru Rākau is talking with industry body NZPPI about helping nurseries respond to the demand.
But NZPPI says while Shane Jones’ ten year programme is an exciting opportunity for native tree nurseries, the challenge will be scaling up.
Robert Guyton has worked as a young man planting on steep slopes and says it is very hard. The speaker in this radionz interview referred to some possible automation to assist in moving the project forward. I am sure it has some place in the chain of activity to getting the trees in the ground and beyond. Perhaps Robert you could give your comments or write a piece about what will have to be largely plantation-type planting for most of it, with steep and erosion prone land to be eternal forest (no cutting), what firebreaks, whether less resinous trees than pine would result in less fire risk etc. We should also be planting trees for harvesting for our own wood needs, utilising species from other lands with special properties (Tasmanian hardwoods I have heard of, stone pine? for pinenuts), mixed tree and crop or grazing paddocks on farms also. This would help conserve water from evaporation, give animals a tree and shadow for refuge from the hot sun (with the trunk protected, and of nontoxic type).
Following up on this ambitious and necessary project could be an ongoing feature for TS so that we apply our minds to both political theatre and the real-world problems we want dealt with at the ‘coalface’. Looking through information available about forestry on the internet there is info about pine and native forestry but to get the best results, a simple dichotomy on species like this would not give outcomes that were optimal.
And further on trees:
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/366868/tolaga-bay-forestry-company-s-illegal-logging-history-revealed
And a pause to think about the cultural effect of trees on us and how practically our civilisation has been built using trees. Interesting thought, am I right in this?:
Paul Robeson’s beautiful voice –
And TED talk from dedicated forester Suzanne Simard
18+ mins
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un2yBgIAxYs
Very interesting views on trees from Ecologist Suzanne Simard
“Her 30 years of research in Canadian forests have led to an astounding discovery: trees talk, communicating often and over vast distances. Trees are much more like us humans that you may think. They are extremely social and depend on each other for their survival. Communication is vital, and a massive web of hair-like mushroom roots transmit secret messages between trees, triggering them to share nutrients and water with those in need.”
https://upliftconnect.com/ecologist-says-trees-talk-to-each-other-in-a-language-we-can-learn/
From Bryan Gould… food for thought.
“The body of the petition sets out the case for change. It takes as its starting point the almost incredible fact – one still contested by many supposed experts, although confirmed by detailed studies produced by the Bank of England and other central banks – that around 97% of our money has been created, not by the government, but by the commercial banks, which create the money by simply making a bank entry in the accounts of those to whom they lend money, usually on mortgage.
The banks, of course, charge interest on the money they thereby create ex nihilo (or out of nothing) and it is the interest they charge that produces their huge profits of billions of dollars which they then send back, in most cases, to Australia.
What is really astonishing about this state of affairs is that the money supply – one of the key elements in determining our economic success or otherwise – is almost entirely controlled, not by our government or the Reserve Bank, but by foreign-owned commercial banks which operate entirely for profit and are in no way accountable to the New Zealand public.”
http://www.bryangould.com/a-new-monetary-policy-needed/
I had a dream where Jacinda Ardern spoke about class issues last night. … I mean I knew it was a dream when someone from Labour was talking about poverty without using the word child before it, in my dream the coalition govt outlined a target, actual policies that were designed to lower inequality and share the wealth and a timeline. In my dream the people of New Zealand celebrated a government that was willing to lead on the issues and fight for the majority rather than a minority and the media reported on this fairly and balanced….
Only in a dream land would labour have transformational policies and the guts to implement them and the media be fair and balanced in their reporting.
Back to reality, virtue signaling, tweaks and vague promises
What policies do you think Labour need to put in to lower inequality and share the wealth, fight for the majority rather than a minority and how to get the media reported on this fairly and balanced?
The tax working group interim report is out
https://taxworkinggroup.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2018-09/twg-interim-report-sep18_1.pdf
Looks like is going to recommend a CGT, but will provide some options for how that will work in final report due next feb. Also looks like will recommend better environmental taxes, which is awesome, esp. in regards to getting the cost of using natural eco-systems into the cost of what we do and make. No finacial transactions tax, no sugar tax (unless the govt. really really wants it) and probably tweaks to the lower tax-rates and thresholds.
Seems all sensible stuff, nothing to outrageous and appears to be what most normal thinking NZers want…. a better, fairer tax system, not one designed for the benefit of the few
Pleased to see that the recommendation is that tax on income from realised capital gain should be integrated with normal income tax – no separate CGT at a fixed rate.
The equity argument for this is unassailable. Plus, it means that if we raise income tax rates on those with high incomes (as we should), we effectively raise the tax rate on their income from capital as well.
Excellent start – now if only they would recommend gradually dropping and ultimately eliminating the regressive GST.
“Cullen himself – to the frustration of some ministers I expect – has talked of”
“advantages and disadvantages”, shades of grey, and nothing in tax being a “no brainer”.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/107221853/tax-working-group-may-prove-a-frustration-for-labour
I don’t think the tax working group will be united in there final recommendation/s.
It will come down to how much political capital does Jacinda still have in 2020.
So GDP up 1% for the quarter. In Mike Hosking’s language that’s 4% annually which has got to be better than anything John Key achieved.
Forestry bumped up agriculture 4.2% – must be all those trees being planted, eh? Seriously though, Kiwibuild and NZFs focus on reviving forestry in the regions is going to be massive for this sector in the coming years. And trees are nice – nicer than cows.
Mining down 20%. Well, boo hoo.
I see Amy Adams was all doom and gloom though, and Farrar will be avoiding this news like the plague.
Why can’t these people be happy?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/09/gdp-up-1-percent-largest-quarterly-rise-in-two-years.html
Oh, and the Reserve Bank channelling the National Party dooms-dayers in being out by 100%.
They’ll complain about growth constraints. As will the Reserve Bank.
Hope we get to 4.0% headline unemployment and push more wage and salary bumps.
Great news for nz and the government.
The Reserve Bank couldn’t hit the side of a barn.
And growth constraints might be infrastructure (National’s fault), workers (hordes of them are still falling out of the sky), and maybe the cessation of irrigation projects (boo hoo).
Looks all good to me.
boo hoo for irrigation projects – Ella Fitzgerald has it all worked out.
Cry me a River
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gn9A-kdsRo
(Great song – how they work plebeian in – that’s beyond the normal lexicon.)
Those GDP numbers must be incorrect. The government must me manipulating the figures, bribing officials or something, because Simon and Amy said GDP would slow and business has no confidence and and……..fuck it, I give up
I’m coming out in nostalgic songs – I don’t know whether it is catching but the tunes and words are. Muttonbird says – Why can’t these people be happy?
I want to be happy – here’s an old version and one we would love to sing if National could only settle to make the country happy and themselves try to be happy too.
We would even dance along with David Seymour (I think) if we could all get into line dancing (for the rural people), tangos (for the city slickers) or even the Gay Gordons for those embedded in the past.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aDJGvFSVOQ
Here is the Gay Gordons which looks a slightly tipsy image but a lot of fun.
Notice how the dancers cope with change and manage to dance with different partners all following the same steps and moving in the same direction. A good pattern for us in our politics I think. (If you go onto the Manchester Pride 2016 version you will enjoy the blokes getting stuck in to the Gay Gordons too. I’m impressed by their chutzpah.)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEmTLioBpi0
The corrupt and malevolent Judith Collins is on the attack again.
But
Sorry Phil. I can’t see that evil cow, Paula Bennett, apologising to anyone, ever.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/09/govt-compensating-crooks-national-doubles-down-on-state-house-evictions.html
Victims of wrongful eviction from Housing NZ houses are being compensated.
Which brings the expected sort of response from one of life’s true humanitarians.
Judith Collins said that with people on waiting lists it was “not the time to be saying come back and cook up your meth.”
The scummy behaviour of the initial action getting scummy support with scummy comments from a scummy politician.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/107248175/prime-minister-announces-decision-on-meka-whaitiri-inquiry
I’m impressed, its only Thursday
I get the distinct impression that the former minister followed the Gordon Ramsay/Malcolm Tucker school of staff interaction.
Totally unacceptable behaviour.
Indeed, its funny on TV but not so much in real life
Especially as they put work into new and original uses of the word “fuck” for the TV shows, lol.
Saw a list of Ramsay’s ones recently: “you’ve put so much fucking oil in this that the fucking yanks are going to invade it!” lol
Now what was that about being weak and distracted?
Clear decision and also showing compassion. Taken in a timely fashion.
Now what could that be contrasted with today?
Stupidity in Parliament from Ms Collins hating on P users and getting a lawyer’s rebuke from Minister Little about onus of proof and being innocent until found guilty – something Mark Mitchell is supporting in the House as a concept concerning military discipline as I write.
The Minister of Housing acknowledging that the previous government and department has got it wrong for years over the science and the consequential wrong treatment of Housing tenants for alleged “P” use, and making the appropriate apology and rectification.
Asinine questioning from the MP for Kaikoura to Minister Little, using that well-known tag to a question “And if not, why not” when asking the Minister whether he had wrongly briefed Cabinet on a contractual issue. Little dropped his jaw in astonishment at the stupidity of the tail to the question.
How to act appropriately, or not. What happens when standards are breached. A salutary day displaying a contrast in propriety and effective leadership.
“Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has fired embattled MP Meka Whaitiri as a minister.”
Seems that assaulting a staffer is not that high up in Jacinda’s list of naughty things to do.
Whaitiri should have been properly sacked. Weak and indecisive leadership by Jacinda.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/107248175/prime-minister-announces-decision-on-meka-whaitiri-inquiry
Ah well, she’s only a woman. Eh, Chuck?
Rubbish, Chuck. The PM got the report last night and acted today. The former Minister has already stood her down on August 30 pending the report.
Decisive, proper, timely, creditable, credible action by the PM.
All that mac1 plus due process of enquiry. Justice exemplar from our PM.
And what a gracious calm media meeting. Straight talking in spite of goading from reporters. Online:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12128751
Couldn’t agree more ianmac. In these situations she really shows her mettle.
Talent pool in parliament shown yet again to be a mere muddy puddle.
Allegedly! She is still denying it. Alleged until proven.
The report has served its purpose.
Decisive = Ardern facing down Whaitiri at the time of the incident (look me in the eyes and tell me what occurred). A few days to a week at most for the decision to be made.
Weak = Whaitiri is still a Labour MP.
Weak = Whaitiri is still a Labour MP.
That is the fairness side of her character. C’mon Chuck, you’re usually a fairly reasonable rwnj who knows the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
It is only right she be given a chance to ‘rehabilitate’ herself. Other PMs on both sides of the house have exercised that prerogative over errant ministers. It usually works.
“It is only right she be given a chance to ‘rehabilitate’ herself.”
I may have agreed with you Anne if it was something out of the blue.
However, Whaitri has form…it has been a revolving door for staff at Whaitri office (I think 6 in less than a year). That tells me she has form and either cannot or will not change her personal trait to bully and intimidate.
Time will tell Chuck. I’ve known such people in the past and its true… some of them are sociopaths and can’t or won’t change. But she’s got to be given the chance and if she doesn’t… it’ll be curtains for her parliamentary career.
There’s one in the White House but I don’t see Chuck calling for his resignation.
Hey Chuckie. What do you think about GBs abusive terrorising of a young Staffer over the phone in Accounting firm? That ok? Or alleged?
But but but he’s a man so he can’t be weak and distracted. And anyway we know Gerry didn’t mean it, And he thought he was talking to (sorry, abusing) someone else. And at least he didn’t “show her the stairwell”. And didn’t she know who he is? He’s Gerry the man.
He’s the guy who can breeze through airport security.
At least he’s met his match with the new Speaker, as he found today.
Kia ora The Am Show The Bird’s brand sustainable manufactured Shoes is great and there new product a bird shade to wear to block the light so one can sleep on planes .
They partnered up with Air New Zealand to make and sell there product’s ka pai.
We need more sustainable products when Te Papatuanuku turns to sustainable prouducts OUR products like wool and wood will commanded a hire price .
OUR carbon neutral goal’s will benefit Aotearoa farmer’s $$$$$$$$$.
When you are in another country one should respect there cultures and you will be treated with respect covering tattoos is there culture so be it .
Eco say’s the Japanese will host a awesome Rugby World Cup it’s been a few year’s in the making ka pai. You no that all of te tangata whenua cultures have been treated like dirt when another culture takes over the law of the whenua.
I say spending on a social media campaigne to educate the youth on diarydack and pee should be include in that youth are all on social media and this great idea will work .
I heard that jerry brownly treated some people the same an what there is no one talking about that should he be rolled judith what’s good for a whaine should be the same for te tane.
The tax working group is just resetting the taxs back to a simler mix to what we had before shonky’s I WILL NOT RAISE GST he did just that after he gave tax cut’s that benefited the wealthy the most will we have a happy society with that system NO.
There you go Sir Michael Cullen Grant Robertson and the tax working group are doing there homework to make sure any new tax’s are not going to have a negative effect on Aotearoa.
Mark so you think getting a sweet $1 million dollars a year in captial gain’s is fare mean while that housing shortage denial policy distorted our housing market to make huge gain’s for the wealthy a direct result from shonky’s policy pushed thousands of people under the bridge . Ka kite ano
Eco met this boy the other day he was nervous talking to much he own’s a few house’s he think’s he can fool Eco Maori but know I know that his action’s are being orchestrated by the muppet sandfly’s he is just a puppet of there’s only fooling himself
Ana to kai P.S I don’t shake people’s hand’s when I know they are puppets.
I see story’s like this all the time trying to change peoples reality on our History for one the settler’s wahine would not have liked it that Maori wahine could own land and they could not . That fact would have upset and influenced settler’s wahine in to protesting about the savages being able to own land that’s how the mind’s worked in those day This would have attracted other wahine to Aotearoa to seek the help rise number’s to get the stupid law’s that ban anyone from there right to vote .Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa Mana is growing to strong for the power’s than be .
Ka kite ano P.S When I unite Tangata whenua O Aotearoa & our Pacifica cousin’s into one VOICE we will be unstop able voice in Aotearoa Ana to kai link is below.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/107248007/why-new-zealand-was-the-first-country-where-women-won-the-right-to-vote You see in reality it is the Pacific Island cultures that will be the dominant culture in our near future as Maori are a Pacific culture tangata
I agree with this statement about Britexit link is below ka kite ano
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/09/20/europe/brexit-salzburg-theresa-may-summit-intl/index.html laws have to be made to benefit the many not the few bankers an there M8 like rupert murdoch
Kia ora Newshub Lets hope that the mokopuna’s of the Carterton school all survive that tragedy .
Some times one has to given the cold hard facts to get the reality to sink in.
I don;t put plastic bag in the recycling and we wash the plastic two reason one it smell if you only send it monthly and its easier to be recycled when cleaned .
There you go the way the court systems work in favour of the wealthy the sea bed mining could open another issue as well we must protect all our taonga from the wealthy money men’s greed.
trump need’s to get with reality trying to build wall’s in the year 2018 is not intelligent
he is only pandering to his core supporters and his ego.
Ka kite ano P.S It is not safe dropping poison out of the sky.
Kia ora The Crowd Goes wild Hope the Wahine Warriors have a good game on the weekend.
That was a mean game for the Bay’s Wahine Kia kaha
The keep or cut there hair is a good cause all the best to Brad I use to have wahine brushing my long hair in the fisherman’s refreshments place in Napier after work long time ago.
Kai pai Levi getting your hair cut on TV in support of Brad .
Ka kite ano P,S I keep it cut now
We have DOC & The Anti 1080 at WAR over the issues of 1080 being dropped in our forest . Now any intelligent person know’s that diplomacy and compromising on both side has a much better out come for both side than War as everyone has great losses in a WAR My tipuna new this and always tried to settle there differences with whiriwhiri.
Most of the Wars that Maori fought before the settlers arrived there was minimal loses of LIFE that’s a fact. .
So what Eco Maori would do is I would go back to that Great pukapuka The Art Of War and see what it says .
In this situation Eco say that the state & te tangata should compromise pay a bounty on all the tails in easy access terrain and use 1080 in all the hard place’s to trap right away from te tangata and in this situation they get the public on side the public get to make money and the state get’s its goal of controlling the pest .
I know that the state will never be able to eliminate pest in Aotearoa we all know the rural communities need more money to its clearly visible of this fact .
Eco still backs DOC good work with Papatuanuku and her Creatures Many thanks DOC.
But hay when I see some thing is wrong I will SPEAK up about it . Ka kite ano
I wonder what stupid intimidation game’s the sandfly’s and there puppet’s have planed for ECO MAORI today .
Feel The THUNDER ka kite ano
craig heatly book no limits Eco Maori says he is just like shonky and they both have
NO LIMIT’s TO THE DIRTY LYING LOW DOWN THIEVING thing’s they will do to rip other people off .
He does not care that’s his M8 shonkys policy’s that were designed to full his hip pocket and push the lower classes in Aotearoa under a bridge people working 3 job’s in Auckland just to stay afloat .
Why is he launching a book to try and lift his m8 national party out of the gutter .
But sorry it won’t work We all know for someone to make a fortune in such a short time one has to be a big crook they make there own luck with back room deal’s that’s easy for Eco Maori to see.
He say’s Jacinda is inexperienced well she has been in politics for 9 YEAR’s .
She has all ready done a better job than shonky but craig find me some one that you think is perfect and Eco Maori will prove that person to be a liar
Ka kite ano P.S W e know that people who made million’s in the 1980 were ripping the state off buying state asset’s cheap as chips and selling the asset’s for huge mark up that’s a fact Michael fay did with our railway’s link is below
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/107284044/millionaire-heatley-rates-ardern-at-book-launch-shared-with-key
David Parker was in Southland having a meeting with Farmer’s about the environmental concerns he makes a statement that the farmer have not had enough correct laws put in place to stop the few ruining it for the many you see Southland Dairy started booming under shonky rule he did not care about the environment the economy is more important than the environment HOW ELSE CAN ONE EXPLAIN HIS ACTIONS
The thing about Southland’s topography is most dairy land there is just a few feet above the water level that cause problem’s there.
Also it’s cold so they have to put more urea on than up North to get there grass growing to feed there cow’s
A big amount of that ends up in OUR waterways that’s why the waterway’s got so bad so fast.
So lower the stocking rate lower the amount of fertliser put on farm’s GO Organic I say.
Fontrra has not delivered to farmer’s the return’s they were promised when it was formed .
It’s common knowledge that the people milking the cow’s make’s less than the person in a nice warm building pushing button’s with no skill’s get more like $30 a hour
$25 would be ok I say .
It would be good to have a pie chart to show how much of fontrra’s money goes into there salaries and management and how much ends up in OUR farmer’s pocket’s .
Fontrra has been turned into a gravy train for the wealthy executive.
6000 earn $100. k 24 earn A cool million there you go. Ana to kai.
Ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub Cook’s Endeavour might have been found Is cool but now Te Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa Culture is rising up to its rightful Mana after having colonialist suppressing us for 200 years.
That’s a shame that all those people in Tanzania have drowned in that ferry sinking Eco gives his condolence to the people who lost there love ones
Who could be so cruel spraying acid on any thing living a defenseless foul horse its awesome that some people care enough to treat the foul in Britain ka pai.
There you go the cop’s get it wrong all the time 27 years Dickson was locked up and the real killer confessed they still kept him locked up.
It took rich golf people to champion his cause and take his case back to court to get him released that’s the reality of the west justice system’s. The killer was most likely a informant
Wow those fire tornadoes are mean we will have to get use to them if we don’t change our culture and have a culture that thinks about our children’s future over short term profits
The Women in Black look’s like a AUSSE good film I seen a good TV series OffSpring it’s on Net flicks it give Eco A sore face Id give it a 8
Ka kite ano P.S Emma Te Ra was shining bright today