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notices and features - Date published:
6:00 am, October 20th, 2022 - 99 comments
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The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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Oh well, i guess this now makes it official.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/rotorua-emergency-housing-motels-locals-make-heartfelt-pleas-to-commissioners-to-end-chaotic-system/BC5YEMH7KDWSXYHZTS5YEXMSU4/
Do i expect any chances? Not sure. Fact is that Rotorua was screwed over by a government that really could not care at all about the people living there. A government that wanted to be seen as doing something and that rain misery, hell, crime, drugs, open panhandling, prostitution and child abuse on our town, and all that under the guise of kindness.
Reminder to the do-gooders that like the government don't really care about the issues that arrive when one just drops people on a town in a 'out of sight out of mind' frame of thinking, we have no industries others then tourism, and red stag timber. We have lost most of our tourism, Kiwis don't stay in Rotorua anymore as it is now too dangerous, and they are quite right.
We have 11% unemployment – way way way above the 'average' of NZ, and we have a government that can't give a fuck. You want to know why Labour has a chance of losing the next election worse then Cunliffe lost, it is this not giving a fuck.
But i am really happy that Tiny Dean and some people without scruples made millions of the governments tit. I mean there has to be a bright side, and homelessness and misery is a good earner for those that made a career out of the hunger and misery of other people.
Italics are mine.
Thanks for posting Sabine. I would feel outraged if that had happened to the town I lived in.
The time to be outraged was in 2001 when State Houses were being demolished. Bit late now.
"More than 4000 state homes have been sold or demolished in the past five years.
Statistics released under the Official Information Act show the number of Housing NZ properties, divided by region, every five years since 2001.
In 2001, the total number of state houses was 61,217, which increased to a peak of 69,742 in 2011.
Five years on, the number has dropped by 4192 to 65,550."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/82009360/housing-new-zealands-biggest-loser
Interesting how nobody is talking about Visions of a Helping Hand loaning a van for anti-vaxxers to go riot in Wellington. It also seems like they're linked to Marty Verry through Paul Laing, a former trustee of the group who shares the same name as Red Stag's commercial manager.
https://www.redstagtimber.co.nz/people/our-people
https://register.charities.govt.nz/CharitiesRegister/ViewCharity?accountId=bd37b3f0-a7a1-e711-aae0-00155d6b7730&searchId=13fc5a7a-56b8-4144-9a3c-1963ed06d1b7
If Mayor Brown keeps attacking his own agencies he will find so many leave that nothing gets done. Even the contractors will work precisely to rule.
Can Labour and Green councillors organise to control him? Ardern is happy to interfere with water. Can she set a few boundaries today?
Aucklands pt system is already collapsing. GreaterAuckland sets it out at length today.
The stakes are very high.
Good, then he can replace these with civil servants rather then ideological stooges.
Really hoping that Tania Tapsell here in Rotorua does the same.
No one wants to work in local government right now.
All the best to Mayor Tapsell.
who knows, maybe people just don't want to work in local government that is driven by ideology rather then common sense.
Maybe council will actually function better when some of the silo builders get cleared out.
Tania is doing fine. She will be a much better Mayor that the last Ex Labour MP larping as Mayor could have ever hoped and wished to be.
The current ideology about local government is driven by central government and across multiple areas: housing development policy, RMA changes, shrinking orle of local government in totality, and removal of control of all water functions.
That is where you will find people don't want to work in local government.
Rotorua is feeling the effects of decades of neglect and Sabine blames it all on the current government. Typical of someone who doesn't seem to know the history behind the situation and the racism that has been rife there for nearly two hundred years. Then she tries to claim its all about something called ideology.
Its got nothing to do with ideology but problems that have been allowed to fester for so many years, and it will take as many years to eradicate.
There's no magic wand Sabine.
I’ve heard Tapsell being interviewed a few times now. She sounds fantastic. A breath of fresh air from the current in vogue wokery. My only fear for Rotorua is that she is so good, she’s likely to be shoulder tapped for a higher office.
That’s comedy gold there: only the best rise to the top in politics. Case in point: Tories in UK.
Yes true, and Mallard here in NZ.
she’s likely to be shoulder tapped for a higher office.
But she wasn't. They chose Sam Uffindell.
That's the National Party "merit" selection, right there.
Hard to pick someone if they’re not in the race
https://i.stuff.co.nz/bay-of-plenty/128273332/it-wont-be-me-tapsell-rules-herself-out-of-tauranga-race
But if she puts her hat in the ring for Rotorua and goes against the former weather presenter …
That's correct, she didn't enter the selection race.
But you said "shoulder tapped". If National really wanted Tapsell, they could have tapped hard.
Here's how much they rate her. At the election Tapsell was no. 64 on the list. That's 24 places below Matt King.
64th on the list in 2023 and she’s in. Even 85th on the list next year and she’s be a fair shout to get in.
National are going to lose all their electorates and ACT will get no votes?
Cool.
Jack "the former weather presenter" Tamaki Coffey, has been a successful Rotorua business owner who sold his two businesses in July.
"who sold his two businesses in July"
It seems that he could see what was coming. From what I have read about Rotorua lately he would appear to have made an extremely sensible decision.
He is settled married with family here and in Parliament. Unlike the chorus he is working on projects. Today at Reporoa opened a Biogas producer using waste to produce biogas. But you would rather diss our region.
Oh, people like you Sabine? Non ideologue?????You're pushing the truth to suit your story.
Current unemployment Govt figures 3.3% underemployment 9.2%
11% unemployed in Rotorua would be eight thousand and 63 people.
Where do you get your figures from?
When I see statements like the following I would think that Sabine's 11% figure may be correct.
"According to latest figures from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), there are about 5000 people currently on Job Seeker benefits in Rotorua which represents over 10% of the working age population."
https://www.baytrust.org.nz/community-stories/id/299
Alwyn, not forgetting the work allowance has increased to $180 odd which means your "Unemployed might be doing a days work a week. They would be underemployed then.
Come to Rotorua and see.
You’re making a basic error. I’d expect more from someone with qualifications in economics.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/research/investigating-the-relationship-between-unemployment-and-benefit-receipt/
Wgtn council are apparently Advertising for staff in Auckland
What not even Wellingtonians want to work for the ueber lefty that was currently elected. That is funny!!!
We vote for you, we don't wanna work for you.
Is Brown heading for Tauranga?
Tauranga hasn't had any democractically elected Councillors or a mayor for several years now.
Let's see what unfolds instead of crystal ball gazing, perhaps.
Tories in chaos. It warms the cockles…
https://twitter.com/IanMurrayMP/status/1582797073401131009?cxt=HHwWgsDR-avjnPcrAAAA
https://twitter.com/AnnaMcMorrin/status/1582797778492993536?cxt=HHwWgMDRpbGMnfcrAAAA
Chief Whip just resigned.
Send Sharma to Westminster to discover actual "bullying" …
https://twitter.com/DavidLinden/status/1582802699371700231
Amazing quotes spilling out of so many Tory mouths, it's hard to keep up. (Links? all UK media, every minute). Like …
"I am fucking furious and I don’t give a fuck anymore"
That's a deputy Whip!
For historical comparison, probably the closest in NZ would be Shipley/Peters or Lange/Douglas. But this is way more brutal and chaotic than even our worst.
A headline that should be from the Onion, but is actually real, today:
People who didn't bother voting now unhappy with … themselves.
Maybe next time they will make an effort and vote.
That realisation came faster than the dropping of New Year’s resolutions, which happens annually and not three-yearly. Not voting has almost as many consequences as voting and you lose bragging or whining rights too.
Comedy gold. Couldn't be bothered voting now regret not voting. Well should've, would've, could've, need to get of their ass and vote next time. If you don't vote, then you can't complain about the outcome.
Yes Observer it does feel like something from the Onion or the wonderful Australian Shovel
As a young person who's had to move flats three times this year, all I can say is it was a fucking nightmare to register, to the point where it almost verges on voter suppression. One of my flatmates spent about an hour on hold just to be told that, as far as RealMe is concerned, he doesn't exist. Maybe we don't pay rates directly, but I'm paying over $200 a week to the guy who does, so it's pretty outrageous how hard it was to express my basic democratic right.
11 people arrested for protesting about climate change inaction.
Protests in Wellington continue with Groundswell tractors replacing rail activists | Stuff.co.nz
Nek minnit.
Truly ginormous climate protest about to seize the media headlines and streets of New Zealand.
Groundswell NZ's tractor convoys, protests could cause disruption | Stuff.co.nz
The farmers have figured something out here.
https://www.facebook.com/GroundswellNZ/photos/a.220756519846343/587090523212939/
The image shows "Bryce" standing behind a huge tractor that bears a sign that reads, "STOP strangling farmers they ARE the original environmentalists"
Bryce is wearing heavy boots and is standing on bare ground; soil that's been stripped of its plant-cover, churned up by machinery (and probably herbicide) – it looks lifeless, yet his billboard says, again, that farmers are environmentalists!
Stunning disconnect from reality!
Farmers were the original environmentalists when they farmed within the capacity of their land. Now, land is stocked to industrial levels with the aid of shit like palm kernel. Cropping is intensified with the aid of artificial fertilisers and pesticides. And let's not get started on the use and abuse of water.
Not forgetting the impact on the roads by the vehicles that are needed to service this sort of carry-on.
Farmers must have hired a new PR firm. Their "original environmentalists" message has replaced "We are guardians of the land".
Both are pure BS of course. No mention of the fact that when European settlement began a massive amount of NZ's native forest was felled or burnt off to make way for farms. That continued what Maori had done but to a greater extent.
The loss of animal, bird and plant life must have been colossal.
Bryce is probably keeping 20,000 people alive and is using the tools available to maximize yield.
Bryce probably has an intimate knowledge of soil biology, plant growing and his local environment, that puts him in the top echelon of New Zealand horticulturalists.
"Bryce probably has an intimate knowledge of soil biology"
I don't believe Bryce does!
As someone once said "Who needs these bloody farmers anyway, there's plenty of meat in the supermarkets".
False flag.
Now the dust is slowly settling and the smoke clearing we (…) finally are starting to see some sense. For me, the fact that Jacinda Ardern stepped in to find some loose change to quell the anger of the mob is a watershed moment.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/the-detail/story/2018863340/the-sheilah-winn-saga-much-ado-about-funding
When Latin got dropped from the NZ School Curriculum there was no uproar and Chris Hipkins didn’t try to save it from its untimely death. Perhaps they should have applied to Creative NZ for continuation of funding.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/the-detail/300253332/the-detail-latin-unceremoniously-abolished-from-the-new-zealand-curriculum [NB same reporter as above link]
Memento mori
Perhaps they thought the Catholic Church should use some of their booty?
I did Latin at school and Uni. Discussing this today, my friend says that something has to drop off the curriculum if we want to teach Māori, Health and Computer Studies, none of which I was taught at school.
We had Latin, used slide rules (guessing sticks), and certainly nothing about relationships was even mentioned. Instead we practised hymns and Art consisted of dictated notes on pottery but never a drawing pencil or paintbrush in hand.
So I can mourn the loss of Latin, along with Religious Instruction, just as earlier generations lost abacuses in schools, and Rhetoric, Greek and Ancient Sumerian hieroglyphics.
Sic transit gloria mundi.
Caecilius est in horto
I will never forget that!
Very few would have paid attention or given a shit if it hadn’t been for those couple of assessors’ comments. It was never about Shakespeare whom most only care about if it is on Netflix. The cancellation of Latin never had the good fortune of becoming a wedge issue in a virtual culture war. Oh well, you win some, you lose some; c’est la vie.
I never met Caecilius and Metella. Wikipedia tells me they were published in 1970 when I was at TTC. I learnt from Paterson and MacNaughton.
Thanks for the comment about a 'virtual culture war' which gives me a much plainer context to understand the issue.
Nox est perpetua una dormienda.
Good one 🙂
To be clear, my entire comment was my personal opinion.
“The regular calls for negotiations to end Russia’s war with Ukraine tend to be more directed at Kyiv or Washington than Moscow, as if they are the main stumbling blocks. Yet it is Vladimir Putin that is demanding that this war leads to a fundamental change in borders and political arrangements, that on any reading of international law he has no right to demand. Vladimir Putin does not preclude talks, but only so long as Russia is allowed to hold on to occupied territory, and even territory from which it has had to retreat. Volodymyr Zelensky demands withdrawal, and while at the start of war he might have been ready to go back to position of 23 February 2022 he now expects to go to the position of eight years earlier before Russia annexed Crimea.”
https://samf.substack.com/p/getting-to-negotiations?utm_source=email
Can a settlement in Ukraine ever be negotiated? While Putin is the tsar, it seems highly unlikely.
International law seems increasingly irrelevant given the actions of western powers of late such as the deliberate destruction of the Nordstream pipelines and the blowing up of the Kersh bridge using a truckbomb , seems pretty obvious that the objective of these operations is to prolong and escalate the conflict .
Where does it say in international law that its ok for the united states to occupy land in syria ? or that its ok for israel to continue bulldozing palistinian homes to make more room for israely settlements .The list is very long indeed of the most powerfull countries thumbing their nose at international law.
To my mind addressing Washington and Kyiv to end this war is entirely justified and i'd add London as well .
So, despite Putin’s aggression, you’d support him?
Let’s hope the same thinking doesn’t apply if Australia wants to make NZ a part of them. Claiming historical rights going back to early 19th century.
By your logic, they’d have the right.
Well if America had been arming us for ten years and they put in place a pro American gov in order to threaten and in the event of war breaking out weaken australia then yeah i guess they'd have the right .
SMH
Odd that your logic does not extend to Russia's arming of fifth columnists in Donbas – or it would be if you were trying to pretend to be a balanced or rational commenter.
So far as i know stuart the people of the Donbas wished they'd had more help from Russia not less and could not understand why they took so long to confront the American backed nationalists directly which is why the referendums offering citizenship with the russian federation were taken up so wholeheartedly , they'd had nearly nine years to make up their mind !!
So far as i know
That's your problem right there.
If you knew a little more about the behaviour of the post-soviet Russian state, and the fate of those satellites that chose to leave it, we would hear a great deal less of your pro-despotic assertions.
If you know so much more than i stuart why dont you enlighten 'us'?
The conversation began with the question of negotiation in the Ukraine war .Got anything to add ??
Negotiation with Putin is impractical – veracity is not a value for him.
Former Putin adviser says Russian President 'stopped telling the truth' (yahoo.com)
The West was taken by surprise in 2014, having themselves no plans to go to war with Russia. But in the time since, having learned their lesson, he no longer gets the benefit of the doubt.
The best thing for Russia is a regime change – which, as a brutal kleptocracy, is long overdue. The best thing for Ukraine is a timely cessation of hostilities.
Russian agents like Girkin have no future in a free Ukraine – they will go to considerable lengths to prevent one. In no way do such espiocrats represent a plausible popular separatist movement – he is an agent provocateur, Russia's catspaw, nothing more.
Can you provide some context as to why this fellow Girkin is of significance ATM ?
Poverty worse than we thought.
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/prime-minister-s-office-apologises-for-misleading-comments-about-new-zealand-s-child-poverty-figures/ar-AA139Ax6?ocid=entnewsntp&cvid=dc305f99749f44ffada3d116d3d41913
[Ironically, your comment is misleading because it doesn’t actually say or imply that. This is your warning – Incognito]
Mod note
Well, well, the Transmission Gully protesters drove there in hired vans according to today's Dominion Post. Do as we say, not do as we do. At least they should have got up earlier and ridden their bikes there. One thinking person needing to get on with his day managed to outwit them.
Where is your link?
Protest like the Amish.
The group want the government to "Restore Passenger Rail". So as soon as there's a functioning rail system, they're going to use the train instead of a hired van…
Also looking forward to the impatient car drivers ripping off the banners from the "farmers" blocking the roads today. More likely that the two biggest polluter groups in this country stick together though…
However, there will always be a big difference between the two: Polluting car drivers will always be just a problem and never be the solution to pollution. While farmers are in a more important position, many of them are part of the problem now and they can / must be part of the solution for the future.
When are the two main political parties in the country have the balls telling the polluters that the days of pollution have to come to an end soon?
It is inevitable – even the National (Polluter) Party surely know this – and obviously, significant parts of our daily life, like infrastructure, agriculture, have to be ready for those days.
How long does it take to get ready? How many decades for something on that scale?
Or do we simply block all combustion engines on our roads from one day to another and shoot million of cows within a month to achieve the necessary, internationally agreed targets?
Here is the story and the video is worth watching. These people are not doing their cause any favours.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/10/video-footage-captures-moment-frustrated-motorist-moves-protesters-van-blocking-transmission-gully.html
It's worse than that, Jimmy. These people are dicing with death. All it needs is for some P- head, or the Mongrel Mob, to be held up, and you can bet someone will be on their way to ICU.
Absolutely, I don't think the Mongrel Mob would take to kindly to being held up by them.
Any fan of direct action has to love that.
I hope they don't stop. Probably need to skill up, but that's ok, everyone has to start somewhere.
and yet here you are talking about it. Bet you weren't doing that when they were lobbying government.
Does it matter if we prevent climate collapse or not?
Didn't find it on the Dom Post – but here's a link from Newshub
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/10/video-footage-captures-moment-frustrated-motorist-moves-protesters-van-blocking-transmission-gully.html
[Side note, if he was listening to Joe Abercrombie, the protesters are lucky all he did was move the van – he's not noted for 'turn the other cheek']
https://joeabercrombie.com/books/the-heroes/
[Yes, of course not serious.]
protestors were right to stand aside, the driver was abusive and potentially dangerous.
The protestors picked the dangerous situation. Not your normal sit in on a motorway on-ramp.
different kind of dangerous (assuming you are correct, by all means present some evidence)
They put themselves directly in the path of the public in an area which is heavily restricted and operated by only by Police and NZTA appointed traffic control.
protestors on a road, shocking.
So glad there are people like this to protect our children /s
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/arizona-gop-candidate-arrested-allegedly-masturbating-truck_n_635007e2e4b03e8038da457f
Incognito, I don't know how to do links from an IPad, but if I raise an issue I always quote the day and source.
Instructions here. This is for copying a link to email but the principle is the same.
Scroll down to "Copying and Pasting to Email"
https://www.wikihow.com/Mail-a-Link-from-an-iPad
With social media linking, make sure you click on the date/time stamp first (it's on every tweet, FB post etc).
is this real?
https://twitter.com/notinaboyband/status/1582843224132972544
Britain is suffering from the old joke:
"Its Eton, Oxford, a safe Conservative constituency, a seat on the Cabinet, and then you are on your own son"
looks true. perhaps they added a bit of drama, but probably didn't need to.
Chief whip remains in post after reportedly resigning earlier | ITV News
One step closer to an annual shot just like the flu jab?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300716977/covid19-pfizer-asks-medsafe-to-approve-ba45-bivalent-vaccine
High court confirms suspicions that Trevor Mallard is irrational,and adds 2% points to Winston in future polls
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/477048/former-speaker-trevor-mallard-unreasonable-irrational-unjustified-in-trespassing-winston-peters-high-court
Winston for Hamilton.
He'd win.
Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrggghghghghghghghghhgghghhg 🤯
Well, that sent a shiver up my spine….
That's the type of inanities people cast votes on. You are right. Let's see how Peters plays this.
Can't believe I actually agree with Eaqub (don't buy a house in Auckland its better to rent) Shamubeel for once. I've been saying for years tax brackets need to be adjusted for inflation and both Nats and Labour never adjust them. Riduculous to be paying 30% tax on earnings over $48k which I think was set back in 2009? or 2011.
'Cynical political ploy': Economist slams National, Labour over tax policies
Every other investment category except farming socks big time.
Our collective Kiwisaver levels are circling the plug hole.
Labour lost their moment to tax assets 4 years ago.
Sweden calls bullshit and abolishes ministry of environment,due to having a nuclear moment,as it provides solution based measures for its economic future.
The greens disliked by 95% of voters are upset,but will be helped through the transition by an increased spend on mental health.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/devastating-consequences-swedish-government-scraps-211437038.html
German Greens need a cold winter before they Come To Jesus.
JLR:
Jesus Loves Reactors.