In a team concerns are taken up with the people involved, there is no going to the media to backstab the party leader and sabotage the presentation of a united front.
This ratbag is a nasty piece of work.
If the Labour Party is to flourish in the future people like this will have to go from caucus.
What makes you think that there is an insider?
I think that this is just misinformation designed to denigrate Cunliffe in the eyes of the public. Audrey Young is a likely conduit for Crosby-Textor style malicious misinformation which is designed to pollute our democratic system. I call her out as a biased “journalist” . She should have to write a disclaimer at the end of any of her pieces.
Phillip, before you start f…..g spouting off you mouth, find out the facts. Otherwise you are no better than those jonolists, ABCers, and others who are out to criticise and bring down Cunliffe and let Key remain in power.
Cunliffe WAS out whacking up billboards yesterday. Here is a photo of him doing so – taken by none other than Patrick Gower (that great Cunliffe supporter not) and posted on Gower’s Twitter account.
Why are you incapable of admitting your error in this instance? Being an IMP supporter doesn’t mean you have to dis Labour at every opportunity. Save some bile for the Tories.
Also; could you at least be consistent with your idiosyncratic punctuation. Most people, including myself, use ellipses [ie; …] to denote a missing portion of a quote. You use twin-dots [..] and double spacing for some gonzo reason that seems like a good idea to you. Could you please stick to that? Otherwise it seems you are haphazardly missing chunks out of your rants – eg:
he should have been putting up those billboards in auckland…
my very major regret is that the pig was probably not provided with livable conditions during the months it was alive, for the sole reason of fattening up the bottom line.
This is a good place to hang my ire at Petrick Gair (as he calls himself) creaming his jeans over Labour’s absurdly low figures on the 3 News/Research poll. I used to work for Reid’s on the phones with that poll, so I know how biased the questions are.
Vicky
“I think what’s happening here is that Cunliffe is signalling that he’ll stay on as leader after the election. ‘Helen Clark lost an election and stayed, and look how that turned out.’ His mechanism for doing so is to bring allies into caucus using the party list. So his enemies – who are electorate MPs – are cheerfully sabotaging their party’s campaign to prevent any new list MPs coming in.
What really gets me about this is that there are hundreds if not thousands of Labour volunteers around the country who are giving up time with their families to go doorknocking or leafleting or staff call centres for the Labour Party because they believe in it and its values, and all that work is being pissed away by the actual MPs, who obviously don’t.”
Paul, I thought Goff should have stayed leader after the defeat in 2011. The party was going to overhaul itself and he should have remained until the party had a process for selecting his replacement.
If that had occurred, then whomever was selected – Shearer (when more experienced) or Cunliffe or Jones etc would have had a chance in 2014, and if creditable in their performance another go in 2014. And without all the drama and disunity.
It was the experienced old guard in caucus who got this all wrong and then they resent the party for imposing another choice of leader on them.
Irrespective of Labour’s election result now, there is scheduled to be a “confirmation” as per the constitutional changes that were made a couple of years ago.
If caucus really wants to gear up for that, I think they will find the activists geared up to Not Take Shit from the ABC club in any shape or form.
i have this really really strange feeling that most of those commenting upon the Labour Party this morning view it through some strangely tinted shadze,
The conversation seems to revolve around some magic wand being waved which magically transforms the old Dinosaur,
My first suggestion is that you all ‘define’ Labour’s proposed Finance Minister, who from everything that He has uttered,(and might have wished He hadn’t), is, in my, firm, opinion, wedded firmly in His thinking within the Neo-liberal paradigm,
From that position,(if you agree with the analysis), it becomes far easier to define the Labour Party circa 2014,
Having said all that, i do not propose to do so, put a definition, a label if you will, on the current Labour Party, this close to the election such a debate is both futile and counter-productive to ridding the country of the Slippery little Shyster currently occupying the position of Prime Minister,
(And yes, i have fully canvassed my and other’s thoughts about where that leaves us in terms of ‘a Government of the left’, such thoughts, again, are probably now best left until after the election)…
The aim is that any students wishing to learn Te Reo should be able to do so at their own school in this country.
What is wrong with this aim? I know that in a very large decile 10 Auckland secondary school of about 1900 students in the 1990’s, those students wanting to learn Te Reo had to do it by correspondence school.
At present there are not enough teachers of Te Reo to enable every school to teach Te Reo (so this policy cannot be implemented immediately and must happen over time as more teachers are trained.)
It will not be compulsory for all students to learn Te Reo.
It will (in the long term as teacher numbers allow) be compulsory for schools to OFFER teaching in Te Reo so that any student wishing to learn the language can do so at his/her own school.
I think that people need to get used to the idea of LONG TERM PLANNING, something that has been absent in the last 6 years of Nat govt.
“the height of journalistic balance and integrity.” ?
I for one, have never seen a single person ever state that, anywhere. Nor am I aware of any news agency on the planet that could even try to say that with a straight face.
All coverage considered, it is far more balanced than most Network media out of America and Europe. Not sure what your language gifts are but I am mainly restricted to English language news, so cannot judge News services in other languages as confidently. This may came as a shock Gosman, but most people I know who regularly view RT, treat any story involving Russia with due caution.
News services are just information, to add to all the other information, that you are then meant to consider and deliberate upon to reach your own understanding of events. Even Fox has information on occasion that is actually useful. Granted it is almost as rare as sightings of the Yeti but it happens.
What you may not be aware of is that many viewers watch RT not for their news, but for their current affairs shows and for their excellent documentary screenings. Shows such as Cross talk, Big Picture, Breaking the Set, the Keiser Report, each of them strong well researched informative platforms where reality is allowed a sliver of sunlight. No news service will ever survive on an international platform if it tries to tell the truth about everything all the time. The advertisers would run screaming.
The trick is knowing where each source of information is biased or in other words where it’s conflict of interests are.
RT clearly has a massive conflict of interest on any topic that interests Putin. To reference it directly on such a topic is to insult the intelligence of the listener.
Gos, yes it is great that a journalist resigns rather than tell untruths or have to “spin” stories. If the same were true of the jornos working for the msm in NZ or on CNN tbey would have run out of jornos by now.
i actually have a screenshot from a stuff page from feb with the headline ‘national surge in the polls’, surely they should be at 70+% now if they have been ‘surging’ this whole time?
That old fart Armstrong from the Herald should not have a job – from yesterday (capitals are mine) –
“Dotcom must now prove FAR BEYOND ANY REASONABLE DOUBT that Key has lied repeatedly when challenged as to when exactly he became aware or was made aware of the former Megaupload mogul’s existence. If Dotcom cannot or will not do that, he should zip it.”
What’s this standard of proof you’ve invented Armstrong ? FAR beyond reasonable doubt ?
What’s that mean you fucking old idiot ? How FAR beyond ? Who says that ‘this’ FAR beyond (piece of string) is FAR beyond enough, or that ‘this’ FAR beyond (piece of string) is not FAR beyond enough ? You ?
Honestly, this is writing reflecting the mental processing capacity of a child. Alternatively it is writing containing this promise – “Unconditionally, I Armstrong will NOT write that Key lied.”
As a journalist is this old fart simply unartful or is he wilfully corrupt ?
between this and Armstrong calling for Cunliffe’s immediate resignation over the 11 year old Liu letter, I think its time that Armstrong gets put out to pasture. That’s all he is good for now.
I got an absurd tome of gibberish yesterday as a leaflet from the CP (conservative party, but also coincidentally; corporal punishment). 8 sides of A4 paper with Craig’s smirking face taking up half of the cover; which must be the only way he’ll ever get a magazine cover photo. The thing is actually glued rather than stapled together! The effect is rather ruined by it having been haphazardly folded to fit in the letterbox slot.
They’re still going with the; “stand for something” slogan, which is still just as terrible. But they at least get specific about four key policies:
1/ Binding Referendums (which I actually sortof agree with, but only if; there is a majority of all enrolled voters not just of those who who cast a vote and if; the questions are far more rigorously defined).
2/ Flat Tax
3/ Hard labour/ longer sentence for Prisoners
4/ Māori bashing
But it is the wording that really gets me:
1/ “Pure Democracy… it’s why wars get started… what else are they looking to ignore? To think they won’t is madness.
2/ “The only other reason [than Mallard’s Moa] we need to pay so much tax is to fund the Government’s vote buying programme… Don’t let anyone tell you we can’t afford a tax cut… Real money in the hands of those who need it and know what to do with it. Letting anyone else spend it is just lunacy.”
3/ “Call us crazy… If we’re elected it’ll be because you wanted us to give the Government a backbone… How loony is that?.. Anything else is just crazy talk?”
4/ “One law to rule us all [one law to find us, one law to bring us all, and in the darkness bind us]… Maori are treated as 2nd class citizens and victims [which] drives us nuts… Maori have been segregated by special laws and separate seats in parliament… Our wild and crazy thought?.. bring closure to the claims process… Nothing loony about that.”
Note the frequent; “I’m not mad”, statements – he literally finishes every policy outline with some variant of that. Protesting too much methinks.
i should start this comment with one of those ”i have supported Colon’s Conservatives for many many years” raves,
Small blessings that Colon and the Conservative view a ‘nationwide’ leaflet drop as not extending South beyond ‘the Tron’
Not getting to partake in Colon’s missive deprives me of the chance to stamp,stomp, spit upon it, with the final act a grand little display of pyromania as i burned it on the front lawn all the while laughing like a loon…
I’m in Dunedin, so you may get your chance to defile the wretched thing soon enough.
From the way it was rammed in the letterbox (the layout, printing and binding are all excellent – shame about the words), I assume that it was a commercial delivery subcontracted to some underpaid child rather than a committed volunteer. Maybe they’re waiting for the cheque to clear in your area?
Lolz Pasupial, the letterbox stuffer of note round here at the moment is an old bloke who looks like He might be supplementing His pension via filling everybody round here’s recycle wheelie bins,
i swear its unintentional, but, perhaps Freud might have other ideas, lately i have managed to ‘pop up’ from behind various bushes/the car at the point where He is ramming the junk into the box,
Although i always give Him a ‘Thanks Pal’, totally not meant,(perhaps Sigmund would write an essay on this behavior), He takes one look at me and practically runs off up the street,
Maybe, it being the weekend, the old boy has used His ‘initiative’ and burned the whole stack of Colon’s musings,(something i am sure Freud could have penned a whole tomb on), thus saving His legs for another day and leaving me unsullied from accusations of pyromania…
Pasupial, I didn’t see the pamphlet get delivered but I suspect they hired DX mail, the private mail company set up in opposition to NZ Post, to deliver the Cons pamphlets.
There is no way they have enough volunteers to letterbox the country but they have the money to get a contracted delivery done.
“Small blessings that Colon and the Conservative view a ‘nationwide’ leaflet drop as not extending South beyond ‘the Tron’”.
Oh really? I received a 4 page glossy nut bar rant in the mail, with ET on the cover, from the Cons.
For entertainment on this rainy day I plan to put Colin in make up and jewellery with a speech bubble that will say “Giz a kiss sailor”. He will have pouty lips. This will then go in the green plastic see through WCC recycling bag, facing outwards so his sweet face is there for all the street to see.
Lolz Rosie, sounds like that one would make a good billboard to put up somewhere,(an online version if you know how to get it up on facebook???),
There’s a totally insane, albeit thankfully small strain of thought that has me wishing that ‘the PinHead’ gets into the Parliament,
i should imagine the power-rush to Colon’s head will make what happened to Nick Smith upon His elevation to Deputy Leader under Doctor Dullard Don Brash look like the teddy bears picnic in comparison,
Funnily enough there’s a reference to sailors in the pamphlet. Something about the Government spending taxpayers money like “drunken sailors”. I must apologise to the adorable Julian Clarey as that is who Colon ended up looking like after my make over. I was actually going for the Amy Winehouse look.
I don’t have the skills and am not on FB put there is huge potential for a nationwide campaign to lampoon Colon’s pamphlet. I went with his homophobic buzz but there is plenty of other material to produce multiple images of satire.
Haven’t had a chance to continue with Tragedy at Pike River Mine, but hope to do so after I’ve whipped up a big batch of anzac biscuits this arvo.
i will be interested in what you make of the book in the way of ‘conclusions’ Rosie, if you have read the exchange provoked by our last discussion of your ‘read’ i will get around to,
(a), Pointing out Strydom the South African electricians actual evidence which provoked the questions from Commissioner Bell to Him about ‘explosives’
(b) White the mine manager at the time’s evidence surrounding the heavy smell of burned diesel,
(c), the fact that Strydom the South African electrician used English as a second language which made parts of His evidence hard to decypher,
(d),Commissioner Bell queried Strydom vis a vis ‘the smell being cordite’ and ‘the smell being diesel’
What seems here to be an inconsistency in the evidence of Strydom when He describes the smell as being both of those things is in fact not,
The two smells are ‘totally’ consistent with the use of ANFRO explosives which i will explain after you have finished the book,
To understand ‘how’ these two smells, cordite and diesel, remained in the mine, after what we seen as a minute long expulsion from the mine of the ‘explosion’ on our TV’s will require an explanation of what occurs when such an explosion occurs in an open ended ‘tunnel’ or an understanding of where the residue from a discharged firearm ends up as opposed to the fired bullet,
Yes, I did read the “exchange” triggered by raising the Rebecca MacFie book.
And yes, I’ll let you know when I have finished reading and what conclusion I drew from the book as to the cause of the explosion, the first one. As mentioned, so far I can only see it as a disaster waiting to happen, a failure of management H&S of epic proportions to keep their workers safe.
I take it you’re fully aware, after reading the notes from the R. C enquiry (I haven’t) of the consistent failures of management to address the serious and life threatening H&S that staff formally complained of via hazard notices? Serious question, just wanted to clarify.
AS for that particular discussion between yourself, TRP and McFlock, as much as I understood and supported the technical elements they both raised I tend to shy away when things get a bit shouty and testosterone laden. Lols, I have enough problems in real life that raise my blood pressure, I don’t need to add to it.
Definitely Rosie, i fully understand the intricacies of ‘what happened’ at Pike River right form the point of the original ‘test drilling’ at the mine site,
This test drilling, accomplished via an above-ground drilling rig helicoptered into the National Park where the depth and actual make-up of the coal seams was ‘discovered’ by taking ‘core samples’ from various depths being the genesis of the actual mine was also not ‘up to industry standards’,
Whether there was any ‘deliberation’ in this ‘not up to industry standards’ test drilling will probably never be known, but, far far fewer test bores and samples were drilled and taken from the proposed mine than is the industry standard practice,
The above, the samples taken, lead the investors to believe that there was a far greater amount of highly valuable quality coking coal to be mined from there than was in fact present, and, from that point the litany continued on until the day of the first explosion,
As i pointed out in our previous discussion on the mine, by the day of the explosion,and, on days too numerous to count befor-hand, that mine was an actual Bomb, simply waiting for a spark to be struck in the wrong time and place,
i do not believe for an instant that ‘Management’,(in all its hues), could have failed to have known the above fact,
The fact that that mine was a ‘Bomb’ is i believe why in its short operational lifetime there were 5 statutory mine managers,(including Whittal), all of whom spent an inordinately short period of time holding that position,
(The Statutory Mine Manager carries the ‘legal can’ if something goes ‘wrong’, like an explosion, in the mine),
My question here of course, the same as asked in our previous discussion, is, considering ‘who’ must have known the dangerous state of the mine, did they get tired of waiting for the inevitable to occur???,
i have plenty of experience with test drilling/core sampling/drilling as a labourer for a well known firm of specialist drillers/pilers here in Wellington,
i have plenty of experience with explosives through work as a farm labourer many years ago and work as a labourer for a well known demolition firm here in the capital,
i could even tell you the recipe for making ANFRO explosives,(which in a family friendly show like this i wont), its qualities, its efficiencies, and, more important why i believe Strydom the electrician described to the Commission the smell of both Cordite and ANFRO,
”The smell is yes with explosives” unquote,
Until i read the evidence of Strydom the electrician i like most other people believed that the initial explosion at Pike River was one of Methane Gas,
Now i question that, again with the question asked above, ”did person or persons unknown get tired of waiting for the inevitable to occur”…
Thanks for taking the time. Looks like we both have the same awareness of the mine’s history and issues – up to the point where you question who knew of the dangerous state of the mine and whether they wanted to hurry up the inevitable. (Yes, as per previous discussion)
I still can’t entertain this idea, mass murder an’ all BUT you do have a working knowledge of explosives and know about the evidence given by the S.A electrician. I don’t.
But I will come back to it. Right now, I have that book waiting by the fire and a hot cuppa waiting…………
Lolz Rosie, always interested in discussing this with other people, if anything i put forward as ‘fact’ isn’t how you see it from your readings feel free in future discussions to point this out,
There are also a number of ‘things’ that to me make Strydom the SA electrician ‘ a person of interest’,(and i use that phrase with deliberation), that i will try and canvas in any future discussion,
In His 28 years of mining, He had been at the scene of 6 mine explosions, and, it is His evidence initially to the Police which leads me to the belief that the initial Pike River explosion was in relative terms ‘small’,
He describes in His evidence his ‘confusion’ as to whether or not there had been an actual explosion in the mine because of the fact that in ‘large’ mine explosions in South Africa all the fire hoses, set out with spacing along the tunnel walls, were blown off the walls,
At Pike River, all the fire hoses remained firmly in their allotted places on the tunnel wall, indicating the blast had been relatively small…
Yep, a more clear set of initials would read ANDO,(and i would rather not be giving away any more of what that leads to for obvious reasons, although i am sure extreme inquiring minds wont have any trouble following the now obvious trail)…
felix, definitely not, But, how would you feel if someone put 6042 plus a zillion together came up with a number called i am a dumb fuck, slapped together the recipe, did a whole pile of damage and then said they got the idea off of a discussion here….
Hi, Rosie, testosterone point noted. It’s hard to be restrained in dealing with idiots, particularly ones who piss on the graves of the dead. And, yes, homophobes in particular do set me off, so sorry if it got messy. at the end.
Bad, just to touch on a couple of today’s misunderstandings, can I ask you have a look at a map of the mine? It’ll help you understand why Pike cannot be described as an open ended tunnel or why fire hoses a km or more away from the blast site and close to the entrance were relatively unscathed.
And as for claiming Strydom is a ‘person of interest’, why don’t you go to the cops if you have any evidence he was involved in mass murder? In fact, why not spell out the evidence for us now?
Hey Te Reo Putake. No need to apologise 🙂 Testosterone laden arguments are a given at times on this site.
One of the other reasons I want to be restrained in my language and withhold speculations around Pike River, is for the exact sentiment you raise, The Dead. I want to have some respect for their memory and also to anyone of their friends, family or partners who may happen to be reading.
I’m getting many questions answered by reading MacFie’s book and appreciate that her writing style is sensitive to the weight of loss the community suffered.
Laugh out loud, who would have thunk the liar in chief Te Reo Putere would have slunk belatedly into the conversation spewing abusive accusations,
The same Liar who carved out of Commissioner Bell’s questions at the Royal Commission 3 words from a question Bell asked and then deliberately falsely attributed those 3 words to Strydom the South African electrician simply so Putere the stranger to the truth could pretend ‘it’ had evidence that i was not telling the truth,
And this POS has the gall to upbraid me with claims of disrespect to the Pike River Families,
As far as the blast at the mine goes Putere, i am simply quoting from the evidence of Strydom the South African electrician, you have read this evidence so stop trying to spread bullshit among the readers,
If you want to dispute Strydoms reasoning as to why the fire hoses were not blown off the wall, feel free. but,
Unlike you, a pathetic wanker sitting behind a computer screen Strydom the South African electrician had 28 years mining experience which included being at the scene of 6 explosions in South African mines,
What’s your comparable experience Putere, wanking on endlessly on your computer…
Boring, boring, boring. Just put up some evidence, why doncha?. ps, still waiting for you to apologise for inventing a quote or failing to provide the second quote from the manager, whose name, for the time being escapes you. Go on, try being a grown up, it doesn’t hurt.
Pike river was the biggest, most transparent enquiry into an industrial accident in kiwi history, with a clear case decision on cause and effect, and responsibility clearly sheeted home. It was notable for the quality and quantity of the expert evidence and the candour of the mineworkers and other local witnesses. All those people, none of whom has ever suggested anything as astonishing as deliberate mass murder versus one sad fuck. I’m with the miners and their families. You’re on your own, fool.
Don’t call me bud Putere(to the truth), i despise cynical LIARS and you proved to me that you are one the other day by deliberately carving from a question by Pike River Commissioner Bell 3 words from that entire question which could not be mistaken for anything but a question about EXPLOSIVES which Bell was addressing to Strydom in a pathetic effort to point score against me,
That Putere(to the truth) is what i would class as disrespecting the Pike River families, everyone with links to those families and the Royal Commission,
Here’s some FACT for you Putere, the whole question from Bell to Strydom You carved those 3 words from,
Q, ”I mean Cordite to me isn’t a diesel smell, its more a smell to do with explosives, would–is that because of your South African experience with explosives” unquote Commissioner Bell,
And the words you carved out of Commissioner Bell’s question which you falsely attributed to Strydom trying to make a liar out of me which simply proves you to be the LIAR,
”Isn’t a diesel smell” Lies from Putere unquote,
Here’s the first part of Strydom the SA electricians answer to Commissioner Bell just in case anyone missed it,
A,”The smell is yes with Explosives” unquote Strydom the SA electrician to Pike River Commissioner Bell…
Bad12 I appreciate the passion but you seem to attack people who are not of the right. TRP is solid working class left and PU is distinct but has a world view that should be respected.
MS, you have your opinion i have mine, said in dark black writing by you or LPrent i will take a hint,
However, it is not me that butted into a conversation on the Pike River Mine explosion the other day it was Him and He was directly calling me a LIAR and then engaging in the behavior i outlined above which is simply cynical lying and using the Pike River Royal Commissioners questions to make up His cynical lies,
If you think that that is ‘solid left’ behavior well good for you, and my question is such behavior rife within the Labour Party probably wont go down to well,
Phillip Ure is another story, and your opinion of Him is noted, again, if the opinions you have so far expressed are writ in black writing i will obviously have to if i wish to keep commenting here take note,
Other than that MS, i will ignore your comment as it looks from where i sit to be an attempted censorship of me without addressing the equal behaviors of those i joust with in the comments,
TPR had no need to enter the discussion i was having tonight making the accusations he already made a couple of days ago, when he stops making such accusations i will stop responding to them…
Cheers, MS. Obviously, I’m not going to stop pointing out the homophobe fantasist’s bullshit, despite his using the bullying Netanyahu line. Luckily, the facts speak for themselves.
“Not getting to partake in Colon’s missive deprives me of the chance to stamp,stomp, spit upon it, with the final act a grand little display of pyromania as i burned it on the front lawn all the while laughing like a loon…”
I had the fun of doing pretty much that, and also with the others that blew out of letterboxes all the way down the road.
How much did he spend on all this?
Lolz Vicky32, my sense of deprivation deepens, Colon’s ‘we are not fucking loonies you hear’ Conservatives have blown a bundle i should imagine,
i think the total war chest is around 2.5 million with Colon dropping a reputed 2 million into the pot, what it actually cost to print up and distribute a nationwide leaflet drop i couldn’t even begin to address,(bucket-loads is my best guess),
Lolz big ups on keeping your neighborhood ‘clean'(if i catch the letterbox stuffer going about His lawful trade polluting the hood i might offer Him at least a used tenner for His whole pile)…
@ Pasupial 10.14
I’m not mad’. Craig appealing to the daft opinionated who are agin’ everything and presenting himself as a Messiah going to usher in a new age of commonsense, government bashing a la usa fundamentalists and somehow more money for the deserving (not those others who are lazy and have warts) – and for the sensitive PCs I have warts!.
Lolz, a cross between Peter ‘the Hairdo’ Dunne and Doctor Dullard Don Brash would perhaps adequately describe the politics of Colon ‘i am not fucking insane’ Craig then,
The short form of the above description being, 🙄 🙄 🙄 ….
Philip you are on a permanent dreadlock holiday.
Cunliffe has a family and has spent his money and time in his own country whilst HawaiiKey is spending his money and time is his home country.
What did Chester Borrrow? Whatever, I think he has had it long enough and should give it back. It didn’t work for him. He always seems unimpressive, and the latest about Coroners funding doesn’t inspire.
Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish was born and grew up in a Gaza refugee camp, worked hard and received a scholarship to study medicine in Cairo, gained a diploma in obstetrics and gynecology specialising in fetal medicine and a master’s degree at Harvard and despite the daily humiliation of border control he went on to become one of the first Gazan doctors employed in Israeli hospitals.
In January 2009, during Operation Cast Lead, three of his daughters and his niece were dismembered in their bedroom by an Israeli artillery strike.
Izzeldin Abuelaish has since lived and worked in Canada and doesn’t seek revenge or retribution, he writes seeking peace and reconciliation. .
Thank you Otago Daily Times, for the search terms.
“…The naming in Australia this week of a high-profile Otago man whose identity was suppressed in the Dunedin District Court earlier this year – when he was discharged without conviction on an indecency charge – raises questions about the effectiveness of such court orders in the internet age. Timothy Brown reports…”
The case raises the issue of grooming. Thus a danger to name suppression (as the former AB involved is old enough to be on super there is no real livelihood issue).
Do some men become social friends of married couples and then at a later time make a grope for the women when alone with her – based on the idea that social friends and in particular married women will keep it to themselves.
If she does not tell her partner, and social contact continues and she is unable to prevent being alone with him he tries again.
When discussing this on another site, someone posted this thought
“Many women don’t tell because all too often the male response is firstly ‘what did you do to let him think you were willing’? I’m sure for many it is probably a question asked to try and sort out what happened, but either way it makes the female feel that she must have done something wrong. Rape victims are frequently hounded by guilt that they must have in some way contributed to what happened. That they are too blame – which is a mindset that prevents many from reporting the attack – this is especially so with women (and some males) who are victims of sexual assault in the form of ‘groping’ etc.”
If it is found that the person is a serial offender, (via case and name exposure) then it reduces the isolation (the why me) that the victim has.
Derryn Hinch has written on the case, but says it is illegal for anyone in New Zealand to read what he wrote. I live in Australia, so I read it. It reminded me again why I’ve never been a fan of the All Blacks, and makes me wonder how much of a coincidence it is that rape and rugby both begin with the letter r.
John Key tells Vlad how it is…”Go on Vlad, show some leadership! Fess up, it woz you guys!!”
Vlad thinks to himself, “Run away and wet your pants little lapdog!”
Meanwhile the families and friends of 300 mourn their loved ones. None of this is helping their pain and dignity.
True Ennui, and I wish we had a PM that whould have the guts to say similar to Netanyahu.
But that’s right – NZ is all US-ian in foreign policy now.
In Gaza the killing of innocents and the pain for their families and friends is just as real as in the Ukranian war zone. Al jazeera gives these people names .
Apart from the obligatory snide opening, it reads like a different author.
Usually only read him if I’m in a particularly balanced mood, and feel as if I can respond rationally to his rants and the comments from his fans. But today didn’t need to do that at all.
it was patronising and reinforces the notion that women have to wait until some wealthy white man considers there is an issue for there to actually be an issue. I was put in mind that slylands might have written a siimilar thing but only after a woman he cared about was impacted.
Sounds more like “I’ll co-opt the phrase ‘rape culture’ then re-define it purely so I can attack people I don’t like” than any real understanding of the concept.
Greenwald was first contacted by Edward Snowden, a former contractor of the U.S. National Security Agency, in late 2012.[65] Snowden contacted Greenwald anonymously and said he had “sensitive documents” that he would like to share.[66] Greenwald found the measures that the source asked him to take to secure their communications, such as encrypting email, too annoying to employ.[65] Snowden then contacted documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras in January 2013.[67]
According to The Guardian, what originally attracted Snowden to both Greenwald and Poitras was a Salon article penned by Greenwald detailing how Poitras’ controversial films had made her a “target of the government”.[66][68] Greenwald began working with Snowden in either February[69] or in April after Poitras asked Greenwald to meet her in New York City, at which point Snowden began providing documents to them both.[65]
Neither do I, Tracey. In other words, I am not a signed up user, but it doesn’t seem to stop me being able to read various Twitter accounts, and save them to my favorites to read. Or to google them and read them.
So what’s your opinion of the Glenn Greenwald who supported the Iraq invasion, said the US is exceptional and different, derided Argentinian ant-war protestors – These are hard-core Communists. Fidel Castro is one of their heroes., and described Venezuela as that country under the repressive thumb of Fidel Castro-copy Hugo Chavez ?.
Despite these doubts, concerns, and grounds for ambivalence, I had not abandoned my trust in the Bush administration. Between the president’s performance in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the swift removal of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the fact that I wanted the president to succeed, because my loyalty is to my country and he was the leader of my country, I still gave the administration the benefit of the doubt. I believed then that the president was entitled to have his national security judgment deferred to,
Distorted media accounts notwithstanding, isn’t it painfully obvious what is going on here? These are hard-core Communists. Fidel Castro is one of their heroes. This has nothing to do with opposition to the war in Iraq or specific free trade agreements. Those are thinly disguised pretexts. These demonstrators hate the United States because they are genuinely opposed to economic freedom and individual liberty, and they seek to impose the collectivist authoritarianism of Fidel Castro onto the entire Latin American continent.
As is true in U.S., the Latin American socialist agitators who have captured the attention and affection of the American media are as substance-less as they are inconsequential. They are lovers of Fidel Castro. The insist that the source of their severe economic woes is not their collectivist policies or national character, of course, but the evil economic policies of the U.S. At the same time, of course, they are furious that the evil U.S. is not providing them with greater economic aid.
Firstly, I think that it is important that you understand that people take time to under go their own political awakenings and maturation. At the time of the second Iraq War, Greenwald was in his 30’s and for the most part, believed in what he had been taught by the MSM to believe – American exceptionalism.
Secondly, I think that you have taken some of his quotes out of context, albeit you have done us a favour by linking through to your source material. With regards to GW Bush’s wars against in Afghanistan and Iraq post 9/11 for instance, Greenwald goes on to say:
It is not desirable or fulfilling to realize that one does not trust one’s own government and must disbelieve its statements, and I tried, along with scores of others, to avoid making that choice until the facts no longer permitted such logic.
Soon after our invasion of Iraq, when it became apparent that, contrary to Bush administration claims, there were no weapons of mass destruction, I began concluding, reluctantly, that the administration had veered far off course from defending the country against the threats of Muslim extremism…
And in the aftermath of the Iraq invasion came a whole host of revelations that took on an increasingly extremist, sinister, and decidedly un- American tenor. The United States was using torture as an interrogation tool, in contravention of legal prohibitions. We were violating international treaties we had signed, sending suspects in our custody for interrogation to the countries most skilled in human rights abuses. And as part of judicial proceedings involving Yaser Esam Hamdi, another U.S. citizen whom the Bush administration had detained with no trial and no access to counsel, George W. Bush began expressly advocating theories of executive power that were so radical that they represented the polar opposite of America’s founding principles.
With all of these extremist and plainly illegal policies piling up, I sought to understand what legal and constitutional justifications the Bush administration could invoke to engage in such conduct. What I discovered, to my genuine amazement and alarm, is that these actions had their roots in sweeping, extremist theories of presidential power that many administration officials had been advocating for years before George Bush was even elected…
Thirdly, Snowden examined in detail Greenwald’s suitability to be the journalist that he would go to. I believe that Greenwald’s conduct to date has proven Snowden’s judgement and trust in Greenwald, correct.
Three news says Cunliffe not ruling out working with Mana and co is hurting Labour in the polls, no surprises there. How is la la Harry saying she wouldn’t let Dot.Crim into NZ but she is happy to get her nose in the trough and take the proceeds of his crimes.
What does 3 News know about what is hurting Labour in the polls?
Laila Harre wants to change the government. Kim Dotcom wants to change the government. David Cunliffe wants to change the government. Russell Norman and Metiria Turei want to change the government. Winston Peters wants to change the government. More than half of New Zealand wants to change the government. Hope it happens.
3 News asked in the poll if Not ruling out IMP was wrong and about half voted yes.
I think David has said that it is unlikely that IMP would be at the Cabinet Table but wait and see what the electorate decide in September. If Key needed another 2-3% to win would he rule IMP out? They had better not ask!
This has been covered in parliament itself has it not? Cunliffe asking Key to rule out pre election deals if Labour would do the same and Key backing down. News flash – Labour has always said no pre election deals while slippery Key refuses to commit to anything as he is constantly undecided as to what makes him feel most comfortable. Get some of that, Brook Sabin.
I think the electorate is going to be surprised by Internet Mana. David Cunliffe is certainly not committing one way or the other. Our jokey, matey PM however just gives us a nudge and a wink on these things and no-one know where he stands. It’s the politics of confusion. Grey Warbler described it with his Macbeth quotes earlier today.
Also covered by Simon Wilson slapping down National party embedded journalist Brooke Sabin on the Nation yesterday when discussing the same subject.
Funny thing how the support for National is around 50%… and “half voted yes” to the whole not ruling out IMP. I think there may be more than just significant overlap there 😛
Those who want a change from National would accept that deal in a heartbeat if it got rid of John Key.
TV3 poll not too bad all things considered. Ignore Gower.
Nats 49.4
Lab/Gr/IMP/NZF 45.7
Given that the Cons vote, 2.7%, is now likely to be wasted a 3% shift to the Left/NZF would be enough.
A 7% shift to Lab/Gr/IMP would give the Left power. I know this sounds a lot but we are in the grip of the ridiculous MSM’s attack on Cunliffe’s brave “man” speech and even Gower is starting to say that IMP is going “up and up” and they have only just started.
This election will go to the wire. I liked Cunliffe’s positive “we will come out fighting” on TV3 News tonight.
Cunliffe I am sorry to be a man comment are at least hypocritical in light of who he had lunch with. I would hope Labour and National could put petty party politics aside and change the law regarding permanent name suppression of those found or pleading guilty to serious sexual offending. This particularly repugnant when it is granted because of an offenders social status and/or political or legal connections.
I is clear many on this blog know the sexual predators name. I am sure I am not breaching and order saying he is not an unemployed Maori.
This is not the only current case. A kiddy fiddling Hawkes Bay lawyer has permanent name suppression. I do not know if I am in contempt by saying the bloody judge is an enabler. I do not really care.
I would also say that all MP who do not vote for a law change on name suppresion are also enablers.
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 10, 2021 through Sat, Jan 16, 2021Editor's ChoiceNASA says 2020 tied for hottest year on record — here’s what you can do to helpPhoto by Michael Held on Unsplash ...
Health authorities in Norway are reporting some concerns about deaths in frail elderly after receiving their COVID-19 vaccine. Is this causally related to the vaccine? Probably not but here are the things to consider. According to the news there have been 23 deaths in Norway shortly after vaccine administration and ...
Happy New Year! No, experts are not concerned that “…one of New Zealand’s COIVD-1( vaccines will fail to protect the country” Here is why. But first I wish to issue an expletive about this journalism (First in Australia and then in NZ). It exhibits utter failure to actually truly consult ...
All nations have shadows; some acknowledge them. For others they shape their image in uncomfortable ways.The staunch Labour supporter was in despair at what her Rogernomics Government was doing. But she finished ‘at least, we got rid of Muldoon’, a response which tells us that then, and today, one’s views ...
Grigori GuitchountsIn November, Springer Nature, one of the world’s largest publishers of scientific journals, made an attention-grabbing announcement: More than 30 of its most prestigious journals, including the flagship Nature, will now allow authors to pay a fee of US$11,390 to make their papers freely available for anyone to read ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe, Henry Jacoby, Richard Richels, and Benjamin Santer Imagine a major climate change law passing the U.S. Congress unanimously? Don’t bother. It turns out that you don’t need to imagine it. Get this: The Global Change Research Act of 1990 was passed ...
“They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”WHO CAN FORGET the penultimate scene of the 1956 movie classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The wild-eyed doctor, stumbling down the highway, trying desperately to warn his fellow citizens: “They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”Ostensibly science-fiction, the movie ...
TheOneRing.Net has got its paws on the official synopsis of the upcoming Amazon Tolkien TV series. It’s a development that brings to mind the line about Sauron deliberately releasing Gollum from the dungeons of Barad-dûr. Amazon knew exactly what they were doing here, in terms of drumming up publicity: ...
Since Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953, US presidents have joined an informal club intended to provide support - and occasionally rivalry - between those few who have been ‘leaders of the free world’. Donald Trump, elected on a promise to ‘drain the swamp’ and a constant mocker of his predecessors, ...
For over a decade commentators have noted the rise of a new brand of explicitly ideological politics throughout the world. By this they usually refer to the re-emergence of national populism and avowedly illiberal approaches to governance throughout the “advanced” democratic community, but they also extend the thought to the ...
The US House of Representatives has just impeached Donald Trump, giving him the dubious honour of being the only US President to be impeached twice. Ten Republicans voted for impeachement, making it the most bipartisan impeachment ever. The question now is whether the Senate will rise to the occasion, and ...
Kieren Mitchell; Alice Mouton, Université de Liège; Angela Perri, Durham University, and Laurent Frantz, Ludwig Maximilian University of MunichThanks to the hit television series Game of Thrones, the dire wolf has gained a near-mythical status. But it was a real animal that roamed the Americas for at least 250,000 ...
Tide of tidal data rises Having cast our own fate to include rising sea level, there's a degree of urgency in learning the history of mean sea level in any given spot, beyond idle curiosity. Sea level rise (SLR) isn't equal from one place to another and even at a particular ...
Well, some of those chickens sure came home bigly, didn’t they… and proceeded to shit all over the nice carpet in the Capitol. What we were seeing here are societal forces that have long had difficulty trying to reconcile people to the “idea” of America and the reality of ...
In the wake of Donald Trump's incitement of an assault on the US capitol, Twitter finally enforced its terms of service and suspended his account. They've since followed that up with action against prominent QAnon accounts and Trumpers, including in New Zealand. I'm not unhappy with this: Trump regularly violated ...
Peter S. Ross, University of British ColumbiaThe Arctic has long proven to be a barometer of the health of our planet. This remote part of the world faces unprecedented environmental assaults, as climate change and industrial chemicals threaten a way of life for Inuit and other Indigenous and northern ...
Susan St John makes the case for taxing a deemed rate of return on excessive real estate holdings (after a family home exemption), to redirect scarce housing resources to where they are needed most. Read the full article here ...
I’m less than convinced by arguments that platforms like Twitter should be subject to common carrier regulation preventing them from being able to decide who to keep on as clients of their free services, and who they would not like to serve. It’s much easier to create competition for the ...
The hypocritical actions of political leaders throughout the global Covid pandemic have damaged public faith in institutions and governance. Liam Hehir chronicles the way in which contemporary politicians have let down the public, and explains how real leadership means walking the talk. During the Blitz, when German bombs were ...
Over the years, we've published many rebuttals, blog posts and graphics which came about due to direct interactions with the scientists actually carrying out the underlying research or being knowledgable about a topic in general. We'll highlight some of these interactions in this blog post. We'll start with two memorable ...
Yesterday we had the unseemly sight of a landleech threatening to keep his houses empty in response to better tenancy laws. Meanwhile in Catalonia they have a solution for that: nationalisation: Barcelona is deploying a new weapon in its quest to increase the city’s available rental housing: the power ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters, PhD The 2020 global wildfire season brought extreme fire activity to the western U.S., Australia, the Arctic, and Brazil, making it the fifth most expensive year for wildfire losses on record. The year began with an unprecedented fire event ...
NOTE: This is an excerpt from a digital story – read the full story here.Tess TuxfordKo te Kauri Ko Au, Ko te Au ko Kauri I am the kauri, the kauri is me Te Roroa proverb In Waipoua Forest, at the top of the North Island, New ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Coming attraction: IPCC's upcoming major climate assessmentLook for more emphasis on 'solutions,' efforts by cities, climate equity ... and outlook for emissions cuts in ...
Ringing A Clear Historical Bell: The extraordinary images captured in and around the US Capitol Building on 6 January 2021 mirror some of the worst images of America's past.THERE IS A SCENE in the 1982 movie Missing which has remained with me for nearly 40 years. Directed by the Greek-French ...
To impact or not to impeach? I understand why some of those who are justifiably aghast at Trump’s behaviour over recent days might still counsel against impeaching him for a second time. To impeach him, they argue, would run the risk of making him a martyr in the eyes of ...
The Capitol Building, Washington DC, Wednesday, 6 January 2021. Oh come, my little one, come.The day is almost done.Be at my side, behold the sightOf evening on the land.The life, my love, is hardAnd heavy is my heart.How should I live if you should leaveAnd we should be apart?Come, let me ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 3, 2021 through Sat, Jan 9, 2021Editor's ChoiceAfter the Insurrection: Accountability, Reform, and the Science of Democracy The poisonous lies and enablers of sedition--including Senator Hawley, pictured ...
This article, guest authored by Prof. Angela Gallego-Sala & Dr. Julie Loisel, was originally published on the Carbon Brief website on Dec 21, 2020. It is reposted below in its entirety. Click here to access the original article and comments. Peatlands Peatlands are ecosystems unlike any other. Perpetually saturated, their ...
The assault on the US Capitol and constitutional crisis that it has caused was telegraphed, predictable and yet unexpected and confusing. There are several subplots involved: whether the occupation of the Michigan State House in May was a trial run for the attacks on Congress; whether people involved in the ...
On Christmas Eve, child number 1 spotted a crack in a window. It’s a double-glazed window, and inspection showed that the small, horizontal crack was in the outermost pane. It was perpendicular to the frame, about three-quarters of the way up one side. The origins are a mystery. It MIGHT ...
Anne-Marie Broudehoux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Will the COVID-19 pandemic prompt a shift to healthier cities that focus on wellness rather than functional and economic concerns? This is a hypothesis that seems to be supported by several researchers around the world. In many ways, containment and physical distancing ...
Does the US need to strike a grand bargain with like-minded countries to pool their efforts? What does this tell us about today’s global politics? Perhaps the most remarkable editorial of last year was the cover leader of the London Economist on 19 November 2020. Shortly after Joe Biden was ...
Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato and Valmaine Toki, University of WaikatoAotearoa New Zealand likes to think it punches above its weight internationally, but there is one area where we are conspicuously falling behind — the number of sites recognised by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Globally, there are 1,121 ...
An event organised by the Auckland PhilippinesSolidarity group Have a three-course lunch at Nanam Eatery with us! Help support the organic farming of our Lumad communities through the Mindanao Community School Agricultural Foundation. Each ticket is $50. Food will be served on shared plates. To purchase, please email phsolidarity@gmail.com or ...
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This is a re-post from Inside Climate News by Ilana Cohen. Inside Climate News is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter here. Whether or not people accept the science on Covid-19 and climate change, both global crises will have lasting impacts on health and ...
. . American Burlesque As I write this (Wednesday evening, 6 January), the US Presidential election is all but resolved, confirming Joe Biden as the next President of the (Dis-)United State of America. Trump’s turbulent political career has lasted just four years – one of the few single-term US presidents ...
The session started off so well. Annalax – suitably chastised – spent a pleasant morning with his new girlfriend (he would say paramour, of course, but for our purposes, girlfriend is easier*). He told her about Waking World Drow, and their worship of Her Ladyship. And he started ...
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When I was preparing for my School C English exam I knew I needed some quotes to splash through my essays. But remembering lines was never my strong point, so I tended to look for the low-hanging fruit. We’d studied Shakespeare’s King Lear that year and perhaps the lowest hanging ...
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Melted ice of the past answers question today? Kate Ashley and a large crew of coauthors wind back the clock to look at Antarctic sea ice behavior in times gone by, in Mid-Holocene Antarctic sea-ice increase driven by marine ice sheet retreat. For armchair scientists following the Antarctic sea ice situation, something jumps out in ...
Christina SzalinskiWhen Martha Field became pregnant in 2005, a singular fear weighed on her mind. Not long before, as a Cornell University graduate student researching how genes and nutrients interact to cause disease, she had seen images of unborn mouse pups smaller than her pinkie nail, some with ...
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidates for President and Vice President respectively for the US 2020 Election, may have dispensed with the erstwhile nemesis, Trump the candidate – but there are numerous critical openings through which much, much worse many out there may yet see fit to ...
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Last night, a British court ruled that Julian Assange cannot be extradited to the US. Unfortunately, its not because all he is "guilty" of is journalism, or because the offence the US wants to charge him with - espionage - is of an inherently political nature; instead the judge accepted ...
Is the Gender Identity Movement a movement for human liberation, or is it a regressive movement which undermines women’s liberation and promotes sexist stereotypes? Should biological males be allowed to play in women’s sport, use women-only spaces (public toilets, changing rooms, other facilities), be able to have access to everything ...
Ian Whittaker, Nottingham Trent University and Gareth Dorrian, University of BirminghamSpace exploration achieved several notable firsts in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, including commercial human spaceflight and returning samples of an asteroid to Earth. The coming year is shaping up to be just as interesting. Here are some of ...
Michael Head, University of SouthamptonThe UK has become the first country to authorise the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for public use, with roll-out to start in the first week of 2021. This vaccine is the second to be authorised in the UK – following the Pfizer vaccine. The British government ...
So, Boris Johnson has been footering about in hospitals again. We should be grateful, perhaps, that on this occasion the Clown-in-Chief is only (probably) getting in the way and causing distractions, rather than taking up a bed, vital equipment and resources and adding more strain and danger to exhausted staff.Look at ...
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by Don Franks For five days over New Year weekend, sixteen prisoners in the archaic pre WW1 block of Waikeria Prison defied authorities by setting fires and occupying the building’s roof. They eventually agreed to surrender after intervention from Maori party co-leader Rawiri Waititi. A message from the protesting men had stated: ...
Lost Opportunity: The powerful political metaphor of the Maori Party leading the despised and marginalised from danger to safety, is one Labour could have pre-empted by taking the uprising at Waikeria Prison much more seriously. AS WORD OF Rawiri Waititi’s successful intervention in the Waikeria Prison stand-off spreads, the Maori ...
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A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Dec 27, 2020 through Sat, Jan 2, 2021Editor's Choice7 Graphics That Show Why the Arctic Is in Trouble Arctic Sea Ice: NSIDC It’s no secret that the Arctic is ...
One of the books I read in 2020 was She, by H. Rider Haggard (1887). I thoroughly enjoyed it, as being an exemplar of a good old-fashioned adventure story. I also noted with amusement ...
Scottish doctor Malcolm Kendrick looks at the pandemic and the responses to it 30th December 2020 I have not written much about COVID19 recently. What can be said? In my opinion the world has simply gone bonkers. The best description can be found in Dante’s Inferno, written many hundreds of ...
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 the numbers seem very low please check this out. After correcting send me the URL for your ...
As we welcome in the new year, our focus is on continuing to keep New Zealanders safe and moving forward with our economic recovery. There’s a lot to get on with, but before we say a final goodbye to 2020, here’s a quick look back at some of the milestones ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown have announced passengers from the Cook Islands can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from 21 January, enabling access to essential services such as health. “Following confirmation of the Cook Islands’ COVID ...
Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners to employ staff and contractors in a move aimed at boosting local biodiversity-focused projects, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has announced. It is estimated some 400-plus jobs will be created with employment opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, ...
The Government has approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in stages from April 2021. “Our top priority continues ...
Today’s deal between Meridian and Rio Tinto for the Tiwai smelter to remain open another four years provides time for a managed transition for Southland. “The deal provides welcome certainty to the Southland community by protecting jobs and incomes as the region plans for the future. The Government is committed ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has appointed Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The leader of each APEC economy appoints three private sector representatives to ABAC. ABAC provides advice to leaders annually on business priorities. “ABAC helps ensure that APEC’s work programme is informed by business community perspectives ...
The Government’s prudent fiscal management and strong policy programme in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been acknowledged by the credit rating agency Fitch. Fitch has today affirmed New Zealand’s local currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook and foreign currency rating at AA with a positive ...
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$36 million of Government funding alongside councils and others for 19 projects Investment will clean up and protect waterways and create local jobs Boots on the ground expected in Q2 of 2021 Funding part of the Jobs for Nature policy package A package of 19 projects will help clean up ...
The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. “The Battle at Te Ruapekapeka Pā, which took ...
Babies born with tongue-tie will be assessed and treated consistently under new guidelines released by the Ministry of Health, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Around 5% to 10% of babies are born with a tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, in New Zealand each year. At least half can ...
The prisoner disorder event at Waikeria Prison is over, with all remaining prisoners now safely and securely detained, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says. The majority of those involved in the event are members of the Mongols and Comancheros. Five of the men are deportees from Australia, with three subject to ...
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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has added her warm congratulations to the New Zealanders recognised for their contributions to their communities and the country in the New Year 2021 Honours List. “The past year has been one that few of us could have imagined. In spite of all the things that ...
Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment David Parker has congratulated two retired judges who have had their contributions to the country and their communities recognised in the New Year 2021 Honours list. The Hon Tony Randerson QC has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio says the New Year’s Honours List 2021 highlights again the outstanding contribution made by Pacific people across Aotearoa. “We are acknowledging the work of 13 Pacific leaders in the New Year’s Honours, representing a number of sectors including health, education, community, sports, the ...
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A nationwide poll has found majority support for the government to continue to closely monitor abortions in New Zealand and the reasons for it, despite the Ministry of Health recently suggesting that there is not a use for collecting much of this information. ...
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Successive governments have paid lip service to our productivity challenge but have failed to deliver. It's time to establish a Productivity Council charged with prioritising efforts. ...
Understanding the connection between chronic fatigue syndrome and ‘long Covid’ might be helpful in treating symptoms that doctors will find all too easy to dismiss.When people began to report signs of “long Covid”, characterised by a lack of full recovery from the virus and debilitating fatigue, I recognised their stories. ...
Nadine Anne Hura, who never considered herself an artist, reflects on what art and making has taught her.I couldn’t clean or cook or wash the clothes, but I could sew. That’s a lie, I’m a terrible sewer, but I left work early to fossick around in the $1 bin of ...
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Lucy Revill’s The Residents is a blog about daily life in Wellington that has morphed into a stylish, low-key coffee-table book featuring interviews and photographic portraits of 38 Wellingtonians. In this extract, Revill profiles Eboni Waitere, owner and executive director of Huia Publishers. The Residents features names like Monique Fiso ...
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“Last year ACT warned that rewarding protestors at Ihumātao with taxpayer money would promote further squatting. We just didn’t think it would happen as quickly as it is in Shelly Bay” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “The prosperity of all ...
Our kindly PM registered her return to work as leader of the nation with yet another statement on the Beehive website, the second in two days (following her appointment of Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council on Wednesday). It’s great to know we don’t have to check with ...
A Pūhoi pub is refusing to remove a piece of memorabilia bearing the n-word from its walls. Dr Lachy Paterson looks at the history of the word here, and New Zealand’s complicity in Britain’s shameful slave trading past.Content warning: This article contains racist language and images.On a pub wall in ...
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In a team concerns are taken up with the people involved, there is no going to the media to backstab the party leader and sabotage the presentation of a united front.
This ratbag is a nasty piece of work.
If the Labour Party is to flourish in the future people like this will have to go from caucus.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/10287781/Skiing-holiday-puts-Cunliffe-on-slippery-slope
@ spc..what is interesting/telling about that one..
..is that the mp’s named and cited/praised by this ‘unknown’ mp…as ‘hard-working mp’s’..
..are goff/king/shearer..(!)
..which does tend to lean toward it being a fully paid-up abc-er..who is this ‘unknown-mp’..
..and i’m nominating ‘chippy’ hipkins..as the moaner..(he needs to be asked:..’was it you?..’..)
(mind you..i also think it stoopid that cunnliffe decided that now was a good time for a skiing-holiday-
..and a skiing-holiday in that centre of social-deptivation..queenstown..
..’what ho..!..chaps..!’..
..and way to go to get the struggling masses you are trying to entice to relate to you..eh..?..)
Chippie is my local MP … when I read it I thought this was Mallard at work.
As for Cunliffe, if the wife and kids are going skiing – does he not spend time with his family?
What makes you think that there is an insider?
I think that this is just misinformation designed to denigrate Cunliffe in the eyes of the public. Audrey Young is a likely conduit for Crosby-Textor style malicious misinformation which is designed to pollute our democratic system. I call her out as a biased “journalist” . She should have to write a disclaimer at the end of any of her pieces.
@ spc..’chippy’..or ‘ducky’…
..or any other one of those rightwing-ratbags..
..stick their pics on the wall..and throw a dart..
..they are all much of a muchness..
..the neo-lib hang-nail in labour..
I just E-Mail Moira Coatsworth over this continual undermining of Labour by the (Fab4) of wastrels, of my time, and Taxpayers money.
Does she reply?
not yet but i’ll let you know.
when those labour volunteers were freezing their arses off running around putting up billboards..?
..yesterday morning..
..where was their leader..?
..wd snug and warm in q-town cover it..?
..he should have been out also whacking up billboards..
..and preferably in auckland..
..he wd have received wide media coverage had he done that..
..but he didn’t..and he didn’t…
Phillip, before you start f…..g spouting off you mouth, find out the facts. Otherwise you are no better than those jonolists, ABCers, and others who are out to criticise and bring down Cunliffe and let Key remain in power.
Cunliffe WAS out whacking up billboards yesterday. Here is a photo of him doing so – taken by none other than Patrick Gower (that great Cunliffe supporter not) and posted on Gower’s Twitter account.
http://t.co/zsWoze48z9
it doesn’t alter the fact cunnliffe shouldn’t have gone on holiday..
(for tactical-reasons..the normal black-hole for media-coverage is in hawaii..
..so why the f… is cunnliffe not filling that gap/telling his/labours’ story..?
..labour moan about how little media-coverage they get..
..and they piss this golden opportunity up against the wall..?
..eight weeks out from an election..?
..really really hard to see the/any logic in that one..eh..?)
..and he should have been putting up those billboards in auckland…
..thus guaranteeing wide-coverage..
..only stalkers like gower wd b bothered tekking down to q-town..to watch cunnliffe at play..
..like i said..tactically that all both sucks and blows..
He WAS putting up billboards in Auckland – not Queenstown.
And the first day you could legally put them up was yesterday (Sat) and that is what he was doing.
the ..holiday…was..a..bad..idea…
Actually no.
Three days, two of which he had flu, versus Key 10 days in Hawaii.
First duty of leadership is to yourself and to your family. No matter what.
Key understands that principle of leadership, and so does Cunliffe.
spare me the crocodile-tears..eh..?
..mp’s have the best holidays..bar none..
..(that’s that one of their key ‘principles’ already well taken care of..eh..?)
..and once every three years they actually have to do some graft..
..end of story..
..and they need yet aother feckin’ holiday..?..to prepare..?
.for those 8 weeks of ‘graft..?
..cry us a fucken river..eh..?
PU
Why are you incapable of admitting your error in this instance? Being an IMP supporter doesn’t mean you have to dis Labour at every opportunity. Save some bile for the Tories.
Also; could you at least be consistent with your idiosyncratic punctuation. Most people, including myself, use ellipses [ie; …] to denote a missing portion of a quote. You use twin-dots [..] and double spacing for some gonzo reason that seems like a good idea to you. Could you please stick to that? Otherwise it seems you are haphazardly missing chunks out of your rants – eg:
Phillip-you are trolling for the right now I am convinced. Pathetic.
How can you equate 3 days skiing in NZ where Cunliffe would have been among and talking to voters with Key swanning around in Hawaii for 2 weeks.
whrs my chq…?
Phil lets facts get in the way as much as the Black Knight lets his wounds hold him back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKhEw7nD9C4
“Phillip, before you start f…..g spouting off you mouth”
Too late, and just more of the same old tired anti Labour/Greens bollocks.
Odd how a supporter of a 1.5% party knows what the major left parties should be doing.
I’m calling it the little boy who cried bacon.
Lolz, little pig, little pig, i had a couple of slices of one of the little pigs backsides with my tea last night, delicious,
From amidst the dripping bacon fat i did spare a thought for the little pig that died as it was born to do providing me with a varied diet…
my very major regret is that the pig was probably not provided with livable conditions during the months it was alive, for the sole reason of fattening up the bottom line.
Dude
that was just fXXking weak (Bad not CV)
your coming off like nasty little child now………..
This is a good place to hang my ire at Petrick Gair (as he calls himself) creaming his jeans over Labour’s absurdly low figures on the 3 News/Research poll. I used to work for Reid’s on the phones with that poll, so I know how biased the questions are.
Vicky
I’d say it’s either Mallard or some NAct black bag operative. Neither would surprise me.
Dimpost’s article is worth a read.
Extract…
“I think what’s happening here is that Cunliffe is signalling that he’ll stay on as leader after the election. ‘Helen Clark lost an election and stayed, and look how that turned out.’ His mechanism for doing so is to bring allies into caucus using the party list. So his enemies – who are electorate MPs – are cheerfully sabotaging their party’s campaign to prevent any new list MPs coming in.
What really gets me about this is that there are hundreds if not thousands of Labour volunteers around the country who are giving up time with their families to go doorknocking or leafleting or staff call centres for the Labour Party because they believe in it and its values, and all that work is being pissed away by the actual MPs, who obviously don’t.”
http://dimpost.wordpress.com/2014/07/20/strategic-defeat/
Paul, I thought Goff should have stayed leader after the defeat in 2011. The party was going to overhaul itself and he should have remained until the party had a process for selecting his replacement.
If that had occurred, then whomever was selected – Shearer (when more experienced) or Cunliffe or Jones etc would have had a chance in 2014, and if creditable in their performance another go in 2014. And without all the drama and disunity.
It was the experienced old guard in caucus who got this all wrong and then they resent the party for imposing another choice of leader on them.
@ spc..
..nooo..!. to yr first line..
..and yeesss!!! to yr last..
..and who to blame for the dragging of the party back to the right..?
..after that all-to-brief ‘the workers’ flag is deepest red’ moment from cunnliffe..?
..who dun that..?
Irrespective of Labour’s election result now, there is scheduled to be a “confirmation” as per the constitutional changes that were made a couple of years ago.
If caucus really wants to gear up for that, I think they will find the activists geared up to Not Take Shit from the ABC club in any shape or form.
that is good news..
in an event like that, we’ll be taking the fight directly to the ABC’ers.
i have this really really strange feeling that most of those commenting upon the Labour Party this morning view it through some strangely tinted shadze,
The conversation seems to revolve around some magic wand being waved which magically transforms the old Dinosaur,
My first suggestion is that you all ‘define’ Labour’s proposed Finance Minister, who from everything that He has uttered,(and might have wished He hadn’t), is, in my, firm, opinion, wedded firmly in His thinking within the Neo-liberal paradigm,
From that position,(if you agree with the analysis), it becomes far easier to define the Labour Party circa 2014,
Having said all that, i do not propose to do so, put a definition, a label if you will, on the current Labour Party, this close to the election such a debate is both futile and counter-productive to ridding the country of the Slippery little Shyster currently occupying the position of Prime Minister,
(And yes, i have fully canvassed my and other’s thoughts about where that leaves us in terms of ‘a Government of the left’, such thoughts, again, are probably now best left until after the election)…
the harawira/harre/dotcom roadshow hits auckland today..
..@ 2pm this aft..at the kelston community hall..135 awaroa rd..sunnyvale..
..should be fun..!
Paul Little, in the NZ Herald, has ago at Judith Collins. Also some praise for a Labour policy, along with a bit of a back-hander.
Paul Little brings up the Te Reo in Schools subject. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11296233
There is a lot of misinformation about this topic, and I get hoha (fed up) with the deliberate misconstruing of the truth.
What is wrong with this aim? I know that in a very large decile 10 Auckland secondary school of about 1900 students in the 1990’s, those students wanting to learn Te Reo had to do it by correspondence school.
It will (in the long term as teacher numbers allow) be compulsory for schools to OFFER teaching in Te Reo so that any student wishing to learn the language can do so at his/her own school.
I think that people need to get used to the idea of LONG TERM PLANNING, something that has been absent in the last 6 years of Nat govt.
Seen the latest poll comrades?
David Cunliffe really is the best thing that has happened to NZ in a very long time.
Seen the latest ‘wing-nut’ drooling comrades, 🙄 really are the best thing that has happened to the internet for a very long time, 🙄 …
🙄
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/mh17-russia-today-presenter-sara-firth-quits-over-malaysia-airlines-crash-coverage-9615489.html
For all those who think RT is the height of journalistic balance and integrity.
“the height of journalistic balance and integrity.” ?
I for one, have never seen a single person ever state that, anywhere. Nor am I aware of any news agency on the planet that could even try to say that with a straight face.
All coverage considered, it is far more balanced than most Network media out of America and Europe. Not sure what your language gifts are but I am mainly restricted to English language news, so cannot judge News services in other languages as confidently. This may came as a shock Gosman, but most people I know who regularly view RT, treat any story involving Russia with due caution.
News services are just information, to add to all the other information, that you are then meant to consider and deliberate upon to reach your own understanding of events. Even Fox has information on occasion that is actually useful. Granted it is almost as rare as sightings of the Yeti but it happens.
What you may not be aware of is that many viewers watch RT not for their news, but for their current affairs shows and for their excellent documentary screenings. Shows such as Cross talk, Big Picture, Breaking the Set, the Keiser Report, each of them strong well researched informative platforms where reality is allowed a sliver of sunlight. No news service will ever survive on an international platform if it tries to tell the truth about everything all the time. The advertisers would run screaming.
The trick is knowing where each source of information is biased or in other words where it’s conflict of interests are.
RT clearly has a massive conflict of interest on any topic that interests Putin. To reference it directly on such a topic is to insult the intelligence of the listener.
Gos, yes it is great that a journalist resigns rather than tell untruths or have to “spin” stories. If the same were true of the jornos working for the msm in NZ or on CNN tbey would have run out of jornos by now.
This poll crappola really is getting to North Korean style Dear Leader levels. Will the roll of dishonour that is our media back off one wonders before the polls hit 98% for ShonKey?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11296265
i actually have a screenshot from a stuff page from feb with the headline ‘national surge in the polls’, surely they should be at 70+% now if they have been ‘surging’ this whole time?
lol
And they’re “surging” a couple of points lower than the “govern alone” polls two months out from election2011.
Turned out they could only implement their flagship policies with the help of an election fraudster.
That old fart Armstrong from the Herald should not have a job – from yesterday (capitals are mine) –
“Dotcom must now prove FAR BEYOND ANY REASONABLE DOUBT that Key has lied repeatedly when challenged as to when exactly he became aware or was made aware of the former Megaupload mogul’s existence. If Dotcom cannot or will not do that, he should zip it.”
What’s this standard of proof you’ve invented Armstrong ? FAR beyond reasonable doubt ?
What’s that mean you fucking old idiot ? How FAR beyond ? Who says that ‘this’ FAR beyond (piece of string) is FAR beyond enough, or that ‘this’ FAR beyond (piece of string) is not FAR beyond enough ? You ?
Honestly, this is writing reflecting the mental processing capacity of a child. Alternatively it is writing containing this promise – “Unconditionally, I Armstrong will NOT write that Key lied.”
As a journalist is this old fart simply unartful or is he wilfully corrupt ?
between this and Armstrong calling for Cunliffe’s immediate resignation over the 11 year old Liu letter, I think its time that Armstrong gets put out to pasture. That’s all he is good for now.
Just buy him another carton of fags the next time you pass through duty free. His emphysema will get him before Sept 20th.
lol
So Armstrong wants KDC to meet unreasonable levels of doubt? Sounds unbiased 🙂
I got an absurd tome of gibberish yesterday as a leaflet from the CP (conservative party, but also coincidentally; corporal punishment). 8 sides of A4 paper with Craig’s smirking face taking up half of the cover; which must be the only way he’ll ever get a magazine cover photo. The thing is actually glued rather than stapled together! The effect is rather ruined by it having been haphazardly folded to fit in the letterbox slot.
They’re still going with the; “stand for something” slogan, which is still just as terrible. But they at least get specific about four key policies:
1/ Binding Referendums (which I actually sortof agree with, but only if; there is a majority of all enrolled voters not just of those who who cast a vote and if; the questions are far more rigorously defined).
2/ Flat Tax
3/ Hard labour/ longer sentence for Prisoners
4/ Māori bashing
But it is the wording that really gets me:
1/ “Pure Democracy… it’s why wars get started… what else are they looking to ignore? To think they won’t is madness.
2/ “The only other reason [than Mallard’s Moa] we need to pay so much tax is to fund the Government’s vote buying programme… Don’t let anyone tell you we can’t afford a tax cut… Real money in the hands of those who need it and know what to do with it. Letting anyone else spend it is just lunacy.”
3/ “Call us crazy… If we’re elected it’ll be because you wanted us to give the Government a backbone… How loony is that?.. Anything else is just crazy talk?”
4/ “One law to rule us all [one law to find us, one law to bring us all, and in the darkness bind us]… Maori are treated as 2nd class citizens and victims [which] drives us nuts… Maori have been segregated by special laws and separate seats in parliament… Our wild and crazy thought?.. bring closure to the claims process… Nothing loony about that.”
Note the frequent; “I’m not mad”, statements – he literally finishes every policy outline with some variant of that. Protesting too much methinks.
i should start this comment with one of those ”i have supported Colon’s Conservatives for many many years” raves,
Small blessings that Colon and the Conservative view a ‘nationwide’ leaflet drop as not extending South beyond ‘the Tron’
Not getting to partake in Colon’s missive deprives me of the chance to stamp,stomp, spit upon it, with the final act a grand little display of pyromania as i burned it on the front lawn all the while laughing like a loon…
Bad12
I’m in Dunedin, so you may get your chance to defile the wretched thing soon enough.
From the way it was rammed in the letterbox (the layout, printing and binding are all excellent – shame about the words), I assume that it was a commercial delivery subcontracted to some underpaid child rather than a committed volunteer. Maybe they’re waiting for the cheque to clear in your area?
Lolz Pasupial, the letterbox stuffer of note round here at the moment is an old bloke who looks like He might be supplementing His pension via filling everybody round here’s recycle wheelie bins,
i swear its unintentional, but, perhaps Freud might have other ideas, lately i have managed to ‘pop up’ from behind various bushes/the car at the point where He is ramming the junk into the box,
Although i always give Him a ‘Thanks Pal’, totally not meant,(perhaps Sigmund would write an essay on this behavior), He takes one look at me and practically runs off up the street,
Maybe, it being the weekend, the old boy has used His ‘initiative’ and burned the whole stack of Colon’s musings,(something i am sure Freud could have penned a whole tomb on), thus saving His legs for another day and leaving me unsullied from accusations of pyromania…
Pasupial, I didn’t see the pamphlet get delivered but I suspect they hired DX mail, the private mail company set up in opposition to NZ Post, to deliver the Cons pamphlets.
There is no way they have enough volunteers to letterbox the country but they have the money to get a contracted delivery done.
“Small blessings that Colon and the Conservative view a ‘nationwide’ leaflet drop as not extending South beyond ‘the Tron’”.
Oh really? I received a 4 page glossy nut bar rant in the mail, with ET on the cover, from the Cons.
For entertainment on this rainy day I plan to put Colin in make up and jewellery with a speech bubble that will say “Giz a kiss sailor”. He will have pouty lips. This will then go in the green plastic see through WCC recycling bag, facing outwards so his sweet face is there for all the street to see.
Lolz Rosie, sounds like that one would make a good billboard to put up somewhere,(an online version if you know how to get it up on facebook???),
There’s a totally insane, albeit thankfully small strain of thought that has me wishing that ‘the PinHead’ gets into the Parliament,
i should imagine the power-rush to Colon’s head will make what happened to Nick Smith upon His elevation to Deputy Leader under Doctor Dullard Don Brash look like the teddy bears picnic in comparison,
(PS, hows ‘that book’ going)…
Funnily enough there’s a reference to sailors in the pamphlet. Something about the Government spending taxpayers money like “drunken sailors”. I must apologise to the adorable Julian Clarey as that is who Colon ended up looking like after my make over. I was actually going for the Amy Winehouse look.
I don’t have the skills and am not on FB put there is huge potential for a nationwide campaign to lampoon Colon’s pamphlet. I went with his homophobic buzz but there is plenty of other material to produce multiple images of satire.
Haven’t had a chance to continue with Tragedy at Pike River Mine, but hope to do so after I’ve whipped up a big batch of anzac biscuits this arvo.
i will be interested in what you make of the book in the way of ‘conclusions’ Rosie, if you have read the exchange provoked by our last discussion of your ‘read’ i will get around to,
(a), Pointing out Strydom the South African electricians actual evidence which provoked the questions from Commissioner Bell to Him about ‘explosives’
(b) White the mine manager at the time’s evidence surrounding the heavy smell of burned diesel,
(c), the fact that Strydom the South African electrician used English as a second language which made parts of His evidence hard to decypher,
(d),Commissioner Bell queried Strydom vis a vis ‘the smell being cordite’ and ‘the smell being diesel’
What seems here to be an inconsistency in the evidence of Strydom when He describes the smell as being both of those things is in fact not,
The two smells are ‘totally’ consistent with the use of ANFRO explosives which i will explain after you have finished the book,
To understand ‘how’ these two smells, cordite and diesel, remained in the mine, after what we seen as a minute long expulsion from the mine of the ‘explosion’ on our TV’s will require an explanation of what occurs when such an explosion occurs in an open ended ‘tunnel’ or an understanding of where the residue from a discharged firearm ends up as opposed to the fired bullet,
There is much yet to be discussed…
Yes, I did read the “exchange” triggered by raising the Rebecca MacFie book.
And yes, I’ll let you know when I have finished reading and what conclusion I drew from the book as to the cause of the explosion, the first one. As mentioned, so far I can only see it as a disaster waiting to happen, a failure of management H&S of epic proportions to keep their workers safe.
I take it you’re fully aware, after reading the notes from the R. C enquiry (I haven’t) of the consistent failures of management to address the serious and life threatening H&S that staff formally complained of via hazard notices? Serious question, just wanted to clarify.
AS for that particular discussion between yourself, TRP and McFlock, as much as I understood and supported the technical elements they both raised I tend to shy away when things get a bit shouty and testosterone laden. Lols, I have enough problems in real life that raise my blood pressure, I don’t need to add to it.
Definitely Rosie, i fully understand the intricacies of ‘what happened’ at Pike River right form the point of the original ‘test drilling’ at the mine site,
This test drilling, accomplished via an above-ground drilling rig helicoptered into the National Park where the depth and actual make-up of the coal seams was ‘discovered’ by taking ‘core samples’ from various depths being the genesis of the actual mine was also not ‘up to industry standards’,
Whether there was any ‘deliberation’ in this ‘not up to industry standards’ test drilling will probably never be known, but, far far fewer test bores and samples were drilled and taken from the proposed mine than is the industry standard practice,
The above, the samples taken, lead the investors to believe that there was a far greater amount of highly valuable quality coking coal to be mined from there than was in fact present, and, from that point the litany continued on until the day of the first explosion,
As i pointed out in our previous discussion on the mine, by the day of the explosion,and, on days too numerous to count befor-hand, that mine was an actual Bomb, simply waiting for a spark to be struck in the wrong time and place,
i do not believe for an instant that ‘Management’,(in all its hues), could have failed to have known the above fact,
The fact that that mine was a ‘Bomb’ is i believe why in its short operational lifetime there were 5 statutory mine managers,(including Whittal), all of whom spent an inordinately short period of time holding that position,
(The Statutory Mine Manager carries the ‘legal can’ if something goes ‘wrong’, like an explosion, in the mine),
My question here of course, the same as asked in our previous discussion, is, considering ‘who’ must have known the dangerous state of the mine, did they get tired of waiting for the inevitable to occur???,
i have plenty of experience with test drilling/core sampling/drilling as a labourer for a well known firm of specialist drillers/pilers here in Wellington,
i have plenty of experience with explosives through work as a farm labourer many years ago and work as a labourer for a well known demolition firm here in the capital,
i could even tell you the recipe for making ANFRO explosives,(which in a family friendly show like this i wont), its qualities, its efficiencies, and, more important why i believe Strydom the electrician described to the Commission the smell of both Cordite and ANFRO,
”The smell is yes with explosives” unquote,
Until i read the evidence of Strydom the electrician i like most other people believed that the initial explosion at Pike River was one of Methane Gas,
Now i question that, again with the question asked above, ”did person or persons unknown get tired of waiting for the inevitable to occur”…
Thanks for taking the time. Looks like we both have the same awareness of the mine’s history and issues – up to the point where you question who knew of the dangerous state of the mine and whether they wanted to hurry up the inevitable. (Yes, as per previous discussion)
I still can’t entertain this idea, mass murder an’ all BUT you do have a working knowledge of explosives and know about the evidence given by the S.A electrician. I don’t.
But I will come back to it. Right now, I have that book waiting by the fire and a hot cuppa waiting…………
Lolz Rosie, always interested in discussing this with other people, if anything i put forward as ‘fact’ isn’t how you see it from your readings feel free in future discussions to point this out,
There are also a number of ‘things’ that to me make Strydom the SA electrician ‘ a person of interest’,(and i use that phrase with deliberation), that i will try and canvas in any future discussion,
In His 28 years of mining, He had been at the scene of 6 mine explosions, and, it is His evidence initially to the Police which leads me to the belief that the initial Pike River explosion was in relative terms ‘small’,
He describes in His evidence his ‘confusion’ as to whether or not there had been an actual explosion in the mine because of the fact that in ‘large’ mine explosions in South Africa all the fire hoses, set out with spacing along the tunnel walls, were blown off the walls,
At Pike River, all the fire hoses remained firmly in their allotted places on the tunnel wall, indicating the blast had been relatively small…
*ANFO
dont argue with ‘morans’ f.
they drag you down to their level and then beat you with experieince.
Yep, a more clear set of initials would read ANDO,(and i would rather not be giving away any more of what that leads to for obvious reasons, although i am sure extreme inquiring minds wont have any trouble following the now obvious trail)…
Bad, it’s probably the most well-known backyard explosive in the world. The recipe is two clicks away from anyone who cares to know.
You’re not guarding the chamber of secret wisdom, buddy.
felix, definitely not, But, how would you feel if someone put 6042 plus a zillion together came up with a number called i am a dumb fuck, slapped together the recipe, did a whole pile of damage and then said they got the idea off of a discussion here….
If you were really concerned about that you wouldn’t have brought it up here at all.
Hi, Rosie, testosterone point noted. It’s hard to be restrained in dealing with idiots, particularly ones who piss on the graves of the dead. And, yes, homophobes in particular do set me off, so sorry if it got messy. at the end.
Bad, just to touch on a couple of today’s misunderstandings, can I ask you have a look at a map of the mine? It’ll help you understand why Pike cannot be described as an open ended tunnel or why fire hoses a km or more away from the blast site and close to the entrance were relatively unscathed.
And as for claiming Strydom is a ‘person of interest’, why don’t you go to the cops if you have any evidence he was involved in mass murder? In fact, why not spell out the evidence for us now?
The fact is, you ain’t got no facts.
Hey Te Reo Putake. No need to apologise 🙂 Testosterone laden arguments are a given at times on this site.
One of the other reasons I want to be restrained in my language and withhold speculations around Pike River, is for the exact sentiment you raise, The Dead. I want to have some respect for their memory and also to anyone of their friends, family or partners who may happen to be reading.
I’m getting many questions answered by reading MacFie’s book and appreciate that her writing style is sensitive to the weight of loss the community suffered.
Laugh out loud, who would have thunk the liar in chief Te Reo Putere would have slunk belatedly into the conversation spewing abusive accusations,
The same Liar who carved out of Commissioner Bell’s questions at the Royal Commission 3 words from a question Bell asked and then deliberately falsely attributed those 3 words to Strydom the South African electrician simply so Putere the stranger to the truth could pretend ‘it’ had evidence that i was not telling the truth,
And this POS has the gall to upbraid me with claims of disrespect to the Pike River Families,
As far as the blast at the mine goes Putere, i am simply quoting from the evidence of Strydom the South African electrician, you have read this evidence so stop trying to spread bullshit among the readers,
If you want to dispute Strydoms reasoning as to why the fire hoses were not blown off the wall, feel free. but,
Unlike you, a pathetic wanker sitting behind a computer screen Strydom the South African electrician had 28 years mining experience which included being at the scene of 6 explosions in South African mines,
What’s your comparable experience Putere, wanking on endlessly on your computer…
Boring, boring, boring. Just put up some evidence, why doncha?. ps, still waiting for you to apologise for inventing a quote or failing to provide the second quote from the manager, whose name, for the time being escapes you. Go on, try being a grown up, it doesn’t hurt.
Pike river was the biggest, most transparent enquiry into an industrial accident in kiwi history, with a clear case decision on cause and effect, and responsibility clearly sheeted home. It was notable for the quality and quantity of the expert evidence and the candour of the mineworkers and other local witnesses. All those people, none of whom has ever suggested anything as astonishing as deliberate mass murder versus one sad fuck. I’m with the miners and their families. You’re on your own, fool.
🙄 🙄 🙄 i usually reserve them for ‘wing-nuts’ Putere(to the truth), must mean you have elevated yourself to the level of scum with your pathetic abuse…
PS, a hint for you: how many of those who gave evidence went into the mine after it had exploded, only one, Strydom the South African electrician,
i dare say the two who survived were not in much a of a fit state to be making notes of their surroundings as they staggered down the drift to safety…
Sorry, bud, you’re clearly beyond self awareness. All the best with the fantasy. Ciao.
Don’t call me bud Putere(to the truth), i despise cynical LIARS and you proved to me that you are one the other day by deliberately carving from a question by Pike River Commissioner Bell 3 words from that entire question which could not be mistaken for anything but a question about EXPLOSIVES which Bell was addressing to Strydom in a pathetic effort to point score against me,
That Putere(to the truth) is what i would class as disrespecting the Pike River families, everyone with links to those families and the Royal Commission,
Here’s some FACT for you Putere, the whole question from Bell to Strydom You carved those 3 words from,
Q, ”I mean Cordite to me isn’t a diesel smell, its more a smell to do with explosives, would–is that because of your South African experience with explosives” unquote Commissioner Bell,
And the words you carved out of Commissioner Bell’s question which you falsely attributed to Strydom trying to make a liar out of me which simply proves you to be the LIAR,
”Isn’t a diesel smell” Lies from Putere unquote,
Here’s the first part of Strydom the SA electricians answer to Commissioner Bell just in case anyone missed it,
A,”The smell is yes with Explosives” unquote Strydom the SA electrician to Pike River Commissioner Bell…
Bad12 I appreciate the passion but you seem to attack people who are not of the right. TRP is solid working class left and PU is distinct but has a world view that should be respected.
MS, you have your opinion i have mine, said in dark black writing by you or LPrent i will take a hint,
However, it is not me that butted into a conversation on the Pike River Mine explosion the other day it was Him and He was directly calling me a LIAR and then engaging in the behavior i outlined above which is simply cynical lying and using the Pike River Royal Commissioners questions to make up His cynical lies,
If you think that that is ‘solid left’ behavior well good for you, and my question is such behavior rife within the Labour Party probably wont go down to well,
Phillip Ure is another story, and your opinion of Him is noted, again, if the opinions you have so far expressed are writ in black writing i will obviously have to if i wish to keep commenting here take note,
Other than that MS, i will ignore your comment as it looks from where i sit to be an attempted censorship of me without addressing the equal behaviors of those i joust with in the comments,
TPR had no need to enter the discussion i was having tonight making the accusations he already made a couple of days ago, when he stops making such accusations i will stop responding to them…
Cheers, MS. Obviously, I’m not going to stop pointing out the homophobe fantasist’s bullshit, despite his using the bullying Netanyahu line. Luckily, the facts speak for themselves.
🙄 🙄 🙄 what your latest little tirade of abuse deserves, a whole page full of them…
“Not getting to partake in Colon’s missive deprives me of the chance to stamp,stomp, spit upon it, with the final act a grand little display of pyromania as i burned it on the front lawn all the while laughing like a loon…”
I had the fun of doing pretty much that, and also with the others that blew out of letterboxes all the way down the road.
How much did he spend on all this?
Lolz Vicky32, my sense of deprivation deepens, Colon’s ‘we are not fucking loonies you hear’ Conservatives have blown a bundle i should imagine,
i think the total war chest is around 2.5 million with Colon dropping a reputed 2 million into the pot, what it actually cost to print up and distribute a nationwide leaflet drop i couldn’t even begin to address,(bucket-loads is my best guess),
Lolz big ups on keeping your neighborhood ‘clean'(if i catch the letterbox stuffer going about His lawful trade polluting the hood i might offer Him at least a used tenner for His whole pile)…
@ Pasupial 10.14
I’m not mad’. Craig appealing to the daft opinionated who are agin’ everything and presenting himself as a Messiah going to usher in a new age of commonsense, government bashing a la usa fundamentalists and somehow more money for the deserving (not those others who are lazy and have warts) – and for the sensitive PCs I have warts!.
Lolz, a cross between Peter ‘the Hairdo’ Dunne and Doctor Dullard Don Brash would perhaps adequately describe the politics of Colon ‘i am not fucking insane’ Craig then,
The short form of the above description being, 🙄 🙄 🙄 ….
There’s an old saying which goes something like this:
If you think you’re mad then your’re not. But if you are convinced you’re not mad then you are.
Philip you are on a permanent dreadlock holiday.
Cunliffe has a family and has spent his money and time in his own country whilst HawaiiKey is spending his money and time is his home country.
gee tricle..it didn’t feel like ‘dreadlocked-holiday’ when i started working this morn..@ 5.00am..eh..?
(and this is what i have done since then.. http://whoar.co.nz/ ..some ‘holiday’..eh..?..)
..and do you have anyone who cd initiate you into the mysteries of the reply-button..?
What did Chester Borrrow? Whatever, I think he has had it long enough and should give it back. It didn’t work for him. He always seems unimpressive, and the latest about Coroners funding doesn’t inspire.
Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish was born and grew up in a Gaza refugee camp, worked hard and received a scholarship to study medicine in Cairo, gained a diploma in obstetrics and gynecology specialising in fetal medicine and a master’s degree at Harvard and despite the daily humiliation of border control he went on to become one of the first Gazan doctors employed in Israeli hospitals.
In January 2009, during Operation Cast Lead, three of his daughters and his niece were dismembered in their bedroom by an Israeli artillery strike.
Izzeldin Abuelaish has since lived and worked in Canada and doesn’t seek revenge or retribution, he writes seeking peace and reconciliation. .
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/18/father-children-gaza-bloodshed-palestinians-israelis
http://daughtersforlife.com/devdfl2013/our-story/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izzeldin_Abuelaish
Interesting column in the sst today by Nick Hager.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/510500/Nats-secret-advisers-accused-of-dirty-tricks-in-Aussie
Be interesting if any other news media picks it up. I suspect not.
My bad, picked it up from twitter, column is from 2008.
Good info thanks Northshoreguynz – good to remind us all of what is behind these media attacks and Key’s image.
Here is another one (from July 2013):
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/planet-oz/2013/jul/19/lynton-crosby-david-cameron-tobacco-australia-lobbyist-mark-textor
Interesting…..i wonder if Crosby Texter have hidden journalist stringers?…ie hidden paid manipulators embedded in the MSM?
Thank you Otago Daily Times, for the search terms.
“…The naming in Australia this week of a high-profile Otago man whose identity was suppressed in the Dunedin District Court earlier this year – when he was discharged without conviction on an indecency charge – raises questions about the effectiveness of such court orders in the internet age. Timothy Brown reports…”
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/309904/digital-era-subverts-suppression
slater will publish the name
by that I meant slater must have published it ages ago
The case raises the issue of grooming. Thus a danger to name suppression (as the former AB involved is old enough to be on super there is no real livelihood issue).
Do some men become social friends of married couples and then at a later time make a grope for the women when alone with her – based on the idea that social friends and in particular married women will keep it to themselves.
If she does not tell her partner, and social contact continues and she is unable to prevent being alone with him he tries again.
When discussing this on another site, someone posted this thought
“Many women don’t tell because all too often the male response is firstly ‘what did you do to let him think you were willing’? I’m sure for many it is probably a question asked to try and sort out what happened, but either way it makes the female feel that she must have done something wrong. Rape victims are frequently hounded by guilt that they must have in some way contributed to what happened. That they are too blame – which is a mindset that prevents many from reporting the attack – this is especially so with women (and some males) who are victims of sexual assault in the form of ‘groping’ etc.”
If it is found that the person is a serial offender, (via case and name exposure) then it reduces the isolation (the why me) that the victim has.
Derryn Hinch has written on the case, but says it is illegal for anyone in New Zealand to read what he wrote. I live in Australia, so I read it. It reminded me again why I’ve never been a fan of the All Blacks, and makes me wonder how much of a coincidence it is that rape and rugby both begin with the letter r.
Thanks for that Murray, I’m not in NZ either, so found it and read it too. I’m not surprised in the least.
ODT says it’s not an offence for people in NZ to read the overseas post, but it is an offence to publish it in NZ.
And it does not surprise me – re the name and the rugby connection.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10288851/MH17-Key-calls-on-Putin-to-step-up
John Key tells Vlad how it is…”Go on Vlad, show some leadership! Fess up, it woz you guys!!”
Vlad thinks to himself, “Run away and wet your pants little lapdog!”
Meanwhile the families and friends of 300 mourn their loved ones. None of this is helping their pain and dignity.
ra ra rasputin.
True Ennui, and I wish we had a PM that whould have the guts to say similar to Netanyahu.
But that’s right – NZ is all US-ian in foreign policy now.
In Gaza the killing of innocents and the pain for their families and friends is just as real as in the Ukranian war zone. Al jazeera gives these people names .
Surprisingly coherent article from Rodney Hide in the Herald today: Rodney Hide: Rape culture protects predators
Apart from the obligatory snide opening, it reads like a different author.
Usually only read him if I’m in a particularly balanced mood, and feel as if I can respond rationally to his rants and the comments from his fans. But today didn’t need to do that at all.
it was patronising and reinforces the notion that women have to wait until some wealthy white man considers there is an issue for there to actually be an issue. I was put in mind that slylands might have written a siimilar thing but only after a woman he cared about was impacted.
I think this story is more about nailing David Cunliffe than rape culture.
Check out Whaleoil.
Sounds more like “I’ll co-opt the phrase ‘rape culture’ then re-define it purely so I can attack people I don’t like” than any real understanding of the concept.
SR. it never stops bleeding blubber.
Either way, patronising wealthy white guy epipheny is not what it is. Politics is what it is.
Widow of smoker to get $27b ! Cool bananas!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/10289064/27b-verdict-against-RJ-Reynolds
Well, Kim Dotcom’s 15 Sept Auckland Town Hall meeting gets even more interesting.
The Internet Party Twitter feed has announced that Glenn Greenwald (ex Guardian journalist who has released the Snowden revelations) will be there.
Tweets by InternetPartyNZ
F..k that is interesting!
That is one heavy duty battery journalist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Greenwald
Global surveillance disclosure:
Greenwald was first contacted by Edward Snowden, a former contractor of the U.S. National Security Agency, in late 2012.[65] Snowden contacted Greenwald anonymously and said he had “sensitive documents” that he would like to share.[66] Greenwald found the measures that the source asked him to take to secure their communications, such as encrypting email, too annoying to employ.[65] Snowden then contacted documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras in January 2013.[67]
According to The Guardian, what originally attracted Snowden to both Greenwald and Poitras was a Salon article penned by Greenwald detailing how Poitras’ controversial films had made her a “target of the government”.[66][68] Greenwald began working with Snowden in either February[69] or in April after Poitras asked Greenwald to meet her in New York City, at which point Snowden began providing documents to them both.[65]
Perhaps it’s he that will deliver the oil on the prime minister’s spying regime.
I dont do twitter so thanks veuto
Neither do I, Tracey. In other words, I am not a signed up user, but it doesn’t seem to stop me being able to read various Twitter accounts, and save them to my favorites to read. Or to google them and read them.
This is a real biggie. Armstrong and others who have been deriding KDC as wielding a fizzer, are fucked.
@ c.v..
..i stood on the edge of the stand-up dotcom did with the corporate-media @ the roadshow..
..and they tried that jeering approach..
..and dotcom just shut them right down..
..and was entirely believable/credible..
..leaving me certain he has the ‘goods’ on key..
..and his greenwald news stopped their whining about timing..
..dead in its’ tracks…
..’twas a delight to behold..
the internet/mana roadshow in west ak went off like the proverbial rocket..
..very very cool it was..
..and the takeaway is that glenn greenwald will be one of the international guests at the dotcom ak town hall meeting..
..five days before the election..
..how cool is that..?
..greenwald has been a journalist i have admired since his very early on g.f.c.-warnings..
..and he will be helping dotcom dump on key…
..woo-fucken-hoo..!
..here is my greenwald-archive..
http://whoar.co.nz/?s=greenwald
So what’s your opinion of the Glenn Greenwald who supported the Iraq invasion, said the US is exceptional and different, derided Argentinian ant-war protestors – These are hard-core Communists. Fidel Castro is one of their heroes., and described Venezuela as that country under the repressive thumb of Fidel Castro-copy Hugo Chavez ?.
@ joe 90…
(i’ll let greenwald answer that..)
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/30/1182442/-Glenn-Greenwald-Responds-to-Widespread-Lies-About-Him-on-Cato-Iraq-War-and-more#
Brilliant thanks Phillip.
In his own words.
Despite these doubts, concerns, and grounds for ambivalence, I had not abandoned my trust in the Bush administration. Between the president’s performance in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the swift removal of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and the fact that I wanted the president to succeed, because my loyalty is to my country and he was the leader of my country, I still gave the administration the benefit of the doubt. I believed then that the president was entitled to have his national security judgment deferred to,
http://www.democraticunderground.com/100297462
( http://www.bookbrowse.com/excerpts/index.cfm?fuseaction=printable&book_number=1812 )
Distorted media accounts notwithstanding, isn’t it painfully obvious what is going on here? These are hard-core Communists. Fidel Castro is one of their heroes. This has nothing to do with opposition to the war in Iraq or specific free trade agreements. Those are thinly disguised pretexts. These demonstrators hate the United States because they are genuinely opposed to economic freedom and individual liberty, and they seek to impose the collectivist authoritarianism of Fidel Castro onto the entire Latin American continent.
http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.co.nz/2005/11/meet-oh-so-noble-peace-protestors-in.html
As is true in U.S., the Latin American socialist agitators who have captured the attention and affection of the American media are as substance-less as they are inconsequential. They are lovers of Fidel Castro. The insist that the source of their severe economic woes is not their collectivist policies or national character, of course, but the evil economic policies of the U.S. At the same time, of course, they are furious that the evil U.S. is not providing them with greater economic aid.
http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.co.nz/2005/11/reality-of-latin-american-reaction-to.html
Firstly, I think that it is important that you understand that people take time to under go their own political awakenings and maturation. At the time of the second Iraq War, Greenwald was in his 30’s and for the most part, believed in what he had been taught by the MSM to believe – American exceptionalism.
Secondly, I think that you have taken some of his quotes out of context, albeit you have done us a favour by linking through to your source material. With regards to GW Bush’s wars against in Afghanistan and Iraq post 9/11 for instance, Greenwald goes on to say:
Thirdly, Snowden examined in detail Greenwald’s suitability to be the journalist that he would go to. I believe that Greenwald’s conduct to date has proven Snowden’s judgement and trust in Greenwald, correct.
Will Greenwald get a visa?
Good question. Will NZ deny him entry at the border and send him back on a return flight…
If so that will be interesting indeed.
We better hope that Kim can come through for us on Sept 15th.
We’re relying on you Kim, please don’t let us down.
You’r all we have now Kim.
Guaranteed to be irrelevant crap.
Concentrating on a plan rather than mythology would be a good start.
@ lprent..
..u really think so..?
..this will be the snowden nz-drop..
..how is that not interesting..?
..i’m picking labour aren’t too happy about this..
..because the secrets exposed will not show the clark govt in a very good light..
.and int/mana on 2.3% on tv3 poll..
..and they have only just started campaigning..
..and i have been to a few political meetings in my life..
..but this one was the most electric/alive..i have been to..
..there was a lot going on in that room..
..and the chemistry between harawira/harre/dotcom/sykes/minto etc..
..was almost palpable…
.they all really like/respect each other..
,.,that much is very clear…
Three news says Cunliffe not ruling out working with Mana and co is hurting Labour in the polls, no surprises there. How is la la Harry saying she wouldn’t let Dot.Crim into NZ but she is happy to get her nose in the trough and take the proceeds of his crimes.
What does 3 News know about what is hurting Labour in the polls?
Laila Harre wants to change the government. Kim Dotcom wants to change the government. David Cunliffe wants to change the government. Russell Norman and Metiria Turei want to change the government. Winston Peters wants to change the government. More than half of New Zealand wants to change the government. Hope it happens.
3 News asked in the poll if Not ruling out IMP was wrong and about half voted yes.
I think David has said that it is unlikely that IMP would be at the Cabinet Table but wait and see what the electorate decide in September. If Key needed another 2-3% to win would he rule IMP out? They had better not ask!
This has been covered in parliament itself has it not? Cunliffe asking Key to rule out pre election deals if Labour would do the same and Key backing down. News flash – Labour has always said no pre election deals while slippery Key refuses to commit to anything as he is constantly undecided as to what makes him feel most comfortable. Get some of that, Brook Sabin.
I think the electorate is going to be surprised by Internet Mana. David Cunliffe is certainly not committing one way or the other. Our jokey, matey PM however just gives us a nudge and a wink on these things and no-one know where he stands. It’s the politics of confusion. Grey Warbler described it with his Macbeth quotes earlier today.
Also covered by Simon Wilson slapping down National party embedded journalist Brooke Sabin on the Nation yesterday when discussing the same subject.
Funny thing how the support for National is around 50%… and “half voted yes” to the whole not ruling out IMP. I think there may be more than just significant overlap there 😛
Those who want a change from National would accept that deal in a heartbeat if it got rid of John Key.
+1
write her a letter and ask her.
TV3 poll not too bad all things considered. Ignore Gower.
Nats 49.4
Lab/Gr/IMP/NZF 45.7
Given that the Cons vote, 2.7%, is now likely to be wasted a 3% shift to the Left/NZF would be enough.
A 7% shift to Lab/Gr/IMP would give the Left power. I know this sounds a lot but we are in the grip of the ridiculous MSM’s attack on Cunliffe’s brave “man” speech and even Gower is starting to say that IMP is going “up and up” and they have only just started.
This election will go to the wire. I liked Cunliffe’s positive “we will come out fighting” on TV3 News tonight.
Cunliffe I am sorry to be a man comment are at least hypocritical in light of who he had lunch with. I would hope Labour and National could put petty party politics aside and change the law regarding permanent name suppression of those found or pleading guilty to serious sexual offending. This particularly repugnant when it is granted because of an offenders social status and/or political or legal connections.
I is clear many on this blog know the sexual predators name. I am sure I am not breaching and order saying he is not an unemployed Maori.
This is not the only current case. A kiddy fiddling Hawkes Bay lawyer has permanent name suppression. I do not know if I am in contempt by saying the bloody judge is an enabler. I do not really care.
I would also say that all MP who do not vote for a law change on name suppresion are also enablers.