Campbell live had an amusing visit to Papakura last night and used blue whale Lillie’s to gauge support for the candidates. Labour’s Jerome Mika trounced Judith Collins. The media is full of negative comments about Collins. She won the seat last time by 9,800 and Mika is working very hard and is an effective campaigner. Papakura could be a seat to watch on election night.
I was driving to waiuku on sunday and between drury and waiuku we counted 12 national billboards and one ACT. Is that in papakura electorate? Anyway, if south auckland can be labelled as a single type (and it cant) , and that type has morality high on its scale, then national must be in trouble. I do wonder at the rural community stickly so steadfastly with national though…
It is one thing for many in the electorate to have believed the bank rolled strategy to dupe them BUT once you know they duped you if you still vote for them you damage everyone.
Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.
Talking about billboards – there’s not one Green Party billboard in Queenstown that I have seen. Come on Green Party! I know we’re in one of the most conservative electorates in the country but I’d wager there’s a decent chunk of Green Party support in the Southern Lakes area, after all loads of people here rely on our environment to make a living.
I’m pleased though that there lots of Labour billboards and they aren’t getting trashed either.
Unlike the National ones. Over near the airport in Frankton Mr Key is sporting a set of devil-horns and a big fat $ sign on his forehead and the silly little Todd Barclay ones they deliberately stick right in front of Liz Craig’s Labour billboards are routinely getting kicked over.
Why not contact your local branch and offer to help put up billboards?
In Auckland billboards are being put up with a lot of volunteer support. A lot depends on the amount of local volunteers available. Sitting on the sidelines and criticising is not how it gets done.
I wasn’t being critical karol – it was an observation really. The lack of any Green Party presence (so far) in Queenstown surprises me a bit since I reckon they could do quite well here.
Collins hasn’t changed her stripes. This is just confirmation of what she is like. Unfortunately there is a large amount of people out there who like her ‘crusher’ tactics.
There is a striking “bulge” in National’s electoral support in the 50 to 64 age bracket, and the profile is very different from 2011 :
Percentage of population by age bracket supporting National December 2011
18 to 24 – 38.4%
25 to 34 – 36.2%
35 to 49 – 46.7%
50 to 64 – 38.9%
65 plus – 44.4%
Percentage of population by age bracket supporting National July 2014
18 to 24 – 25.8%
25 to 34 – 32.9%
35 to 49 – 42.2%
50 to 64 – 51.2%
65 over – 44.6%
Two remarks
1) that’s a large constituency of people of roughly JK’s age who are fairly apolitical and identify with him (nice guy, winner)
2) They are National’s “soft underbelly”… (sorry, couldn’t resist)
Watch this demographic as the election approaches!
“…that’s a large constituency of people of roughly JK’s age who are fairly apolitical and identify with him (nice guy, winner)…”
nice guy, winner…? oh right you mean hateful parasite.
I see you’ve located “middle NZ”. Ahh yes, middle New Zealand, if only the world could be run by them, huh? Labour should totally try to attract those people. Oh wait, they are. Middle New Zealand, so balanced and reasonable and empathetic and aware of the consequences to their ambitions. Middle New Zealand, they’re “apolitical”. They don’t vote often, but when they do, they vote right.
True. But it’s also the same group that made a slightly smaller bulge in 2011. As the 65+ group’s %age hasn’t changed, and the 35-49%age has dropped, I’d guess that the big support is coming from those nearer 50 than those about to hit retirement age: ie as crododill says – those around JK’s age.
Only the 47, 48 and 49 year olds in the 2011 35-49 year group would now be in the 50-64 year group so I’m not sure that, on their own, they could ‘transfer’ the bulge from the 35-49 group in 2011 to the 50-64 group in 2014, especially given that the bulge is rather larger this time.
Having said that, I’m sure those born around the same time as John Key are more likely to have imbibed a similar approach to life as he apparently has.
I’m a bit suspicious of the NZEDC due to; my general scepticism regarding polls, and particularly; the inclusion of iPredict and Exceltium (Hooton). Also, I have seen the numbers bounce around a fair bit overnight – when I looked last night via Scoop it had the Nats at 50 seats, now (12 hours later) they’re at 53.
But they do have this Labour demographic data to contrast against the National numbers that A Connor reproduces:
July 2014 support across population by age bracket
27.2% of 18 to 24
21.8% of 25 to 34
20.7% of 35 to 49
21% of 50 to 64
24.8% of 65 and over
2011 support across population by age bracket
25.3% of 18 to 24
24.8% of 25 to 34
23.5% of 35 to 49
23.8% of 50 to 64
23.1% of 65 and over
I wonder if that’s people worrying about waiting for super. I’m 58 and I have to think about it, although I don’t let the raising of the age make me vote NAct. I still think it’s just about the worst policy Labour could have come up with.
In regard to Nationals new TV advertisement, did National think about the fact that:
Rowing Skiffs are tippy and lightweight, they kind of reflect our economy.
Opposition are in a safe lifeboat probably unsinkable….interesting
Actually Phil, I reckon Whale is the wrong name for the scumball in question. I would suggest that Hagfish might be better, given the amount of slime they generate, but hey, its not nice to insult the humble hagfish with comparison.
Labour needs to get an ad out quickly with a waka powered by proud working class Kiwis. Something local rather than something harking back to Oxbridge. Rowing is not quite as elite as polo, but it comes close.
“Collins’ woes and the fallout from Nicky Hager’s book Dirty Politics again dominated the campaign yesterday but National is hoping to move the debate on to its positive election message today with the release of its first campaign advertisement.”
Yeah Right! The stink of desperation is getting unbearable.
I hope the media get around to asking questions of those Nat MPs who employed Slater and Lusk to eliminate their opposition in the National Party candidate selection
processes. Mandy Hager makes the point:
“Where has been the discussion on the truly ghastly chapter about rigging candidate selection in order to bring in chosen far-right candidates? This has HUGE implications for our future – and people have a right to know who they are voting for and how they got to be there.” http://mandyhager.blogspot.fr/p/occasional-political-rant.html
Actually, Colin should speak up, possibly a good chance to snatch up a good % of the vote, sure he is eating his masters, but you would think the powers that be would want that, as at least it wasn’t going left or to the great unknown, Winston. You would think that ACT would speak up too, personal responsibility and all…
I’m reasonably certain that CC wouldn’t know what a conscience was if it bit him. It’s why he has to go to a book to know the difference between right and wrong and he still gets it wrong.
The attacks on Julian Assange are as cruel and depraved as ever
Al Jazeera, TV3, ITV and Radio NZ are as reliable as the Soviet news agency Tass
In Stalinist Russia, Maoist China, Franco’s Spain, apartheid South Africa and many other brutal regimes of the past, truth-tellers were hounded mercilessly. “Reporters” for newspapers, radio and television rarely even pretended to be honest or impartial, and functioned as simply an extra arm of the state. Citizens who dared to speak out against state crimes were smeared—one of the favorites in Russia was and continues to be trumped-up sex charges—and harried into exile.
Stalin, Mao, Franco, Vorster et al. are all dead now, but their doleful legacy lives on. The mainstream media in New Zealand, just as their equivalents overseas, continue to parrot state propaganda, “to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable”. As you read the following transcripts of what is nothing more than systematic character assassination, note the way these de facto state servants utter snide speculations about the dissident’s health and “what’s going on inside his mind”. That’s straight out of the Soviet playbook. Note also the ongoing gag about how “blond” the victim is; Cameron Slater’s friend David Farrar is as amused by it as Paul Henry is…
Attack No. 1….. The Paul Henry Show, TV3, Monday 18 August 2014
PAUL HENRY: This was an interesting move by Julian Assange. I have a word for Assange: “scurvy”. [snort] Ha ha ha! JANIKA TER ELLEN: It’s a sunlight problem. He doesn’t get enough sunlight in the Ecuadorian Embassy. PAUL HENRY: Well, he’s gone VERY blond! He he he he he he! It’s like being in a prison. I wouldn’t do the press conference thing like him. I’d just … walk out! JANIKA TER ELLEN: He’d be arrested wouldn’t he! By the Swedish police. PAUL HENRY: No they’d just say, “Who’s that? Shit, it can’t be him!” The alternative is going to the United States and having your fingernails pulled out. …[pause]… He he he he he he! And hooked up to a generator. He he he he he! JANIKA TER ELLEN:[dubiously] Mmmmmm…. PAUL HENRY: We shouldn’t make light of him. JANIKA TER ELLEN:[giggling] YOU shouldn’t make light of him!
Attack No. 2….
Al Jazeera News, 11 p.m. (New Zealand time), Monday 18 August 2014
Laurence Lee interviews Wikileaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson in front of the Ecuadorian Embassy. LAURENCE LEE: Now I just want to see what’s going on inside Julian Assange’s mind…
The ticker tape at the bottom of the screen reads: “ASSANGE IS WANTED FOR EXTRADITION TO SWEDEN TO FACE SEX ALLEGATIONS.”
Al Jazeera—which is, let us not forget, Qatar State Television—has consistently repeated the U.S.-U.K. line against Julian Assange. Its reporters and editors have never, to my knowledge, been permitted to utter a word of support for him. This ideological subservience contrasts starkly with their no-nonsense statements about the Egyptian junta’s jailing of three Al Jazeera reporters. In respect to its own persecuted reporters, Al Jazeera refuses to pretend the Egyptian government’s case against them has any substance, and routinely denounces their imprisonment as a travesty of justice.
Attack No. 3…. Firstline, TV3, 7a.m. news, Tuesday 19 August 2014
This time, instead of someone from the TV3 stable wielding the machete, it’s an absurdly biased “report” from ITV. The English reporter, whoever he is, displays the same contempt for Assange and for the viewers as Paul Henry did the night before….
ITV reporter: “Soon” in Wikispeak does not mean “imminent”, but “when we get what we want”…Julian Assange and his acolytes… So once again, Julian Assange has got the world’s media to turn up here and plead his case… He’s still holed up here. Meanwhile, the British taxpayer has paid seven million dollars and rising to make sure he doesn’t abscond.
Attack No. 4…. The Panel, Radio NZ National, Tuesday 19 August 2014
Jim Mora, David Farrar, Chris Wikaira, Zara Potts
JIM MORA: Two minutes to five. Not much time left to discuss a couple of things. Uh, Julian Assange. The press conference at the Ecuadorian Embassy. He’s leaving, weee-e-e-e-lll, n-n-nnot really, well not right now. What do you think is happening here? Do you think the Ecuadorians are getting a bit antsy and he’s making noises to placate them? What’s YOUR analysis?
…[A brief pause while the Panelists ponder deeply]…
CHRIS WIKAIRA: Sounds like he might’ve outstayed his welcome! MORA: What do YOU think, David? DAVID FARRAR: I’m not sure that’s the case, because, look, they’ve taken heat for having him there. And they’ve already taken that heat. Britain, Sweden, others are very annoyed with them for that. Kicking him out now won’t really restore them into the good graces. What it seems is there’s a mix of things. He seems to have health issues and you don’t really get good health care in an embassy. And he seems to be relying on a European Court ruling that he seems to think might be of benefit to him. And let’s be blunt here: it can’t be much fun in an embassy. MORA: No. And he’s very short of Vitamin D. You’d think there’d be a courtyard where he’d get some sun of an afternoon wouldn’t you. Cos he’s appeared on a balcony before, when he’s made his semi-papal appearances. Hasn’t he.
Well he IS very blond! So, ha ha, maybe he’s not one that can handle the sun too much.
David Farrar, Chris Wikaira, Jim Mora, Laurence Lee, Paul Henry and the “reporter” from ITV did not mention why the British and U.S. regimes are so hellbent on exacting vengeance on Julian Assange. Here it is once again, in case anyone has forgotten….
I wonder if you could explain that statement which, on the face of it, is a moronic one. Almost as ignorant, and moronic, in fact, as this one you posted a few weeks ago….
Well it gets worse–Cactus Odgers and Josie Pagani are replacing Bryce Edwards at the NZ Herald for the election period. Bryce is no great analyst rather a blog link collator in my opinion and quick to deflate Labour when he can. But he is a marxist in comparison to the new pair of right opportunist and far right.
For “balance” according to the Herald, but appears a blatant attempt to get ACT some presence while Pagani will likely do her best to undermine Labour and left bloc unity.
I should have added an explanation Tracey–this rather unbelievable scenario was via a twitter source who may on reflection indeed have been having a little ‘joke’.
And why does a party that got less than 3% of the popular vote get a soapbox for “balance”. ACT currently has NO MPs due to deception. 17% of its MPS are guilty of deception ofdences and ms odgers called for hagers address for angry businessmen.
as cathy odgers puts it and needs to apply to herself, “chop chop” and she must be excluded from the nz herald political team of commentators given revelations about her email.
NZ Herald have worked out that continuing to keep Cathy Odgers on would be more damaging to themselves, than using Josie Pagani as ‘the Left’ commentator would be to Labour.
Meanwhile, a non-electorate highly-ranked Labour MP is pushing for a policy that is wrong on so many counts. My heart bleeds.
You can complain about lawyers or former lawyers. A former lawyer is someone like me who does not hold a current practsing certificate. You can only call yourself a “lawyer” if you hold a current practising certificate.
I note your link to chchch lawyers complaining. Of note, to me, is they complain about a street naming NOT her conduct, or Odgers as revealled in recent times.
Problem is she has not done any of this stuff as a lawyer per se… Possibly personally and possibly as a minister
Misconduct defined in relation to lawyer and incorporated law firm
(1) In this Act, misconduct, in relation to a lawyer or an incorporated law firm,—
(a) means conduct of the lawyer or incorporated law firm that occurs at a time when he or she or it is providing regulated services and is conduct—
(i) that would reasonably be regarded by lawyers of good standing as disgraceful or dishonourable; or
(ii) that consists of a wilful or reckless contravention of any provision of this Act or of any regulations or practice rules made under this Act that apply to the lawyer or incorporated law firm or of any other Act relating to the provision of regulated services; or
(iii) that consists of a wilful or reckless failure on the part of the lawyer, or, in the case of an incorporated law firm, on the part of a lawyer who is actively involved in the provision by the incorporated law firm of regulated services, to comply with a condition or restriction to which a practising certificate held by the lawyer, or the lawyer so actively involved, is subject; or
(iv) that consists of the charging of grossly excessive costs for legal work carried out by the lawyer or incorporated law firm; and
(b) includes—
(i) conduct of the lawyer or incorporated law firm that is misconduct under subsection (2) or subsection (3); and
(ii) conduct of the lawyer or incorporated law firm which is unconnected with the provision of regulated services by the lawyer or incorporated law firm but which would justify a finding that the lawyer or incorporated law firm is not a fit and proper person or is otherwise unsuited to engage in practice as a lawyer or an incorporated law firm.
Problem is she is not doing this dirty stuff as part of regulated services of lawyer, or giving legal advice.
Her boss should be the one sanctioning. As minister of justice i believe she is responsible for tge Act governing the law society
Thanks Tracey .. is it worth noting she used her JudithCollinsLaw email address with Pleasants’ details for WO .. wondering does that mean she did it as a lawyer ?
and to Collins being her governing ‘boss’ …. oh dear.
“conduct of the lawyer or incorporated law firm which is unconnected with the provision of regulated services by the lawyer or incorporated law firm but which would justify a finding that the lawyer or incorporated law firm is not a fit and proper person or is otherwise unsuited to engage in practice as a lawyer or an incorporated law firm.”
thx freedom .. the link date seems odd and wrong … I read the story only yesterday, so it is current …. the link will take you through to yesterday’s story.
The linked to article I see, is “Audrey Young: Policies and people all part of campaign” published July 28 when Audrey Young introduced the “Herald team @nzhpolitics” and discussed, amongst other things, how there was still three days left before parliament rises thus verifying the article’s date of July 28 as correct. Am I missing something ?
freedom .. seemsthe date is correct, but maybe re-published yesterday… actually I have no idea ! But big news right now is Herald has Cathy Odgers announced as withdrawn from the team !
Click on HARD NEWS by Public Address on right hand links and scroll thru to comment by Bryce Edwards who states it …
“And as of a few minutes ago, the Herald’s Shayne Currie has announced: ‘Cathy Odgers has withdrawn’ ” by Bryce Edwards at about 10.30 am
They’ve taken a bit of a hit from the fallout of ‘dirty politics’ but it seems the (media) empire is striking back. The weakest link who isn’t even from the left versus the sharpest knife in Slater’s cesspool.
That’ll make for really balanced and accurate commentating in the run-up to the election.
Has there been any reason given for Helen Kelly being replaced on ‘The Nation’ at the last minute by Pagani in the immediate fallout of the book. Is intelligent left-wing analysis surplus to requirements in an emergency?
..he was just given a platform upon which to spin his little heart out..
..why didn’t mora ask him about the ‘princess-parties’…
“..The Young Nationals women were described as ‘retards’..
..and ‘just dirty girls who flip it up’..”
..farrar does this washing-of-his-hands of that far-right vileness uttered by that far-right scum…
..and that is utter bullshit..
..as on his blog..since forever..he has given the worst of them their head…
..they can say whatever they want..encouraged on by the urgings of the other denizens..and the non-demurring of their host..farrar..
(and of course he has done ‘tricks’ like having a fake benificiary (maori..of course..!..)..tania heke was the name she was given..(oh..!..how they must have laughed..!..eh..?..thinking up that little ‘wheeze’..)..
..this fake maori benificiary posted how she and her other benificiaries got drunk in the mornings/ate takeaway pizza..and laughed openly at their ‘mug’-neighbours..as they drove off to work..
farrar posted this pack of lies on his site..
..this fake persona just feeding all those poor-hating sentiments/prejudices of the bottom-feeders that are farrars’-people..
..yellow-hate-journalism of the very worst sort…
..this toxic-poison/pus running thru/bursting like a lanced-boil from the national party..is as much down to farrar..as it is to the other major players..(his furious public-handwashing/wringing notwithstanding..)
..but wd mora ever call him out on all that evil-shit..?
..hell no..!
..and look..!..there’s jordan williams..!..that other dirty-politics/mora-panel-person..
I’m starting to feel sorry for Assange. All he did was little light raping and then run away and hide when the heat came on. Can’t we just move on? I’ve written to the Pope asking that he be made a saint. Ok, Assange isn’t a Catholic and nor am I, but I can’t help thinking it would bring some much needed sunshine into Julian’s life. Bless.
I’m starting to feel sorry for Assange. All he did was little light raping and then run away and hide when the heat came on.
No he did not. You are simply repeating official lies. I have refuted you over this so many times in the past that it’s redundant to administer yet another ass-kicking this time. (It’s your lucky day, Te Reo!)
Can’t we just move on? I’ve written to the Pope asking that he be made a saint. Ok, Assange isn’t a Catholic and nor am I, but I can’t help thinking it would bring some much needed sunshine into Julian’s life. Bless.
Sober commentators at the time of Franco knew what was going on.Republican papers continued to
be published in Madrid,in Valencia,and in Barcelona.
The trouble was practically all of the diplomatic elite in Spanish Embassies around Europe were pro-Franco.So humanitarian enquiries were easily brushed away and quickly forgotten.
13 Companies in total that he was the Director of. For 11 of those companies he resigned as Director on 20th March 1995, and 10 of those companies have since been struck off. Of the remaining 3 companies 1 more has also been struck off, leaving 2/13 companies still going.
Jason Ede was last seen entering the Beehive with a security card. Anyone seen him come out?
Slaters outburst on stuff.co.nz gives even more insight into Slater, imo. Anyone who thinks Slater does not have some pretty big underlying “issues” is kidding themselves. Apart from anything else, is this who he wants to present to his kids? I dont know how old they are, but this stuff doesnt stay secret.
a recent txt-poll had 73% for collins to be fired…
..i really can’t see key lugging this rotting albatross around his neck..all the way up to the election..
..yeah..nah..eh..?
..collins’-futures are dropping in value..as we speak..
..with the common-refrain now being:.’gee..!..collns must have something serious on key…for him not to have fired her yet’..
..this must be telling key he has to move..and soon…
..one wd expect huge-promises re post-parliament life are being made to collins..as we speak..
..she who wd have been prime minister..in her own mind..
..(and guess who can barely keep from grinning at her plight..in the background..?..bennet and joyce..of course..!..being just two in national who will be happy to see collins being showen the door..)
I have to wonder whether the whole Key / Collins business is a total stalemate: Key knows what Collins and Slater are capable of. If he cuts her loose now, she might have the ability to totally humiliate him and drag him even further into the pit of depravity she and Slater inhabit, which will destroy his brand (which is all National have to win the election).
At the same time, National know they can’t win without Key (who will they get to front the election? Steven Joyce??). So the calculation for them might be purely about their best chance at holding on to power: Having Collins around damages the credibility of National, but they can still win the election with her on board. If they sack her and she fingers Key as being a part of this whole thing, they have no chance of winning the election.
Tories will do anything to hang on to power, no matter how dumb they might look in the process.
@ politikiwi-they are throwing Collins to the wolves-she is the scapegoat so that Key can appear Persil White. Even Claire Robinson is on-message today on MR saying Collins should resign.
While Collins must go, Key is up to his neck in the Whale Oil slime at least as much as Collins.
For Key to appear clean he’d have to agree that her conduct is unbecoming of a Minister and sack her.
He hasn’t done that, so either he thinks what she did was OK (and the guy is more than likely a psychopath so that might be case) or he knows sacking her will drag him down even further.
And this whole defence of “she only provided his title, not his name” is total bollocks. Even if that’s true, she still knew what the information was going to be used for. If you read the book it’s clear that Collins and Slater share a mean streak and she knew full well what he was going to do with the information.
Collins is as nasty as Slater, and Key has no politically viable option but to sack her. If he doesn’t, then this rabbit hole is much deeper than it looks
It is a long, largely sympathetic and quite thought provoking piece on Kim Dotcom. It might even be worth a proper blog entry of it’s own on this site to bring it to a wider audience.
Interesting as it is, it was a comment in the comments section that stopped me –
“It wasn’t the biggest raid in NZ. That was in the Ureweras; another almighty cock up by our boys in blue. “Incompetent” doesn’t begin to describe the NZ police.
And there is a load of corruption in NZ. Just not the brown envelope under the table type. More of a nod and a wink variety.”
Yeah, by any measure our police ARE incompetent. So why isn’t anyone doing anything about even suggesting they need an overhaul and a kick up the backside?
Good news for Labour in the Wairarapa electorate. Ron Mark has announced he is standing for NZ First. The Carterton mayor is pretty popular amongst some quarters in the electorate and is certain to take away a few thousand votes from the National candidate Alaister Scott who isn’t running a particularly strong campaign. Most of Mark’s votes will come from erstwhile National voters which should greatly increase Keiran McAnulty’s chances of winning the electorate for Labour
The candidate, Jono Naylor, is a liberal(ish) christian who has been a tad underwhelming as mayor for the last few years. He has name recognition and a small but helpful boundary change in his favour, but Iain Lees-Galloway has been a good MP and he has a very effective campaign team around him.
The one odd thing I hear about Naylor is the rumour that he donated to Labour at the last election. If so, his candidature might be a case of mutual dead rat swallowing.
I wondered same, but for sure the two very young tobacco boys must be .. Clutha/Southland and Hutt South. Questions need to be asked. Also I think Rodney voters need to ask meaningful questions now of how Mark Mitchell got the nomination. ( And why are the losers in Rodney nominations not complaining ?)
I tell myself it is all taking time … took the Herald a week to verify the veracity of Whaledump .. I have to trust there are machinations everywhere.
“I tell myself it is all taking time … took the Herald a week to verify the veracity of Whaledump .. I have to trust there are machinations everywhere.” Exactly how I feel!
@fambo. While I accept that having a good local MP is nice, and at the risk of sounding boring, it is worth repeating that it is the PARTY VOTE that really matters.
if any journalist whi isnt cowering under pressure from slates dirt, or whose editor isnt cowering under fear such dirt, please ask MrKey
“Given you wont dismiss ms collins for lying about aspects of her trip to china, appointing mr bhatnagar to a paying directorship, giving personal details of a public servant to a viscious blogger, does this mean you consider the cabinet manual a worthless joke of a guide?”
Oh, and let people know the cabinet manual requires the highest ethical standards, cos the public wouldnt have any reasonto think such a requirement exists under this PM.
If he blusters, tell him policy is made and implemented by CMinisters, so people deserve to know who is trustworthy.
And when he blusters again, put his 2008 lecture to helen clark to him.
Proverbs 22:8 8 Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end.” (Whaledump)
Campbell Live last night had a segment about the tragedy the hit that family on the West Coast, which Slater described as ‘feral’
It was mentioned that the son that died in the crash was an IT student and it left me wondering if some of his IT mates are the ones who hacked Slater and are now putting the boot into him.
It ties in well – the family has a tragic history of young sons dying (including one at Pike river) and I would salute anyone who is seeking specific revenge on that repulsive person.
Somehow Slater has left many with the impression that the family was wild and ummm “feral.” This excellent piece totally undid that impression and the father was a sad credible man who had lost 4 sons through a series of tragic accidents. The final death was Judd, a young man who was studying IT and had a steady job. He was the back seat passenger in a car driven by a drunk friend.
The first item in: http://www.tv3.co.nz/CAMPBELL-LIVE-Tuesday-August-19-2014/tabid/3692/articleID/102230/MCat/2908/Default.aspx?ref=MustWatch
And the death of their son lost just before Judd was in Pike River mine explosions, where his father also worked but had some time off. It is an almost incomprehensible series of tragic events in just one family. The mother’s anger and despair in her phone calls to Slater are to be understood and forgiven in the ugly circumstances imho.
But, according to Nicky Hager in DP, Key and Slater commiserated in very ugly terms about how the mother had addressed Key at a Pike River meeting.
But why on earth did Slater single out this young man’s death and call him ‘a feral’ in the very first place ? Why was it important to Slater ? Makes no sense to me at all as he seems not to be random in anything he does ?
Those who know families such as the Halls on the West Coast, and know families like Slaters and Keys, know full well where the higher qualities of humanity lie … there aint no doubt about it
The government admits it is using ACC levies to fiddle the books. This is dumb. ACC levies should be set at the level needed to sustain the ACC scheme. General taxation (Income/Company/GST) should be used to achieve the the desired budget outcome.
The Herald explains it here:
“It is not to the Government’s credit that the $297 million surplus has been achieved by denying workers and employers a cut in accident compensation levies. ACC minister Judith Collins has admitted the reason the Government has ignored ACC’s recommendation for bigger cuts for the third year running was, “because we need to get to surplus.”
Assuming of course that they aren’t dealt a BNZ-scale surprise by National fiddling the books. Campbell Live reported last night that EQC had failed to file financial projections for next year (in violation of the Crown Entities Act), and that this could have a significant effect on the government’s balance-sheet. No-one from the government would front up to explain this, which suggests they’re hiding something (namely, a billion dollar budget hole). Meanwhile, the government published its Pre-Election Fiscal Update, showing they’d meet their surplus target. But given the government’s refusal to front on the EQC news, I’m not sure that we can trust it.
National seems to be trying to find any way to show a surplus – especially when it’s unlikely that there’ll be one.
Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn.
There is a new Roy Morgan poll out (The usual favourite of this website).
The last one they had appears to have been a rogue.
Todays figures were
National 48% (Plus 2)
Labour 27.5% (Down 2.5)
Green 11.5% (Down 0.5
New Zealand First 6.5% (Plus 1.5)
All together now
Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn
All those changes compared to the previous Roy Morgan Poll (except maybe NZF) are within the margin of error. So I don’t see how it can mean that the previous poll was a ‘rogue’. You don’t seem to know much about statistics.
In any case, we are continuing to see polls from different companies conducted over similar periods with differences well outside the margin of error – strongly suggesting that at least some of the polls are biased in some way. Gloating about the results of a single poll is therefore pretty pointless. Let’s just wait for 20 Sept and see the result of the only poll that really matters.
Cunliffe on TV3’s Firstline this morning……..looking and sounding prime ministerial. In contrast what’s the other guy doing ?
Night after night now……..shakily flailing away in the increasingly Monty Pythonesque amalgam persona of ‘Emperor-Canute-No-Clothes’.
While lurking in the shadows ‘The-Vindictive-Bully-Weeping-For-Herself ‘. Whom the guy’s shielding. Is this TheGodKey myth/construct unravelling ?
The National Party Conference is only a few days off. The faithful inside and outside caucus are gonna be ‘required’ to stamp and cheer, present all adoring. Suspect there’ll be a goodish number whom for their embarrassment simply won’t be able convincingly, or be prepared even, to play that game. Key embraces an arrogant, unrepentant, ‘double-down’ bully ahead of them – ‘them’ being the self-perceived, Bill English personaed, decent, consummately reasonable folk. Not good !
And when the media rats who’re partially responsible for the remarkable durability of the now choking myth/construct…….when they sniff blood……..well who knows ?
Will Patrick Gower chase the clucking Bill English and/or weak-link, shitting themselves, List MPs into the dunnies ? If that occurs it’ll be what they DON’T say and how they DON’T say it that’ll be telling……
Uneffingbelievable dept.
Just as one gets the sniff of a Labour win David Parker gets the firehose out yet again; super age to rise to 67 under Labour. Nats will retain current age.
a) Yes there is an aging population bubble that must be dealt with, but super is affordable if we want it to be.
b) Yes, Nats are bullshitting they know a) has to be dealt with they are just not saying so.
c) For the purposes of winning this election why scare the horses? Surveys show the older bloke sector are bloody touchy about this and are still clinging to Key on it, 1 or 2% in it imo.
So; is Parker just trying to eager beaver and justify his figures and appear reasonable to soft electors or intentionally putting a passive aggressive spanner in the works?
Tiger-you may find, having softened the electorate up last time along with the CGT, that the retirement at 67 issue plays a little better this time around and may even be neutral. It does show that Labour is fiscally responsible.
Hopefully they will include some flexiblity for manual workers.
Hope you are correct Git, if people flogged out at 60 can get early super or some form of income support not involving third degree from WINZ that is good and needs to be well publicised. If others want to and can work till mid 70s and not pick up full super good on them.
{Hopefully they will include some flexiblity for manual workers.}
Breaded Git,they have.Go back to when DC was last here at the Standard,he made some good points on that,but,yes it does need to be teesed out a bit more.
How is pulling billions of dollars out of communities and keeping people in an excess labour pool where there are not enough jobs to go around “FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE”
Did Labour’s TV ad not say something about putting people first, instead of putting book keeping entries first?
Think before repeating neoliberal moneterist bullshit PLEASE
Yeah if Labour want to avoid losing to openly active criminals, really all they need to do is shut the hell up for a few weeks, then rehash the “first 150 days” stuff and nothing more. Unfortunately, someone near the power circle is authorising terribly timed sound-bite media releases that paint Labour as self-sabotaging out-of-touch idiots. And of course the media lap it up. It’d be all good for the Greens etc, if there was any chance of a miracle event where voters actually voted them the leading coalition partner.
Really really hate to say this: the Red Team is getting it wrong in terms of the super age rise policy.
Winston is right:
– failure to run a sound economy is the problem, not superannuation
– at 4.1% of GDP, this is way below other countries
Bill English and Nats win the public argument that they are better financial and political managers as shown by leaving the super age unchanged, while keeping it all fully costed and affordable.
If Labour is fixated with an argument that something needs to be done to get back into surplus by 2018, or to brag about their fiscal credibility, the super age rise policy is N.O.T. that argument. Find another one.
If National wants to talk policy and win more votes, this is one of them.
parker has also said today that third parties will only have $200 million to carve up between them..(!)
..and that if unable to make the supluses they have promised..
..that promises made at election time will have to be broken..(he refused to detail which wd go first..)
..i am fast coming to the conclusion i wd like the greens to be the biggest party..labour second..and a strong int/mana in third..
..give parker the job of hunting down/prosecuting the big tax-dodgers..
..set him on the trail of that pile of money ripped off from the govt every year..an amount..depending on who you talk to..between $3 billion – $7 billion each/every year..
..he’d be good at that..
..currently he is just making labour look like clark-govt. redux..
.i am fast coming to the conclusion i wd like the greens to be the biggest party
Came to that conclusion a long time ago. And I’m not sure if I want Labour in government at all as they’re now a hold over from the previous failed system.
esp as parker cites the need for surpluses as being the reason to be miserly..to break just-made election-promises..
..whereas the greens’ plans..audited/ticked off by infometrics..promise to fix poverty..and to get bigger surpluses than labour..and to pay off the outrageous debts wracked up by key..sooner than labour..
..w.t.f. is not to prefer about that..?
..as norman said:..’this is what progressive govts do’..
..labour is still too sodden with neo-lib..
..with parker the bright-eyed boy/advocate for those neo-lib beliefs/policies..
..and if the toxic clouds/sludge around national continues..(and i can’t see why they won’t..)
..then i cd see many national voters choosing peters and/or the greens…
.the conservatives cd do well too..from that spillage from national..
..and of course..int/mana are over there carving out their own path..
..this is shaping up to be the election of the minor parties..
..with labour losing support because of fear of/boredom with clark redux..
..and the national vote collapsing under the weight of all the scandals…
..(and we still have the dotcom/greenwald spook-shit drop five days before the election…to look forward to..whoar..!
..’holy showers of shit..!..batman..!’..)
.i repeat..this is the most interesting election i can remember..
Parker is a real asset to Labour; we right leaning types are quite fond of him. He was very clear this morning that whatever deals might be required to achieve a “majority” there will be no deficits under his watch. If necessary promised government expenditure will be trimmed accordingly. Given the proposed CGT and minor increase in the top marginal rate will generate relatively modest extra revenue anyway, looks like real squeeze on wriggle room going forward. He also has the guts to increase the age of entitlement under “super”; what’s not to like?!
Many economically literate people would be seriously interested in the Greens if they just stuck to their knitting on proper “green” issues and not stray in to the left wing nonsense; “green” should not be left or right. Massive lost opportunity for real political leverage.
The Greens ARE a left wing party. It’s in their founding values and origins with the Values party. If it weren’t left wing, many of us would not vote for it.
Understand that. My point is that that excludes a large percentage of the population who might well give their party vote to the Greens. It also means that the Greens would not be beholden to Labour (as they still are), and have achieved far more from being part of Governments of the left and right. You may not support them but the rivers might be cleaner.
Students are fighting back. The link to the Daily Blog below is a speech by students at Auckland University given directly to Steven Joyce who was about to give a speech. It’s a must read, it details all the nasty tinkering Mr Fuxit has done to Tertiary Education and they demand free education. Well done those students. We all pay for Universities so why should only the rich be able to afford to go.
GUEST BLOG: Reclaim UoA – Students’ Message to Steven Joyce « The Daily Blog
I find it really hard to support naïve but well meaning students in endless protest. Aren’t they supposed to be smart self-aware people? In ten years they will be the same people they protest against now, they will have to be, to pay off their loans or make careers in an economic system that demands that:
“The current government has made it impossible for people from lower income backgrounds to enter higher education. Excluding marginalised peoples from the benefits of higher education wastes potential. It keeps the rich wealthy and the poor in poverty.”
There is so much ignorance in that statement, as if a magical government using the systems we have now, could or would make the changes necessary without serious cost to the educated classes, that I can only guess that either there are no students of UoA at that protest or the lectures there deal only with how to bake cakes and dream dreams.
If they were really concerned, they’d leave UoA or wherever they are and “make their own way in the world”, reshaping it with their obvious intellects. Wake up students, you will become the people you target now unless you make a change in yourself. Do something real about it, or shut up.
You started your comment by saying that the students shouldn’t protest and be politically active. Then you finished by saying that students should take action and change the world.
That’s what they are doing, dickhead.
I find it really hard to support naïve but well meaning students in endless protest. Aren’t they supposed to be smart self-aware people?
BTW I’m pretty sure that the yoof are going to say: Fuck John Key. And Fuck You Too.
+100 marsman…and GO STUDENTS for a FREE high quality Tertiary Education for all New Zealanders! Young New Zealanders have been sold short by John Key ‘s NACT government for too long
…I like this comment from Wild Katipo ( could NOT say it better myself)
You students jolly well that push that to the hilt, …it has been PROVEN that student loan systems are not needed…..the origins of this malaise hark back to the neo liberal efforts during the Lange govt years…the vehicle was Roger Douglas..
This was fully endorsed by the Business Round Table , the whole concept was not for the future generations…but to milk them for all they can get.
These same vicious individuals who never payed a cent during the 60′s and 70′s when they were at university….. now lumber the young with insufferable debt.
A good resource to understand this is the documentary ‘ Fortress New Zealand’ by Ian Fraser…those political scientists among you will be well aware of it Im sure.
In tandem with this..was the deliberate destruction/dismantling of the trade unions…such acts as the Employment Contracts Act…specifically designed to end collective bargaining in favour of employer -biased individual contracts. And this directly pertains to the shoddy wages and working conditions of SO MANY of our workforce.
Divide and conquer…as old as Rome itself.
When the voice of dissent is no longer heard… we then know democracy is dying . The very act of having that freedom to oppose, dissent, protest is a hallmark of a functioning, vibrant democracy when truly led by the citizenry.
It demonstrates active participation and the absence of arbitrary , autocratic rule.
For a long time..we have not heard much from the students …possibly due to minimizing by mainstream media , but when the learned , the academics , the intellectuals , those voices opposing unpopular govt legislation are silenced , bullied , lied to…we are well on the way to fascism . Be it passive or aggressive in nature , The aim of that style of govt is always the same .
Power and control. That is not democracy.
this from a fresh comment by ‘Tigger’ under Brian Rudman’s oped this morning:
“The United States government plane landing for a few hours in NZ, seems a bit odd, the reason given suspect, are they helping NZ elections, hmmm, not a good look.”
Nothing. Presumably English would step in as Acting PM for the rest of the campaign and the whole sorry trainwreck would keep on rolling along to its inevitable conclusion.
As I understand it, what we have now is a caretaker government. They have no power to pass legislation but only act on the day to day business and even that’s limited.
+1 phillip. Clever. Not sure how they (the Greens) got their numbers out so soon after the prefu though.
Labour (Parker) said it would be a week for them to update their numbers after the prefu. Then they should copy the Greens and get their numbers professionally reviewed.
Hard case accidentally tuning in to Sean Plunkett on Radio Live this morning – my gosh he can be a hectoring fellow – hard case because as much as he keeps pushing the business that ‘ordinary people’ know nothing and care less about the issues inherent in “Dirty Politics”, these ‘ordinary people’ will insist on ‘phoning in. Reflecting quite the opposite of Plunkett’s somewhat hubristic tosh. Maybe the heartland he bawlingly claims as his is a little pissed off at it being implied they’re amoebic idiots when it comes to those issues. Take note commenter Ad re no penetration beyond The Beltway and the Commentariat.
I thought policy was important, lately not a great deal of discussion on policy, look at Kiwibuild and sourcing from Labour detail … https://www.labour.org.nz/sites/default/files/issues/policy-kiwibuild_0.pdf
Given that there have been announced 18,000 SHA’s and another 21,000 to be announced where are the 7,000 Kiwibuild properties to be built over the next 3 years to be situated,? Answer :”Much of the land will come from HNZC buying new land or building on existing developments ” Try and buy raw unzoned land within Auckland for under $500k/ha.
Why not use this valuable govt asset of existing HNZC land and build …. State Houses, not sell our assets as we have with power coys.
So Labour believes that “Estimates of the cost of a modest entry-level home suggest they can be built for less than $300,000” so we build them then there is the land component- still get a cost exceeding $450k that will help most of us. Well perhaps those who are contributing to the existing housing affordability problem 🙁 !!! http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11251200
“As New Zealanders begin to learn the full extent of Slater’s corruptions, smear campaigns and how much he and his Whale Oil blog have influenced elections in the last six years, he is being paid, as I type this, to also pedal Israeli propaganda…
And now we can see the importance of Hager taking care to only use material that’s in the public interest. It doesn’t feel right to read about private individuals’ health problems.
Whoever put that together (assuming it’s a ‘have’), given that they’ve added a signature on the bottom of what looks like ministerial stationery that would purport to be Collin’s…yeah, not good.
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS), Cheryl Gwyn, announced today that she would be instituting an inquiry concerning allegations that the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) might have released official information to Mr Cameron Slater, regarding briefings provided to the then Leader of the Opposition, for political purposes.
More at the link.
But is this just going to be the SIS investigating itself?
OOps Morgan Poll:
“National (48%) holds its lead over Labour/ Greens (39%) as ‘Dirty Politics’ revelations provide a new challenge for PM John Key”
“Support for Key’s Coalition partners has fallen slightly overall with the Maori Party 1% (down 0.5%), Act NZ (0.5%, unchanged) and United Future 0.5% (unchanged).”
“Support for the Labour Party is 27.5% (down 2.5%), the Greens are down 0.5% to 11.5%. Potential ‘king-makers’ NZ First looks set to return to Parliament with 6.5% (up 1.5%) – the highest support for NZ First since September 2013, the Internet-Mana Party alliance is 2.5% (unchanged). Support for the Conservative Party of NZ is 1% (unchanged) and support for Independent/ Others is 1% (unchanged).”
I can’t find the actual dates when this poll was taken though it is dated today.
I see you conveniently left out the “National (48%, up 2%)”.
It’s H-Fee all over again… the left backed themselves to the hilt that JK had something to hide, and the left got punished for it.
Another election year, another supposed “scandal” the left have latched on to. The public see right through the bullshit the left are up to, and will punish them again.
They are going the same place as Oravida. Disgraceful corrupt and really enough for the witch to be sacked. And hopefully those from outside the Beltway will recognise that.
But are they getting us any closer to the election result we need?
Our positive story is being drowned out by Whale and Collins. My observation is this is turning people off politics. It is not converting people from right to left.
We need to get back on track.
Labours ad today was fucking brilliant. More of that please
Enough is enough Roy Morgan state that most of the polling was done around the time of the burning effigy and anti Semitic nasty comments which are totally unacceptable hence the bounce !
RM also state that the Hager book had come out late in the polling period and wouldn’t have made much of a difference to earlier trends!
The polling timeframe doesn’t catch any of Key or Collins’ shambolic responses to the book. Also I reckon the rise for NZ First can be attributed to Winston’s long term ownership of all the issues around the Lochinver sale which would have been the biggest issue during almost all of the polling period.
Rolflcopter Roy Morgan Said the polling period was coming to an end when scandal broke so didn’t affect figures but they claim the bounce was caused by burning effigy and anti Semitic behaviour which is totally abhorrent to all New Zealanders !
Funny that my copy does not have the dates but”…both landline and mobile telephone, with a NZ wide cross-section of 809 electors from August 4-17, 2014.”
End of survey Sunday 17 August. Therefore possible effects of dirty politics yet to show.
Never mind. David Farrar will have updates from his constant polling. He will let good news be known and clamp tight on bad news.
Quite apart from all that NEVER TRUST the POLLS or POLLSTERS! ( unless of course it is in your favour…lol…but even then be wary)
Polls like statistics are very dependent on the sampling( and the mood of the sampled)…and too often can be swung one way or another and used as political propaganda imo
The Left is going to win this election…Great Policies!… and John Key and NACT are damaged beyond redemption
a herald editorial-writer..(roughan..?..o’sullivan..?..) has dropped a whopper..
..in an editorial slagging the greens poverty-busting policies..
..he/she claimed this:..
..’Six years after becoming a sole parent, Ms Turei graduated from Auckland University and began work with Simpson Grierson. Her experience suggests that the welfare system as it exists is not necessarily a poverty trap..”
said editorial-writer failed to mention that ‘ladders’ bennett has since removed access to the allowances etc. she used…
..so the editorial-writets’ assertions are a pile of fresh/stinking bullshit..
..and that begs the question..didn’t he/she know that bennett had axed the training incentive allowance for those sole-parents that followed her..
..and if they didn’t know..such ignorance in an editorial-writer is inexcusable..
While the sad and tragic fate of Flight MH17, and its potential for sparking a major war in the Ukraine, has disappeared from New Zealand media concerns an apparently detailed and extensive review of the event and subsequent developments appears here:
I still maintain an open mind as I don’t believe everything I read on the Web any more than I (now) believe what I read in the MSM or hear issuing from Governments with agendas, but the only way one can hope to form even a provisional opinion is to get as much info as possible from as many sources as possible and hope to find consistant threads and narratives that strike one as at least having the ‘ring’ of truth.
Tom Bradford +100…thanks for that link….certainly comprehensive ….and i am afraid terribly damning ( if it is true, which from what I have read elsewhere, it could well be….scarey! )
Except it’s mostly from Russian sources and hasn’t been mentioned anywhere else it seems and scanning over the content on the site it’s making FOX look professional in comparison T_T
And google searches on “21st century wire” “climate change” are most illuminating, along with other searches and the owner of the site is also “interesting”.
In short, it’s a rather fucking clear conspiracy site, which like it’s brethren only useful as an illustration of how insane otherwise sane people can, and if I were as incredulous as you I’d argue the site’s paid for by CIA/NSA to spread disinformation T_T
Bonus bit – they also like claiming russia has no laws on the books that impact LGBT people negatively, spinning them instead as preventing a colour revolution.
The point has been made by Nicky Hager himself that he was not comfortable with publishing the personal details of Slater and his confidants, and in doing so maintains a level of professionalism.
That’s the thing here, the black ops of Slater, Ede, Lusk, Batnagar, Kate, and Collins are just plain unclean, but through the publishing of Dirty Politics, Nicky Hager has run the stuff through his own character filter and it’s come out washed and on message. That message being the unethical inner workings of the current government.
Whaledump runs the risk of undoing the professionalism that Nicky Hager has brought to the subject and provides a means with which John Key and his ministers can attack the message.
Guess so, and the other side of the argument, I suppose, is that the middle voter IS SO STUPID that they either can’t see or don’t care about dirty politics and they need to have the message constantly forced down their throat at carefully managed and paced junctures, and that is what Whaledump intends to do.
If WhaleDump are who they seem to be, then they are going to do nothing to Nicky Hager’s professional image. Nicky stated that he gave all the information back to his source and that he has no control over what they do with it.
There, done and dusted with that one.
Second point being that I am loving the fact that WhaleDump effectively means that the Dirty Politics issue won’t disappear under the next set of headlines because there will constantly be new information for the media to process – and it is guaranteed that they will as they can’t afford their competition getting an exclusive scoop.
If Key isn’t a lovely shade of sickly green by election day, I would be surprised. I’m tempted to think that this is truly going to come down to the leader debates because it is going to be JFK v Nixon all over again where if Key is having the same difficulties on stage next to Cunliffe as he is having now in interviews…
I am not happy about th inclusion in the whale dump, personal information that is not inthe public interest. And it’s not doing their cause any good.
They show that Hager was more principled in how he used the material.
However, MSM journos, are still taking an interest. Corin Dann said, the personal info wasn’t necessary, but today’s whaledump was important because of the background it gave to the SIS OIA issue.
just watched this standup w key and journos
1. Is that shaving nick on his cheek calculated?
2. Most Nzealanders will be interested that p.ms wearing a wig
Edit could be comb over But! Nzealanders deserve to know the truth!
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before; but Key is the first NZ PM to wear a reasonable quality rug, or any rug.
Toupee´s are rather 70s American and quaint in these days of shaved bonces like Jamie Whyte’s. Would I criticise someone for employing a high tech replacement limb or dental plate? No they are obviously of some use.
Yes Karol, he’s not talking to journalists anymore, he’s talking to the true blue Nat voters for whom hearing him say, “There’s nothing to see here, it’s all bollocks,” is all they need to hear to keep on ticking the blue box.
Well, I guess it just means Key is braced for more damaging info. His answer was about damaging info about Collins. Key backtracked saying the more info wasn’t necessarily going to be about Collins. But clearly he does expect something more to come out about her. How does he know?
oh, the sweet irony that if Kim Dotcom’s original company had not been forcibly closed down by FBI etc, then the new Mega with its sublime and unbreakable encryption might not have happened .. it is wonderful that Whaledump is using it. Oh, the irony is delicious.
also, I wondered how Nicky Hager avoided all the spy systems to keep his book details totally undisclosed until he publication date ? Maybe our spooks are not really very clever at all. Would that be such a surprise to discover ?
I think Key is faking ( watch his eyes)….Key knows it ALL!…EVERYTHING! ….but is pretending he doesn’t and pretending he is completely ignorant about what has been happening with Collins, Slater and Ede
…Key is trying to bluff his way out but he knows the game is up for a NACT win ( he just wants to get outta there)….question is how close the shit gets to covering him?
imo Ede is the missing link( the invisible man who goes through the fire wall) ….and the key to KEY….but who is the key turning in whose lock?…who is the puppet master?
Key doesnt know who the leaker is or they would have nabbed him
(imo…Gower did a good job….didn’t let Key off the hook ….and kept pressing with the questions despite the fob offs)
“The latest Roy Morgan Poll was being conducted when the majority of the news media still hadn’t read the book and were still trying to defend National with the ‘this is politics as usual’ mantra
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on July 3, 2006
Are some corporate CEO’s, doctors, lawyers, politicians and scientists psychopaths? The answer could be “yes” if you use a definition which labels individuals who are often intelligent and highly charismatic, but display a chronic inability to feel guilt, remorse or anxiety about any of their actions. Tack on the use of violence and intimidation to control others and satisfy selfish needs and the label expands.
How to Identify a Psychopath
One Methods:Identifying Psychopaths with the Hare Checklist
The Hare Psychopathy Checklist was initially developed to assess the mental condition of people who commit crimes, and it is commonly used to diagnose people who may exhibit the traits and tendencies of a psychopath. Most mental health professionals define a psychopath as a predator who takes advantage of others using charm, deceit, violence and other methods to get what they want. Identify a psychopath by using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist and trusting your own intuition.
I’m more than a little tired of these recurring attempts to safety-pin terms like “psychopath” and “sociopath” on members of the government. Why can’t they just be adjudged particularly nasty on the basis of their visible actions, rather than requiring some sort of spurious remote diagnosis?
I’m interested in trying to work out why people do what they do.
The next observation is that if ‘birds of a feather flock together’ – if Judith Collins can accurately be described as a ‘psychopath’ – what does that make John Key?
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Timothy Ford, University of Massachusetts Lowell and Charles M. Schweik, University of Massachusetts AmherstTo mitigate health inequities and promote social justice, coronavirus vaccines need to get to underserved populations and hard-to-reach communities. There are few places in the U.S. that are unreachable by road, but other factors – many ...
Israel chose to pay a bit over the odds for the Pfizer vaccine to get earlier access. Here’s The Times of Israel from 16 November. American government will be charged $39 for each two-shot dose, and the European bloc even less, but Jerusalem said to agree to pay $56. Israel ...
Orla is a gender critical Marxist in Ireland. She gave a presentation on 15 January 2021 on the connection between postmodern/transgender identity politics and the current attacks on democratic and free speech rights. Orla has been active previously in the Irish Socialist Workers Party and the People Before Profit electoral ...
. . America: The Empire Strikes Back (at itself) Further to my comments in the first part of 2020: The History That Was, the following should be considered regarding the current state of the US. They most likely will be by future historians pondering the critical decades of ...
Nathaniel ScharpingIn March, as the Covid-19 pandemic began to shut down major cities in the U.S., researchers were thinking about blood. In particular, they were worried about the U.S. blood supply — the millions of donations every year that help keep hospital patients alive when they need a transfusion. ...
Sarah L Caddy, University of CambridgeVaccines are a marvel of medicine. Few interventions can claim to have saved as many lives. But it may surprise you to know that not all vaccines provide the same level of protection. Some vaccines stop you getting symptomatic disease, but others stop you ...
Back in 2016, the Portuguese government announced plans to stop burning coal by 2030. But progress has come much quicker, and they're now scheduled to close their last coal plant by the end of this year: The Sines coal plant in Portugal went offline at midnight yesterday evening (14 ...
The Sincerest Form Of Flattery: As anybody with the intestinal fortitude to brave the commentary threads of local news-sites, large and small, will attest, the number of Trump-supporting New Zealanders is really quite astounding. IT’S SO DIFFICULT to resist the temptation to be smug. From the distant perspective of New Zealand, ...
RNZ reports on continued arbitrariness on decisions at the border. British comedian Russell Howard is about to tour New Zealand and other acts allowed in through managed isolation this summer include drag queen RuPaul and musicians at Northern Bass in Mangawhai and the Bay Dreams festival. The vice-president of the ...
As families around the world mourn more than two million people dead from Covid-19, the Plan B academics and their PR industry collaborator continue to argue that the New Zealand government should stop focusing on our managed isolation and quarantine system and instead protect the elderly so that they can ...
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 ...
A growing public housing waiting list and continued increase of house prices must be urgently addressed by Government, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today. ...
[Opening comments, welcome and thank you to Auckland University etc] It is a great pleasure to be here this afternoon to celebrate such an historic occasion - the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This is a moment many feared would never come, but ...
The Government is providing $3 million in one-off seed funding to help disabled people around New Zealand stay connected and access support in their communities, Minister for Disability Issues, Carmel Sepuloni announced today. The funding will allow disability service providers to develop digital and community-based solutions over the next two ...
Border workers in quarantine facilities will be offered voluntary daily COVID-19 saliva tests in addition to their regular weekly testing, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. This additional option will be rolled out at the Jet Park Quarantine facility in Auckland starting on Monday 25 January, and then to ...
The next steps in the Government’s ambitious firearms reform programme to include a three-month buy-back have been announced by Police Minister Poto Williams today. “The last buy-back and amnesty was unprecedented for New Zealand and was successful in collecting 60,297 firearms, modifying a further 5,630 firearms, and collecting 299,837 prohibited ...
The Government has released its Public Housing Plan 2021-2024 which outlines the intention of where 8,000 additional public and transitional housing places announced in Budget 2020, will go. “The Government is committed to continuing its public house build programme at pace and scale. The extra 8,000 homes – 6000 public ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has congratulated President Joe Biden on his inauguration as the 46th President of the United States of America. “I look forward to building a close relationship with President Biden and working with him on issues that matter to both our countries,” Jacinda Ardern said. “New Zealand ...
A major investment to tackle wilding pines in Mt Richmond will create jobs and help protect the area’s unique ecosystems, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor says. The Mt Richmond Forest Park has unique ecosystems developed on mineral-rich geology, including taonga plant species found nowhere else in the country. “These special plant ...
To further protect New Zealand from COVID-19, the Government is extending pre-departure testing to all passengers to New Zealand except from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The change will come into force for all flights arriving in New Zealand after 11:59pm (NZT) on Monday ...
Bay Conservation Cadets launched with first intake Supported with $3.5 million grant Part of $1.245b Jobs for Nature programme to accelerate recover from Covid Cadets will learn skills to protect and enhance environment Environment Minister David Parker today welcomed the first intake of cadets at the launch of the Bay ...
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 ...
The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, it’s clear that ...
$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 ...
At an antagonistic hearing yesterday, the internet giant laid out the ‘worst case scenario’. And Facebook is also considering an ‘amputation’. Hal Crawford was watching.Google is poised to hit self-destruct in Australia according to a fractious Senate hearing into an unprecedented law that will force digital giants to pay money ...
It’s great to hear Phil Twyford celebrating a success. Not a personal ministerial success, it’s fair to say, but a success nevertheless related to arms control. The arms on which Twyford is focused, it should be noted, will make quite a mess if they are triggered. They tend to be ...
Duncan Greive and Leonie Hayden were young hip hop heads and music journalists during the era captured in a new documentary about the rise and fall of South Auckland hip hop label Dawn Raid. Here they discuss the film and their memories (what’s left of them) of that time. Warning: contains ...
Houses might be the most popular and inflated purchases in New Zealand, but there are plenty of other products that are seeing soaring demand and prices over the past few months. Here’s a list of what New Zealanders are spending their money on with international travel out of the picture.Used ...
"The young boy leaps, the muscles in his thighs tensing and twisting as he lifts from the handrail": the noble art of bombing, by Pātea writer Airana Ngarewa A beautifully muscled boy is posted on the side of a pool, his feet fixed to the top of a pair of ...
How Waiwera Hot Pools went from New Zealand’s most visited water park to dereliction and decay. Many who grew up in Auckland likely have fond memories of Waiwera Hot Pools. Like me, they remember summer days spent racing down the slides and playing in the naturally hot pools. But how did ...
A government contract for a P rehab programme was canned after half a million dollars of taxpayer money was given out. Aaron Smale investigates. The Ministry of Health spent over half a million dollars on a P Rehab contract before pulling the pin because there were no results or progress reports. ...
Kia Koropp and her husband John Daubeny have been cruising the Pacific, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean over the past decade with their two children onboard their 50ft yacht, Atea. Starting in 2011 from Auckland, New Zealand, they have sailed more than 64,000 kilometres and just completed their longest ...
We are drowning out the natural world with synthetic sounds, and it’s getting worse, writes Michelle Langstone.It used to be quiet once. Remember that? Remember the hush that settled over the cities like the silence that comes down in a snowstorm? It’s less than a year since Aotearoa first locked ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden in the latest episode of On the Rag as they examine the topic of boobs from every possible angle. First published November 16, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its ...
Seventy-five years after the US detonated the first nuclear tests in the Pacific, New Zealand pledges its support to Joe Biden's first tentative step towards disarmament. Today, the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons comes into effect, making it illegal for New Zealand and the 50 other ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Terry, Professor of Psychology, University of Southern Queensland The challenge of bringing the world’s best tennis players and support staff, about 1,200 people in all, from COVID-ravaged parts of the world to our almost pandemic-free shores was always going to be ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Geoffrey Browne, Research Fellow in International Urban Development, University of Melbourne The Victorian government has committed to removing 75 road/rail level crossings across Melbourne by 2025. That’s the fastest rate of removal in the city’s history. The scale of the investment — ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW In an age of hyperpartisan politics, the Biden presidency offers a welcome centrism that might help bridge the divides. But it is also Biden’s economic centrism that offers a chance to cut through what has become ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Stevens, Lecturer in History, University of Waikato In a year of surprises, one of the more pleasant was the recent runaway viral popularity of 19th century sea shanties on TikTok. A collaborative global response to pandemic isolation, it saw singers and ...
The sudden departure of Graine Moss from her Chief Executive role at Oranga Tamariki is a vital first step in a sequence of changes that must take place at the Ministry according to a group of wahine Māori leaders. Dame Naida Glavish, Dame Tariana Turia, ...
A new poem from Dunedin poet Jenny Powell.Her uncle’s eyeShe introduced us to her uncle’s eye floating in a jar.Lost in an accident, he hadn’t wanted to lose it again. He left it to her in his will.We must have looked shocked. ‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘I turn him to ...
The chief executive of Oranga Tamariki is quitting, leaving behind an agency she’s admitted suffers from structural racism. Justin Giovannetti looks at the future of Oranga Tamariki.Grainne Moss’s tenure as head of Oranga Tamariki has been untenable since November when the government’s senior Māori minister wouldn’t express any confidence in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Sainsbury, Senior Lecturer Composition, Australian National University Despite having different cultural backgrounds and experiences — Indigenous composers with an Indigenous mentor, and a pianist descended from Anglo-colonial history — it is nevertheless possible to create a project that can serve as ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Plank, Professor in Applied Mathematics, University of Canterbury With new, more infectious variants of COVID-19 detected around the world, and at New Zealand’s border, the risk of further level 3 or 4 lockdowns is increased if those viruses get into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Hogg, Lecturer in Psychology, Charles Sturt University Horse racing is an ethical hotbed in Australia. The Melbourne Cup alone has seen seven horses die after racing since 2013, and animal cruelty protesters have become a common feature at carnivals. The latest ...
Right now, our most fiery national debate is over whether New Zealanders were nice to the singer Amanda Palmer in a café. Desperate to restore peace in our nation, Hayden Donnell went in search of the truth.Joe Biden had barely finished calling for unity when Amanda Palmer posted a tweet ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut (Pushkin Press, $37)Maths, cyanide, suicide, gardening; ye ...
Wellington artist Estère isn’t just breaking boundaries, she’s dissecting them. Maddi Rowe spoke to her about her new album, Archetypes.“That’s the story of pelicans, they’ll stab themselves in the heart to feed their young.”Despite the somewhat dark subject matter, Estère Dalton’s eyes sparkle with fascination. We’ve met to discuss Archetypes, ...
Cycling advocates are welcoming new advice from the Transport Agency on safe cycling. "Cyclists hate it when drivers pass too close. That's scary and dangerous," said Patrick Morgan from Cycling Action Network. "So it's encouraging to see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tilman Ruff, Honorary Principal Fellow, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne Today, many around the world will celebrate the first multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty to enter into force in 50 years. The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear ...
The Public Service Association welcomes the creation of a Chief Executive role to lead the public service’s pay equity work, and the appointment of Grainne Moss to this position. "Unions and public service employers are currently working ...
The Council of Trade Unions is warning that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures out today illustrate that the cost of living is increasing disproportionately for those on lower incomes; resulting in the poor getting poorer. CTU Economist Craig ...
Why are there so many offensive comments on the New Zealand Police Facebook page and are they breaking the law? Janaye Henry investigates. New Zealand Police Facebook pages – there are a number of them, for different regional police districts around the country – are an interesting place to spend ...
Our guide to stopping procrastinating and actually (finally) getting on top of investing. Because there’s a good chance that if you’re reading this, you don’t know a single thing about it.In part one, we covered some of the basic things you need to know about investing – why do it? ...
Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft acknowledges the huge effort and commitment of departing Oranga Tamariki Chief Executive Grainne Moss and says her decision to resign today was principled. “The issues facing Oranga Tamariki are beyond individual ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Two Large Waves versus One Tsunami. Chart by Keith Rankin. Two Large Waves versus One Tsunami. Chart by Keith Rankin. With Covid19, Italy shows the classic European pattern, with its early outbreak, substantial recovery thanks to lockdowns and other public health measures, and resurgence thanks to complacency ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabrielle Appleby, Professor, UNSW Law School, UNSW This year has already seen significant progress in the government’s commitment to establish a body – a “Voice” – that would allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have a say when the government ...
Northland farmer Derek Robinson was sentenced earlier today by the District Court in Whangarei for two offences of ill-treating animals at rodeo events. Mr Robinson was found guilty in November last year, following a defended hearing. The charges ...
Under fire Oranga Tamariki chief executive Grainne Moss has announced she will resign, effective February 28, Marc Daalder reports After four and a half years at the helm of child protection agency Oranga Tamariki, chief executive Grainne Moss has announced she will be leaving the position at the end of ...
The Department of Internal Affairs and New Zealand Police acknowledge the sentencing of 36-year-old Aaron Joseph Hutton on charges relating to the possession of child sexual exploitation material, and entering into a dealing involving the sexual exploitation ...
Ngā Tāngata Microfinance (NTM) is calling for tougher penalties for those caught promoting pyramid schemes. Such business models are illegal under the Fair Trading Act 1986. This call comes after the Commerce Commission issued a ‘stop now’ notice ...
British High Commissioner to New Zealand Laura Clarke is calling on young women aged 17 to 25 to apply for the annual ‘Be British High Commissioner for the Day’ competition. The winner will have the opportunity to become an ‘honorary High Commissioner’, ...
The Māori Party is welcoming the resignation of Oranga Tamariki chief executive Grainne Moss after sustained pressure from leading figures within the Māori Party. This resignation is the result of the continued strong pressure of the Māori Party ...
In a historic corner of Dunedin, startup culture is thriving. Catherine McGregor visited the city’s Warehouse Precinct to meet the people driving the movement. When Jason and Kate Lindsey bought the four storey building now known as Petridish, it was an absolute wreck. Once home to a thriving hat and textiles ...
Summer reissue: The Fold’s very first guest is back to tell Duncan Greive how she pulled off the media deal of the year.The chaotic couple of weeks which finally saw the end of the Stuff-NZME saga were riveting and strange, replete with stock exchange announcements, legal challenges and finally the ...
Chris Liddell has dropped his candidacy to become director-general of the Paris-based OECD. Without support from the Ardern government and vilified in the media as somehow being involved in the encouragement by Donald Trump of the Washington riots, he plainly saw he had little chance of crowning his stellar career ...
Tara Ward hands out her first impression roses as she dives deep into the sea of single men vying to win The Bachelorette NZ’s heart. While the world burns in a searing fireball of unpredictability, we can take comfort in the fact that some things never change. The heart still yearns, ...
People from all around New Zealand will be converging on the super-secret Waihopai satellite interception spybase, in Marlborough, on Saturday January 30th. ...
In its Thursday editorial the NZ Herald speaks an important truth: “Investment important to stay on track”. This won’t have startled its more literate readers but in its text it notes the strong result in the latest Global Dairy Trade auction, which prompted Westpac to raise its forecast for dairy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Craig Mark, Professor, Faculty of International Studies, Kyoritsu Women’s University With the spread of COVID-19 steadily worsening in Japan since the onset of winter — daily records for infections and deaths continue to be broken — the fate of the Tokyo Summer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Taylor, Early Career Research Leader, Emerging Viruses, Inflammation and Therapeutics Group, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University All eyes are on COVID-19 vaccines, with Australia’s first expected to be approved for use shortly. But their development in record time, without compromising ...
Yesterday’s government announcement on new state housing is a pathetic response to the biggest housing crisis in New Zealand since the 1940s. At a time when the country needs an industrial-scale state house building programme, the government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Obadiah Mulder, PhD Candidate in Computational Biology, University of Southern California Australia is in the midst of tropical cyclone season. As we write, a cyclone is forming off Western Australia’s Pilbara coast, and earlier in the week Queenslanders were bracing for a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynette Vernon, School of Education – VC Research Fellow, Edith Cowan University When the holidays end, barring a fresh outbreak of COVID-19, teenagers across Australia will head back to school. Some will bounce out of bed well before the alarm goes off, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW In an age of hyperpartisan politics, the Biden presidency offers a welcome centrism that might help bridge the divides. But it is also Biden’s economic centrism that offers a chance to cut through what has become ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Mortimer, Professor of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Queensland University of Technology Twenty years ago, on January 25 2001, a virtually unknown German supermarket chain quietly opened its first stores in Australia. The two stores – one in Sydney’s inner-west suburb of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney Bluey is easily the most successful Australian television show of the last decade. A record-breaking success for its local broadcaster the ABC, as well as production partners BBC Studios and Screen Australia, ...
*This article first appeared on RNZ and is republished with permissionIt will take $3 million to clean up 1 million litres of abandoned toxic waste from a property in Ruakaka - three times more than the last big chemical clean-up undertaken by government agencies A two-year mission to clean up 1 million ...
*This article first appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission. The action Biden took on just his first afternoon in office demonstrates a radical shift in priority for the US when it comes to its efforts to combat the climate crisis. It could put more pressure on New Zealand to step up. ...
Ban Bomb Day event at the New Brighton Pier, 9am, on January 22nd, 2021 January 22nd, 2021, marks the first day the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) Enters into Force and becomes international law. Aotearoa NZ is one of the ...
This week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by Steve BrauniasFICTION 1 Tell Me Lies by J.P. Pomare (Hachette, $29.99) Every January, there's a new best-selling crime thriller by the New Zealand-born author who lives in Melbourne. Pomare is ...
Our approach so far in trying to end what Dr Collin Tukuitonga describes as a 'racist' disease - rheumatic fever - has not worked. It's time we try something new, he writes. Acute rheumatic fever and the rheumatic heart disease it causes, long-known as a disease of poverty, is a blight on ...
New Zealand triple-code star, Anna Harrison, can't stop returning to the courts - whether it's netball or beach volleyball. She tells Ashley Stanley what keeps drawing her back. The day before Anna Harrison leaps back into netball, she will have one more hit-out at another of her favourite old sports ...
The lights are burning into the night at the New York Yacht Club's America's Cup base as they race to fix their damaged boat. And Suzanne McFadden discovers something surprising may emerge. Out of American Magic’s calamity may come opportunity - for even more speed. While the lights burn bright ...
New to sailing? With the Prada Cup resuming this weekend, here’s how to bluff your way into sounding like a pro. When I was 10, my mum made my brother and I join the local sailing club. It was a favourite pastime of families in Kerikeri, and my brother was actually ...
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Campbell live had an amusing visit to Papakura last night and used blue whale Lillie’s to gauge support for the candidates. Labour’s Jerome Mika trounced Judith Collins. The media is full of negative comments about Collins. She won the seat last time by 9,800 and Mika is working very hard and is an effective campaigner. Papakura could be a seat to watch on election night.
I was driving to waiuku on sunday and between drury and waiuku we counted 12 national billboards and one ACT. Is that in papakura electorate? Anyway, if south auckland can be labelled as a single type (and it cant) , and that type has morality high on its scale, then national must be in trouble. I do wonder at the rural community stickly so steadfastly with national though…
It is one thing for many in the electorate to have believed the bank rolled strategy to dupe them BUT once you know they duped you if you still vote for them you damage everyone.
Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.
Hunua electorate – current MP Dr Paul Hutchinson.
Very true-blue electorate. Key can do no wrong.
Thanks molly. Seems a waste of money on the billboards
Talking about billboards – there’s not one Green Party billboard in Queenstown that I have seen. Come on Green Party! I know we’re in one of the most conservative electorates in the country but I’d wager there’s a decent chunk of Green Party support in the Southern Lakes area, after all loads of people here rely on our environment to make a living.
I’m pleased though that there lots of Labour billboards and they aren’t getting trashed either.
Unlike the National ones. Over near the airport in Frankton Mr Key is sporting a set of devil-horns and a big fat $ sign on his forehead and the silly little Todd Barclay ones they deliberately stick right in front of Liz Craig’s Labour billboards are routinely getting kicked over.
Intetesting cos the Greens are billboarding Epsom.
On one corner all but ACTs signs are down.
I wonder if any have been changed to
Working for cameron slater
Why not contact your local branch and offer to help put up billboards?
In Auckland billboards are being put up with a lot of volunteer support. A lot depends on the amount of local volunteers available. Sitting on the sidelines and criticising is not how it gets done.
I wasn’t being critical karol – it was an observation really. The lack of any Green Party presence (so far) in Queenstown surprises me a bit since I reckon they could do quite well here.
Scott
If you want some GP billboards to put up
email boardsgreen@gmail.com
Wishful thinking.
Collins hasn’t changed her stripes. This is just confirmation of what she is like. Unfortunately there is a large amount of people out there who like her ‘crusher’ tactics.
And she is no shrinking violet, but looking and smelling like amorphophallus titanum.
Nice, except for the smell.
Just looking at the Electoral Consortium stuff just put on line :
http://www.electionresults.co.nz/national-loses-youth-gains-middle-aged
There is a striking “bulge” in National’s electoral support in the 50 to 64 age bracket, and the profile is very different from 2011 :
Percentage of population by age bracket supporting National December 2011
18 to 24 – 38.4%
25 to 34 – 36.2%
35 to 49 – 46.7%
50 to 64 – 38.9%
65 plus – 44.4%
Percentage of population by age bracket supporting National July 2014
18 to 24 – 25.8%
25 to 34 – 32.9%
35 to 49 – 42.2%
50 to 64 – 51.2%
65 over – 44.6%
Two remarks
1) that’s a large constituency of people of roughly JK’s age who are fairly apolitical and identify with him (nice guy, winner)
2) They are National’s “soft underbelly”… (sorry, couldn’t resist)
Watch this demographic as the election approaches!
“…that’s a large constituency of people of roughly JK’s age who are fairly apolitical and identify with him (nice guy, winner)…”
nice guy, winner…? oh right you mean hateful parasite.
I see you’ve located “middle NZ”. Ahh yes, middle New Zealand, if only the world could be run by them, huh? Labour should totally try to attract those people. Oh wait, they are. Middle New Zealand, so balanced and reasonable and empathetic and aware of the consequences to their ambitions. Middle New Zealand, they’re “apolitical”. They don’t vote often, but when they do, they vote right.
Interesting observation. Thanks. Is that the group that has gained more under National or who havent but blindly believe they are “nearly there”?
They’re also the part of the population approaching retirement age – or it’s on their medium-term horizon.
True
True. But it’s also the same group that made a slightly smaller bulge in 2011. As the 65+ group’s %age hasn’t changed, and the 35-49%age has dropped, I’d guess that the big support is coming from those nearer 50 than those about to hit retirement age: ie as crododill says – those around JK’s age.
Only the 47, 48 and 49 year olds in the 2011 35-49 year group would now be in the 50-64 year group so I’m not sure that, on their own, they could ‘transfer’ the bulge from the 35-49 group in 2011 to the 50-64 group in 2014, especially given that the bulge is rather larger this time.
Having said that, I’m sure those born around the same time as John Key are more likely to have imbibed a similar approach to life as he apparently has.
I’m a bit suspicious of the NZEDC due to; my general scepticism regarding polls, and particularly; the inclusion of iPredict and Exceltium (Hooton). Also, I have seen the numbers bounce around a fair bit overnight – when I looked last night via Scoop it had the Nats at 50 seats, now (12 hours later) they’re at 53.
But they do have this Labour demographic data to contrast against the National numbers that A Connor reproduces:
http://www.electionresults.co.nz/labour-supporters-more-likely-vote-2011
I wonder if that’s people worrying about waiting for super. I’m 58 and I have to think about it, although I don’t let the raising of the age make me vote NAct. I still think it’s just about the worst policy Labour could have come up with.
It’s just awful.
In regard to Nationals new TV advertisement, did National think about the fact that:
Rowing Skiffs are tippy and lightweight, they kind of reflect our economy.
Opposition are in a safe lifeboat probably unsinkable….interesting
And let’s hope the skiff’s don’t tip over, because under National the river won’t be swimable.
I was somewhat worried that the oldies in the boat might have a Whale come up underneath them.
@ enui..heh..!
Actually Phil, I reckon Whale is the wrong name for the scumball in question. I would suggest that Hagfish might be better, given the amount of slime they generate, but hey, its not nice to insult the humble hagfish with comparison.
Labour needs to get an ad out quickly with a waka powered by proud working class Kiwis. Something local rather than something harking back to Oxbridge. Rowing is not quite as elite as polo, but it comes close.
According to Vernon Small on Stuff:
“Collins’ woes and the fallout from Nicky Hager’s book Dirty Politics again dominated the campaign yesterday but National is hoping to move the debate on to its positive election message today with the release of its first campaign advertisement.”
Yeah Right! The stink of desperation is getting unbearable.
“stink of desperation is getting unbearable”, that would be right.
collins, the corpse flower.
and withering under the glare of media.
I hope the media get around to asking questions of those Nat MPs who employed Slater and Lusk to eliminate their opposition in the National Party candidate selection
processes. Mandy Hager makes the point:
“Where has been the discussion on the truly ghastly chapter about rigging candidate selection in order to bring in chosen far-right candidates? This has HUGE implications for our future – and people have a right to know who they are voting for and how they got to be there.”
http://mandyhager.blogspot.fr/p/occasional-political-rant.html
Oh you mean undermining democracy¿ apparently everyones doing it.
NOT a peep k from societys so called conscience, the colin craig parry
Actually, Colin should speak up, possibly a good chance to snatch up a good % of the vote, sure he is eating his masters, but you would think the powers that be would want that, as at least it wasn’t going left or to the great unknown, Winston. You would think that ACT would speak up too, personal responsibility and all…
What would baby cheeses do?
and Christine Rankin didn’t make it the multi party meeting in Epsom last night .. very odd and missing in action …
I’m reasonably certain that CC wouldn’t know what a conscience was if it bit him. It’s why he has to go to a book to know the difference between right and wrong and he still gets it wrong.
The attacks on Julian Assange are as cruel and depraved as ever
Al Jazeera, TV3, ITV and Radio NZ are as reliable as the Soviet news agency Tass
In Stalinist Russia, Maoist China, Franco’s Spain, apartheid South Africa and many other brutal regimes of the past, truth-tellers were hounded mercilessly. “Reporters” for newspapers, radio and television rarely even pretended to be honest or impartial, and functioned as simply an extra arm of the state. Citizens who dared to speak out against state crimes were smeared—one of the favorites in Russia was and continues to be trumped-up sex charges—and harried into exile.
Stalin, Mao, Franco, Vorster et al. are all dead now, but their doleful legacy lives on. The mainstream media in New Zealand, just as their equivalents overseas, continue to parrot state propaganda, “to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable”. As you read the following transcripts of what is nothing more than systematic character assassination, note the way these de facto state servants utter snide speculations about the dissident’s health and “what’s going on inside his mind”. That’s straight out of the Soviet playbook. Note also the ongoing gag about how “blond” the victim is; Cameron Slater’s friend David Farrar is as amused by it as Paul Henry is…
Attack No. 1…..
The Paul Henry Show, TV3, Monday 18 August 2014
PAUL HENRY: This was an interesting move by Julian Assange. I have a word for Assange: “scurvy”. [snort] Ha ha ha!
JANIKA TER ELLEN: It’s a sunlight problem. He doesn’t get enough sunlight in the Ecuadorian Embassy.
PAUL HENRY: Well, he’s gone VERY blond! He he he he he he! It’s like being in a prison. I wouldn’t do the press conference thing like him. I’d just … walk out!
JANIKA TER ELLEN: He’d be arrested wouldn’t he! By the Swedish police.
PAUL HENRY: No they’d just say, “Who’s that? Shit, it can’t be him!” The alternative is going to the United States and having your fingernails pulled out. …[pause]… He he he he he he! And hooked up to a generator. He he he he he!
JANIKA TER ELLEN: [dubiously] Mmmmmm….
PAUL HENRY: We shouldn’t make light of him.
JANIKA TER ELLEN: [giggling] YOU shouldn’t make light of him!
Attack No. 2….
Al Jazeera News, 11 p.m. (New Zealand time), Monday 18 August 2014
Laurence Lee interviews Wikileaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson in front of the Ecuadorian Embassy.
LAURENCE LEE: Now I just want to see what’s going on inside Julian Assange’s mind…
The ticker tape at the bottom of the screen reads: “ASSANGE IS WANTED FOR EXTRADITION TO SWEDEN TO FACE SEX ALLEGATIONS.”
Al Jazeera—which is, let us not forget, Qatar State Television—has consistently repeated the U.S.-U.K. line against Julian Assange. Its reporters and editors have never, to my knowledge, been permitted to utter a word of support for him. This ideological subservience contrasts starkly with their no-nonsense statements about the Egyptian junta’s jailing of three Al Jazeera reporters. In respect to its own persecuted reporters, Al Jazeera refuses to pretend the Egyptian government’s case against them has any substance, and routinely denounces their imprisonment as a travesty of justice.
Attack No. 3….
Firstline, TV3, 7a.m. news, Tuesday 19 August 2014
This time, instead of someone from the TV3 stable wielding the machete, it’s an absurdly biased “report” from ITV. The English reporter, whoever he is, displays the same contempt for Assange and for the viewers as Paul Henry did the night before….
ITV reporter: “Soon” in Wikispeak does not mean “imminent”, but “when we get what we want”…Julian Assange and his acolytes… So once again, Julian Assange has got the world’s media to turn up here and plead his case… He’s still holed up here. Meanwhile, the British taxpayer has paid seven million dollars and rising to make sure he doesn’t abscond.
Attack No. 4….
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Tuesday 19 August 2014
Jim Mora, David Farrar, Chris Wikaira, Zara Potts
JIM MORA: Two minutes to five. Not much time left to discuss a couple of things. Uh, Julian Assange. The press conference at the Ecuadorian Embassy. He’s leaving, weee-e-e-e-lll, n-n-nnot really, well not right now. What do you think is happening here? Do you think the Ecuadorians are getting a bit antsy and he’s making noises to placate them? What’s YOUR analysis?
…[A brief pause while the Panelists ponder deeply]…
CHRIS WIKAIRA: Sounds like he might’ve outstayed his welcome!
MORA: What do YOU think, David?
DAVID FARRAR: I’m not sure that’s the case, because, look, they’ve taken heat for having him there. And they’ve already taken that heat. Britain, Sweden, others are very annoyed with them for that. Kicking him out now won’t really restore them into the good graces. What it seems is there’s a mix of things. He seems to have health issues and you don’t really get good health care in an embassy. And he seems to be relying on a European Court ruling that he seems to think might be of benefit to him. And let’s be blunt here: it can’t be much fun in an embassy.
MORA: No. And he’s very short of Vitamin D. You’d think there’d be a courtyard where he’d get some sun of an afternoon wouldn’t you. Cos he’s appeared on a balcony before, when he’s made his semi-papal appearances. Hasn’t he.
Well he IS very blond! So, ha ha, maybe he’s not one that can handle the sun too much.
David Farrar, Chris Wikaira, Jim Mora, Laurence Lee, Paul Henry and the “reporter” from ITV did not mention why the British and U.S. regimes are so hellbent on exacting vengeance on Julian Assange. Here it is once again, in case anyone has forgotten….
Rape culture: you’re soaking in it.
Rape culture: you’re soaking in it.
I wonder if you could explain that statement which, on the face of it, is a moronic one. Almost as ignorant, and moronic, in fact, as this one you posted a few weeks ago….
How does Farrar gets a platform on RNZ after the recent revelations?
Shame on our public broadcaster.
Well it gets worse–Cactus Odgers and Josie Pagani are replacing Bryce Edwards at the NZ Herald for the election period. Bryce is no great analyst rather a blog link collator in my opinion and quick to deflate Labour when he can. But he is a marxist in comparison to the new pair of right opportunist and far right.
For “balance” according to the Herald, but appears a blatant attempt to get ACT some presence while Pagani will likely do her best to undermine Labour and left bloc unity.
Are you joking?
I should have added an explanation Tracey–this rather unbelievable scenario was via a twitter source who may on reflection indeed have been having a little ‘joke’.
Thank god… But the cathy odgers bit rung a bell
oops dept; from the man himself…
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/08/20/bryce-edwards-stood-down-from-herald-for-election-season-are-the-editors-drunk/#comment-240411
Baby cheeses!!!
This from the paper that called for cunlife to resign… But not key or colins.
And why does a party that got less than 3% of the popular vote get a soapbox for “balance”. ACT currently has NO MPs due to deception. 17% of its MPS are guilty of deception ofdences and ms odgers called for hagers address for angry businessmen.
Baby cheeses!!!
as cathy odgers puts it and needs to apply to herself, “chop chop” and she must be excluded from the nz herald political team of commentators given revelations about her email.
The line up for the election period was at the bottom of an Audrey Young article yesterday. I linked to it in open mike.
Why anyone would read those two is beyond me – odgers is a disgrace and pagani is a, well, a nobody imo.
HERALD HAVE WITHDRAWN CATHY ODGERS ! apparently the story was from two weeks ago, pre-Dirty Politics publication.
The Herald must be listening !
Just read it from Bryce Edwards in a comment on Public Address .. see link on right hand side under heading HARD NEWS …
“And as of a few minutes ago, the Herald’s Shayne Currie has announced: ‘Cathy Odgers has withdrawn’.” Bryce Edwards at about 10.30 am
NZ Herald have worked out that continuing to keep Cathy Odgers on would be more damaging to themselves, than using Josie Pagani as ‘the Left’ commentator would be to Labour.
Meanwhile, a non-electorate highly-ranked Labour MP is pushing for a policy that is wrong on so many counts. My heart bleeds.
NZ Herald tweeted that.
Tracey and Tiger .. should be a joke but it’s true. And Bryce Edwards has gone ..
Audrey Young in Herald yesterday ..
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11300033
@Tracey .. can you advise how we might address Law Society re her activities ?
Sure
complaints@lawsociety.org.nz
You can complain about lawyers or former lawyers. A former lawyer is someone like me who does not hold a current practsing certificate. You can only call yourself a “lawyer” if you hold a current practising certificate.
I note your link to chchch lawyers complaining. Of note, to me, is they complain about a street naming NOT her conduct, or Odgers as revealled in recent times.
Problem is she has not done any of this stuff as a lawyer per se… Possibly personally and possibly as a minister
Misconduct defined in relation to lawyer and incorporated law firm
(1) In this Act, misconduct, in relation to a lawyer or an incorporated law firm,—
(a) means conduct of the lawyer or incorporated law firm that occurs at a time when he or she or it is providing regulated services and is conduct—
(i) that would reasonably be regarded by lawyers of good standing as disgraceful or dishonourable; or
(ii) that consists of a wilful or reckless contravention of any provision of this Act or of any regulations or practice rules made under this Act that apply to the lawyer or incorporated law firm or of any other Act relating to the provision of regulated services; or
(iii) that consists of a wilful or reckless failure on the part of the lawyer, or, in the case of an incorporated law firm, on the part of a lawyer who is actively involved in the provision by the incorporated law firm of regulated services, to comply with a condition or restriction to which a practising certificate held by the lawyer, or the lawyer so actively involved, is subject; or
(iv) that consists of the charging of grossly excessive costs for legal work carried out by the lawyer or incorporated law firm; and
(b) includes—
(i) conduct of the lawyer or incorporated law firm that is misconduct under subsection (2) or subsection (3); and
(ii) conduct of the lawyer or incorporated law firm which is unconnected with the provision of regulated services by the lawyer or incorporated law firm but which would justify a finding that the lawyer or incorporated law firm is not a fit and proper person or is otherwise unsuited to engage in practice as a lawyer or an incorporated law firm.
Problem is she is not doing this dirty stuff as part of regulated services of lawyer, or giving legal advice.
Her boss should be the one sanctioning. As minister of justice i believe she is responsible for tge Act governing the law society
Thanks Tracey .. is it worth noting she used her JudithCollinsLaw email address with Pleasants’ details for WO .. wondering does that mean she did it as a lawyer ?
and to Collins being her governing ‘boss’ …. oh dear.
“conduct of the lawyer or incorporated law firm which is unconnected with the provision of regulated services by the lawyer or incorporated law firm but which would justify a finding that the lawyer or incorporated law firm is not a fit and proper person or is otherwise unsuited to engage in practice as a lawyer or an incorporated law firm.”
Hi yeshe,
just a heads up that your link goes to an article from July 28
thx freedom .. the link date seems odd and wrong … I read the story only yesterday, so it is current …. the link will take you through to yesterday’s story.
The linked to article I see, is “Audrey Young: Policies and people all part of campaign” published July 28 when Audrey Young introduced the “Herald team @nzhpolitics” and discussed, amongst other things, how there was still three days left before parliament rises thus verifying the article’s date of July 28 as correct. Am I missing something ?
freedom .. seemsthe date is correct, but maybe re-published yesterday… actually I have no idea ! But big news right now is Herald has Cathy Odgers announced as withdrawn from the team !
Click on HARD NEWS by Public Address on right hand links and scroll thru to comment by Bryce Edwards who states it …
“And as of a few minutes ago, the Herald’s Shayne Currie has announced: ‘Cathy Odgers has withdrawn’ ” by Bryce Edwards at about 10.30 am
thanks yeshe, wasn’t having a dig, just wanted to confirm the article was the same one you were referring to …
excellent news about uprooting the cactus
didn’t think you were having a dig at all … it’s very odd re the date ! and uprooting the cactus .. a lovely turn of phrase 🙂
They’ve taken a bit of a hit from the fallout of ‘dirty politics’ but it seems the (media) empire is striking back. The weakest link who isn’t even from the left versus the sharpest knife in Slater’s cesspool.
That’ll make for really balanced and accurate commentating in the run-up to the election.
Has there been any reason given for Helen Kelly being replaced on ‘The Nation’ at the last minute by Pagani in the immediate fallout of the book. Is intelligent left-wing analysis surplus to requirements in an emergency?
Its not a public broadcaster its nationals broadcaster like tvnz, toe the line or be shown the door.
@ paul..that was a bit of a shocker..
..he was just given a platform upon which to spin his little heart out..
..why didn’t mora ask him about the ‘princess-parties’…
“..The Young Nationals women were described as ‘retards’..
..and ‘just dirty girls who flip it up’..”
..farrar does this washing-of-his-hands of that far-right vileness uttered by that far-right scum…
..and that is utter bullshit..
..as on his blog..since forever..he has given the worst of them their head…
..they can say whatever they want..encouraged on by the urgings of the other denizens..and the non-demurring of their host..farrar..
(and of course he has done ‘tricks’ like having a fake benificiary (maori..of course..!..)..tania heke was the name she was given..(oh..!..how they must have laughed..!..eh..?..thinking up that little ‘wheeze’..)..
..this fake maori benificiary posted how she and her other benificiaries got drunk in the mornings/ate takeaway pizza..and laughed openly at their ‘mug’-neighbours..as they drove off to work..
farrar posted this pack of lies on his site..
..this fake persona just feeding all those poor-hating sentiments/prejudices of the bottom-feeders that are farrars’-people..
..yellow-hate-journalism of the very worst sort…
..this toxic-poison/pus running thru/bursting like a lanced-boil from the national party..is as much down to farrar..as it is to the other major players..(his furious public-handwashing/wringing notwithstanding..)
..but wd mora ever call him out on all that evil-shit..?
..hell no..!
..and look..!..there’s jordan williams..!..that other dirty-politics/mora-panel-person..
I’m starting to feel sorry for Assange. All he did was little light raping and then run away and hide when the heat came on. Can’t we just move on? I’ve written to the Pope asking that he be made a saint. Ok, Assange isn’t a Catholic and nor am I, but I can’t help thinking it would bring some much needed sunshine into Julian’s life. Bless.
TRP
++++++10
I’m starting to feel sorry for Assange. All he did was little light raping and then run away and hide when the heat came on.
No he did not. You are simply repeating official lies. I have refuted you over this so many times in the past that it’s redundant to administer yet another ass-kicking this time. (It’s your lucky day, Te Reo!)
Can’t we just move on? I’ve written to the Pope asking that he be made a saint. Ok, Assange isn’t a Catholic and nor am I, but I can’t help thinking it would bring some much needed sunshine into Julian’s life. Bless.
That was funny.
Not.
Sober commentators at the time of Franco knew what was going on.Republican papers continued to
be published in Madrid,in Valencia,and in Barcelona.
The trouble was practically all of the diplomatic elite in Spanish Embassies around Europe were pro-Franco.So humanitarian enquiries were easily brushed away and quickly forgotten.
MetService weather forecast for Auckland today:
“Showers, frequent with chance of thunder from PM.”
That will be no thunder, just a self-piteous whimper.
John Key lies.
John Key is a liar.
Don’t forget it. Ever.
Yes well I’m going to point out today the record on the Companies Office for John Key as a Director, here
http://www.business.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/individual/search?q=key%2C+john&roleType=ALL&indEntityTypes=ALL&indDirStatus=ALL&indEntityStatusGroups=ALL&addressKeyword=&advancedPanel=false#results
13 Companies in total that he was the Director of. For 11 of those companies he resigned as Director on 20th March 1995, and 10 of those companies have since been struck off. Of the remaining 3 companies 1 more has also been struck off, leaving 2/13 companies still going.
Jason Ede was last seen entering the Beehive with a security card. Anyone seen him come out?
Slaters outburst on stuff.co.nz gives even more insight into Slater, imo. Anyone who thinks Slater does not have some pretty big underlying “issues” is kidding themselves. Apart from anything else, is this who he wants to present to his kids? I dont know how old they are, but this stuff doesnt stay secret.
National might be working for nz, but minister collins is too busy doing other things
She is busy upsetting people for sure .. in Stuff today …
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10400852/Law-Society-critical-of-Judith-Collins
the comments are worth a moment or two as well !! Folks is not happy with Crusher Coldslaw !
a recent txt-poll had 73% for collins to be fired…
..i really can’t see key lugging this rotting albatross around his neck..all the way up to the election..
..yeah..nah..eh..?
..collins’-futures are dropping in value..as we speak..
..with the common-refrain now being:.’gee..!..collns must have something serious on key…for him not to have fired her yet’..
..this must be telling key he has to move..and soon…
..one wd expect huge-promises re post-parliament life are being made to collins..as we speak..
..she who wd have been prime minister..in her own mind..
..(and guess who can barely keep from grinning at her plight..in the background..?..bennet and joyce..of course..!..being just two in national who will be happy to see collins being showen the door..)
I have to wonder whether the whole Key / Collins business is a total stalemate: Key knows what Collins and Slater are capable of. If he cuts her loose now, she might have the ability to totally humiliate him and drag him even further into the pit of depravity she and Slater inhabit, which will destroy his brand (which is all National have to win the election).
At the same time, National know they can’t win without Key (who will they get to front the election? Steven Joyce??). So the calculation for them might be purely about their best chance at holding on to power: Having Collins around damages the credibility of National, but they can still win the election with her on board. If they sack her and she fingers Key as being a part of this whole thing, they have no chance of winning the election.
Tories will do anything to hang on to power, no matter how dumb they might look in the process.
@politikiwi
At the same time, National know they can’t win without Key (who will they get to front the election? Steven Joyce??).
Anyone seen / heard from Joyce lately ?
He fronted interviews on the day after Dirty Politics was released. I haven’t heard anything more from him since, it’s all been Key.
Key is intimately wedded to this Lady Macbeth of Dirty Politics. He is desperately keeping her on or he will go down too.
@ politikiwi-they are throwing Collins to the wolves-she is the scapegoat so that Key can appear Persil White. Even Claire Robinson is on-message today on MR saying Collins should resign.
While Collins must go, Key is up to his neck in the Whale Oil slime at least as much as Collins.
Ede needs to be outed on the MSM.
For Key to appear clean he’d have to agree that her conduct is unbecoming of a Minister and sack her.
He hasn’t done that, so either he thinks what she did was OK (and the guy is more than likely a psychopath so that might be case) or he knows sacking her will drag him down even further.
And this whole defence of “she only provided his title, not his name” is total bollocks. Even if that’s true, she still knew what the information was going to be used for. If you read the book it’s clear that Collins and Slater share a mean streak and she knew full well what he was going to do with the information.
Collins is as nasty as Slater, and Key has no politically viable option but to sack her. If he doesn’t, then this rabbit hole is much deeper than it looks
I am not sure if this has been linked to before – http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/17/kim-dotcom-megaupload-new-zealand-interview
It is a long, largely sympathetic and quite thought provoking piece on Kim Dotcom. It might even be worth a proper blog entry of it’s own on this site to bring it to a wider audience.
Interesting as it is, it was a comment in the comments section that stopped me –
“It wasn’t the biggest raid in NZ. That was in the Ureweras; another almighty cock up by our boys in blue. “Incompetent” doesn’t begin to describe the NZ police.
And there is a load of corruption in NZ. Just not the brown envelope under the table type. More of a nod and a wink variety.”
Yeah, by any measure our police ARE incompetent. So why isn’t anyone doing anything about even suggesting they need an overhaul and a kick up the backside?
Remind me who our last four ministers of police were. There may be a clue.
I hear you.
Great article. Had to go to a leftish British newspaper to get it though, here most of his press seems to be negative.
I have to say too, after many years away, that the journalists here are not exactly attack dogs.
i understand it was up on whoar back on the 18th..
..key-quote:..
“..His father was an alcoholic and he and his mother were both beaten and abused.
To this day he says he can’t bear to see a man display any sort of violence to a woman.
‘And I’ve never drunk a drop of alcohol. I’ve never wanted to know if that was in me’..”
Good news for Labour in the Wairarapa electorate. Ron Mark has announced he is standing for NZ First. The Carterton mayor is pretty popular amongst some quarters in the electorate and is certain to take away a few thousand votes from the National candidate Alaister Scott who isn’t running a particularly strong campaign. Most of Mark’s votes will come from erstwhile National voters which should greatly increase Keiran McAnulty’s chances of winning the electorate for Labour
Cool
Anyone else wondering if nationals candidate for palmerston north is a product of tge lusk/slater strategy, or is he too old?
The candidate, Jono Naylor, is a liberal(ish) christian who has been a tad underwhelming as mayor for the last few years. He has name recognition and a small but helpful boundary change in his favour, but Iain Lees-Galloway has been a good MP and he has a very effective campaign team around him.
The one odd thing I hear about Naylor is the rumour that he donated to Labour at the last election. If so, his candidature might be a case of mutual dead rat swallowing.
Thanks TRP
I wondered same, but for sure the two very young tobacco boys must be .. Clutha/Southland and Hutt South. Questions need to be asked. Also I think Rodney voters need to ask meaningful questions now of how Mark Mitchell got the nomination. ( And why are the losers in Rodney nominations not complaining ?)
I tell myself it is all taking time … took the Herald a week to verify the veracity of Whaledump .. I have to trust there are machinations everywhere.
“I tell myself it is all taking time … took the Herald a week to verify the veracity of Whaledump .. I have to trust there are machinations everywhere.” Exactly how I feel!
@fambo. While I accept that having a good local MP is nice, and at the risk of sounding boring, it is worth repeating that it is the PARTY VOTE that really matters.
if any journalist whi isnt cowering under pressure from slates dirt, or whose editor isnt cowering under fear such dirt, please ask MrKey
“Given you wont dismiss ms collins for lying about aspects of her trip to china, appointing mr bhatnagar to a paying directorship, giving personal details of a public servant to a viscious blogger, does this mean you consider the cabinet manual a worthless joke of a guide?”
Oh, and let people know the cabinet manual requires the highest ethical standards, cos the public wouldnt have any reasonto think such a requirement exists under this PM.
If he blusters, tell him policy is made and implemented by CMinisters, so people deserve to know who is trustworthy.
And when he blusters again, put his 2008 lecture to helen clark to him.
I wont hold my breath
Ever considered being a media segment producer.
Its my litigation experience coming to the fore.
delicious encapsulating cartoon this morning in Herald …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11311370
Proverbs 22:8 8 Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end.” (Whaledump)
Campbell Live last night had a segment about the tragedy the hit that family on the West Coast, which Slater described as ‘feral’
It was mentioned that the son that died in the crash was an IT student and it left me wondering if some of his IT mates are the ones who hacked Slater and are now putting the boot into him.
It ties in well – the family has a tragic history of young sons dying (including one at Pike river) and I would salute anyone who is seeking specific revenge on that repulsive person.
The hacker has said it is not politically motivated
if above it would be personally motivated…
Somehow Slater has left many with the impression that the family was wild and ummm “feral.” This excellent piece totally undid that impression and the father was a sad credible man who had lost 4 sons through a series of tragic accidents. The final death was Judd, a young man who was studying IT and had a steady job. He was the back seat passenger in a car driven by a drunk friend.
The first item in:
http://www.tv3.co.nz/CAMPBELL-LIVE-Tuesday-August-19-2014/tabid/3692/articleID/102230/MCat/2908/Default.aspx?ref=MustWatch
That sort of impression ianmac will only be made on people who live in a bubble
unfortunately that is probably an awful lot of people
And the death of their son lost just before Judd was in Pike River mine explosions, where his father also worked but had some time off. It is an almost incomprehensible series of tragic events in just one family. The mother’s anger and despair in her phone calls to Slater are to be understood and forgiven in the ugly circumstances imho.
But, according to Nicky Hager in DP, Key and Slater commiserated in very ugly terms about how the mother had addressed Key at a Pike River meeting.
But why on earth did Slater single out this young man’s death and call him ‘a feral’ in the very first place ? Why was it important to Slater ? Makes no sense to me at all as he seems not to be random in anything he does ?
Those who know families such as the Halls on the West Coast, and know families like Slaters and Keys, know full well where the higher qualities of humanity lie … there aint no doubt about it
always so
always been so
The government admits it is using ACC levies to fiddle the books. This is dumb. ACC levies should be set at the level needed to sustain the ACC scheme. General taxation (Income/Company/GST) should be used to achieve the the desired budget outcome.
The Herald explains it here:
“It is not to the Government’s credit that the $297 million surplus has been achieved by denying workers and employers a cut in accident compensation levies. ACC minister Judith Collins has admitted the reason the Government has ignored ACC’s recommendation for bigger cuts for the third year running was, “because we need to get to surplus.”
The whole article is here:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11311286
Another Minister (soon to be ex-minister) Collins screw up, though probably under instructions from the devious Bill English.
Fiscal rectitude and false books
National seems to be trying to find any way to show a surplus – especially when it’s unlikely that there’ll be one.
What has happened to Roy Morgan…There hasn’t been a poll published for coming up 3 weeks.
Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn.
There is a new Roy Morgan poll out (The usual favourite of this website).
The last one they had appears to have been a rogue.
Todays figures were
National 48% (Plus 2)
Labour 27.5% (Down 2.5)
Green 11.5% (Down 0.5
New Zealand First 6.5% (Plus 1.5)
All together now
Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn
no, it means that the one at 23.5%, which tories loved, was the rogue.
At this time in 2011, RM was routinely polling national above 50%.
They got 47%.
Now national are polling 48%.
No need for the opposition to panic just yet.
All those changes compared to the previous Roy Morgan Poll (except maybe NZF) are within the margin of error. So I don’t see how it can mean that the previous poll was a ‘rogue’. You don’t seem to know much about statistics.
In any case, we are continuing to see polls from different companies conducted over similar periods with differences well outside the margin of error – strongly suggesting that at least some of the polls are biased in some way. Gloating about the results of a single poll is therefore pretty pointless. Let’s just wait for 20 Sept and see the result of the only poll that really matters.
Interesting shift to Mr Peters. Looks like he may have benefited from staying out of (not getting caught) Dirty Politics.
Cunliffe on TV3’s Firstline this morning……..looking and sounding prime ministerial. In contrast what’s the other guy doing ?
Night after night now……..shakily flailing away in the increasingly Monty Pythonesque amalgam persona of ‘Emperor-Canute-No-Clothes’.
While lurking in the shadows ‘The-Vindictive-Bully-Weeping-For-Herself ‘. Whom the guy’s shielding. Is this TheGodKey myth/construct unravelling ?
The National Party Conference is only a few days off. The faithful inside and outside caucus are gonna be ‘required’ to stamp and cheer, present all adoring. Suspect there’ll be a goodish number whom for their embarrassment simply won’t be able convincingly, or be prepared even, to play that game. Key embraces an arrogant, unrepentant, ‘double-down’ bully ahead of them – ‘them’ being the self-perceived, Bill English personaed, decent, consummately reasonable folk. Not good !
And when the media rats who’re partially responsible for the remarkable durability of the now choking myth/construct…….when they sniff blood……..well who knows ?
Will Patrick Gower chase the clucking Bill English and/or weak-link, shitting themselves, List MPs into the dunnies ? If that occurs it’ll be what they DON’T say and how they DON’T say it that’ll be telling……
David Cunliffe – a Minister some years ago and will put the ‘Prime’ into Prime Minister:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Opposition-Time-running-out-for-Judith-Collins/tabid/1607/articleID/357564/Default.aspx
Uneffingbelievable dept.
Just as one gets the sniff of a Labour win David Parker gets the firehose out yet again; super age to rise to 67 under Labour. Nats will retain current age.
a) Yes there is an aging population bubble that must be dealt with, but super is affordable if we want it to be.
b) Yes, Nats are bullshitting they know a) has to be dealt with they are just not saying so.
c) For the purposes of winning this election why scare the horses? Surveys show the older bloke sector are bloody touchy about this and are still clinging to Key on it, 1 or 2% in it imo.
So; is Parker just trying to eager beaver and justify his figures and appear reasonable to soft electors or intentionally putting a passive aggressive spanner in the works?
Tiger-you may find, having softened the electorate up last time along with the CGT, that the retirement at 67 issue plays a little better this time around and may even be neutral. It does show that Labour is fiscally responsible.
Hopefully they will include some flexiblity for manual workers.
Hope you are correct Git, if people flogged out at 60 can get early super or some form of income support not involving third degree from WINZ that is good and needs to be well publicised. If others want to and can work till mid 70s and not pick up full super good on them.
I am just talking short term electoral tactics.
{Hopefully they will include some flexiblity for manual workers.}
Breaded Git,they have.Go back to when DC was last here at the Standard,he made some good points on that,but,yes it does need to be teesed out a bit more.
With all due respect but FUCK OFF
How is pulling billions of dollars out of communities and keeping people in an excess labour pool where there are not enough jobs to go around “FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE”
Did Labour’s TV ad not say something about putting people first, instead of putting book keeping entries first?
Think before repeating neoliberal moneterist bullshit PLEASE
Yeah if Labour want to avoid losing to openly active criminals, really all they need to do is shut the hell up for a few weeks, then rehash the “first 150 days” stuff and nothing more. Unfortunately, someone near the power circle is authorising terribly timed sound-bite media releases that paint Labour as self-sabotaging out-of-touch idiots. And of course the media lap it up. It’d be all good for the Greens etc, if there was any chance of a miracle event where voters actually voted them the leading coalition partner.
Really really hate to say this: the Red Team is getting it wrong in terms of the super age rise policy.
Winston is right:
– failure to run a sound economy is the problem, not superannuation
– at 4.1% of GDP, this is way below other countries
Bill English and Nats win the public argument that they are better financial and political managers as shown by leaving the super age unchanged, while keeping it all fully costed and affordable.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/252537/labour-pushing-later-retirement-age
If Labour is fixated with an argument that something needs to be done to get back into surplus by 2018, or to brag about their fiscal credibility, the super age rise policy is N.O.T. that argument. Find another one.
If National wants to talk policy and win more votes, this is one of them.
That is why progressive voters must give their party vote to Green.
This country desperately needs Russell Norman as Finance Minister.
David Parker represents the status quo. There will be no real change if Parker has control of the cheque book.
Only a strong Green party can deliver the fairer society we all crave.
Make sure you vote Green
Status quo on super age is Nats’, as well as Winston’s, position: no age rise.
Parker is hardly status quo on the super age. Check out ACT.
parker has also said today that third parties will only have $200 million to carve up between them..(!)
..and that if unable to make the supluses they have promised..
..that promises made at election time will have to be broken..(he refused to detail which wd go first..)
..i am fast coming to the conclusion i wd like the greens to be the biggest party..labour second..and a strong int/mana in third..
..give parker the job of hunting down/prosecuting the big tax-dodgers..
..set him on the trail of that pile of money ripped off from the govt every year..an amount..depending on who you talk to..between $3 billion – $7 billion each/every year..
..he’d be good at that..
..currently he is just making labour look like clark-govt. redux..
..and that wd be no good for anyone..
Came to that conclusion a long time ago. And I’m not sure if I want Labour in government at all as they’re now a hold over from the previous failed system.
and like the previous labour govt…
..they have no plans/policies to help alleviate the miseries of the childless-poor…
..the difference between now and 2011..
..is that everyone in poverty was ignored/not mentioned..by fucken anyone..in 2011..
..(harawira was..but he was a media non-person then..(
..the word was not memtioned..esp. not by goff/labour..
..this time the children in poverty are being spoken of/attended to..
..(which is a good thing..with of course int/mana and the greens having the strongest policies in those areas..)
..but the childless-poor..?
..yeah..nah..eh..?
..this time out…they are still the invisible people…
..and memories of the nine long years of the clark govt just ignoring/marginalising/not ever helping the poorest..
..those memories are flooding back..
..the more i think about it..the more i want the labour vote to collapse to int/mana and the greens..
..i want int/mana and the greens to be in the majority..
..i am now convinced this is the only way we will get real/meaningful change..
esp as parker cites the need for surpluses as being the reason to be miserly..to break just-made election-promises..
..whereas the greens’ plans..audited/ticked off by infometrics..promise to fix poverty..and to get bigger surpluses than labour..and to pay off the outrageous debts wracked up by key..sooner than labour..
..w.t.f. is not to prefer about that..?
..as norman said:..’this is what progressive govts do’..
..labour is still too sodden with neo-lib..
..with parker the bright-eyed boy/advocate for those neo-lib beliefs/policies..
..and if the toxic clouds/sludge around national continues..(and i can’t see why they won’t..)
..then i cd see many national voters choosing peters and/or the greens…
.the conservatives cd do well too..from that spillage from national..
..and of course..int/mana are over there carving out their own path..
..this is shaping up to be the election of the minor parties..
..with labour losing support because of fear of/boredom with clark redux..
..and the national vote collapsing under the weight of all the scandals…
..(and we still have the dotcom/greenwald spook-shit drop five days before the election…to look forward to..whoar..!
..’holy showers of shit..!..batman..!’..)
.i repeat..this is the most interesting election i can remember..
Newsflash: Anti labour bullshitter in anti labour bullshit spouting shocker.
Are you cameron slater’s even more retarded alter ego?
Parker is a real asset to Labour; we right leaning types are quite fond of him. He was very clear this morning that whatever deals might be required to achieve a “majority” there will be no deficits under his watch. If necessary promised government expenditure will be trimmed accordingly. Given the proposed CGT and minor increase in the top marginal rate will generate relatively modest extra revenue anyway, looks like real squeeze on wriggle room going forward. He also has the guts to increase the age of entitlement under “super”; what’s not to like?!
probably why some “right leaning types” are also fond of the Greens!
….because the Greens too are fiscally responsible! ( and they look after the retired!)
….unlike John Key’s NACT who squander NZ for the benefit of their mates
Many economically literate people would be seriously interested in the Greens if they just stuck to their knitting on proper “green” issues and not stray in to the left wing nonsense; “green” should not be left or right. Massive lost opportunity for real political leverage.
The Greens ARE a left wing party. It’s in their founding values and origins with the Values party. If it weren’t left wing, many of us would not vote for it.
Understand that. My point is that that excludes a large percentage of the population who might well give their party vote to the Greens. It also means that the Greens would not be beholden to Labour (as they still are), and have achieved far more from being part of Governments of the left and right. You may not support them but the rivers might be cleaner.
Students are fighting back. The link to the Daily Blog below is a speech by students at Auckland University given directly to Steven Joyce who was about to give a speech. It’s a must read, it details all the nasty tinkering Mr Fuxit has done to Tertiary Education and they demand free education. Well done those students. We all pay for Universities so why should only the rich be able to afford to go.
GUEST BLOG: Reclaim UoA – Students’ Message to Steven Joyce « The Daily Blog
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/08/20/guest-blog-reclaim-uoa-students-message-to-steven-joyce/
I find it really hard to support naïve but well meaning students in endless protest. Aren’t they supposed to be smart self-aware people? In ten years they will be the same people they protest against now, they will have to be, to pay off their loans or make careers in an economic system that demands that:
“The current government has made it impossible for people from lower income backgrounds to enter higher education. Excluding marginalised peoples from the benefits of higher education wastes potential. It keeps the rich wealthy and the poor in poverty.”
There is so much ignorance in that statement, as if a magical government using the systems we have now, could or would make the changes necessary without serious cost to the educated classes, that I can only guess that either there are no students of UoA at that protest or the lectures there deal only with how to bake cakes and dream dreams.
If they were really concerned, they’d leave UoA or wherever they are and “make their own way in the world”, reshaping it with their obvious intellects. Wake up students, you will become the people you target now unless you make a change in yourself. Do something real about it, or shut up.
You started your comment by saying that the students shouldn’t protest and be politically active. Then you finished by saying that students should take action and change the world.
That’s what they are doing, dickhead.
BTW I’m pretty sure that the yoof are going to say: Fuck John Key. And Fuck You Too.
+100 marsman…and GO STUDENTS for a FREE high quality Tertiary Education for all New Zealanders! Young New Zealanders have been sold short by John Key ‘s NACT government for too long
…I like this comment from Wild Katipo ( could NOT say it better myself)
You students jolly well that push that to the hilt, …it has been PROVEN that student loan systems are not needed…..the origins of this malaise hark back to the neo liberal efforts during the Lange govt years…the vehicle was Roger Douglas..
This was fully endorsed by the Business Round Table , the whole concept was not for the future generations…but to milk them for all they can get.
These same vicious individuals who never payed a cent during the 60′s and 70′s when they were at university….. now lumber the young with insufferable debt.
A good resource to understand this is the documentary ‘ Fortress New Zealand’ by Ian Fraser…those political scientists among you will be well aware of it Im sure.
In tandem with this..was the deliberate destruction/dismantling of the trade unions…such acts as the Employment Contracts Act…specifically designed to end collective bargaining in favour of employer -biased individual contracts. And this directly pertains to the shoddy wages and working conditions of SO MANY of our workforce.
Divide and conquer…as old as Rome itself.
When the voice of dissent is no longer heard… we then know democracy is dying . The very act of having that freedom to oppose, dissent, protest is a hallmark of a functioning, vibrant democracy when truly led by the citizenry.
It demonstrates active participation and the absence of arbitrary , autocratic rule.
For a long time..we have not heard much from the students …possibly due to minimizing by mainstream media , but when the learned , the academics , the intellectuals , those voices opposing unpopular govt legislation are silenced , bullied , lied to…we are well on the way to fascism . Be it passive or aggressive in nature , The aim of that style of govt is always the same .
Power and control. That is not democracy.
this from a fresh comment by ‘Tigger’ under Brian Rudman’s oped this morning:
“The United States government plane landing for a few hours in NZ, seems a bit odd, the reason given suspect, are they helping NZ elections, hmmm, not a good look.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11311371
Is Key flying in a support team ???
I like Nationals new ad
https://twitter.com/somewhereben/status/501866027374751744/photo/1
@ outofbed.. heh..!
Very disappointing to see a copy of Dirty Politics (epub) on Pirate Bay this morning
off course I have reported this to the FBI 😉
Wondered where my son got it from and then sent it to me…
anyone know what would happen constitutionally if Key were forced to resign before the election ?
Nothing. Presumably English would step in as Acting PM for the rest of the campaign and the whole sorry trainwreck would keep on rolling along to its inevitable conclusion.
thx for that traffic report !
Yep. Technically we don’t have a government at the moment as the writ that the GG signs effectively dissolves government.
Errr, not sure that means we don’t have a government. The writ doesn’t “dissolve” the government.
As I understand it, what we have now is a caretaker government. They have no power to pass legislation but only act on the day to day business and even that’s limited.
Understand better:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/about-parliament/how-parliament-works/fact-sheets/00HOOOCPubResAboutFactSheetsElection1/parliament-brief-parliament-and-the-general-election#_Toc144019912
so does that mean we don’t technically have a prime minister ? are we in perilous waters ?
Key is still the PM
aren’t the greens doing well..?
..having their full-fiscal/economic-plans audited/confirmed as feasible..by infometrics..
..was a stroke of genius..
+1 phillip. Clever. Not sure how they (the Greens) got their numbers out so soon after the prefu though.
Labour (Parker) said it would be a week for them to update their numbers after the prefu. Then they should copy the Greens and get their numbers professionally reviewed.
Hard case accidentally tuning in to Sean Plunkett on Radio Live this morning – my gosh he can be a hectoring fellow – hard case because as much as he keeps pushing the business that ‘ordinary people’ know nothing and care less about the issues inherent in “Dirty Politics”, these ‘ordinary people’ will insist on ‘phoning in. Reflecting quite the opposite of Plunkett’s somewhat hubristic tosh. Maybe the heartland he bawlingly claims as his is a little pissed off at it being implied they’re amoebic idiots when it comes to those issues. Take note commenter Ad re no penetration beyond The Beltway and the Commentariat.
Well done Sean !
I thought policy was important, lately not a great deal of discussion on policy, look at Kiwibuild and sourcing from Labour detail …
https://www.labour.org.nz/sites/default/files/issues/policy-kiwibuild_0.pdf
Given that there have been announced 18,000 SHA’s and another 21,000 to be announced where are the 7,000 Kiwibuild properties to be built over the next 3 years to be situated,? Answer :”Much of the land will come from HNZC buying new land or building on existing developments ” Try and buy raw unzoned land within Auckland for under $500k/ha.
Why not use this valuable govt asset of existing HNZC land and build …. State Houses, not sell our assets as we have with power coys.
So Labour believes that “Estimates of the cost of a modest entry-level home suggest they can be built for less than $300,000” so we build them then there is the land component- still get a cost exceeding $450k that will help most of us. Well perhaps those who are contributing to the existing housing affordability problem 🙁 !!!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11251200
Andrew Geddis is being completely naive
http://pundit.co.nz/content/in-defence-of-kiwiblog
@ geoff..
..geddis has clearly never read a comments-thread @ kiwiblog…
‘Cameron Slater: Zionist and political pundit’
By Chloe King / August 20, 2014
“As New Zealanders begin to learn the full extent of Slater’s corruptions, smear campaigns and how much he and his Whale Oil blog have influenced elections in the last six years, he is being paid, as I type this, to also pedal Israeli propaganda…
To all those that think John Key is an affable guy…
Can you imagine him with the Twitter picture in this story?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10403461/Cunliffe-floored-by-pensioner
Nice to see some positive coverage there 🙂
‘Dear Toby Manhire. Bad call on backing Farrar’
By Martyn Bradbury / August 20, 2014
“I say this as someone who regards Toby Manhire as one of the smartest journalists/commentators/columnists this country has…
Another one.
http://pastebin.com/Kzu0C673
this Cehill Pienaar character sounds like a very nasty piece of work
how the hell did a man associated with SADF death squads ( The CCB ) get into the country ?
And now we can see the importance of Hager taking care to only use material that’s in the public interest. It doesn’t feel right to read about private individuals’ health problems.
jeez where will this all end up? Whaledump is going for it.
Duncan Garner tr0lling?
Hmmm lets see if Garner gets charged with identity fraud !
He has been very pissed off. Question: why is that?
Whoever put that together (assuming it’s a ‘have’), given that they’ve added a signature on the bottom of what looks like ministerial stationery that would purport to be Collin’s…yeah, not good.
in Herald now .. resignation denial from Collins …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11311761
lol
psyops…
Dirty tricks…exactly what National has been doing to all the other parties forever
Inquiry announced in response to Green Party request about release of OIA documents by SIS to Cameron Slater:
More at the link.
But is this just going to be the SIS investigating itself?
yes minister, will the minister responsible please stand up and speak for his department at some stage if that is not too much trouble
and what is the timelime and TORs
“
and the privacy commissioner wont investigate colins giving pleasants name to slater. article didnt say why not.
OOps Morgan Poll:
“National (48%) holds its lead over Labour/ Greens (39%) as ‘Dirty Politics’ revelations provide a new challenge for PM John Key”
“Support for Key’s Coalition partners has fallen slightly overall with the Maori Party 1% (down 0.5%), Act NZ (0.5%, unchanged) and United Future 0.5% (unchanged).”
“Support for the Labour Party is 27.5% (down 2.5%), the Greens are down 0.5% to 11.5%. Potential ‘king-makers’ NZ First looks set to return to Parliament with 6.5% (up 1.5%) – the highest support for NZ First since September 2013, the Internet-Mana Party alliance is 2.5% (unchanged). Support for the Conservative Party of NZ is 1% (unchanged) and support for Independent/ Others is 1% (unchanged).”
I can’t find the actual dates when this poll was taken though it is dated today.
August 4-17, 2014
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/5747-roy-morgan-new-zealand-voting-intention-august-20-2014-201408200128
I see you conveniently left out the “National (48%, up 2%)”.
It’s H-Fee all over again… the left backed themselves to the hilt that JK had something to hide, and the left got punished for it.
Another election year, another supposed “scandal” the left have latched on to. The public see right through the bullshit the left are up to, and will punish them again.
So much for “Vote Positive”.
You really should update yourself with where things have been going over the last 72 hours.
They are going the same place as Oravida. Disgraceful corrupt and really enough for the witch to be sacked. And hopefully those from outside the Beltway will recognise that.
But are they getting us any closer to the election result we need?
Our positive story is being drowned out by Whale and Collins. My observation is this is turning people off politics. It is not converting people from right to left.
We need to get back on track.
Labours ad today was fucking brilliant. More of that please
This is a medium term gradual undermining of Key’s veneer of authority type development. Don’t expect instantaneous change.
We have don’t have much time Micky – Are you focussing on this election or 2017?
This poll is a fucking disaster for the left given the one story that has been in the media for the past week.
Look at the dates…………………..
The latest release apparently has lots of personal stuff about Slaters Mum as she battled cancer.
Can’t see that really helping the left, can you?
nope.
The all the information about government corruption though…
Disgraceful.
Has it? Have you read it, cos you havent read hager’s book.
Enough is enough Roy Morgan state that most of the polling was done around the time of the burning effigy and anti Semitic nasty comments which are totally unacceptable hence the bounce !
RM also state that the Hager book had come out late in the polling period and wouldn’t have made much of a difference to earlier trends!
Hey, give him a break.
It is in the first line after the OOps comment.
“OOps Morgan Poll:
“National (48%) holds its lead over Labour/ Greens (39%) “
Undecided percentages are still high!
The polling timeframe doesn’t catch any of Key or Collins’ shambolic responses to the book. Also I reckon the rise for NZ First can be attributed to Winston’s long term ownership of all the issues around the Lochinver sale which would have been the biggest issue during almost all of the polling period.
Rolflcopter Roy Morgan Said the polling period was coming to an end when scandal broke so didn’t affect figures but they claim the bounce was caused by burning effigy and anti Semitic behaviour which is totally abhorrent to all New Zealanders !
Funny that my copy does not have the dates but”…both landline and mobile telephone, with a NZ wide cross-section of 809 electors from August 4-17, 2014.”
End of survey Sunday 17 August. Therefore possible effects of dirty politics yet to show.
Never mind. David Farrar will have updates from his constant polling. He will let good news be known and clamp tight on bad news.
Quite apart from all that NEVER TRUST the POLLS or POLLSTERS! ( unless of course it is in your favour…lol…but even then be wary)
Polls like statistics are very dependent on the sampling( and the mood of the sampled)…and too often can be swung one way or another and used as political propaganda imo
The Left is going to win this election…Great Policies!… and John Key and NACT are damaged beyond redemption
a herald editorial-writer..(roughan..?..o’sullivan..?..) has dropped a whopper..
..in an editorial slagging the greens poverty-busting policies..
..he/she claimed this:..
..’Six years after becoming a sole parent, Ms Turei graduated from Auckland University and began work with Simpson Grierson. Her experience suggests that the welfare system as it exists is not necessarily a poverty trap..”
said editorial-writer failed to mention that ‘ladders’ bennett has since removed access to the allowances etc. she used…
..so the editorial-writets’ assertions are a pile of fresh/stinking bullshit..
..and that begs the question..didn’t he/she know that bennett had axed the training incentive allowance for those sole-parents that followed her..
..and if they didn’t know..such ignorance in an editorial-writer is inexcusable..
..and if they do know..?
..w.t.f..!..eh..?
While the sad and tragic fate of Flight MH17, and its potential for sparking a major war in the Ukraine, has disappeared from New Zealand media concerns an apparently detailed and extensive review of the event and subsequent developments appears here:
http://21stcenturywire.com/2014/07/25/mh17-verdict-real-evidence-points-to-us-kiev-cover-up-of-failed-false-flag-attack/
I still maintain an open mind as I don’t believe everything I read on the Web any more than I (now) believe what I read in the MSM or hear issuing from Governments with agendas, but the only way one can hope to form even a provisional opinion is to get as much info as possible from as many sources as possible and hope to find consistant threads and narratives that strike one as at least having the ‘ring’ of truth.
Tom Bradford +100…thanks for that link….certainly comprehensive ….and i am afraid terribly damning ( if it is true, which from what I have read elsewhere, it could well be….scarey! )
thanks tom
🙄
Except it’s mostly from Russian sources and hasn’t been mentioned anywhere else it seems and scanning over the content on the site it’s making FOX look professional in comparison T_T
i.e. they published this bullshit: http://21stcenturywire.com/2014/02/21/sandy-hook-game-changer-solid-new-evidence-of-a-cover-up-presented/
And google searches on “21st century wire” “climate change” are most illuminating, along with other searches and the owner of the site is also “interesting”.
In short, it’s a rather fucking clear conspiracy site, which like it’s brethren only useful as an illustration of how insane otherwise sane people can, and if I were as incredulous as you I’d argue the site’s paid for by CIA/NSA to spread disinformation T_T
Bonus bit – they also like claiming russia has no laws on the books that impact LGBT people negatively, spinning them instead as preventing a colour revolution.
Still uneasy about this Whaledump thing.
The point has been made by Nicky Hager himself that he was not comfortable with publishing the personal details of Slater and his confidants, and in doing so maintains a level of professionalism.
That’s the thing here, the black ops of Slater, Ede, Lusk, Batnagar, Kate, and Collins are just plain unclean, but through the publishing of Dirty Politics, Nicky Hager has run the stuff through his own character filter and it’s come out washed and on message. That message being the unethical inner workings of the current government.
Whaledump runs the risk of undoing the professionalism that Nicky Hager has brought to the subject and provides a means with which John Key and his ministers can attack the message.
if that happens it needs to be put at keys door for saying none of it was true
Guess so, and the other side of the argument, I suppose, is that the middle voter IS SO STUPID that they either can’t see or don’t care about dirty politics and they need to have the message constantly forced down their throat at carefully managed and paced junctures, and that is what Whaledump intends to do.
If WhaleDump are who they seem to be, then they are going to do nothing to Nicky Hager’s professional image. Nicky stated that he gave all the information back to his source and that he has no control over what they do with it.
There, done and dusted with that one.
Second point being that I am loving the fact that WhaleDump effectively means that the Dirty Politics issue won’t disappear under the next set of headlines because there will constantly be new information for the media to process – and it is guaranteed that they will as they can’t afford their competition getting an exclusive scoop.
If Key isn’t a lovely shade of sickly green by election day, I would be surprised. I’m tempted to think that this is truly going to come down to the leader debates because it is going to be JFK v Nixon all over again where if Key is having the same difficulties on stage next to Cunliffe as he is having now in interviews…
I am not happy about th inclusion in the whale dump, personal information that is not inthe public interest. And it’s not doing their cause any good.
They show that Hager was more principled in how he used the material.
However, MSM journos, are still taking an interest. Corin Dann said, the personal info wasn’t necessary, but today’s whaledump was important because of the background it gave to the SIS OIA issue.
key on 3 news looked both hunted and haunted..
no more smirkeys (beersies) for you john
Campbell takes on WH supporters.
What’s “WH”?
Whoops. Should be WO.
Ah, so.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Video-Key-didnt-know-Collins-passed-info-to-Slater/tabid/370/articleID/357691/Default.aspx
just watched this standup w key and journos
1. Is that shaving nick on his cheek calculated?
2. Most Nzealanders will be interested that p.ms wearing a wig
Edit could be comb over But! Nzealanders deserve to know the truth!
How long is Key going to get away with saying most New Zealanders will see it as an orchestrated left wing smear campaign – blatant BS-ing?
He’s been telling ‘most New Zealanders’ what they think for years why stop now?
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before; but Key is the first NZ PM to wear a reasonable quality rug, or any rug.
Toupee´s are rather 70s American and quaint in these days of shaved bonces like Jamie Whyte’s. Would I criticise someone for employing a high tech replacement limb or dental plate? No they are obviously of some use.
Dirty Politics website has made available a version of today’s whaledump, with the unnecessary personal stuff deleted.
Sorry if this has already been bought up, but did everyone catch the bit near the start of this clip?
Gower asks Key, will he do anything about Collins if new information comes out about her.
Key says no, because he’s pretty sure that there will be more information coming out.
Um, not really sure what more I can say about that.
About 50 seconds in: http://www.3news.co.nz/Video-Key-didnt-know-Collins-passed-info-to-Slater/tabid/370/articleID/357691/Default.aspx
Oh and p.s. there is a beautiful moment a 4 mins where Paddy makes an announcement and you can actually see Key’s soul leave his body.
Yes.
Reminds me of this guy.
He’s not convincing the likes of Gower and Sabin, but Key’s pushing on with the spin for the people.
Haha yes! He popped into my mind the other day and I couldn’t explain why, but now it all becomes clear.
Yes Karol, he’s not talking to journalists anymore, he’s talking to the true blue Nat voters for whom hearing him say, “There’s nothing to see here, it’s all bollocks,” is all they need to hear to keep on ticking the blue box.
Well, I guess it just means Key is braced for more damaging info. His answer was about damaging info about Collins. Key backtracked saying the more info wasn’t necessarily going to be about Collins. But clearly he does expect something more to come out about her. How does he know?
I think it’s just a fairly safe bet. That’s what makes it such a bizarre defense.
Do you think Key might have tabs on the leaker?
The Hacker/s? is in whaledump?
I would be surprised if some security services are not trying to find them. Cat & Mouse.
oh, the sweet irony that if Kim Dotcom’s original company had not been forcibly closed down by FBI etc, then the new Mega with its sublime and unbreakable encryption might not have happened .. it is wonderful that Whaledump is using it. Oh, the irony is delicious.
also, I wondered how Nicky Hager avoided all the spy systems to keep his book details totally undisclosed until he publication date ? Maybe our spooks are not really very clever at all. Would that be such a surprise to discover ?
I think Key is faking ( watch his eyes)….Key knows it ALL!…EVERYTHING! ….but is pretending he doesn’t and pretending he is completely ignorant about what has been happening with Collins, Slater and Ede
…Key is trying to bluff his way out but he knows the game is up for a NACT win ( he just wants to get outta there)….question is how close the shit gets to covering him?
imo Ede is the missing link( the invisible man who goes through the fire wall) ….and the key to KEY….but who is the key turning in whose lock?…who is the puppet master?
Key doesnt know who the leaker is or they would have nabbed him
(imo…Gower did a good job….didn’t let Key off the hook ….and kept pressing with the questions despite the fob offs)
‘Why Cunliffe will be the next PM’
By Martyn Bradbury / August 20, 2014
“The latest Roy Morgan Poll was being conducted when the majority of the news media still hadn’t read the book and were still trying to defend National with the ‘this is politics as usual’ mantra
Is New Zealand’s former Minister of Police, and current Minister of Justice Judith Collins a ‘psychopath’?
Definition of a psychopath:
http://psychcentral.com/news/2006/07/03/improving-the-definition-of-%E2%80%98psychopath%E2%80%99/64.html
A better definition of ‘Psychopath’
By RICK NAUERT PHD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on July 3, 2006
Are some corporate CEO’s, doctors, lawyers, politicians and scientists psychopaths? The answer could be “yes” if you use a definition which labels individuals who are often intelligent and highly charismatic, but display a chronic inability to feel guilt, remorse or anxiety about any of their actions. Tack on the use of violence and intimidation to control others and satisfy selfish needs and the label expands.
How to Identify a Psychopath
One Methods:Identifying Psychopaths with the Hare Checklist
The Hare Psychopathy Checklist was initially developed to assess the mental condition of people who commit crimes, and it is commonly used to diagnose people who may exhibit the traits and tendencies of a psychopath. Most mental health professionals define a psychopath as a predator who takes advantage of others using charm, deceit, violence and other methods to get what they want. Identify a psychopath by using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist and trusting your own intuition.
http://www.wikihow.com/Identify-a-Psychopath
Penny Bright
I’m more than a little tired of these recurring attempts to safety-pin terms like “psychopath” and “sociopath” on members of the government. Why can’t they just be adjudged particularly nasty on the basis of their visible actions, rather than requiring some sort of spurious remote diagnosis?
Have a rest then have a good look
I’m interested in trying to work out why people do what they do.
The next observation is that if ‘birds of a feather flock together’ – if Judith Collins can accurately be described as a ‘psychopath’ – what does that make John Key?
Penny Bright
Essential Watch on Inequality and Society