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 …
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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Attack journalist - Tova O'BrienWe all know that much of the mainstream media in New Zealand is terribly biased. They are in effect another branch of the National Party, and can often be even more prejudiced than their right wing bosses.In fact many right wing politicians moonlight as journalists and ...
Former National Party President - Michelle BoagAfter the complete botch job Hamish Walker made of leaking the private details of COVID-19 patients to the mainstream media last week, the best-case scenario for Todd Muller and the National Party would be if the news cycle went quiet about their involvement.But unfortunately ...
One of the challenges of working on illegal wildlife markets, is you don’t really have scope to talk about your research into illegal wildlife markets. There is some stuff though that willbe coming out on Asiatic black bears in China, and before Covid19, I was delving more into rhinos. Which ...
Some are surprised at this sudden brain implosion on the part of both Michelle Boag, former National Party President, and the National Party in general, in exposing the private, confidential details of COVID patients. Others…? Let’s be blunt: not so much. Too many of that Party have long operated with ...
Michelle Boag - Former National Party PresidentWhen Todd Muller decided not to discipline Hamish Walker for his horribly racist press release last week, you had to wonder if his lack of proper leadership had something to do with a shared belief system? After all, the whiteness of the blue “team” ...
On Twitter today, lawyer Felix Geiringer asked a good question: why are MP's exempt from the Privacy Act? The Act imposes its obligations on "agencies", and s8 of the 2020 Act states that this term does not include... a member of Parliament in their official capacity The 1993 Act, ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzWhat was the climate and sea level like at times ...
So now we know, beyond all doubt. The National party has no interest in joining the “team of five million” in our fight against the pandemic but its priority is to take every opportunity it can to damage the government. The cynicism is breathtaking. It was prepared to leak the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters The massive dust storm that formed over the Sahara Desert in mid-June invaded the southeastern U.S. June 25-28, bringing dangerous levels of air pollution, low visibility, and colorful sunsets. The air pollution event over parts of Texas and the Gulf ...
In 1987, as a British Labour MP, I was elected to the Shadow Cabinet by my colleagues and was asked by the party leader to direct Labour’s campaign in the general election of that year. The election was to take place at the height of Mrs Thatcher’s dominance and we ...
National MP Nicola WillisHousing, which I would argue is a fundamental human right, has long been a problem in New Zealand. Not only do we have some of the most overpriced houses in the entire world, much of the housing stock is substandard and therefore affects not just people’s health ...
If the government has not lined up behind a "Yes" vote in this year's cannabis referendum the way some reformers would have liked, one entirely laudable thing it did do was commission some science around the public's choice.That science landed today, in the form of the report from an expert ...
Associate Professor Sara WaltonAt the heart of the discussion on opening up our borders is the dichotomy of health and the economy – both of which are actually intertwined, like many things with our economy, as this epidemic has shown.If we think about our country as a system, ...
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Josh Gabbatiss This year will see the largest ever drop globally in both investment and consumer spending on energy as the coronavirus pandemic hits every major sector, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The crisis is accelerating the shutdown of older fossil-fuelled ...
A short opinion piece – Friday 26th June 2020 Whilst our Government has treated many financial victims of the current Covid-19 virus with appropriate generosity, the same cannot be said for those of the two earlier “epidemics” in NZ. The “Covid-84” virus (also called “Rogernomics”) spread systemic greed, with the ...
Everyone deserves a a decent life. We know this is possible with a fairer approach to income support and tax Read the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Poverty Action Plan here ...
After a long break, the government is back inserting secrecy clauses in legislation. This time its the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill (No 3), which in its clause allowing Ministers to exempt purchasers of farm land from the usual rules also allows them to exempt an exemption from the publication requirement: ...
Over the past two years the government has repeatedly delayed a scheme to put cameras on boats to monitor Mew Zealand's pervasively criminal fishing industry. But it turns out that the industry actually wants cameras: Three of the country's biggest seafood companies have broken ranks with the rest of the ...
Louise Delany (public health lawyer)Health and emergency laws have played a critical role in this country’s successful elimination of community transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic. This blog details key aspects of the legislation and comments on issues around testing, payments by incoming travellers for quarantine costs, and mask use. ...
I like Andrew Curry’s succinct and insightful futures blog The Next Wave. His most recent post is about social change. In particular, the decadal-long periods usually required for changes in values. He highlights a 2016 paper by Inglehart and Norris, who examined whether economic insecurity or a “cultural backlash” ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Stop making sense: why it's time to get emotional about climate changeThe science has been settled to the highest degree, so now ...
MONDAY JULY 6Washington (History, Sky 073, 7.30pm). The brilliant Doris Kearns Goodwin is the executive producer of this six-part series about America's first president. It combines interviews with live action and is narrated by Jeff Daniels. It's engaging, said Salon.TUESDAY JULY 7The ABC Murders (Prime, 8.30pm). Sarah Phelps has done incredible things with ...
I think we can all agree that the mainstream media in New Zealand has a very different set of rules for the right wing compared to the left. While Labour and Green Party politicians don’t seem to be able to fart without it becoming a sackable offence, National and Act ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 28 through Sat, July 4, 2020Editor's Choice'2040': A funny, entertaining, upbeat climate documentaryA timely Australian documentary takes a 'solutions' approach, with the filmmaker inspired by visions of ...
Racist National MP Hamish WalkerEven before Todd Muller's coup ousted Simon Bridges by a single vote, it was patently obvious that the National Party promotes and stands for white privilege. In fact they’ve always worked to ensure the discriminatory status quo in New Zealand doesn’t change.So it’s no surprise that ...
Dave HeatleyZero community transmission. Just a handful of active cases, all in quarantine. New Zealand is in an attractive situation, at least compared to much of the world. The situation could be robust and enduring – or it might be fragile, just one border incursion away from a “second ...
Is the consequence of the Simpson Report proposals for restructuring the health system poorer accountability to people? When in doubt, centralise‘ has been a persistent theme in New Zealand public policy throughout our history. The current government is no exception. Here are some examples. - The regional polytechs have been ...
I wrote earlier in the week about the Scientology front organisations Drug Free World and Drug Free Ambassadors and their quite prominent role in anti-cannabis reform "coalition" assembled by Family First and a newloca branch of the American prohibitionist organisation SAM.It turns out Family First aren't the only ones helping ...
Nik GreenMuch of the public debate about the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has focused on the extent to which government regulations have restricted personal and business activity.Oxford University Blavatnik School of Government Here in New Zealand, the question of when to change Alert Levels dominated the ...
James Higham, University of OtagoUnprecedented border closures and the domestic lockdown have paralysed New Zealand’s $40.9 billion a year tourism industry. In the process, the vulnerability of the sector to external shocks and the tenuous nature of tourism employment have been exposed. While New Zealand’s handling of the pandemic ...
Raising The Bar: Would that the Prime Minister and her colleagues would listen as intently to what the people – as opposed to the power elites – are saying as the Greens. Were they so disposed, the popular clamour for a transformational post-Covid reset would be loud in their ears. ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzDo you think the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown will slow or ...
A bit like a letter home. I have now been full-time at the University of Melbourne since 2019. Before that, I was 20 years at the University of Otago, Wellington. Indeed, I set up this very Public Health Expert Blog with Nick Wilson ten years ago. Now I am your ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections House Democrats have released a comprehensive report showing how – if they control the White House and both the Senate and the House of Representatives – they might move forward on climate change. Their “Climate Crisis Action Plan,” released June 30 by the ...
A ballot for three Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Electoral (Integrity Repeal) Amendment Bill (David Carter) Harmful Digital Communications (Unauthorised Posting of Intimate Visual Recording) Amendment Bill (Louisa wall) Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Bill (Judith ...
Not Ready: Todd Muller’s lack-lustre and self-contradictory performances offer conclusive proof that a political leader cannot be managed into competence. National’s new boss has Janet Wilson handling his media and Matthew Hooton writing his speeches. Both are highly professional political and public relations specialists, and Muller is lucky to have ...
Unfortunately, due to a medical emergency, I have landed in hospital so am not able to do a current update on the NZ blog statistics. Let’s hope I can get back to this in good time. ...
It started as a family story, about a step-father who went out one night to break into an embassy in Wadestown, Wellington. John Daniell wanted to understand what his family had been part of when his mother and then step-father work for New Zealand’s Security Intelligence. He wanted to know ...
The Greens have shaken up the election campaign with the announcement of their radical poverty and action plan to reform welfare provision and introduce a new wealth tax for millionaires. It’s a big-thinking, controversial policy and has generated a lot of disagreement over how radical it is, whether it could ...
My house is currently supplied electricity by Meridian. As soon as I can change I will because Meridian spilled water to hike electricity prices. They got consumers to spend an extra $80 million on power unnecessarily. Clever them. The Electricity Authority has called their behaviour an “undesirable trading situation”, or ...
When Jacinda Ardern unexpectedly became the Labour Party leader shortly before the 2017 general election, she promised to lead a government of transformation. After nearly three years occupying the Treasury benches, health professionals working in public hospitals have been keenly waiting for transformational progress, including in the capacity and quality ...
Last night, One News ran a follow-up story to its Colmar Brunton poll results on the cannabis referendum, headed here as Government accuses big American anti-cannabis group of interfering in NZ politics.In truth it wasn't just the government: Justice minister Andrew Little, National's Shane Reti and the Greens' Chloe Swarbrick ...
When the government refused to put cameras on fishing boats to ensure fishers obeyed the law, Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash claimed that coalition partner NZ First (which has received large donations from the fishing industry) was not responsible for the decision. He has repeated that claim repeatedly since then. But ...
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industry New Zealand First is supporting calls by hunters and the New Zealand Tahr Foundation (NZTF) to halt a large scale cull of Himalayan Tahr by the Department of Conservation in National Parks. The calls are supported by a 40,000 strong petition and the ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First leader Winston Peters today scoffed at suggestions that a team of six political operatives have been dispatched to New Zealand to assist his campaign. ‘As President Ronald Reagan once said, ‘there they go again.’ ‘The clickbait journos can’t ...
New Zealand First is pleased to announce Jenny Marcroft as the party’s election 2020 candidate for the Auckland Central electorate. Jenny spent years working in Auckland Central, having spent a vast proportion of her broadcasting career there. She says she, "knows the place and knows the people." Ms Marcroft says ...
New Zealanders deserve healthy rivers and lakes that are safe to swim in - but they have been getting worse for decades. That's why, with our latest announcement, we're investing in projects that will help clean up our rivers and lakes and restore them to health, within a generation. ...
This week we moved into the second half of 2020 - and our Government delivered another week of big changes and major progress for New Zealanders. Read below for a wrap of the key things moments from the week - from extending paid parental leave, to making major investments in ...
The Green Party has opposed the COVID-19 Recovery Fast-track Consenting Bill which shortcuts normal consenting processes under the Resource Management Act (RMA), reduces public participation and narrows environmental considerations. ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister of Regional Economic Development A regional freight hub for the lower North Island will be built just northeast of Palmerston North, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. The Government is investing $40 million through the Provincial Growth Fund to designate and buy land and design ...
Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson is calling for the introduction of a Guaranteed Minimum Income to lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty and prevent more families entering into further debt with the Ministry of Social Development. ...
There has been renewed focus on New Zealand First acting as a handbrake on the Government after our decision to not support Auckland light rail. We are a handbrake for bad ideas, that istrue, but our track record since 2017 has seen New Zealand First constructively also serve as an ...
Mark Patterson MP, New Zealand First List MP New Zealand First’s Fair Residency for Superannuation Bill passed its First Reading in Parliament today. The Bill makes a significant change to NZ Super by raising the minimum residency requirement from 10 to 20 years, after age 20. “Currently, a migrant of ...
Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Law and Order A New Zealand First member’s bill in the name of Darroch Ball introducing a six-month minimum prison sentence for assaults on first responders has passed its second reading in Parliament. The new offence of "injuring a first responder or corrections officer with ...
Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Deputy Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First welcomes the launch of the new Criminal Cases Review Commission, gifted with the name from Waikato-Tainui - Te Kāhui Tātari Ture, announced in Hamilton today by Justice Minister Andrew Little. “New Zealand First has long believed in and ...
The Green Party is celebrating over $800m in new funding for green projects, which will get people into jobs while solving New Zealand’s long-term challenges. ...
Mark Patterson MP, Spokesperson for Primary Industries New Zealand First is appalled that Meridian seems to have been unnecessarily spilling water from its dams to drive up its profits."While New Zealanders have been coming together in some of our darkest hours, we don’t expect power gentailers to waste water and ...
We wrapped up the first half of 2020 with a busy month, taking additional steps to support New Zealanders as we continue with our economic recovery. We rolled out targeted packages to support key industries like tourism and construction, helped create jobs in the environmental and agriculture sectors, and set ...
Hon Shane Jones, Minister for Infrastructure Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has welcomed the appointment of Maurice Davis and his deep infrastructure and construction experience to the board of the Infrastructure Commission. Mr Davis (Ngāti Maniapoto), is the seventh and final appointment to the board led by former Reserve Bank Governor ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand’s click bait journalism is taking a turn for the worse, with yet another example of sensationalist, wilful-misrepresentation of the facts. “New Zealand First has worked constructively with its Coalition partner on hundreds of pieces of legislation and policy, and ...
The Green Party is today unveiling its Poverty Action Plan, which includes a Guaranteed Minimum Income to ensure people have enough to live with dignity. ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Rotorua Museum redevelopment and Whakarewarewa and Tokorangi Forest projects will be accelerated thanks to a $2.09 million Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) boost, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher ...
This week, we rolled out the next steps of our recovery plan, with new infrastructure investment, extra support for tourism operators, and a new programme to get Kiwis into agriculture careers. The global economic consequences of COVID-19 will continue to be a challenge, but we have a detailed plan to ...
Jenny Marcroft MP, Spokesperson for Health New Zealand First welcomes the passage of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill through its final reading in Parliament today fulfilling a coalition agreement commitment. “This is an important step in saving the lives of New Zealanders and delivers a key coalition commitment ...
Whakatāne has been given a $2.5 million boost to speed up previously funded projects and create more than 450 jobs in the next decade. Of those, the equivalent of 160 full-time jobs could be delivered in the next six weeks. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters is in town to make ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister Fletcher Tabuteau MP, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $2.5 million to accelerate three infrastructure projects in Whakatāne, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. “This package is about ...
Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones is throwing his weight behind a bid by the Auckland Council to fast-track the more than doubling of the city's water allowance from the Waikato River. And he's coming out strongly against anyone who plans on getting in the way of this campaign. "It is my ...
The Green Party is thrilled to see changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that mean consents for large projects can be declined if they will have significant climate change implications that are inconsistent with the Zero Carbon Act and Aotearoa New Zealand’s Paris Agreement obligations. ...
Hon Ron Mark, Minister of Defence The Royal New Zealand Navy’s new ship, Aotearoa, set sail for New Zealand on 10 June from the Republic of Korea, and is due to arrive in Auckland tomorrow, announced Minister of Defence Ron Mark. “Aotearoa is the Royal New Zealand Navy’s new fleet ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Racing Racing Minister Winston Peters has today welcomed the Racing Industry Bill passing its third reading, creating the legislative framework for revitalising the racing industry while limiting the need for future government intervention. “For too long our domestic racing industry has ...
The Green Party has today put forward an amendment to the Electoral (Registration of Sentenced Prisoners) Amendment Bill to ensure all people in prisons can vote in general elections. ...
The Green Party welcomes the decision to not proceed with Public Public Investment (PPI) delivery of Auckland’s light rail project and to instead run the process through the public service. ...
Hon Ron Mark, New Zealand First List MP based in the Wairarapa New Zealand First List MP Hon Ron Mark welcomes the announcement of Provincial Growth Funding investment of $1.4 million to help secure the Wairarapa’s water supply. The funding boost will allow the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC), and ...
New Zealand First list MP Mark Patterson has been selected to represent the party in the newly formed Taieri electorate at the upcoming election. Mr Patterson, his wife Jude and two daughters farm sheep and beef at Lawrence and Waitahuna. He previously stood in the Clutha-Southland electorate however boundary changes ...
Hon Shane Jones, Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises A new ‘super depot’ to be built for NZ Post in Wellington will create around 350 jobs during construction, Associate Minister for State Owned Enterprises Shane Jones says. Shane Jones today attended a ground-breaking and blessing ceremony for the parcel-processing depot ...
Our strong economic management prior to COVID-19 - with surpluses, low debt and near-record-low unemployment - put us in a good position to weather the impact of the virus and start to rebuild our economy much earlier than many other countries.Now we're putting our plan to recover and rebuild ...
Darroch Ball MP, New Zealand First Spokesperson for Law and Order Recently released Police fleeing driver statistics have shown yet another increase in incidents with another record-high in the latest quarter. “This new quarterly record-high is the latest in a string of record-high numbers since 2014. The data shows incidents ...
The Minister for Pacific Peoples, Aupito William Sio is pleased to announce the inaugural launch of Kiribati Language Week as part of the 2020 Pacific language Weeks programme. “I am so pleased that this year we are able to provide resourcing support to the Kiribati community in Aotearoa which will ...
Wildlife institutions affected by a loss of visitor revenue during the COVID-19 lockdown are set to receive government support with nearly $15 million of funding available announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. “Eco-sanctuaries, zoos, aquariums, wildlife parks, and wildlife rescue, hospital and rehabilitation facilities provide crucial support for the recovery ...
The Government is expanding and accelerating frontline mental health and wellbeing services at tertiary education institutes (TEI) to help students manage ongoing stresses related to COVID-19. “The lockdown has been hugely disruptive for students. Many of them have had to relocate and move to online learning, isolating them from their ...
The Minister of Police says a major operation against the Mongrel Mob in Waikato will make a big dent in drug harm and violent offending linked to organised crime networks. “Senior leadership of the Waikato Mongrel Mob has been taken out as a result of Operation Kingsville, which resulted in ...
The Government is extending the border exception criteria to enable some offshore victims and support people of the Christchurch mosque attacks to attend the sentencing of the accused beginning on 24 August2020, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. “We want to support our valued Muslim brothers and sisters who were directly ...
A project to support volunteer efforts to look after streams and rivers is getting a boost thanks to support from DOC’s Community Conservation Fund announced Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today. “The government is backing efforts to look after waterways with $199,400 for the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust from ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter today announced that funding for the COVID-19 Community Fund for women and girls will be doubled, as the first successful funding applications for the initial $1million were revealed. “Women and girls across the country have suffered because of the effects of COVID-19, and I ...
The Government’s books were better than forecast with a higher GST take as the economy got moving again after lockdown, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Crown Accounts for the 11 months to the end of May indicate the year end results for tax revenue will be stronger than forecast. ...
A plan to revitalise New Zealand’s strong wool sector and set it on a new, more sustainable and profitable path was unveiled today by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. The newly-released report - Vision and Action for New Zealand’s Wool Sector - was developed by the Wool Industry Project Action Group ...
Community efforts to create a Predator Free Whangārei will receive a $6 million boost, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today. The new funding, through Government company Predator Free 2050 Ltd, will create around 12 jobs while enabling the complete removal of possums over ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced that the New Zealand Government is reviewing the settings of its relationship with Hong Kong. “China’s decision to pass a new national security law for Hong Kong has fundamentally changed the environment for international engagement there,” Mr Peters said. “New Zealand remains deeply ...
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced details of a multimillion-dollar investment in Whangārei for infrastructure projects that will help it recover from the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 200 jobs are expected to be created through the $26 million investment from the Government’s rejuvenation package ...
Following a second incident in which a person escaped from a managed isolation facility, security is being enhanced, including more police presence onsite, Minister Megan Woods said. “The actions of some individuals who choose to break the very clear rules to stay within the facilities means that more resourcing is ...
Waste reduction and recycling programmes in Kaipara are set to get a boost with Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today announcing a $361,447 grant from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund (WMF) Sustainable Kaipara. “The new funding will allow Sustainable Kaipara to partner with local schools, kura, community ...
The Government will support the Southland economy in the wake of multinational mining company Rio Tinto’s decision to follow through with its long signalled closure of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter. “This day has unfortunately been on the cards for some time now, but nevertheless the final decision is a ...
New tools being developed to help boost Aotearoa’s Predator Free 2050 effort were unveiled today by Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage and Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau. A new rat poison, a camera with predator recognition software to detect and report predators, a new predator lure and a ...
The Coalition Government has approved the purchase of a fleet of Bushmaster vehicles to replace the New Zealand Army’s armoured Pinzgauers, Defence Minister Ron Mark has announced today. The new fleet of 43 Australian-designed and built Bushmaster NZ5.5 will provide better protection for personnel and improved carrying capacity. “The age ...
The Government’s three prevention frameworks to reduce family violence in Aotearoa were launched this week by Associate Minister for Social Development Poto Williams. The frameworks were developed in partnership with communities around New Zealand, and build on the work the Government has already begun with its new family violence prevention ...
The Government is pleased to confirm funding for improvements to radiology and surgical services at Hawke's Bay DHB, Health Minister Chris Hipkins says. "The Minister of Finance the Hon Grant Robertson and former Health Minister Dr David Clark approved funding for Hawke's Bay DHB’s redevelopment of their radiology facilities ...
• New funding for four beds at Napier’s Springhill Residential Addiction Centre • A new managed withdrawal home and community service, and peer support before and after residential care at Tairāwhiti DHB • A co-ordinated network of withdrawal management services throughout the South Island • Peer support in Rotorua and ...
Introduction, seafarers and POAL Good morning everyone, I am delighted to be online with you all today. Before I begin, I have to acknowledge that COVID-19 has disrupted the maritime sector on an unprecedented scale. The work of seafarers and the maritime industry is keeping many economies around the world ...
A $13 million investment from Government will create jobs and improve the resilience of the rail connection between Christchurch and the West Coast, Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones and Regional Economic Development Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau say. The funding comes from the tagged contingency set aside in Budget 2020 for infrastructure projects ...
The Government is investing $761 million to assist local government upgrade under-pressure water services across the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The announcement was made at the site of the water bore that was found to be the source of the fatal ...
Recognised Seasonal Employers and migrant seasonal workers stranded in New Zealand will be able to continue working and supporting themselves with more flexible hours and roles, says Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway. The time-limited visa changes are: Stranded RSE workers will be able to work part-time (a minimum of 15 hours ...
The Government is making immediate short-term changes to visa settings to support temporary migrants already onshore in New Zealand and their employers, while also ensuring New Zealanders needing work are prioritised, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. We are: Extending temporary work visas due to expire by the end of 2020 ...
Professor Peter Skelton CNZM has been appointed as Chief Freshwater Commissioner and Alternate Environment Court Judge Craig James Thompson as Deputy Chief Freshwater Commissioner for the newly established Freshwater Planning Process (FPP). Environment Minister David Parker today also announced the appointment of Chief Environment Court Judge Laurie Newhook as the ...
Auckland Queen’s Counsel Neil Campbell has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Campbell graduated with a BCom and LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland in 1992. He spent two years with Bell Gully Buddle Weir in Auckland before travelling to the United ...
The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal to better enable the development and operation of commercial film and video facilities in Christchurch. The Proposal, developed by Regenerate Christchurch in response to a request from Christchurch City Council, asks that powers under section ...
The Government has launched a bold plan to boost primary sector export earnings by $44 billion over the next decade, while protecting the environment and growing jobs. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today released Fit for a Better World – Accelerating our Economic Potential, a 10-year roadmap to unlock greater value ...
A new approach to prevent family harm that encourages greater collaboration across government and community groups is being celebrated at the opening of a new facility in Auckland. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today opened the Multi-Disciplinary Family Harm Prevention Hub Te Taanga Manawa in Lambie Road in Manukau. The facility ...
The Government has released a major new report on the options for relocating the Port of Auckland’s freight operations while deferring any decision on the issue. “That decision needs to be informed by policy analysis that is still to be completed. As a result it will be up to a ...
The history of Rāpaki is being restored through the inclusion of te reo in thirteen official place names on Te Pātaka-o-Rākaihautū / Banks Peninsula and around Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō, the Minister for Land Information, Eugenie Sage, announced today. “I am pleased to approve the proposals from Te Hapū o Ngāti ...
Bookings for seats on Air New Zealand flights into New Zealand will be managed in the short term to ensure the Government is able to safely place New Zealanders arriving home into a managed isolation or quarantine facility, says Housing Minister Megan Woods. “Last week Air Commodore Darryn Webb and I ...
Grant Robertson has today announced the first major release of funding from the $265 million Sport Recovery Package announced at Budget 2020. “Today we’re setting out how $80 million will be invested, with $54 million of that over the 2020/2021 financial year for organisations from community level through to elite ...
The Government is maintaining current levy rates for the next 2 years, as part of a set of changes to help ease the financial pressures of COVID-19 providing certainty for businesses and New Zealanders, ACC Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. “New Zealanders and businesses are facing unprecedented financial pressures as a ...
Small businesses are getting greater certainty about access to finance with an extension to the interest-free cashflow loan scheme to the end of the year. The Small Business Cashflow Loan Scheme has already been extended once, to 24 July. Revenue and Small Business Minister Stuart Nash says it will be ...
A package of 23 projects across the country will clean up waterways and deliver over 2000 jobs Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Environment Minister David Parker announced today. The $162 million dollar package will see 22 water clean-up projects put forward by local councils receiving $62 million and the Kaipara ...
Tena koutou katoa Nga tangata whenua o tenei rohe o Pōneke, tena koutou Nau mai, haere mai ki te hui a tau mo te roopu reipa Ko tatou! Ko to tatou mana! Ko to tatou kaupapa kei te kokiri whakamua Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa Welcome. I ...
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $1.5 million to ensure QE Health in Rotorua can proceed with its world class health service and save 75 existing jobs, Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. The PGF funding announced today is in addition to the $8 million ...
A new programme, which sets a firm course for the Building and Construction sector to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has been announced by the Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa. “A significant amount of New Zealand’s carbon emissions come from the building and construction sector. If we’re serious ...
“ACT will target the gangs by hitting them where it hurts – their pockets,” according to ACT Leader David Seymour and Firearms Spokesperson Nicole McKee. “New Zealanders deserve to be safe and secure, but violent gangs are a scourge on our ...
Waffles don’t need to be sweet – these cheese and onion numbers make an excellent savoury breakfast with an egg, or an equally tasty dinner with leftover mince.It’s easy to default to sweet breakfasts without thinking. At least that’s the case in our household, as porridge or bircher muesli is ...
The government is revitalising the wool sector, splashing out on freshwater restoration projects, relieving student stress and showing kindness to Muslims by extending the border exception criteria. It is also increasing its support (in announcements from two separate Green Party Ministers) for women and for wildlife institutions. And it is ...
People have called it for it be pulled from the service, but the escapist fantasy of 365 Days is nothing new, writes Alie Benge.To every generation, a bullish alpha-male psychopath is born, and is for someone reason considered a romantic hero. We’ve been through a lot this year, and instead ...
As Aucklanders reluctantly adjust to the inconvenient practice of water conservation, a drought-savvy Northlander shares the tips and temperament needed to get through the dry times.Auckland’s water shortage was recently reported on The Project, and viewers were earnestly exhorted to fill their dishwashers completely before turning them on. My husband ...
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk A request by the Philippines’ biggest radio and TV network for a new franchise has been rejected by a congressional committee in a vote that will go down in history as a flagrant violation of the country’s constitution, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The Paris-based media ...
Hamish Walker's privacy leak debacle dominated the news this week, but it's not the first time a southern MP has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, writes Daisy Hudson. ...
Let’s not allow the focus on big-budget infrastructure projects to detract from the vital role public transport will play in revitalising our cities in a post-Covid world, says Greg Pollock.The recent match between the Blues and the Hurricanes was one of the world’s first major post-lockdown sporting fixtures. It was ...
For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level one – read about what that means here. For official government advice, see here.The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is made possible thanks to donations from Spinoff Members. To support this ...
In the heart of Christchurch is a Designated Character high school. What makes it unique? And should there be more like it? Frank Film visits Hagley College Paddy Grant was a 27-year-old truck driver when he rocked up to Christchurch’s Hagley High School, as it was then known. It was ...
Childcare centre closures have left families and staff out in the cold. In some cases, they were given just three days’ notice, Laura Walters reports Staff and families of Auckland’s Discoveries Educare branches feel blindsided by the sudden closure of the early childhood education centres. The Ministry of Education has ...
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So-called dirty deals have been roundly denounced over the years. Hayden Donnell argues that they need to be normalised, and even embraced, in September’s election.Just before the 2011 general election, Patrick Gower was confronted with a political act so stomach-churning, it forced him to abandon his trademark reserve. John Key ...
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The controversial 101 East episode Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown on 3 July 2020. Video: Al JazeeraPacific Media Watch Newsdesk Malaysian police summoned six Al Jazeera media workers today for questioning relating to an investigation for defamation and violation of Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA), reports IFJ Asia-Pacific. ...
Analysis - A National MP destroys his career, the government explains how someone with Covid-19 could walk around a supermarket and the closure of Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is announced. ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Paddy Nixon and Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan discuss the week in politics including the return to lockdown in Victoria, National Cabinet setting to slow the flow of Australian’s ...
We prefer our heroes untarnished. And few match the heroism of Winston Churchill. But a recent report in the Times reminds us of the inevitability of human frailty and the consequences of keeping it under wraps.During the second world war, Britain’s greatest single loss of life at sea was the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ou Yang, Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Donald Trump has ordered US federal agencies to bypass environmental protection laws and fast-track pipeline, highway and other infrastructure projects. Signing the executive order last month, the US president declared regulatory delays would hinder “our ...
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Dietary Requirements is The Spinoff’s monthly podcast in which we eat, drink and talk about it too, with special thanks to Freedom Farms. This month, we’re joined by The Spinoff’s managing editor, mall rat and self-confessed food philistine Duncan Greive.On this month’s Dietary Requirements, the gang’s back in the studio, and ...
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The Government must listen to the Muslim community to rectify its failure to act in the past, says the Human Rights Commission. The Islamic Women’s Council of New Zealand (IWCNZ) submission to the Royal Commission of Inquiry was released this week. ...
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You can’t keep a good woman down and Helen Clark is no exception. Her new appointment, as co-chair of a review of how the World Health Organisation handled the coronavirus pandemic, will test her formidable political skills. Sitting with her is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Liberian president, who handled the ...
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“I can see why people are fed up, many are wondering how to clothe and feed their kids, or how they are going to pay their rent next week and still others are wondering what has happened to our beautiful Kiwi Way of Life. Well no party in parliament ...
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk Sixty press freedom groups and civil society organisations, journalism institutions, filmmakers, and other supporters have formed a coalition in support of Maria Ressa and independent media in the Philippines, united around the call to #HoldTheLine. Today the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Center for ...
National MP Michael Woodhouse also received Covid-19 patient emails from Michelle Boag, and deleted them when he realised she was implicated in a separate email scandal. National Party leader Todd Muller says no further MPs in his party received confidential information from Michelle Boag, after revelations today that Michael Woodhouse also ...
The government is extending border exceptions to allow overseas victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks and their support people to attend the shooter's sentencing. ...
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Want to work for The Spinoff? We’re looking for someone to fill an exciting new role based in our Auckland office. We’re looking for a video and podcast content manager: an experienced writer or sub-editor with a strong understanding of social media to manage our video and podcast content across various channels. ...
National Party leader Todd Muller says no further MPs in his party received confidential information from Michelle Boag, after revelations today that Michael Woodhouse also received four unsolicited emails. ...
By RNZ News Opposition National list MP Dr Jian Yang has announced his retirement from New Zealand politics and says he will not stand in the 2020 general election after three terms in the party caucus. He said politics was “demanding” and he wanted to spend more time with his ...
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The Taxpayers’ Union has filed a complaint with the Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary Speaker’s Office over Lawrence Yule’s new taxpayer funded billboards promoting Mr Yule as the ‘Voice in Tukituki’. Union spokesman, Louis Houlbrooke ...
Ten points, two plans. Which points are whose? With an election within spitting distance, Aotearoa’s two biggest political parties are all about the plans. “You don’t have a plan!” says one party to the other. “Yes we have a plan, or certainly a plan to have a plan, or a plan ...
Four months after he announced his re-selection, a National Party MP whose links to Chinese spy agencies attracted the interest of New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service has announced he will not stand in the next election A three-term National Party MP who studied at an elite Chinese spy school before moving to ...
National list MP Dr Jian Yang announced his retirement from politics and said he would not stand in the 2020 general election after three terms in the party caucus. ...
A new political party, the New Zealand TEA Party, with headquarters in Auckland, has been established. The party aims to contest the queen- or kingmaker position to form a coalition with the largest parliamentary party as part of the general elections ...
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Latest from the Beehive – Hard on the heels of the government promising help for the Southland economy in the wake of Rio Tinto’s decision to close the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, it was announcing the delivery of more money to the North, at the other end of the country. ...
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From eggplant emojis and twerking llamas to sweaty anthropomorphic butts, we present some of the most fascinating, hilarious and outrageous complaints dismissed by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) from 2019 to now.Avocadon’t (January 2019)The ad: In this ad from Specsavers, a man gets ready to join a cricket match, but ...
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Why isn't the Government spending $30m to extend Tiwai Point's 2,600 jobs until after the Covid-19 recession, after Manapouri's power can be transmitted elsewhere, and after there's a hydrogen plan for the smelter site, Bernard Hickey asks. The sense of shock and foreboding about the future was clear in Invercargill Mayor ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jean Burgess, Professor and Director, Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology Perhaps no single character has been as iconic a symbol of Twitter as the now-ubiquitous hashtag. The syntax of the hashtag has a few simple rules: it consists of ...
Open mike 20/08/2014 
Open mike is your post.
Todd Muller - Dishonest National Party leaderIt seems that dishonest Todd Muller is, like many right-wing politicians, entirely morally bankrupt. I mean just look at the National Party’s leaking omni-shambles over the last week or so. They’ve imploded in a spectacular display of backfiring dirty politics, the likes of which ...5 hours ago
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Simon Bridges must be the unluckiest person in New Zealand politics. When he was elected as leader of the National party, he also became Leader of the Opposition – a position, he was entitled to assume, that would require him to “oppose”. But the government he set out to oppose ...6 hours ago
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Transcript: National Party policy announcement on roads – 8 July, 2020 Muller: Good afternoon everybody. Thank you for coming. Reporter 1: Is Hamish Walker a racist? Muller: Hang on… you haven’t even said good afternoon to me yet. Reporter 1: Good afternoon Mr Muller. Is Hamish Walker a racist? ...1 day ago
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National MP Michael Woodhouse also received Covid-19 patient emails from Michelle Boag, and deleted them when he realised she was implicated in a separate email scandal. National Party leader Todd Muller says no further MPs in his party received confidential information from Michelle Boag, after revelations today that Michael Woodhouse also ...1 day ago
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Why isn't the Government spending $30m to extend Tiwai Point's 2,600 jobs until after the Covid-19 recession, after Manapouri's power can be transmitted elsewhere, and after there's a hydrogen plan for the smelter site, Bernard Hickey asks. The sense of shock and foreboding about the future was clear in Invercargill Mayor ...1 day ago
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 …
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