When Caribbean islands which normally might experience a category 5 hurricane once every five or ten years, get 2 category 5s in less than a month, we’ve moved beyond Climate Change.
It’s time we started using George Monibot’s term: CLIMATE BREAKDOWN!
And we have that IDIOT at the UNITED NATIONS PISSING IN THE WIND.
We will lead the World into Paradigm shift and combat climate change instead of that dum ass war on each other.
Newshub can reveal the Government has no evidence to suggest that benefit sanctions on solo parents do anything to encourage wayward fathers to pay their share of child support.
In fact, it means the families are at higher risk of hardship and long term welfare dependency.
Currently people on a solo parent benefit can have their payment docked if they don’t name the other parent of their child. In 98 percent of cases that’s the father.
…
The so-called section 70a sanction is aimed at getting child support payments from the absent parent.
More than three months ago Newshub asked the Ministry of Social Development to release, under the Official Information Act, any evidence that the sanctions worked.
MSD refused the request.
But it was forced to turn over more than 100 pages of material before the election, after the Ombudsman intervened.
The reports addressed to Social Development Minister Anne Tolley say, “We do not have sufficient evidence to confirm if the benefit reduction is achieving the policy’s intent.”
Yeah this section if the Act penalises people who take on responsibility where nobody else will.
The penalty only exists when a child is kept by one parent (and of course that child will suffer by extension…as if all the statstics on single parent families and the disadvantage to the child weren’t enough if a handicap the government decides to fuck these kids over even more). It doesn’t apply if the child goes elsewhere like a foster home or extended family.
If you agree that the best place for children is with their own parent, then it is totally inappropriate to penalise sole families in this way.
Why bother naming the father when there is no evidence that it improves payment rates. You are essentially punishing both the parent and the child for no reason.
Why might people not want to name fathers? They may know that the father is in no position to make payments and not want to put them in the line of fire for MSD. The father may have questionable citizenship. There are plenty of reasons why a mother may not want to name a father.
Can you give one valid reason for why they should have too? There is no evidence that it improves payment rates. If you want to punish people you have to have a valid goal. This policy does not appear to have one.
Imagine pregnancy via a stranger raping you, and you decide to keep the child, how on earth are you going to name a stranger. And would you really want your child knowing what they were the result of OR knowing their father (even if you knew his name), if the father did such an act.
Another scenario… pregnant via a one night stand. See guys have no problem with one night stands, possibly because they can’t get pregnant, a one night stand where you only remember their first name, and the guy might not even remember you cause you were both drunk.
Need any more examples? It’s not as cut and dry as some may think.
And who suffers the most, the child and the mother who knows she doesn’t know the name of the father and as if it’s not hard enough being a solo mum, they have even less money to feed their child.
How about not naming the father is because you’ve been threatened with having the living daylights beaten out of you (given NZs domestic violence rates that’s not an unlikely scenario), or the threat of a custody dispute with any history you’ve ever had being publicised or lied about. Or the father simply denying it was him and putting forward several other names to shame the mother as well as avoid responsibility.
How about answering these easy questions?
How does any child cost $20/wk less to take care of? (putting aside the chronic underfunding for the moment)
How do letters on a form in the father’s name make a practical difference?
How do you justify this requirement when evidence provided by MSD shows there is no benefit to this request?
Why do you think you need to know, apart from your need to know?
But what about people who have kids with people they know and NOT as a result of abuse etc?
From what I’ve seen James, fear. Foregoing a portion of a benefit is infinitely preferable to living in fear of a violent man who resents being on the hook for a fifth or more of his after tax income.
Often drunk chicks give in to male pressure and just do it to get it over and done with, so they aren’t hassled and gropped any more. Which sucks, and is really really common.
Anyways… why should they not be named? Because the mother feels there would be no emotional benefit to the child from doing so, Miravox provides a fantastic example on that. Maybe later they might change their mind and name the father, and that’s ok.
Apologies to MSM I allready new that you would not be able to grasp my reality as you are human’s to.There are people out there that no what I have said to be fact. But the positives out come hopefully is that OUR youth will keep out of the shit .
Now all of OUR export based organisations and people working for them If I was YOU
I would get a subscription to pay and support Joseph Parker Campaign to Dominate the WORLD heavy weight boxing .
AS THIS WILL BE THE CHEAPEST WAY TO ADVERTISE NEW ZEALAND AND YOUR EXPORT PRODUCTS TO THE WORLD I will get one because I Love OUR beautiful country
I think there are two polls out this evening. I predict they will close a bit from being so far spark over the last few weeks.
But who knows – polling has been crazy.
I predict:
National up a little
Labour down a little
Greens down in the real danger zone of being wiped out (5-6%)
NZ first a little higher than the greens but not by much.
I predict Greens up, labour up a little, nat’s down a little, not sure about the rest.
What do you do on election night James?
I remember my parents being invited to a ‘party’ on an election night, they didn’t know it was an election party for the local nat’s. They turned up, blue everything, mum and dad basked in the nat’s loss that night, needless to say, the party finished early, everyone (apart from my folks) was feeling a bit blue.
Thanks for the possible invite James, but I’ve already been invited to a gig with our local MP. Had a great time with him and his crew last election, he retained his seat and it’s a only a few blocks away from home, perfect.
Gareth Morgan:The Cat is out of the bag!! Gareth would like us to believe that his primary motivation in entering politics with the TOP Party is to create a more egalitarian and democratic N.Z. Nothing, in my opinion, could be further than the truth .His motivations are revealed by two of his policies.Namely , giving N.Z. a second house of parliament and introducing a constitution.If you look at countries with constitutions you see an ever widening gap between the super wealthy one percenters and the rest of the population. In the U.S. you will see that the constitution has impeded any efforts to bring about more equality. This is not surprising as this was the reason that the founding fathers introduced a constitution in the first place. They feared the power of the common people, and they cleverly introduced a hurdle that would stultify any efforts in that direction. The U.S. constitution has presided over the greatest inequality that exists in the developed world. And there is the two houses of parliament[Congress].They were also created to protect the wealth and position of landowners and to prevent democracy.
The House of Lords, aptly named,in the U.K.is also just such an instrument to protect the rights and property of the wealthy, the aristocracy, and the Monarchy against the”Commons”.
So, basically the Top policies mentioned are there to protect the wealth of the Oligarchs “in waiting”in N.Z. Lord Gareth is anticipating taking up his rightful position in N.Z., as we follow in the footsteps of the more progressive U.S. and U.K. And he will be supported by the ever growing numbers of the super rich and their sycophants , that are naturally increasing in N.Z. with the efforts of the National Party Government.N.Z. has become a bolthole for the oligarchs of the world, people like Peter Thiel,connected to the Five Eyes, and of course an adviser to U.S. president Trump. Thiel was given instant citizenship by another one of our home grown one percenter oligarchs in waiting Sir John Key.And Trademe founder Sam Morgan wrote a letter in support. Get the picture? Birds of a feather flock together.So, a N.Z.constitution and upper house is a plan so cunning that you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel! Do not be fooled by the insidious Top Party Trojan Horse!!
Very hard to shoot and kill a Schrödinger Cat because you never know whether it’s there and dead or alive. Besides, because of Heisenberg’s Principle you can never quite tell where exactly the fluff ball is and how fast it is going. Gareth must hate QM.
after bill loses for the second time this weekend he might just reflect on the fact that now he doesn’t have to try and be a leader to cope with the tiny handed maniac.
Donald Trump has made his strongest threat yet against North Korea, vowing to “totally destroy” the country if it attacks the US or its allies.
In a wideranging speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York overnight, the US President repeated his mocking nickname for Kim Jong-un – “Rocket Man” – and slammed his leadership as a “depraved regime”.
“The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea,” he said.
“Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.
I’ve just heard from a friend who was a staunch John Key supporter, and therefore Nat voter, has voted Labour this time “because of Jacinda”. I hope that is a trend.
“Farmers were encouraged by Fonterra subsidiary Farm Source Waikato to attend Monday’s march in Opposition leader Jacinda Ardern’s home town of Morrinsville, where many voiced their opposition to Labour’s plan to introduce a tax on water.
In a group email obtained by the Herald, the head of Farm Source Waikato, Paul Grave, suggested farmers and their friends and neighbours attend the gathering.
“As you may be aware, a group of Waikato farmers have organised a march in Morrinsville this Monday 18 September to highlight the environmental leadership shown by the dairy industry in our communities,” Grave said.
“The march is a great opportunity for dairy farmers to show solidarity, engage with the Waikato community, and talk about the significant improvements that have been made on-farm in recent years, and plans for further work in the future,” he said.”
Vested interest for Fonterra? Anyway it was a pretty motley protest with many of those present just local Morrinsville folk there to watch the fun. Is that the best that they can do? Ha.
Was the right thing to do at the time, but they have not lived up to their promise and I would sincerely want Fonterra to be reviewed. Haven’t seen it on the agenda so far.
Trump is no longer the Trump who ran for president. He is now just a mouthpiece for the American military machine, which is disastrous for the World. It means that the USA will set up an incident then blame the other side and go to war. This will happen anywhere they choose. They have done it countless times before. They just have to have war, war and war. Incidentally Hilary would have been no better.
PS Let’s hope they can wait till after we vote National out!
I’m off to work now. Someone else will have to tell James he is wrong!
michael barnett of auckland chamber of commerce says that the airline fuel problem could have been alleviated if better infrastructure had been in place. Demand has gone up considerably yet the reserve held in Auckland have remained the same.
Is this the same michael barnett who was one of the troika introducing the Treasury’s system of cutting government planning and regulating out and leaving it instead to business which, now who, know best how to run things efficiently?
(I say who, because companies have in past decades been given the right of being treated as ‘persons’ in law. How a company with its larger strength and capital can be equal to a person can only equate in the brain of a money maker and his lawyer.)
Is it true taxpayers are being asked to stump up for any back up plan for the pipeline? I only ask cos petrol companies do quite well financially dont they? Is AirNZ getting compensation and from whom?
I don’t know and have been wondering myself. They are starting to talk about costs which must be huge. The petrol companies own the refinery I think and probably the holding tanks. The government every now and then like to take on the oil companies that have enough reserves to release a little bit and make the pollies seem effective. So Michael Barnett being one of those cunning rats that ended up in a good possie after doing the dirty on Labour voters, will probably be thinking up something that he can write a serious history essay about that has him in a starring role.
tracey @ (12.1) … I think whoever is responsible should be up for any costs relating to this incident. Such as the company concerned for poaching swamp kauri to send to its overseas business.
No doubt Judith Collins will know what’s going on here, being Minister of energy as well as Minister for Oravida!
I was just talking about this and someone pointed out that the pipeline is supposed to be 30 years old and due for replacement each 25 years. So that has to be taken into account. I’m a bit prejudiced about the swamp kauri digging which seemed to be a perfect vicious circle.
So just in case New Zealand gets an election with no clear result and doesn’t have a government for a few months or indeed quite a few, it’s not the end of the world.
Belgium managed for more than 540 days and failed to descend into anarchy. Perhaps we could repeat the experiment, go for longer, and take our place in the Guinness Book of Records. Think of the money we could save!
Listening peripherally I thought it was a Party Political Broadcast….Kathryn did try…but sadly Bill is unable to speak in other than slogans and soundbites.
She did challenge him on the “Social Investment” issue. Bill continuously parrots this as though it is a solve-all breakthrough but Ryan said it was not working.
I wish she had simply asked “why are there so many people begging and sleeping on the streets of Auckland”.
Very noticeable when I was up there a few weeks ago.
Exactly. He ploughs on regardless of the question. Like the Jehhovva Witness folk who respond with a spiel distantly related to the question.
“Nice day today”
“Yes that is so and in the Bible Jesus says trust in the …”
I caught Dr Lance on AM this morning. I was surprised to hear him say he will be standing for the Maori Party in 2020. I think it’s an announcement that will assist their vote this election, that joker is a mana fest.
I can see him having broad appeal. I think he said something with voter appeal right across the political spectrum. Garner implied that NZ Health needs more money, O’Sullivan disagreed. He feels we need to be using the current Health budget more efficiently. Wow! A politician that doesn’t think more money is the solution. He’s not standing until 2020 and I want to hear more of what he has to say now.
I think the chap has the potential to be quite a force in NZ politics.
Yep I agree. Not convinced personally and we will see. So many Māori women and men doing so much good work – no need to focus on one individual AND it is also worth noting a persons contribution imo
Rosemary
About his outspokenness. I was up his way a year ago and stayed with some immigrants who were keen to get into some business and involved in the community. They seemed to feel that there was a torpor up there, a reluctance to change and acceptance of an unsatisfactory status quo.
What Dr Lance O’Sullivan sees would set his teeth on edge, and no doubt feels more positive stuff needs to be done instead of him being the band aid to the unhealable wound.
This was interesting and probably relates to the problems he sees and the current fuel problem up there. Digging for our roots?
“They seemed to feel that there was a torpor up there, a reluctance to change and acceptance of an unsatisfactory status quo. ”
In some small groups within some small communities maybe….but certainly not on a wider scale.
We are frequent visitors to Kaitaia and points north, and keep returning because on the whole the area retains much of what was good about NZ in times past. There is a real sense of community (has to be because of isolation issues) and a growing group of locals who are asking serious questions regarding the impacts of increasing horticulture on the environment. There is a real engagement from parents trying to support more positive educational outcomes.
There are various NGOs active in the area…trying to address some of the issues that claim the headlines…but it has frustrated me personally that Whanau Ora (as a one stop shop for assisting families with issues across multiple government departments) has been conspicuous by its absence. We have chatted with many people whose lives could have been transformed had WO been active.
AND…the Far North has the very best recycling operation, bar none, in the country. Woe betide the person who tries to pop a juice bottle in with the milk bottles or an empty margarine container in with the janitorials. They have been super sorting for years!
So why aren’t whanau ora there? What are the local Maori people doing and I think that they suffer most of the poverty there. The editor of the paper said he had things stolen from his house while he was inside. Then he saw one of the items being worn by somebody and got the police to deal with the up till then clueless case. There is activity going on but it is the wrong sort.
There is get up and go there, but how much, and can’t they find a way of getting employment and training for the young ones. Perhaps it is a place for a charter school, away from the familiar places and faces over in Kaikohe or a certain distance away. Then they can make changes in their approaches, start learning, have ambitions, take control. There is a huge downward presssure from peer groups in some places. You do more than us, learn more, and what are you? You don’t fit in. That’s not our way.
“So why aren’t whanau ora there?” Waipareira Trust were briefly in the area…they still might be but not prominently. Not on the ‘get stuck in and sort this whanau out before shit gets worse’ scale. Maybe they are being discrete.
There is a charter school in Kaitaia…not sure of the success rate…I will inquire. 😉
“There is a huge downward presssure from peer groups in some places. You do more than us, learn more, and what are you? You don’t fit in. That’s not our way.”
This. This has literally reduced me to tears in relation to some of those families.
BUT there are many families who have dug their toes in and risen up…we have met some because of the disability connection. Having a child with challenges can be a powerful motivator for many, especially mums.
Just got off the phone from a friend who was intending to vote National….largely because another friend had told her that “Labour would give all our money to the United Nations because of Helen Clarke”
This lady is a lady so I didn’t let fly with the string of expletives such a statement deserves.
I just talked about the various Party Policies on disability issues….
Rosemary
You’ve got the power! And just letting it out in little tiny bursts is so controlled and more effective. Doesn’t scare the horses! You are tops, and nothing to do with Gareth Morgan (though I don’t really dislike him. )
“… to do with Gareth Morgan (though I don’t really dislike him. )”
Hah! I threatened our very old cat with Uncle Gareth yesterday as he sunk his fangs into my arm as I tried to remove handicapping knots from his nether regions. Ingrate!
Some individuals just don’t seem to understand that one may just have their best interests at heart.
Or otherwise, have anything but their best interests at heart
it’s amazing how thick some people are , keeping in mind they all get to vote ,
I overheard an old god botherer saying that the greens want to destroy the nz economy so they can help install a one world government.
Just because someone says something, doesn’t necessarily mean they believe it to be true, That god botherer may simply have been opposed to the GP’s ideas about abortion, and been saying whatever it was that they thought would most likely convince whoever they were talking to. Of course, sometimes the shape of a person’s lies reveal more about them than the truth would.
In the past I’ve voted for Act, NZ First or National.
Our country has changed under the current National Government. I believe they’re corrupt, full of spin and self interest, focused on protecting big business at the expense of everyone else. John Key started this agenda and Bill English has followed in his footsteps.
I’ve read read The Standard for the last few years and my eyes have been opened. National must not have a fourth term or NZ future will consist of people who are either obscenely wealthy or dirt poor. Middle NZ will not exist.
I have lots of respect for people that change their politics like that because they’re paying attention to what is going on for NZ. Thanks for commenting.
I’m sorry but I don’t believe that’s true. Jacinda herself told John Campbell that Bill English personally rang her to offer his condolences. There are so many faults with Bill and the Nats without throwing unwarranted shade at them.
I’m not normally one to defend Bill English, but Jacinda Adern said on Checkpoint last night that she had been contacted directly by him giving his condolences. Credit where credit is due.
I heartily agree with the sentiment being expressed. Politics shouldn’t come into it at all.
It was that, if I have read these comments correctly, Winston felt the need to issue a Press Release about it rather than just doing it privately as it appears English did.
The only appalling taint on this sort of thing I can remember was Rob Muldoon to Norman Kirk when Kirk went into hospital for an operation just before his death. Muldoon supposedly sent him a message along the lines of “Get well soon Norm. A pensioner needs your bed”.
A horrible man was Muldoon, so the story is probably true.
It is about 2/3 of the way down this story. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=141378
“Findings from Water New Zealand’s survey, released at the industry group’s conference this morning, showed 77 per cent of the 4,500 people it polled online over a month this year agreed there should be a cost when taking water from the environment for agriculture and horticulture.
Almost three in five people – 59 per cent – believed there should be a cost when taking water from the environment for all users.
So, Benny “If you take out Saddam, I guarantee you, it would have enormous, positive reverberations on the region” Netanyahu reckons threatening to totally destroy a nation of 26 million people is bold and courageous.
In over 30 years in my experience with the UN, I never heard a bolder or more courageous speech.— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) September 19, 2017
Getting them in singles, the old cricket analogy works.
Congrats to all here who have convinced somebody to move over from the dark side.
Had a couple of victories too, a 48 year old grape pruner who has never voted or registered did so as a ” favour ” to me , I think it was just to shut me up.
And an old friend, owner of a few houses including a boarding house, which she does a very good ethical Job of but is daily fielding calls from social services at all hours to house people , said last year ” things have to change “. Switched from a lifetime of Nat voting to TOP, I didn’t disabuse her of the notion, if our side can’t have her vote it’s better that It goes in the bin.
Fingers crossed, Lets Do This.
Seems most of us know Oravida is the company involved with poaching swamp kauri in Ruakaka. Hell, they even advertise the fact digitally … Kauri Ruakaka, formerly known as Kauri Oravida!
So where is msm on this? Why isn’t media investigating the company, as possibly being responsible for the fuel crises disabling NZ at present!
Come on msm, do your job. Work on behalf of the people, not the corrupt, despicable National government! We deserve some honest answers here!
I just heard on Radio NZ news at 1pm that some are questioning how come some staff at the polliing stations are alllowed to take the boxes of votes home with them at night?????
Did anyone else hear this as it seems doggy to me althouugh some lawyer for the commission said “it is o/k as the bioxes have seals on them!! — reallly?
Who can you believe in this corrupt little NZ’s grubby crime with a constantly lying PM?
What would you prefer they do?
Seriously would you want them left for a couple of weeks in the local library or suchlike? Wouldn’t they be safer elsewhere, or do you not think any of the people involved in the election can be trusted?
I bloody went to vote at the university of otago booth today, but I didn’t have time – too many students queuing to vote!
It seems that the best voting prediction possible is that the % at the start of the night’s coverage will barely change, if half the votes have been counted alread 🙂
According to a report on Radio New Zealand they can’t start counting the early votes until 9am on Saturday. The count of the early votes is only an indication of the final result on Election Day, not the final result however.
I’ll bet they keep it very, very quiet until 7pm though.
According to RNZ
“Election officials can begin counting ‘early votes’ – the advance votes cast by voters on the printed electoral roll for the electorate they voted in – at 9 am on election day. Their count of these early votes then becomes publicly available very shortly after the polls close.
If the Electoral Commission’s predictions are accurate, this means up to half of all votes may have been counted and made public at this point. And in the previous two elections, the preference distribution of these early votes quite closely matched the final election night result.”
However they then have all the Special votes and the distribution of these doesn’t normally follow the standard votes. If, as seems possible, both The Green Party and New Zealand First are near the 5% number they will both be sweating until all the special, including the overseas, votes come in. If my memory is correct the Green Party tend to do better in the overseas votes than those in NZ. I don’t know about NZF
According to a report on Radio New Zealand they can’t start counting the early votes until 9am on Saturday.
That’s a relief. With the integrity of the National Party more and more in question, who knows what they’d get up to if they had advanced warning of the count.
I chivvied the electrician who had just gone outside to please walk a little quieter, but he didn’t know why I was saying this. He did say that he missed a step as he walked down the stairs but hadn’t felt the shake.
@Weka and @Tracey
Have a listen to “The Panel” today after the 4.30 news (if you can stomach Mora and The Hairdo) – the item on the Public Service.
Some points well made (by Tamihere in particular) – although there are plenty more.
It is probably one of the biggest issues facing future governments (I think THE biggest) if we are to preserve any semblance of a functioning democracy in future.
A shitload of departments are bad (MPI, MoBIE, MSD/WINZ, MPI, Education, Health …..)
Two, for me are standouts (as in bad)
If he seriously thinks the post-Little change is just about a smiley face, he’s the thick one.
I think it was largely about two things:
an unexpectedly high energy level; and
points of difference in the leadership that demonstrated Labour wasn’t just talking different to National, but that it is different to National. Competence rather than bullshit, generational difference, gender difference. Not a “cosmetic” change as such ( it wouldn’t work if she didn’t have the energy and assurance), but it shows the country something other than two rich middle aged white guys waffling on and pretending to score points off each other.
He’s just headline grabbing. All desperate politicians do it. See Morgan previously with ‘lipstick on a pig’, Peters just about every day, and Seymour’s ‘fucking idiot’.
garrrreth – remember don’t be an arrogant dick ALL the time
Three days ago I made a ‘friends only’ post on my personal Facebook page saying I believe we should be voting on ideas and policies not personalities and tribal affiliations this election. It also said I like some TOP policy. I had no idea what was coming.
My Facebook post was immediately picked up by TOP. Based on my ‘endorsement’ they issued a press release which claimed I’d “sent them a statement”
” Dr Brady said that after watching China’s growing influence for several years, it was time for a special commission to investigate its impact on New Zealand’s democracy.
… recent revelations that National Party MP Dr Jian Yang did not declare his background in military intelligence when applying for citizenship are extremely concerning.
” there was deep concern among her international colleagues at the conference that China is meddling in the affairs of their respective countries, Australia, the US, UK, Canada, EU states and Japan.
China was using the same tactics in most of those countries, including New Zealand. They included:
– Gaining influence over Chinese migrants living in other countries (10 million Chinese live outside China).
– Taking over or integrating the local ethnic Chinese media with the Chinese media controlled by the Communist Party.
– Encouraging local Chinese who are acceptable to the Chinese government to enter politics in their host countries and if elected getting them to promote China’s interests.
– Appoint former local MPs with access to political power to high profile roles in Chinese companies or Chinese-funded entities in the host country.”
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A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 10, 2021 through Sat, Jan 16, 2021Editor's ChoiceNASA says 2020 tied for hottest year on record — here’s what you can do to helpPhoto by Michael Held on Unsplash ...
Health authorities in Norway are reporting some concerns about deaths in frail elderly after receiving their COVID-19 vaccine. Is this causally related to the vaccine? Probably not but here are the things to consider. According to the news there have been 23 deaths in Norway shortly after vaccine administration and ...
Happy New Year! No, experts are not concerned that “…one of New Zealand’s COIVD-1( vaccines will fail to protect the country” Here is why. But first I wish to issue an expletive about this journalism (First in Australia and then in NZ). It exhibits utter failure to actually truly consult ...
All nations have shadows; some acknowledge them. For others they shape their image in uncomfortable ways.The staunch Labour supporter was in despair at what her Rogernomics Government was doing. But she finished ‘at least, we got rid of Muldoon’, a response which tells us that then, and today, one’s views ...
Grigori GuitchountsIn November, Springer Nature, one of the world’s largest publishers of scientific journals, made an attention-grabbing announcement: More than 30 of its most prestigious journals, including the flagship Nature, will now allow authors to pay a fee of US$11,390 to make their papers freely available for anyone to read ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe, Henry Jacoby, Richard Richels, and Benjamin Santer Imagine a major climate change law passing the U.S. Congress unanimously? Don’t bother. It turns out that you don’t need to imagine it. Get this: The Global Change Research Act of 1990 was passed ...
“They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”WHO CAN FORGET the penultimate scene of the 1956 movie classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The wild-eyed doctor, stumbling down the highway, trying desperately to warn his fellow citizens: “They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”Ostensibly science-fiction, the movie ...
TheOneRing.Net has got its paws on the official synopsis of the upcoming Amazon Tolkien TV series. It’s a development that brings to mind the line about Sauron deliberately releasing Gollum from the dungeons of Barad-dûr. Amazon knew exactly what they were doing here, in terms of drumming up publicity: ...
Since Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953, US presidents have joined an informal club intended to provide support - and occasionally rivalry - between those few who have been ‘leaders of the free world’. Donald Trump, elected on a promise to ‘drain the swamp’ and a constant mocker of his predecessors, ...
For over a decade commentators have noted the rise of a new brand of explicitly ideological politics throughout the world. By this they usually refer to the re-emergence of national populism and avowedly illiberal approaches to governance throughout the “advanced” democratic community, but they also extend the thought to the ...
The US House of Representatives has just impeached Donald Trump, giving him the dubious honour of being the only US President to be impeached twice. Ten Republicans voted for impeachement, making it the most bipartisan impeachment ever. The question now is whether the Senate will rise to the occasion, and ...
Kieren Mitchell; Alice Mouton, Université de Liège; Angela Perri, Durham University, and Laurent Frantz, Ludwig Maximilian University of MunichThanks to the hit television series Game of Thrones, the dire wolf has gained a near-mythical status. But it was a real animal that roamed the Americas for at least 250,000 ...
Tide of tidal data rises Having cast our own fate to include rising sea level, there's a degree of urgency in learning the history of mean sea level in any given spot, beyond idle curiosity. Sea level rise (SLR) isn't equal from one place to another and even at a particular ...
Well, some of those chickens sure came home bigly, didn’t they… and proceeded to shit all over the nice carpet in the Capitol. What we were seeing here are societal forces that have long had difficulty trying to reconcile people to the “idea” of America and the reality of ...
In the wake of Donald Trump's incitement of an assault on the US capitol, Twitter finally enforced its terms of service and suspended his account. They've since followed that up with action against prominent QAnon accounts and Trumpers, including in New Zealand. I'm not unhappy with this: Trump regularly violated ...
Peter S. Ross, University of British ColumbiaThe Arctic has long proven to be a barometer of the health of our planet. This remote part of the world faces unprecedented environmental assaults, as climate change and industrial chemicals threaten a way of life for Inuit and other Indigenous and northern ...
Susan St John makes the case for taxing a deemed rate of return on excessive real estate holdings (after a family home exemption), to redirect scarce housing resources to where they are needed most. Read the full article here ...
I’m less than convinced by arguments that platforms like Twitter should be subject to common carrier regulation preventing them from being able to decide who to keep on as clients of their free services, and who they would not like to serve. It’s much easier to create competition for the ...
The hypocritical actions of political leaders throughout the global Covid pandemic have damaged public faith in institutions and governance. Liam Hehir chronicles the way in which contemporary politicians have let down the public, and explains how real leadership means walking the talk. During the Blitz, when German bombs were ...
Over the years, we've published many rebuttals, blog posts and graphics which came about due to direct interactions with the scientists actually carrying out the underlying research or being knowledgable about a topic in general. We'll highlight some of these interactions in this blog post. We'll start with two memorable ...
Yesterday we had the unseemly sight of a landleech threatening to keep his houses empty in response to better tenancy laws. Meanwhile in Catalonia they have a solution for that: nationalisation: Barcelona is deploying a new weapon in its quest to increase the city’s available rental housing: the power ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters, PhD The 2020 global wildfire season brought extreme fire activity to the western U.S., Australia, the Arctic, and Brazil, making it the fifth most expensive year for wildfire losses on record. The year began with an unprecedented fire event ...
NOTE: This is an excerpt from a digital story – read the full story here.Tess TuxfordKo te Kauri Ko Au, Ko te Au ko Kauri I am the kauri, the kauri is me Te Roroa proverb In Waipoua Forest, at the top of the North Island, New ...
Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Coming attraction: IPCC's upcoming major climate assessmentLook for more emphasis on 'solutions,' efforts by cities, climate equity ... and outlook for emissions cuts in ...
Ringing A Clear Historical Bell: The extraordinary images captured in and around the US Capitol Building on 6 January 2021 mirror some of the worst images of America's past.THERE IS A SCENE in the 1982 movie Missing which has remained with me for nearly 40 years. Directed by the Greek-French ...
To impact or not to impeach? I understand why some of those who are justifiably aghast at Trump’s behaviour over recent days might still counsel against impeaching him for a second time. To impeach him, they argue, would run the risk of making him a martyr in the eyes of ...
The Capitol Building, Washington DC, Wednesday, 6 January 2021. Oh come, my little one, come.The day is almost done.Be at my side, behold the sightOf evening on the land.The life, my love, is hardAnd heavy is my heart.How should I live if you should leaveAnd we should be apart?Come, let me ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 3, 2021 through Sat, Jan 9, 2021Editor's ChoiceAfter the Insurrection: Accountability, Reform, and the Science of Democracy The poisonous lies and enablers of sedition--including Senator Hawley, pictured ...
This article, guest authored by Prof. Angela Gallego-Sala & Dr. Julie Loisel, was originally published on the Carbon Brief website on Dec 21, 2020. It is reposted below in its entirety. Click here to access the original article and comments. Peatlands Peatlands are ecosystems unlike any other. Perpetually saturated, their ...
The assault on the US Capitol and constitutional crisis that it has caused was telegraphed, predictable and yet unexpected and confusing. There are several subplots involved: whether the occupation of the Michigan State House in May was a trial run for the attacks on Congress; whether people involved in the ...
On Christmas Eve, child number 1 spotted a crack in a window. It’s a double-glazed window, and inspection showed that the small, horizontal crack was in the outermost pane. It was perpendicular to the frame, about three-quarters of the way up one side. The origins are a mystery. It MIGHT ...
Anne-Marie Broudehoux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Will the COVID-19 pandemic prompt a shift to healthier cities that focus on wellness rather than functional and economic concerns? This is a hypothesis that seems to be supported by several researchers around the world. In many ways, containment and physical distancing ...
Does the US need to strike a grand bargain with like-minded countries to pool their efforts? What does this tell us about today’s global politics? Perhaps the most remarkable editorial of last year was the cover leader of the London Economist on 19 November 2020. Shortly after Joe Biden was ...
Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato and Valmaine Toki, University of WaikatoAotearoa New Zealand likes to think it punches above its weight internationally, but there is one area where we are conspicuously falling behind — the number of sites recognised by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Globally, there are 1,121 ...
An event organised by the Auckland PhilippinesSolidarity group Have a three-course lunch at Nanam Eatery with us! Help support the organic farming of our Lumad communities through the Mindanao Community School Agricultural Foundation. Each ticket is $50. Food will be served on shared plates. To purchase, please email phsolidarity@gmail.com or ...
"Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here." Prisons are places of unceasing emotional and physical violence, unrelieved despair and unforgivable human waste.IT WAS NATIONAL’S Bill English who accurately described New Zealand’s prisons as “fiscal and moral failures”. On the same subject, Labour’s Dr Martyn Findlay memorably suggested that no prison ...
This is a re-post from Inside Climate News by Ilana Cohen. Inside Climate News is a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for the ICN newsletter here. Whether or not people accept the science on Covid-19 and climate change, both global crises will have lasting impacts on health and ...
. . American Burlesque As I write this (Wednesday evening, 6 January), the US Presidential election is all but resolved, confirming Joe Biden as the next President of the (Dis-)United State of America. Trump’s turbulent political career has lasted just four years – one of the few single-term US presidents ...
The session started off so well. Annalax – suitably chastised – spent a pleasant morning with his new girlfriend (he would say paramour, of course, but for our purposes, girlfriend is easier*). He told her about Waking World Drow, and their worship of Her Ladyship. And he started ...
In a recent column I wrote for local newspapers, I ventured to suggest that Donald Trump – in addition to being a liar and a cheat, and sexist and racist – was a fascist in the making and would probably try, if he were to lose the election, to defy ...
When I was preparing for my School C English exam I knew I needed some quotes to splash through my essays. But remembering lines was never my strong point, so I tended to look for the low-hanging fruit. We’d studied Shakespeare’s King Lear that year and perhaps the lowest hanging ...
When I went to bed last night, I was expecting today to be eventful. A lot of pouting in Congress as last-ditch Trumpers staged bad-faith "objections" to a democratic election, maybe some rioting on the streets of Washington DC from angry Trump supporters. But I wasn't expecting anything like an ...
Melted ice of the past answers question today? Kate Ashley and a large crew of coauthors wind back the clock to look at Antarctic sea ice behavior in times gone by, in Mid-Holocene Antarctic sea-ice increase driven by marine ice sheet retreat. For armchair scientists following the Antarctic sea ice situation, something jumps out in ...
Christina SzalinskiWhen Martha Field became pregnant in 2005, a singular fear weighed on her mind. Not long before, as a Cornell University graduate student researching how genes and nutrients interact to cause disease, she had seen images of unborn mouse pups smaller than her pinkie nail, some with ...
A growing public housing waiting list and continued increase of house prices must be urgently addressed by Government, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today. ...
As we welcome in the new year, our focus is on continuing to keep New Zealanders safe and moving forward with our economic recovery. There’s a lot to get on with, but before we say a final goodbye to 2020, here’s a quick look back at some of the milestones ...
A major investment to tackle wilding pines in Mt Richmond will create jobs and help protect the area’s unique ecosystems, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor says. The Mt Richmond Forest Park has unique ecosystems developed on mineral-rich geology, including taonga plant species found nowhere else in the country. “These special plant ...
To further protect New Zealand from COVID-19, the Government is extending pre-departure testing to all passengers to New Zealand except from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The change will come into force for all flights arriving in New Zealand after 11:59pm (NZT) on Monday ...
Bay Conservation Cadets launched with first intake Supported with $3.5 million grant Part of $1.245b Jobs for Nature programme to accelerate recover from Covid Cadets will learn skills to protect and enhance environment Environment Minister David Parker today welcomed the first intake of cadets at the launch of the Bay ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown have announced passengers from the Cook Islands can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from 21 January, enabling access to essential services such as health. “Following confirmation of the Cook Islands’ COVID ...
Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners to employ staff and contractors in a move aimed at boosting local biodiversity-focused projects, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has announced. It is estimated some 400-plus jobs will be created with employment opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, ...
The Government has approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in stages from April 2021. “Our top priority continues ...
Today’s deal between Meridian and Rio Tinto for the Tiwai smelter to remain open another four years provides time for a managed transition for Southland. “The deal provides welcome certainty to the Southland community by protecting jobs and incomes as the region plans for the future. The Government is committed ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has appointed Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The leader of each APEC economy appoints three private sector representatives to ABAC. ABAC provides advice to leaders annually on business priorities. “ABAC helps ensure that APEC’s work programme is informed by business community perspectives ...
The Government’s prudent fiscal management and strong policy programme in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been acknowledged by the credit rating agency Fitch. Fitch has today affirmed New Zealand’s local currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook and foreign currency rating at AA with a positive ...
The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, it’s clear that ...
$36 million of Government funding alongside councils and others for 19 projects Investment will clean up and protect waterways and create local jobs Boots on the ground expected in Q2 of 2021 Funding part of the Jobs for Nature policy package A package of 19 projects will help clean up ...
The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. “The Battle at Te Ruapekapeka Pā, which took ...
Babies born with tongue-tie will be assessed and treated consistently under new guidelines released by the Ministry of Health, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Around 5% to 10% of babies are born with a tongue-tie, or ankyloglossia, in New Zealand each year. At least half can ...
The prisoner disorder event at Waikeria Prison is over, with all remaining prisoners now safely and securely detained, Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says. The majority of those involved in the event are members of the Mongols and Comancheros. Five of the men are deportees from Australia, with three subject to ...
Travellers from the United Kingdom or the United States bound for New Zealand will be required to get a negative test result for COVID-19 before departing, and work is underway to extend the requirement to other long haul flights to New Zealand, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. “The new PCR test requirement, foreshadowed last ...
Kate Wills is facing stage four cancer with the same fierce approach she takes into her ocean swimming - never say can't. Even on the mornings Kate Wills feels wretched from her fortnightly chemotherapy treatment, she drags herself up at 5am and goes swimming. “I have to. It’s my job – to ...
Some costs associated with meetings speak for themselves, others are less conspicuous. Victoria University of Wellington's Val Hooper lays those costs out, making suggestions on where we can rein them in. Meetings – when last did we count the costs? And so it’s back to work and one of the ...
Andrew Paul Wood assesses the best-selling picture book by Grahame Sydney It's no great secret the commercially very successful Grahame Sydney has a long-standing beef that his work doesn’t receive more critical and institutional approval. I sympathise about the lack of critical attention, but I can understand why. The Discourse™ ...
This story was produced in collaboration with the Center for Public Integrity and Columbia Journalism Investigations. It was originally published by Public Integrity, Mother Jones, The Arizona Republic and Orlando Sentinel. It is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the ...
Analysis: It has been easy to ignore anyone daring to criticise or even question any aspect of the government’s Covid-19 response. Their voices have rarely been heard, and when they have been raised they have been quickly and decisively howled down by the favoured coterie of academics. ...
In 10 x 100, we survey a group of 100 people via Stickybeak and ask them 10 questions. Last month we quizzed Wellingtonians. Today, we ask NZ drivers how they’ve found a holiday period without international tourists, and what they get up to while they’re on the road.Across Aotearoa roads ...
Emmanuel Macron's anti-separatist policies have garnered backlash from the international Muslim community. Now, a global coalition has complained to the UN. ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as they go on an odyssey of women’s rage, and find out how we can channel our anger into good. First published September 15, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by ...
By Lorraine Ecarma in Cebu City The University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) will continue to stand against any threats to human rights, chancellor Clement Camposano has declared in response to the termination of a long-standing accord preventing military incursion on campus. In a Facebook post, Camposano said the academic ...
ANALYSIS:By Jennifer S. Hunt, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit different. If the last US presidential inauguration in 2017 debuted the phrase “alternative facts”, the ...
By Lulu Mark in Port Moresby In spite of Papua New Guinea’s mandatory mask-wearing requirement under the National Pandemic Act 2020, many public servants attending a dedication service in Port Moresby have failed to wear one. They were issued masks before entering the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex but took ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University How do scabs form? — Talila, aged 8 Great question, Talila! Our skin has many different jobs. One is to act as a barrier, protecting us from harmful things in the ...
US President Donald Trump is pardoning former White House adviser Steve Bannon, who is accused of fraud in a case involving funds for the border wall. ...
Joel Little with Lorde, Dera Meelan with Church & AP, Josh Fountain with Maala and Randa and Benee – producers make good songs great. Now a new fund from NZ on Air is putting the focus on them.Six months ago it looked like the music industry was on the brink ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denise Buiten, Senior Lecturer in Social Justice and Sociology, University of Notre Dame Australia On average, one child is killed by a parent almost every fortnight in Australia. Last week, three children — Claire, 7, Anna, 5, and Matthew, 3 — were ...
This commendable and realistic decision again underlines that it is the police, not government, who are largely responsible for the reduction in cannabis prosecutions over the past 15 years, writes Russell Brown.The news that New Zealand police have discontinued the annual Helicopter Recovery Operation, which has, each summer for more ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ilan Noy, Professor and Chair in the Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington We will not be able to put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us until the world’s population is mostly immune through vaccination ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s US inauguration live blog: inauguration news, analysis and reaction, updated throughout Wednesday and Thursday, NZ time. Reach me at catherine@thespinoff.co.nz.4.00pm: What will Trump be doing tomorrow?It’s pretty well known by now that outgoing president Donald Trump intends to throw out the rulebook when it comes to ...
The Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance is calling out Mayor Phil Goff for his undignified comment that the claim made by Councillor Greg Sayers asking why Auckland Council is funding yoga classes is “bullshit.” Yesterday, Councillor Greg Sayers penned ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne At 4am Thursday AEDT, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be inaugurated as president and vice president of the United States, replacing Donald Trump and Mike Pence. What follows is ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission. New Zealanders flocked to beaches and lakes this summer, but it wasn't enough to fill the gap left by international tourists in other regions. The tourism industry is struggling to fill a $6 billion hole left by international tourists ...
Summer reissue: Chef Monique Fiso joins us for a chat about Hiakai – her acclaimed Wellington restaurant, and the title of her stunning new book.First published November 3, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members – click here to learn ...
A new trough was brought to our attention this morning, although ethnicity will limit the numbers of eligible applicants. If you are non-Maori, it looks like you shouldn’t bother getting into the queue – but who knows?We learned of the trough from the Scoop website, where the Kapiti ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Britta Denise Hardesty, Principal Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, CSIRO Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing costs economies up to US$50 billion globally each year, and makes up to one-fifth of the global catch. It’s a huge problem not only for the ...
Police stopping major cannabis eradication operations has given the green light to drug dealers and gangs to expand operations, make more profit, and continue to wreak havoc on the most vulnerable in our society, says Sensible Sentencing Trust. ...
Varieties of merino wool footwear are emerging faster than Netflix series about British aristocracy. Michael Andrew takes a look at the rise of the shoe that almost everyone – including his 95-year-old grandma – is wearing.Some might say it all started with Allbirds. After all, to the average consumer, it ...
A new report from New Zealand’s Independent Monitoring Mechanism (IMM) highlights the realities and challenges disabled people faced during the COVID-19 emergency. The report, Making Disability Rights Real in a Pandemic, Te Whakatinana i ngā Tika ...
The Maritime Union is questioning the reasons provided for ongoing delays at the Ports of Auckland. Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Craig Harrison says there is a need for an honest conversation about what has gone wrong at the ...
As New Zealand faces a dire shortage of veterinarians, a petition has been launched urging the Government to reclassify veterinarians as critical workers so we can Get Vets into NZ. “New Zealand desperately needs veterinarians from overseas to counter ...
New Zealand is fast developing a reputation as a South Pacific vandal, says Greenpeace, as the government continues to fight against increased ocean protection. At the upcoming meeting of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), ...
The Department of Internal Affairs and Netsafe are urging parents and caregivers to be mindful of the online content their tamariki may be consuming in the lead up to the inauguration of president-elect of the United States of America Joe Biden ...
Care is at the centre of Auckland Zoo’s mandate, and it’s clear to see when you witness the staff doing their day-to-day jobs up close. Leonie Hayden went behind the scenes to talk to two people who would do anything for the animals they look after. “We were having this ...
The Game Animal Council (GAC) is applying its expertise in the use of firearms for hunting to work alongside Police, other agencies and stakeholder groups to improve the compliance provisions for hunters and other firearms users. The GAC has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Verica Rupar, Professor, Auckland University of Technology “The lie outlasts the liar,” writes historian Timothy Snyder, referring to outgoing president Donald Trump and his contribution to the “post-truth” era in the US. Indeed, the mass rejection of reason that erupted in a ...
The internet ain’t what it used to be, thanks to privacy issues, data leaks, censorship and hate speech. But a group of New Zealanders are working on a way to give power back to the people. A flood of headlines over the last week made it clear: the internet has become ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Brooks, Scientia Professor of Evolutionary Ecology; Academic Lead of UNSW’s Grand Challenges Program, UNSW The views of women and men can differ on important gendered issues such as abortion, gender equity and government spending priorities. Surprisingly, however, average differences in sex ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer S. Hunt, Lecturer in National Security, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Every four years on January 20, the US exercises a key tenant of democratic government: the peaceful transfer of power. This year, the scene looks a bit ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle In Australia and around the world, research is showing changes in body weight, cooking, eating and drinking patterns associated with COVID lockdowns. Some changes have been positive, such as people cooking ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hao Tan, Associate professor, University of Newcastle Australian coal exports to China plummeted last year. While this is due in part to recent trade tensions between Australia and China, our research suggests coal plant closures are a bigger threat to Australia’s export ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Asha Bowen, Head, Skin Health, Telethon Kids Institute A year ago, in late January 2020, Australia reported its first cases of COVID-19. Since then, we have seen almost 29,000 confirmed cases and 909 deaths. As cases climbed in Australian cities in 2020, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kevin Davis, Emeritus Professor of Finance, University of Melbourne Political pressure forced the federal government in 2017 – when Scott Morrison was treasurer – to call the royal commission into misconduct in the banking, superannuation and financial services sector. Commissioner Kenneth Hayne ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Ellis, Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Newcastle, University of Newcastle The Rise and Fall of Saint George is a story about place, belonging and community that taps into universal tensions of identity and faith in multicultural societies. Playing for ...
An in-depth analysis of media coverage of the euthanasia and cannabis referendums has found that while both sides of the euthanasia referendum were given reasonably fair and balanced coverage, the YES position in the cannabis debate received a heavily ...
*This article was originally published on RNZ and is republished with permission Auckland has no plans to hand over the ownership of it assets under the government's planned water reforms, with Auckland Mayor Phil Goff saying his top priority is to ensure it stacks up for the city. Despite ...
Auckland Transport is putting nine new electric buses on the roads today, as it dramatically accelerates its plans to get rid of all its diesel buses – in a funding challenge to the council. Public transport operators are being told to not buy any more diesel buses or risk losing their council ...
Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as they find out exactly what we’re voting on in the cannabis referendum, and discover how legalising weed is a women’s issue.First published August 4, 2020.Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is ...
A principal analyst for the Climate Change Commission says more needs to be done to reduce agricultural emissions or the country will miss its methane targets. ...
New Zealand needs to be bold in making developers enhance the environment - not just limit its degradation, writes Stephen Knight-Lenihan All human activity should help restore the natural world. This is a concept that may resonate following the upheavals of 2020 and one which is beginning to appear in law. Imagine ...
Derek Challis, son of the legendary author Robin Hyde, died last Thursday. Michelle Leggott pays tribute He opens a suitcase and there they are, the precious manuscript notebooks written by his poet mother Iris Wilkinson aka Robin Hyde. We are in Dunedin for a Hyde conference. Yes, says Derek Arden ...
Former New Zealand gymnast Katya Nosova is now a champion bodybuilder, who was prepared to spend Christmas alone in quarantine to compete in the 'Olympics' of her sport. Katya Nosova was willing to do everything she could to pose on the world stage in her third Ms Olympia. Despite a ...
Concerts and some sports look likely to be on the move in Auckland after a big win for Eden Park – and politicians and officials may now want to win the public some control over the independent stadium. The advent of big concerts at Eden Park will, in all likelihood, mean ...
Despite promises of improvement, questions remain about colonoscopy services in Otago and Southland.David Williams reports The apology, when it came, was fulsome. “On behalf of the Southern DHB, I offer a sincere apology for lapses and inadequacies in colonoscopy services over the past several years,” district health board chair ...
The issues political editor Justin Giovannetti will be keeping an eye on in 2021 (that have nothing to do with Covid-19).New Zealand will be busy in 2021. The border will remain closed to nearly all travellers and Covid-19 will continue to lead the news, but the country has a packed ...
A former case manager says that his experience working with beneficiaries suggests claims of a ‘complete shift’ in the service’s approach are laughable.A former Work and Income case manager who now works with beneficiaries engaging with the service has spoken out on a “toxic” culture which he says denies beneficiaries ...
ACC Minister Carmel Sepuloni must confirm whether the Government supports ACC’s apparent policy to make payouts for illegal overstayers , says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Union spokesman Jordan Williams says, “Since when was it ACC policy to ...
By RNZ News An independent panel says Chinese officials could have applied public health measures more forcefully in January to curb the initial covid-19 outbreak, and criticised the World Health Organisation (WHO) for not declaring an international emergency until 30 January. The experts reviewing the global handling of the pandemic, ...
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk Fiji’s NGO Coalition on Human Rights has called for stronger accountability and commitment to human rights at home in response to the country taking the world stage as the head of a UN body. The UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) elected Fiji’s ambassador Nazhat Shameem as ...
Danyl McLauchlan reviews Stuart Ritchie’s Science Fictions, which outlines the staggering systemic flaws in the funding and publication of scientific papers. Back in August of 2006 a number of New Zealand scientists were caught up in a media controversy about whether Māori had a genetic predisposition towards violent crime. It kicked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago America is currently experiencing its worst political and constitutional crisis since the civil war when the very survival of Abraham Lincoln’s government “of, by and for the people” was at stake. On ...
Manaaki Rangatahi report that young people experiencing homelessness are being further traumatized within the emergency accommodation where they have sought safety. Often these environments are unsafe, and unsuitable for young people to live in, and rangatahi ...
Can you figure out which of the above is the real Jacinda Ardern? Probably! But one day, that might not be true.There are many reasons to believe the internet shouldn’t exist. Social media empires exerting, intentionally or not, their control over sovereign governments. Baby Shark. Your aunt on Facebook.It pains ...
The Point of Order Ministers on a Mission Monitor has flickered only fleetingly for much of the month. More than once, the minister to trigger it has been David Parker, who set it off again yesterday with an announcement that shows how he has been spending our money. He welcomed ...
Ban Bomb Day event at the New Brighton Pier, 9am, on January 22nd, 2021 January 22nd, 2021, marks the first day the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) Enters into Force and becomes international law. Aotearoa NZ is one of the ...
Why are New Zealand’s 2 Minute Noodles called 3 Minute Noodles in the UK? It’s a puzzle that has taken hold of Dylan Reeve and refuses to let go.I’m a child of the 80s and 90s. I watched a lot of TV and was a big fan of aggressively marketed ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonatan A Lassa, Senior Lecturer, Humanitarian Emergency and Disaster Management, College of Indigenous Futures, Arts and Society, Charles Darwin University News of storms battering parts of Queensland and the threat posed by Cyclone Kimi reminded me of a recent experience I’d had. ...
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that the use of force to effect the arrest of a wanted offender in Auckland was justified and proportionate to the risk he posed. A man, who was well known to Police, was wanted by Police for an aggravated ...
A distinctly colonial institution, banking has long ignored te ao Māori. Teaho Pihama believes investment in tikanga Māori at Kiwibank can have significant, positive outcomes for Māori.In early 90s Tāmaki Makaurau, when Teahooterangi (Teaho) Pihama was growing up riding his bike around the streets of Kingsland until the streetlights came ...
Donald Trump’s awful presidency expires at midday on Wednesday [US time] when Air Force One will have deposited him in Florida. He retreats to his Mar-a-Lago resort and Joseph R Biden Junior takes command of the White House. Trump’s has been an unpleasant presidency, brought about largely by his own ...
The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) has elected its National President for 2021. The election took place last Friday at an NZUSA Special General Meeting (SGM) in Wellington. Andrew Lessells, 22, was elected to serve as the National ...
Think twice before you accept that surprise school reunion invite, writes Chris Schulz.It started with a Facebook notification. A school reunion was being organised. It sounded fun, with a fancy dress party set to be held in the city where I grew up, Whanganui. I hadn’t seen some of my ...
When Caribbean islands which normally might experience a category 5 hurricane once every five or ten years, get 2 category 5s in less than a month, we’ve moved beyond Climate Change.
It’s time we started using George Monibot’s term: CLIMATE BREAKDOWN!
http://www.monbiot.com/2013/10/04/climate-breakdown/
And we have that IDIOT at the UNITED NATIONS PISSING IN THE WIND.
We will lead the World into Paradigm shift and combat climate change instead of that dum ass war on each other.
Yes Hilary you are on my list of strong Lady leaders I admire and our women will aspire to and take charge of OUR future
Well because trump is going on a america first policy’s don’t you think he should stop imposing his neo liberals shit Views on the rest of the WORLD
Don’t worry I’m a happy Married Man and Grandfather and my family comes first.
Also in the Guardian – this piece: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/19/hurricane-maria-caribbean-oecd-aid-rules-assistance
Rules need to change. And if the OECD won’t – where’s the Commonwealth on this? Or do we only notice the minnows for sporting events?
Three hurricanes in a row and we’re two months away from the ‘end’ of the hurricane season. Scary-bad.
So Nat’s infrastructure plan had roads and stadiums being more important than oil pipeline from north to Auckland.
Key failure.
And another Key failure: benefit sanctions.
Newshub’s Lisa Owen reports, what we already knew, but now there’s hard evidence:
Yeah this section if the Act penalises people who take on responsibility where nobody else will.
The penalty only exists when a child is kept by one parent (and of course that child will suffer by extension…as if all the statstics on single parent families and the disadvantage to the child weren’t enough if a handicap the government decides to fuck these kids over even more). It doesn’t apply if the child goes elsewhere like a foster home or extended family.
If you agree that the best place for children is with their own parent, then it is totally inappropriate to penalise sole families in this way.
The penalty can be lifted by swearing an affidavit stating your child was a result of rape/incest.
Why would anyone think this is acceptable to force a parent to make such a choice? What if the child had political ambitions or became famous?
And why (in general – there will always be exceptions) should the father not be named so he can be held to account to make payments for the child?
Why bother naming the father when there is no evidence that it improves payment rates. You are essentially punishing both the parent and the child for no reason.
I asked why not first ……
Why might people not want to name fathers? They may know that the father is in no position to make payments and not want to put them in the line of fire for MSD. The father may have questionable citizenship. There are plenty of reasons why a mother may not want to name a father.
Can you give one valid reason for why they should have too? There is no evidence that it improves payment rates. If you want to punish people you have to have a valid goal. This policy does not appear to have one.
because there’s no point to it because there’s no evidence it improves payment rates.
But fathers not paying when named came before this section so, you first. Why don’t we recover from fathers very well James?
Because demanding a name abuses your victim’s human rights. Personally I think you should be held accountable for that.
How is father a victim?
Morning James, from a womans point of view……
Imagine pregnancy via a stranger raping you, and you decide to keep the child, how on earth are you going to name a stranger. And would you really want your child knowing what they were the result of OR knowing their father (even if you knew his name), if the father did such an act.
Another scenario… pregnant via a one night stand. See guys have no problem with one night stands, possibly because they can’t get pregnant, a one night stand where you only remember their first name, and the guy might not even remember you cause you were both drunk.
Need any more examples? It’s not as cut and dry as some may think.
And who suffers the most, the child and the mother who knows she doesn’t know the name of the father and as if it’s not hard enough being a solo mum, they have even less money to feed their child.
I did say “in general” as there are always exceptions.
As for rape – of course this should never be named – as is already allowed for.
As for one night stands – you miss the point that the woman seems to have no issue with it as well – its not just the guys
But what about people who have kids with people they know and NOT as a result of abuse etc? Why should they NOT be named?
In general?
How about not naming the father is because you’ve been threatened with having the living daylights beaten out of you (given NZs domestic violence rates that’s not an unlikely scenario), or the threat of a custody dispute with any history you’ve ever had being publicised or lied about. Or the father simply denying it was him and putting forward several other names to shame the mother as well as avoid responsibility.
How about you answer my easy question first ?
But what about people who have kids with people they know and NOT as a result of abuse etc? Why should they NOT be named?
Already answered. It’s called “freedom of expression”.
“How about you answer my easy question first ?”
How about answering these easy questions?
How does any child cost $20/wk less to take care of? (putting aside the chronic underfunding for the moment)
How do letters on a form in the father’s name make a practical difference?
How do you justify this requirement when evidence provided by MSD shows there is no benefit to this request?
Why do you think you need to know, apart from your need to know?
From what I’ve seen James, fear. Foregoing a portion of a benefit is infinitely preferable to living in fear of a violent man who resents being on the hook for a fifth or more of his after tax income.
“But what about people who have kids with people they know and NOT as a result of abuse etc?
I just did. These things can (and do) happen when a relationship breaks up.
You obviously know who these women are so answer this.
Who are the women who are in this situation? How many are there? What are their names?
Punishing children through this section hasn’t worked. What next James?
Often drunk chicks give in to male pressure and just do it to get it over and done with, so they aren’t hassled and gropped any more. Which sucks, and is really really common.
Anyways… why should they not be named? Because the mother feels there would be no emotional benefit to the child from doing so, Miravox provides a fantastic example on that. Maybe later they might change their mind and name the father, and that’s ok.
James. have you ever had a one night stand, there may be a little James out there somewhere.
James has vouched for ‘public toilet sex ‘ in the past …..
So God knows who what and where he has stuck it in ……
He says “don’t knock it”
But to solo mums he’d like to sock it ……..
James would go to the authorities and demand to be on the birth certificate and then he would pay all the arrears. Right James?
Are you sure when they say they were raped they do not get questioned about why they didnt press charges.
Why are men not naming themselves James?
Do you really not understand that it’s the mother’s human rights you’re proposing (salivating, probably) to abuse?
He’s a National voter and apparently believes the way that Paula Bennett believes – that some people have less rights than others.
There is the possibility that he understands all to well.
I am sure most fathers know they have become fathers, wonder why they don’t come forward?
If we are not holding to account so many men whose names we know, why add to the list?
We fail to hold to account those whose names we do know. Why is that James
They have also systematically ignored evidence in education. Starting with NS… all the way through to Open plan teaching and digital curriculum.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@future-learning/2017/08/09/41927/why-no-one-wants-to-teach-in-new-zealand
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/@future-learning/2017/07/20/39380/digital-technology-in-the-classroom-a-teachers-perspective
Released before the election but we didn’t publish it or their blocking of it til after the election…
Apologies to MSM I allready new that you would not be able to grasp my reality as you are human’s to.There are people out there that no what I have said to be fact. But the positives out come hopefully is that OUR youth will keep out of the shit .
Now all of OUR export based organisations and people working for them If I was YOU
I would get a subscription to pay and support Joseph Parker Campaign to Dominate the WORLD heavy weight boxing .
AS THIS WILL BE THE CHEAPEST WAY TO ADVERTISE NEW ZEALAND AND YOUR EXPORT PRODUCTS TO THE WORLD I will get one because I Love OUR beautiful country
Sorry Mate. Joseph Parker – while I’m sure he’s a nice guy just isn’t upto the class required for top level boxing.
That’s why outside NZ very few people pay for his fights.
fish
Ummmmm ……… goat ? I assume we are playing a game naming random animals.
funny you picked that one lol Freudian slip methinks
When asked, Key said, “eel”. English, “turnip”.
Jacinda went with “unicorn”
One of my favourite Lange stories….
A journalist trotting alongside him as he paced towards something more important to do. “A quick word please Mr Lange.”
David said “Wombat”
LoL He was a brilliant and funny man
Touche
James. Same as English?—nice guy just isn’t up to the class required for top level politics —
Perhaps James is English?
I think there are two polls out this evening. I predict they will close a bit from being so far spark over the last few weeks.
But who knows – polling has been crazy.
I predict:
National up a little
Labour down a little
Greens down in the real danger zone of being wiped out (5-6%)
NZ first a little higher than the greens but not by much.
All Blacks 3, England, nil.
Good try Robert my wee puppy dog.
But it was the lions tour I got wrong not England. Your memory is going – it must be an age thing.
LOL
Probably right. National will probably end up taking this out.
Im hoping Im wrong, but I don’t want to be too dissapointed on election night.
There will be some really hard questions about where to go from here after this.
Millsy, the feeling for change is way, way too strong out there.
Cup half full.
Worrying about any other possibility is a waste of energy, energy you will need for celebrating on Saturday night 😀
Wisdom from Alan
+ 1 yep
Help. I don’t worry so I must be abnormal! Now I am worried!
Big crowd rocked-up for Jacinda yet again today.
I predict Greens up, labour up a little, nat’s down a little, not sure about the rest.
What do you do on election night James?
I remember my parents being invited to a ‘party’ on an election night, they didn’t know it was an election party for the local nat’s. They turned up, blue everything, mum and dad basked in the nat’s loss that night, needless to say, the party finished early, everyone (apart from my folks) was feeling a bit blue.
You asked me the other day what am I doing that night – I answered then.
But in short – having people around to watch on the big screen and have a bit of a BBQ.
Why? you angling for an invite?
Cool, I didn’t see your reply the other day.
Thanks for the possible invite James, but I’ve already been invited to a gig with our local MP. Had a great time with him and his crew last election, he retained his seat and it’s a only a few blocks away from home, perfect.
Can you remind us Cinny – dont you have a bet with somebody on here about the outcome of the election?
*edit – yep – found it https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-25062017/
Still standing behind this bet?
yup sure do I’ve it bookmarked, it’s with Red but I think he’s been banned since. Would you like to take the bet up in his place James?
Nope – Ive already said its a close election and could go either way. You were the one who made the bet – but ‘big up’s’ for you for sticking to it.
Shweet as James, may everyone have an exciting Saturday night
So you will be in the country?
I predict:
National steady.
Labour up by 1%
Greens up by 1%
NZ first hammered down to 4.5%
Labour and nats neck and neck.
Greens up, Winston down.
Labour and greens could form a government.
Gareth Morgan:The Cat is out of the bag!! Gareth would like us to believe that his primary motivation in entering politics with the TOP Party is to create a more egalitarian and democratic N.Z. Nothing, in my opinion, could be further than the truth .His motivations are revealed by two of his policies.Namely , giving N.Z. a second house of parliament and introducing a constitution.If you look at countries with constitutions you see an ever widening gap between the super wealthy one percenters and the rest of the population. In the U.S. you will see that the constitution has impeded any efforts to bring about more equality. This is not surprising as this was the reason that the founding fathers introduced a constitution in the first place. They feared the power of the common people, and they cleverly introduced a hurdle that would stultify any efforts in that direction. The U.S. constitution has presided over the greatest inequality that exists in the developed world. And there is the two houses of parliament[Congress].They were also created to protect the wealth and position of landowners and to prevent democracy.
The House of Lords, aptly named,in the U.K.is also just such an instrument to protect the rights and property of the wealthy, the aristocracy, and the Monarchy against the”Commons”.
So, basically the Top policies mentioned are there to protect the wealth of the Oligarchs “in waiting”in N.Z. Lord Gareth is anticipating taking up his rightful position in N.Z., as we follow in the footsteps of the more progressive U.S. and U.K. And he will be supported by the ever growing numbers of the super rich and their sycophants , that are naturally increasing in N.Z. with the efforts of the National Party Government.N.Z. has become a bolthole for the oligarchs of the world, people like Peter Thiel,connected to the Five Eyes, and of course an adviser to U.S. president Trump. Thiel was given instant citizenship by another one of our home grown one percenter oligarchs in waiting Sir John Key.And Trademe founder Sam Morgan wrote a letter in support. Get the picture? Birds of a feather flock together.So, a N.Z.constitution and upper house is a plan so cunning that you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel! Do not be fooled by the insidious Top Party Trojan Horse!!
If the cats out of the bag – morgan will want to shoot it.
#WontSomeoneThinkOfTheKittens ?
Very hard to shoot and kill a Schrödinger Cat because you never know whether it’s there and dead or alive. Besides, because of Heisenberg’s Principle you can never quite tell where exactly the fluff ball is and how fast it is going. Gareth must hate QM.
Love it!!!
+111
after bill loses for the second time this weekend he might just reflect on the fact that now he doesn’t have to try and be a leader to cope with the tiny handed maniac.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11924184
Thank goodness wise heads and true leadership will be there with Jacinda and James.
I’ve just heard from a friend who was a staunch John Key supporter, and therefore Nat voter, has voted Labour this time “because of Jacinda”. I hope that is a trend.
National proxies doing their job:
“Farmers were encouraged by Fonterra subsidiary Farm Source Waikato to attend Monday’s march in Opposition leader Jacinda Ardern’s home town of Morrinsville, where many voiced their opposition to Labour’s plan to introduce a tax on water.
In a group email obtained by the Herald, the head of Farm Source Waikato, Paul Grave, suggested farmers and their friends and neighbours attend the gathering.
“As you may be aware, a group of Waikato farmers have organised a march in Morrinsville this Monday 18 September to highlight the environmental leadership shown by the dairy industry in our communities,” Grave said.
“The march is a great opportunity for dairy farmers to show solidarity, engage with the Waikato community, and talk about the significant improvements that have been made on-farm in recent years, and plans for further work in the future,” he said.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11924010
Should Labour get in power, they need to look beyond farmers, and head straight to the cause: Fonterra.
Vested interest for Fonterra? Anyway it was a pretty motley protest with many of those present just local Morrinsville folk there to watch the fun. Is that the best that they can do? Ha.
Labour changed the legislation so that Fonterra could come into existence. Maybe it’s time to change it back.
Was the right thing to do at the time, but they have not lived up to their promise and I would sincerely want Fonterra to be reviewed. Haven’t seen it on the agenda so far.
Nice review of President Trump’s speech to the United Nations yesterday:
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/09/trump-united-nations-obama/540288/
Kelly’s face palm.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DKHRqCLW0AEEhps.jpg
Yep he’s a fucken Idiot everyone Know’s it except Himself joe90
Trump is no longer the Trump who ran for president. He is now just a mouthpiece for the American military machine, which is disastrous for the World. It means that the USA will set up an incident then blame the other side and go to war. This will happen anywhere they choose. They have done it countless times before. They just have to have war, war and war. Incidentally Hilary would have been no better.
PS Let’s hope they can wait till after we vote National out!
I’m off to work now. Someone else will have to tell James he is wrong!
+100%
Arse. He’s always been a pro-war chickenhawk.
http://www.factcheck.org/2016/02/donald-trump-and-the-iraq-war/
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/09/donald-trump-is-often-more-hawkish-than-the-washington-elites/502145/
+ 1 yep – the left knew and tried to warn people about this monstrosity of trump. Chickens coming home to roost.
He is who he said he would be. He was very clear about it.
Have any viewers under 30 on this site not voted yet?
A few days ago there were 3,218,857 voters enrolled, which is 90% of those eligible.
Nearly 20,000 fewer people under 30 were registered compared to 2014.
http://www.elections.org.nz/research-statistics/enrolment-statistics-electorate
In the last election, more than 200,000 eligible voters under 30 did not vote.
The Labour support in the polls is strongest from young people.
If there are young people who haven’t voted (or even enrolled ) yet, do so.
lol
“Youthquake”
trotter nails it again
u30? lol good one ad. Perhaps try under 50.
michael barnett of auckland chamber of commerce says that the airline fuel problem could have been alleviated if better infrastructure had been in place. Demand has gone up considerably yet the reserve held in Auckland have remained the same.
Is this the same michael barnett who was one of the troika introducing the Treasury’s system of cutting government planning and regulating out and leaving it instead to business which, now who, know best how to run things efficiently?
(I say who, because companies have in past decades been given the right of being treated as ‘persons’ in law. How a company with its larger strength and capital can be equal to a person can only equate in the brain of a money maker and his lawyer.)
Is it true taxpayers are being asked to stump up for any back up plan for the pipeline? I only ask cos petrol companies do quite well financially dont they? Is AirNZ getting compensation and from whom?
I don’t know and have been wondering myself. They are starting to talk about costs which must be huge. The petrol companies own the refinery I think and probably the holding tanks. The government every now and then like to take on the oil companies that have enough reserves to release a little bit and make the pollies seem effective. So Michael Barnett being one of those cunning rats that ended up in a good possie after doing the dirty on Labour voters, will probably be thinking up something that he can write a serious history essay about that has him in a starring role.
tracey @ (12.1) … I think whoever is responsible should be up for any costs relating to this incident. Such as the company concerned for poaching swamp kauri to send to its overseas business.
No doubt Judith Collins will know what’s going on here, being Minister of energy as well as Minister for Oravida!
I was just talking about this and someone pointed out that the pipeline is supposed to be 30 years old and due for replacement each 25 years. So that has to be taken into account. I’m a bit prejudiced about the swamp kauri digging which seemed to be a perfect vicious circle.
If an elected government failed in an advanced economy with a large agricultural base, would anyone notice? Not in the Netherlands:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-19/dutch-doing-just-fine-without-government-on-decade-high-growth
So just in case New Zealand gets an election with no clear result and doesn’t have a government for a few months or indeed quite a few, it’s not the end of the world.
I recall when we didnt have one for about 9 weeks. Media gave us interesting news stories and joyrnalism.
Belgium managed for more than 540 days and failed to descend into anarchy. Perhaps we could repeat the experiment, go for longer, and take our place in the Guinness Book of Records. Think of the money we could save!
English is being interviewed on RNZ at the moment if any are interested. Defensive as
Youtube stream here….
Listening peripherally I thought it was a Party Political Broadcast….Kathryn did try…but sadly Bill is unable to speak in other than slogans and soundbites.
She did challenge him on the “Social Investment” issue. Bill continuously parrots this as though it is a solve-all breakthrough but Ryan said it was not working.
I wish she had simply asked “why are there so many people begging and sleeping on the streets of Auckland”.
Very noticeable when I was up there a few weeks ago.
Exactly. He ploughs on regardless of the question. Like the Jehhovva Witness folk who respond with a spiel distantly related to the question.
“Nice day today”
“Yes that is so and in the Bible Jesus says trust in the …”
I caught Dr Lance on AM this morning. I was surprised to hear him say he will be standing for the Maori Party in 2020. I think it’s an announcement that will assist their vote this election, that joker is a mana fest.
I can see him having broad appeal. I think he said something with voter appeal right across the political spectrum. Garner implied that NZ Health needs more money, O’Sullivan disagreed. He feels we need to be using the current Health budget more efficiently. Wow! A politician that doesn’t think more money is the solution. He’s not standing until 2020 and I want to hear more of what he has to say now.
I think the chap has the potential to be quite a force in NZ politics.
He seems very ambitious…
He is ambitious…and, from my observations does not enjoy the following in the Far North that you would expect.
There have been a couple of incidents where his ego/arrogance has really ripped some undies.
It’ll be interesting to see how far he goes…
Yep I agree. Not convinced personally and we will see. So many Māori women and men doing so much good work – no need to focus on one individual AND it is also worth noting a persons contribution imo
Rosemary
About his outspokenness. I was up his way a year ago and stayed with some immigrants who were keen to get into some business and involved in the community. They seemed to feel that there was a torpor up there, a reluctance to change and acceptance of an unsatisfactory status quo.
What Dr Lance O’Sullivan sees would set his teeth on edge, and no doubt feels more positive stuff needs to be done instead of him being the band aid to the unhealable wound.
This was interesting and probably relates to the problems he sees and the current fuel problem up there.
Digging for our roots?
“They seemed to feel that there was a torpor up there, a reluctance to change and acceptance of an unsatisfactory status quo. ”
In some small groups within some small communities maybe….but certainly not on a wider scale.
We are frequent visitors to Kaitaia and points north, and keep returning because on the whole the area retains much of what was good about NZ in times past. There is a real sense of community (has to be because of isolation issues) and a growing group of locals who are asking serious questions regarding the impacts of increasing horticulture on the environment. There is a real engagement from parents trying to support more positive educational outcomes.
There are various NGOs active in the area…trying to address some of the issues that claim the headlines…but it has frustrated me personally that Whanau Ora (as a one stop shop for assisting families with issues across multiple government departments) has been conspicuous by its absence. We have chatted with many people whose lives could have been transformed had WO been active.
AND…the Far North has the very best recycling operation, bar none, in the country. Woe betide the person who tries to pop a juice bottle in with the milk bottles or an empty margarine container in with the janitorials. They have been super sorting for years!
As for the swamp kauri thing….hmm…https://publicaddress.net/envirologue/swamp-monsters-the-looting-of-northlands/
So why aren’t whanau ora there? What are the local Maori people doing and I think that they suffer most of the poverty there. The editor of the paper said he had things stolen from his house while he was inside. Then he saw one of the items being worn by somebody and got the police to deal with the up till then clueless case. There is activity going on but it is the wrong sort.
There is get up and go there, but how much, and can’t they find a way of getting employment and training for the young ones. Perhaps it is a place for a charter school, away from the familiar places and faces over in Kaikohe or a certain distance away. Then they can make changes in their approaches, start learning, have ambitions, take control. There is a huge downward presssure from peer groups in some places. You do more than us, learn more, and what are you? You don’t fit in. That’s not our way.
“So why aren’t whanau ora there?” Waipareira Trust were briefly in the area…they still might be but not prominently. Not on the ‘get stuck in and sort this whanau out before shit gets worse’ scale. Maybe they are being discrete.
There is a charter school in Kaitaia…not sure of the success rate…I will inquire. 😉
“There is a huge downward presssure from peer groups in some places. You do more than us, learn more, and what are you? You don’t fit in. That’s not our way.”
This. This has literally reduced me to tears in relation to some of those families.
BUT there are many families who have dug their toes in and risen up…we have met some because of the disability connection. Having a child with challenges can be a powerful motivator for many, especially mums.
I saw someone had printed a poster –
THINK RATIONAL
NOT NATIONAL
VOTE LABOUR
OR GREENS
It would be a good idea if we all printed/wrote one out and left it somewhere noticeable.
There’s another one apparently.
Nats are Rats.
They won’t go till the ship sinks.
Make them go now!
Vote Labour, Green, Maori Party, a people’s future.
Doing my best Greywarshark, doing my best.
Just got off the phone from a friend who was intending to vote National….largely because another friend had told her that “Labour would give all our money to the United Nations because of Helen Clarke”
This lady is a lady so I didn’t let fly with the string of expletives such a statement deserves.
I just talked about the various Party Policies on disability issues….
Rosemary
You’ve got the power! And just letting it out in little tiny bursts is so controlled and more effective. Doesn’t scare the horses! You are tops, and nothing to do with Gareth Morgan (though I don’t really dislike him. )
“… to do with Gareth Morgan (though I don’t really dislike him. )”
Hah! I threatened our very old cat with Uncle Gareth yesterday as he sunk his fangs into my arm as I tried to remove handicapping knots from his nether regions. Ingrate!
Some individuals just don’t seem to understand that one may just have their best interests at heart.
Or otherwise, have anything but their best interests at heart
it’s amazing how thick some people are , keeping in mind they all get to vote ,
I overheard an old god botherer saying that the greens want to destroy the nz economy so they can help install a one world government.
Just because someone says something, doesn’t necessarily mean they believe it to be true, That god botherer may simply have been opposed to the GP’s ideas about abortion, and been saying whatever it was that they thought would most likely convince whoever they were talking to. Of course, sometimes the shape of a person’s lies reveal more about them than the truth would.
In the past I’ve voted for Act, NZ First or National.
Our country has changed under the current National Government. I believe they’re corrupt, full of spin and self interest, focused on protecting big business at the expense of everyone else. John Key started this agenda and Bill English has followed in his footsteps.
I’ve read read The Standard for the last few years and my eyes have been opened. National must not have a fourth term or NZ future will consist of people who are either obscenely wealthy or dirt poor. Middle NZ will not exist.
Yesterday I voted two ticks for Labour.
Apparently 10% of National voters have switched to Labour because of Jacinda.
Top work Fireblade that’s a big call.
I have lots of respect for people that change their politics like that because they’re paying attention to what is going on for NZ. Thanks for commenting.
It shocked me that only Winston Peters formally offered condolences to Jacinda on the loss of her Grandmother.
Leadership is cheap and nasty and seemingly mannerless these days.
Good for you Winston. Old fashioned decency.
Jacinda’s honesty and charm is a breath of fresh air, and she deserves better than this from the rest of the “leaders”
I’m sorry but I don’t believe that’s true. Jacinda herself told John Campbell that Bill English personally rang her to offer his condolences. There are so many faults with Bill and the Nats without throwing unwarranted shade at them.
Anyone can make a mistake red blooded. It’s the type of mistake they make that is important. I don’t see this causes for a major dressing down.
It was meant as a statement and not an attempt to be a major dressing down. My apologies to patricia bremner if it was taken that way.
I’m not normally one to defend Bill English, but Jacinda Adern said on Checkpoint last night that she had been contacted directly by him giving his condolences. Credit where credit is due.
Saw a press release from Winston Peters with his condolences as well.
Update: Oh I see Patricia wrote that already – was reading comment in reverse date/time order in the backend.
I really think I prefer someone who doesn’t feel the need to come out with a Press Release for something like that.
It’s old school professional courtesy. Like thank-you cards after a visit.
I heartily agree with the sentiment being expressed. Politics shouldn’t come into it at all.
It was that, if I have read these comments correctly, Winston felt the need to issue a Press Release about it rather than just doing it privately as it appears English did.
The only appalling taint on this sort of thing I can remember was Rob Muldoon to Norman Kirk when Kirk went into hospital for an operation just before his death. Muldoon supposedly sent him a message along the lines of “Get well soon Norm. A pensioner needs your bed”.
A horrible man was Muldoon, so the story is probably true.
It is about 2/3 of the way down this story.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=141378
Two ticks for Labour. MY husband as well. Labour with a landslide!
Party Green, other tick to Labour Curran here in South Dunedin, voted yesterday.
Good news from a poll! Urban and Rural.
“Findings from Water New Zealand’s survey, released at the industry group’s conference this morning, showed 77 per cent of the 4,500 people it polled online over a month this year agreed there should be a cost when taking water from the environment for agriculture and horticulture.
Almost three in five people – 59 per cent – believed there should be a cost when taking water from the environment for all users.
But agreement was much higher, at 89 per cent, when asked whether water bottling companies should be charged for taking water from the environment.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11924261
So, Benny “If you take out Saddam, I guarantee you, it would have enormous, positive reverberations on the region” Netanyahu reckons threatening to totally destroy a nation of 26 million people is bold and courageous.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/america-first-read-trump-s-full-united-nations-speech-n802676
Netanyahu is an apartheid loving fascist. No surprise that of all the western leaders Trump gets his vote.
Oh shit, this is bad.
(earthquake and buildings, careful people)
Tweets by jorge_guajardo
Getting them in singles, the old cricket analogy works.
Congrats to all here who have convinced somebody to move over from the dark side.
Had a couple of victories too, a 48 year old grape pruner who has never voted or registered did so as a ” favour ” to me , I think it was just to shut me up.
And an old friend, owner of a few houses including a boarding house, which she does a very good ethical Job of but is daily fielding calls from social services at all hours to house people , said last year ” things have to change “. Switched from a lifetime of Nat voting to TOP, I didn’t disabuse her of the notion, if our side can’t have her vote it’s better that It goes in the bin.
Fingers crossed, Lets Do This.
Are we being too nice to the Gnats?
I hope the incoming government rips the corrupt troughers out of every public office in the country.
YAY! THE #TamakiSCAM STORY HAS (finally) MADE THE NEWS!
20 September 2017
LIFTOFF in today’s NZ Herald.
Will Tamaki Regeneration meet its target 7500 builds in 15 years?, via @nzherald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11923958
Seems most of us know Oravida is the company involved with poaching swamp kauri in Ruakaka. Hell, they even advertise the fact digitally … Kauri Ruakaka, formerly known as Kauri Oravida!
So where is msm on this? Why isn’t media investigating the company, as possibly being responsible for the fuel crises disabling NZ at present!
Come on msm, do your job. Work on behalf of the people, not the corrupt, despicable National government! We deserve some honest answers here!
I just heard on Radio NZ news at 1pm that some are questioning how come some staff at the polliing stations are alllowed to take the boxes of votes home with them at night?????
Did anyone else hear this as it seems doggy to me althouugh some lawyer for the commission said “it is o/k as the bioxes have seals on them!! — reallly?
Who can you believe in this corrupt little NZ’s grubby crime with a constantly lying PM?
What would you prefer they do?
Seriously would you want them left for a couple of weeks in the local library or suchlike? Wouldn’t they be safer elsewhere, or do you not think any of the people involved in the election can be trusted?
Locked up securely overnight? It is an election afterall. If this was happening in Nigeria you woukd scoff.
674,000 have voted and counting….
I bloody went to vote at the university of otago booth today, but I didn’t have time – too many students queuing to vote!
It seems that the best voting prediction possible is that the % at the start of the night’s coverage will barely change, if half the votes have been counted alread 🙂
According to a report on Radio New Zealand they can’t start counting the early votes until 9am on Saturday. The count of the early votes is only an indication of the final result on Election Day, not the final result however.
I’ll bet they keep it very, very quiet until 7pm though.
According to RNZ
“Election officials can begin counting ‘early votes’ – the advance votes cast by voters on the printed electoral roll for the electorate they voted in – at 9 am on election day. Their count of these early votes then becomes publicly available very shortly after the polls close.
If the Electoral Commission’s predictions are accurate, this means up to half of all votes may have been counted and made public at this point. And in the previous two elections, the preference distribution of these early votes quite closely matched the final election night result.”
However they then have all the Special votes and the distribution of these doesn’t normally follow the standard votes. If, as seems possible, both The Green Party and New Zealand First are near the 5% number they will both be sweating until all the special, including the overseas, votes come in. If my memory is correct the Green Party tend to do better in the overseas votes than those in NZ. I don’t know about NZF
That’s a relief. With the integrity of the National Party more and more in question, who knows what they’d get up to if they had advanced warning of the count.
You really are deranged if you actually believe that sort of rubbish.
Sharp earthquake in Marlborough 4 Minutes ago. About 4 second long.
magnitude 5 east of Seddon.
I chivvied the electrician who had just gone outside to please walk a little quieter, but he didn’t know why I was saying this. He did say that he missed a step as he walked down the stairs but hadn’t felt the shake.
@Weka and @Tracey
Have a listen to “The Panel” today after the 4.30 news (if you can stomach Mora and The Hairdo) – the item on the Public Service.
Some points well made (by Tamihere in particular) – although there are plenty more.
It is probably one of the biggest issues facing future governments (I think THE biggest) if we are to preserve any semblance of a functioning democracy in future.
A shitload of departments are bad (MPI, MoBIE, MSD/WINZ, MPI, Education, Health …..)
Two, for me are standouts (as in bad)
Gareth Morgan on people voting on the “Jacindamania”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11924483
“Voters cannot be that think”.
There are a lot of people thinking the same thing.
You said it james, lots of voters I know are that THINK.
If he seriously thinks the post-Little change is just about a smiley face, he’s the thick one.
I think it was largely about two things:
an unexpectedly high energy level; and
points of difference in the leadership that demonstrated Labour wasn’t just talking different to National, but that it is different to National. Competence rather than bullshit, generational difference, gender difference. Not a “cosmetic” change as such ( it wouldn’t work if she didn’t have the energy and assurance), but it shows the country something other than two rich middle aged white guys waffling on and pretending to score points off each other.
He’s just headline grabbing. All desperate politicians do it. See Morgan previously with ‘lipstick on a pig’, Peters just about every day, and Seymour’s ‘fucking idiot’.
or Kelvin Davis calling Jonathan Coleman the “Doctor of Death”.
Is Kelvin Davis desperate? Not sure about that.
Or Reasons fav MP Hone calling National Maori MP’s “little house niggers”
grow up you turd
Hone is desperate, but quite accurate in this instance.
garrrreth – remember don’t be an arrogant dick ALL the time
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/20-09-2017/mike-joy-i-wrote-a-facebook-status-and-top-called-it-an-endorsement/
Apologies To MSM I forget that those muppets have painted a shit view about me.
The only ‘view’ people have about you eco Maori/kiwi is from the content of your post.
You could be headlining the news this evening and we would be none the wiser.
And Winny says no a a water tax for farmers – excellent – even more reason for him to side with National over Labour.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/09/winston-peters-say-he-won-t-support-a-water-tax.html
Short sighted.
Industry leaders absolutely kicking the National Party’s light touch on crucial infrastructure.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/339832/infrastructure-an-enormous-gap-in-governance-industry
Not Xenophobic But this is Scary!
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/18/48616/expert-calls-for-inquiry-into-chinese-threat
” Dr Brady said that after watching China’s growing influence for several years, it was time for a special commission to investigate its impact on New Zealand’s democracy.
… recent revelations that National Party MP Dr Jian Yang did not declare his background in military intelligence when applying for citizenship are extremely concerning.
” there was deep concern among her international colleagues at the conference that China is meddling in the affairs of their respective countries, Australia, the US, UK, Canada, EU states and Japan.
China was using the same tactics in most of those countries, including New Zealand. They included:
– Gaining influence over Chinese migrants living in other countries (10 million Chinese live outside China).
– Taking over or integrating the local ethnic Chinese media with the Chinese media controlled by the Communist Party.
– Encouraging local Chinese who are acceptable to the Chinese government to enter politics in their host countries and if elected getting them to promote China’s interests.
– Appoint former local MPs with access to political power to high profile roles in Chinese companies or Chinese-funded entities in the host country.”
September 24th 2017 National the largest party backed by NZF and ACT and the Maoris.
Jacinda will prevail in 2020 in the biggest landslide in recent history after serving her three year apprenticeship.
That is my prediction and Winston’s last term.