IMPEACHMENT
Congress Fires Opening Shot Across Obama’s Bow.
by John Walsh, August 31, 2013 Information Clearing House
“Mr. President, in the case of military operations in Libya you stated that authorization from Congress was not required because our military was not engaged in “hostilities.” In addition, an April 1, 2011, memorandum to you from your Office of Legal Counsel concluded:…”President Obama could rely on his constitutional power to safeguard the national interest by directing the anticipated military operations in Libya—which were limited in their nature, scope, and duration—without prior congressional authorization.’”
“We view the precedent this opinion sets, where “national interest” is enough to engage in hostilities without congressional authorization, as unconstitutional.”
Text from letter of Rep. Scott Regall (R, VA) to Pres. Obama
Signed by 140 Reps, including 21 Democrats
The letter of Scott Regall (1) to Barak Obama has exploded on the scene with its opening words:
“We strongly urge you to consult and receive authorization from Congress before ordering the use of U.S. military force in Syria. Your responsibility to do so is prescribed in the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
“While the Founders wisely gave the Office of the President the authority to act in emergencies, they foresaw the need to ensure public debate – and the active engagement of Congress – prior to committing U.S. military assets. Engaging our military in Syria when no direct threat to the United States exists and without prior congressional authorization would violate the separation of powers that is clearly delineated in the Constitution.”
With these perhaps historic words the Congress has begun to claw back its Constitutional right to decide issues of war and peace. Significantly the letter comes from a Republican lawmaker, and it is clearly a tribute to the leadership of the libertarians in the Republican Party, most notably Ron Paul, Justin Amash and Rand Paul.
But the situation is grave enough, possibly leading on to a World War, that 21 Democrats have challenged the President and their Party bosses to sign the statement. They are moving beyond partisanship as Ron Paul did in challenging George W. Bush on the war on Iraq.
If that were all that the letter said, it would be momentous enough. But the statement goes further and labels Obama’s cruel war on Libya as “unconstitutional,” because it was done without so much as a nod to Congress. In the end no lawyer and no court, not even the Supreme Court, can overrule Congress when it decides what to do when it considers a serious presidential action as “unconstitutional.”
A secret list curated by social network giant Facebook was published online recently after an employee for one of the company’s third-world contractors, upset at his poor working conditions and meager wage, decided to fight back.
Amazing about Facebook all right. But the rules actually reflect and react to the peculiar mental processes of people. It is a desire to prevent all people from being drowned in the outpourings of minds that think that ear wax is interesting or toe-jam, or snot or whatever horrible thing you can imagine.
I once saw a Penthouse or Playboy with photos of a woman defecating onto a piece of glass. Bet many of you immediately think that the woman was disgusting. She was persuaded to do her ‘act’ by something low, probably the reward wasn’t even high.
Many human minds get stuck on reverse or merely low gear for life and have to be limited from spoiling the world for everyone else.
What’s going on here then, from today’s Herald online, Labour MP David Clark has pointed out that the Skycity convention center deal may just cost the tax payer some very big bucks after all,
Apparently the contract between the Government and Sky says that after a negotiation over the design of the convention center if the design agreed costs more than the agreed 402 million dollars the Government can choose to walk away from the deal OR throw in the cash to make up for any shortfall over 402 million dollars….
Another reason to vote NACT out! If “negotiations would continue through the 2014 election year”, then they may not be finished by the election (especially if it’s early in the year). Then a few design modifications to put it up above the $402 million mark, then activate the exit clause. It’s not like Sky City has been negotiating in good faith, so screw the bastards!
Especially if ShonKey uses the asset sale Referendum as an excuse for a snap election! National’s poll numbers aren’t going anywhere but down, so he might want to leave early – like a rat from a ship.
Wouldn’t the best way to raise the price past that $402 million threshold be to put up the purchase price of the TVNZ site. (If it has not been included in deal already, that is)
is the walk away opportunity before or after they get their extra pokies? If sky decide they don’t need a bigger convention centre, would they just have to put forward outrageously expensive specs so the govt walks away, and they still get to create more gambling addicts in the community?
Not sure Mac, the story in the Herald online didn’t go into that detail, a good question tho and hopefully David Clark gives it to Slippery the Prime Minister next time the Parliament is sitting…
I hope WINZ takes this into account before placing ‘work ready’ women in jobs that may involve heavy lifting that might put mothers who have given birth naturally at risk of workplace injury.
Ms De Luen, 60, suffered a vaginal prolapse after lifting an obese patient at Waikato Hospital in March last year, but had to wait 14 months in the public health system for surgery because her employer, Waikato District Health Board, called it a pre-existing condition caused by childbirth. However, an unrelated doctor’s examination two months earlier showed Ms De Luen did not have a prolapse and there was no cause for concern.
Ms De Luen said the pain was almost immediate after she lifted the patient. Four days later, the mother of two adult children, aged 40 and 37, went to her GP, who diagnosed the prolapse.
But the DHB, through its workplace insurer WorkAon under the ACC Partnership Programme, denied the injury was caused by an accident. Instead, it said because Ms De Luen had given birth, it was a pre-existing condition aggravated by the incident.
I guess that even if it is 37 years since the ‘pre-existing condition’ women should stay at home – just to be safe, of course. I mean, who knows what might happen to them if they venture out? They might get ripped off by workplace insurers, or something.
Am I missing something, or is the DHB saying it would rather pay for the surgery itself (via the public list) rather than have its insurer pay for it? Would love to see the cost analysis of that.
“is the DHB saying it would rather pay for the surgery itself ”
It does seem to lead to that conclusion. Is there an increase in the cost of cover if they have too many of these problems? (Deny the employee claim rather than fix the workplace issue is a whole other question). If that’s the case I guess it’s cheaper just to fit her op in when it suits the DHB rather than when it suits her – 14 months earlier would have been nice, I guess, given the pain and inconvenience and lost income.
What sort of insurance agreement is it when the insurer implies that it had no input in the decision to decline cover? And what does it mean that fundamental, complication-free, human activities are ‘pre-existing conditions’?
Did i miss something in the Leadership competition, Labour’s David Cunliffe is being quoted by RadioNZ as saying He will support the ‘Living Wage’ for all workers,
i greeted this news with an emphatically large YES, and who would have thunk it, employers are quoted as having the usual wail and whine about how unaffordable changing the minimum wage to the living wage would be,
Apparently there are some 600,000 workers who would receive a boost in their wages and employers are saying that this would ‘cost them’ 4 billion dollars,
That cost tho is simply alarmism at it’s worst, not all the low waged economy receives the $13.70 that is the minimum wage and if establishing the ‘living wage’ was a matter of 3 yearly steps to reach such a position the ‘cost’ is spread over 3 years,
Employers are being ‘simple’ seeing establishing the living wage as a ‘cost’ after all it isn’t like the low waged demographic are going to hoard such pay rises,
The economy will be the main beneficiary of the living wage as all such money will be spent back into the economy business will compete to grab a slice of such extra cash,
Business competing for a slice of the living wage will at the retail level at least probably have to hire more workers and suppliers will also be busier,
The Government will take in an be able to redistribute more monies from taxation and in general business will be far far busier recouping the living wage as profits….
Grant Robertson has pledged to introduce the wage for all Government workers while David Cunliffe wants to work towards a living wage for all New Zealanders.
Problem with all of this is that the Labour Party determines its policy. So how can they say “I will…” anything that isn’t already policy, and if it is already policy is this a clever way for the party to get its broader policy across under the guise of a leadership contest?
I can’t relate to Jones. I think most here get that. BUT is he appealing to a large group of NZers who need a voice? I don’t really think Labour is chasing my vote (even though I am currently going to vote Green). I am a white middle class female and I am not sure that is the vote Labour is missing out on… altho they are missing out on mine so I recognise I am contradicting myself. Hopefully what I am trying to convey is conveyed?
David Cunliffe wins that one in my opinion, what i would like Labour to release as an election policy is the living wage in the first 3 years of the next Labour Government,
How does Grant Robertson think the average head out there earning sweet F.A and not working for the Government or a Government contractor feels when they look at a policy of raising that minimum wage to a living wage only for those who work directly or indirectly for the government,
i am not effected by that minimum wage and i find it a ‘Bit s**t’ of Grant to paint such a distinction and such a policy is likely to ‘cost’ Labour votes at the 2014 election….
“I’m absolutely committed to seeing the sixth Labour government roll out a living wage as a minimum for public servants and as we can afford it through our contracting process,” Mr Cunliffe told Q+A.
“And yesterday I launched the idea of having an accreditation system where living wage employers could get a preference in government procurement,” he added.
and if I recall Mr Jones didn’t commit to a living wage? He repeated the need to support businesses to grow the economy including using our “resources”. Happy to be corrected on his stance on the living wage. I understand he believes in a near living wage for Ukranian sailors.
Yes David Cunliffe is on the right track here, but i still have the opinion that to go into the 2014 election with a policy of having the living wage for government employees and those contractors to the government’s employees will likely ‘cost’ Labour as many votes as what it would hope to gain,
The Government spend is obviously a huge part of the economy and much of that is spent into foreign economies, it would be good to see a Labour Government instruct ALL CEO’s to go through their budgets line by line to target spending that should be New Zealand based with a view to when contracts are renewed these contracts are biased heavily to New Zealand suppliers,
Contractors then could increase their chances of gaining such contracts by both submitting that they are ‘living wage’ employers along with how long they have been and further increase their chances by stating how many employees they would ‘take on’ by gaining the contracted work,
That’s the sort of business ‘competition’ that would benefit us all…
“The economy will be the main beneficiary of the living wage as all such money will be spent back into the economy business will compete to grab a slice of such extra cash,”
Won’t let me edit for some reason. I would also expect quite a few people to lose their job if the minimum wage went from $13.75 to $18.40, even over a space of 3 years.
Increased inflation will be low and quite acceptable. If the economy begins to overheat (what a nice problem to have instead of a stodgy sluggish economy), simple measures can rein it back in.
I would also expect quite a few people to lose their job if the minimum wage went from $13.75 to $18.40, even over a space of 3 years.
Why? It went from $8/hr in 2002 to $11.25 in 2007 (41% increase in 5 years).
That’s what I’m saying Lanth. Minimum wage got pushed up a large nominal amount, and inflation stayed well under control, and as bad12 said, that’s even given very low unemployment.
It is actually very difficult to generate significant additional inflation. It is a neoliberal theory used by orthodox economists (who are all paid well over the average wage) to scare working people away from seeking decent pay.
(Notice how it doesn’t stop massive pay rises ahead of inflation for the top 5% or 10% of income earners, or massive increases in incomes for corporations).
Hyperinflation is usually the result or very specific conditions. As far as I can tell these are limited to:
– Massive destruction of infrastructure and productive capacity by war.
– Severe currency collapse.
– Severe energy shock.
The “theory” that raising the minimum wage increases unemployment was debunked long ago, when people noticed that that when they raised the minimum wage, unemployment went down.
The minimum wage went to $18, and in order to maintain its workforces there was (and this is a way out there proposition not necessarily reflective of the real outcome) a drop in the increase of pay rates for management and higher earners in the same business and therefore their spending dropped overall, would that counter act inflation from the other end?
Is it possible that if businesses have to go up to $18 and they need those people to produce their goods (so cant lay them off) they would look to reduce salaries higher up the chain? Or pay less when recruiting the next middle management person?
I also wonder if there might not be an increase in productivity from those going from 13 to 18 per hour?
Going from $13.75 to $18/hr will have to be done in stages, and will have to be done in co-ordination with other government spending into the private sector economy.
Effectively you’d be moving wealth from the upper ends of the spectrum to the lower end. I don’t have a problem with that, really.
Well, in effect that is what has been happening for the last 25 years, but from the lower income to the higher income.
And let’s not ignore the share of national income that major corporations receive. I haven’t seen the statistics but I believe it to be massive and growing fast.
For instance, last year banking profits were enough to employ 60,000-70,000 people on $30K pa. Once you take in energy company and telco profits that number would be closer to 150,000.
Hey look…that’s roughly the number of unemployed people in this country. Spooky eh.
Right, the working poor should be mere serfs, not chained by bonds of steel but those of economic ism so that interest rates for the middle class remain low, nice…
What we need is actual money rises paid as set amounts to all, each few years so that poor people have their living maintained in line with measured inflation. The percentage rise, seemingly so egalitarian in speech, is a weapon of the wealthy. 10% rise, sounds good. On $20,000 per year that would be $200, on $200,000 the same percentage gives $2,000 p.a. And who needs it most?
Inflation which is expressed as a percentage is an attempt to keep track of prices and is really useful as an ongoing measure of the rises in price of a set list of items. But that percentage should be calculated to a money amount so that a rise to match inflation does not result in mere cents per hour or a $1 per week say Cullen brought in such a rise which was called the ‘chewing gum’ allowance. That was the Right side of Labour, in love with its ideology and theories, not the people who needed to be loved expressed as humane consideration.
I think for everyone to have a decent standard of living, inflation needs to be at about 5-6%. Keeping inflation at between 0-3% has pretty much inflicted poverty on many people.
It’s strange that we call this the ‘free market’ then, just a thought on inflation, it’s linkage to interest rates is what scares the middle class into accepting the impoverishment of those below them in the economy,
i would be interested to know what would occur if the raising of interest rates were to be taken out of the hands of the Reserve Bank and it’s Governor and be ‘set’ by the Finance Minister,
What would happen in the economy if interest rates were set where they are now and the minimum wage was Legislated as the ‘living wage’,
As a start interest rates for those with mortgages would remain the same, wages for those on the lower rungs of the economy would rise giving them some discretionary spend,
How unstable would prices become and how much discretion would those lower in the economy have in avoiding such price rises is the question…
CV, but in that mix is also the ‘middle class, whether just plain home owners paying off the mortgage or the large number of them with the 2nd and 3rd rental investments also with mortgages attached,
Government can ‘get’ the short term speculators with a Capital Gains Tax, but, if Government were seen to ‘get’ the middle class by allowing interest rates to rise i would suggest that they wouldn’t be the Government for long,
To keep that middle class onside, no matter how much i condemn it’s move in the past 30 years into rental property as an investment, Government has to keep interest rates low,
Unfortunately the current ‘economics of the Apes’ scenario requires then that unemployment is used as a ‘tool’ to suppress demand in the economy along with the other crude ‘tool’ of suppressing wages for a large pool of the workforce,
Obviously Government to avoid the electoral fallout of rising interest rates must find a means of uncoupling interest rates from the inflation equation, a means that at present escapes me…
Currently home mortgage rates are a shitload higher than the Reserve Bank overnight rate of 2.5%.
Raise the rate 1% and force the banks to eat 1% less profit margin = home mortgage rates stay the same, but deposit rates climb by 1%, narrowing the profit margin between bank lending and borrowing rates.
That’s the big difference that “minimum wage causes unemployment” economists miss: workers spend their money at the local market or store, they don’t bank/invest/spend $14k on a meal prepared by a celebrity chef who’ll take the money offshore.
Money gravitates towards money. Stick it away from the big concentrations of cash, and it will pass through many people as it flows back towards the jafaland CBD. Give it to the already rich, and it won’t hit a tenth as many people.
Simple, who the f**k has given the mere suggestion that the living wage be $30 an hour??? the other point i wish to make to Slippery is Expletive deleted, Expletive deleted, Expletive deleted, Expletive deleted…
The $18/per hour figure has come from the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit following independent research into a New Zealand living wage rate conducted in February 2013.
We arent grabbing figures out of a hat and making a joke of this like you John. A living wage is the income necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life. Thats what Labour will provide for New Zealanders.
“Gridlock is predicted to worsen across the Wellington region after Transmission Gully and the Kapiti Expressway are built.
Hardest hit will be Wellington city, as people from Porirua and the Kapiti Coast ditch public transport in favour of a faster, cheaper journey into the capital on the new four-lane highways.
The predictions are contained in a report commissioned by Greater Wellington Regional Council, which warns that local roads could struggle to handle the additional tens of thousands of cars hopping off State Highway 1.
The report, by independent consultant Opus , was completed in December but has not yet reached the regional council table. It will be discussed at committee level next month. ” stuff.co.nz
Yes we were discussing this very gridlock in a Post last week, no time or fuel savings will be gained from Transmission Gully without some serious road building occurring at the point the Ngaraunga interchange disgorges onto the Wellington Urban Motorway where it meets the South bound traffic from the Hutt Valley,
There will simply be gridlock on the Ngaraunga Gorge and the only means of alleviating that gridlock would be to add two more lanes to the South bound Urban Motorway turning it into a ‘crazy spaghetti’ of 5 or 6 lanes which all the traffic Kapiti and Hutt would have a very short stretch of motorway to negotiate so as to be in the ‘right’ lane for their particular off-ramp,
Great for panel beaters but a recipe for disaster in terms of entering Wellington via it’s motorway system, and add another 2 billion dollars to the cost of transmission Gully…
Lolz, i am not sure, ‘it’ was here yesterday but then i think ‘it’ blinked so could be anywhere in ‘it’s’ fantasy world,Melbourne, Sydney, Timbucktoo, who knows…
Gridlock Ahh yes I remember those days spending hours stuck in a car, when mobile internet was a: Not yet invented, and B: when invented prohibitively expensive. So I have now moved the family to the Horowhenua (Yes Lurgee Levin) Sold the damn car built a couple of bikes and a stack of computers wired the house for noise, and here I am for the next 4 years. Oh well it could be worse. I could have to commute in AK or Welly
Now there’s a conundrum, worse or worst ? I always get them confused.
“..The economy will be the main beneficiary of the living wage as all such money will be spent back into the economy business will compete to grab a slice of such extra cash,.”
you are on the money with that one..
..it has long surprised me that labour/the left somehow fails to recognise/argue the potency of this example of basic logic..
..because it is economics 101..that one of the most efficient ways to kickstart an economy –
– is to increase the incomes of those who are forced to spend all of that income on the basics of life..
..this because of the churn..as all of that money goes straight back into the economy/tills. = boost..
..(much more efficient than tax cuts for the richest..eh..?..
..i don’t think we believe that trickle-down chimera..any more..eh..?)
..and this case/argument is proven when you look at the outcomes from richardson/shipley tearing away that ‘churn’-money from sole-parents etc..
..talk to any retailer from the time..and hear their tales of the recession that also hit them..
Indeed phillip ure, i well remember the recession that occurred after the hideous Richardson/Shiply benefit cuts of 1991,
National’s Steven Joyce was on RadioNZ a few minutes ago dragging the ‘jobs will be lost’ red herring through the debate,
Joyce sounded less than confidence, do i detect that note of fear, and Big Shame on RadioNZ for such biased radio for not having had one or both of the candidates appear on the radio to offer their opinion,
It is as you say ‘economics 101’, if you want to ensure the economy functions ‘better’ then put money into the hands of those who have little or no discretionary spending in their weekly budget and they will have little choice but to spend that money straight back into the local economy,
There is of course the i word, Inflation, and befor i sloped off into zzzzzland last night i told myself i need to delve into this side of the economic equation far deeper than i have at present,
the equation at present being that X people are kept unemployed and X people are kept on pitifully low wages to save the middle class and those above from the tyranny of interest rates rising, a situation which sees that middle class agreeing to an economy that is less than fully employed and with wages that make the lower paid demographic mere slaves bound not with chains of steel but instead the iron bonds of economic isms…
Put another log on the fire!!! and the next house price boom will be in??? the Tron, yes Hamilton, the National Government has been busily ensuring that the house price inflation currently burning through the Auckland market takes off in the city due south,
Here’s how, in the past 2 years National have sold off 116 State Houses in the Waikato,(from the Waikato Times online), in those 2 years it has overseen the build of only 33 State houses, despite HousingNZ the States provider of social housing having 114 families waiting on it’s ‘At Risk’ list and another 106 families on it’s ‘serious’ list,
By lowering the number of HousingNZ properties it has in the Waikato the Government is creating demand for rental property, once such a demand is artificially created by this Government the competition to secure property between the Home buyer and those wanting to buy property for rental investment will begin in earnest,
This Government did this and are still doing this in Auckland, selling off the HousingNZ rental stock and not replacing the numbers sold which has kept the demand for rental property growing and lead to price inflation in the Auckland market,
They are obviously now hellbent on repeating the experiment in Hamilton…
“Key conceded many families were struggling, saying “that’s why we have Working for Families and the like”. ” 2013
‘communism by stealth’ and a ‘costly welfare monster’ 2007 and 2008
“Key followed this speech up in February 2007 by committing his party to a programme which would provide food in the poorest schools in New Zealand. 2007 http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0702/S00059.htm
The recent TV propgram of the wealth gap pointed out that housing allowance subsidizes landlords who can charge higher rents; working for families subsidizes employers who can lower wages, and we know lack of a CGT with other legislation force scarcity at the top of the market by running down the rest of the housing stock. The middle and working classes (and a growing under class) are then ripped off by retail and utilities, funneling wealth up to the top of the upper class.
Yes hopefully that is also on the agenda for the next Labour Government, i remeber the contract with Westpac being renewed but cannot remember for how long,
KiwiBank should be readied to be able to conduct all the Governments business along with that should be a deliberate establishment of a large IT campus in one or other City so as to begin to group together the best brains in IT that this country possesses,
We may or may not have IT companies in New Zealand of such robustness as to be able to carry out an education payroll type of contract, but, if brought together in the one place i am sure that the multiple IT companies could and would have achieved a far better outcome for that particular contract than what occurred…
“A rundown three-bedroom Auckland villa with a large hole in the toilet floor and watermarked ceilings has sold for $1.2 million – $75,000 more than the asking price for a three-storey Tauranga mansion with harbour views and a swimming pool.
The two examples show the widening gap between Auckland’s property market and provincial New Zealand, as revealed in the Herald’s quarterly Property Report today.
Bayleys real estate agent Gavin Perry, said houses rarely came up for sale in the popular Tauranga location, just five blocks from the CBD.
“It’s very interesting what you can buy in Tauranga nowadays for $1 million, which is actually what seems like the entry price you can buy for in some parts of Auckland.”
The implications in the spread (AK- provincial nz) as the demographics suggest the aging AK population may realise the capital gains in downsizing to where they will have an equity nestegg.
The building development market has not been producing small 1-2 bedroom housing stocks (aside from retirement centres) for which the market will require over the next 20 yrs or so.
Can someone tell me please, why No Minister has a feed on The Standard?
[lprent: It is a multi-author blog with at least one leftish author and a number of other authors who are periodically readable and show an ability to argue. It also has some complete dipshits who do an excellent impersonation of Whaleoil without the keyboard diarrhea
Besides, I figured that we need a range of views for noisy grumpy old white men. No Minister gives a excellent assortment of those on that fringe. ]
Lolz, from the same program, or is that progrom, Hooten sounded like someone has given His silver spoon a serious twist,
Among the aah’s and ooh’s wee Matty managed to squeeze out that the current leadership contest was a good look for Labour,
i have to of course insert here a Mike Williams ”i agree”, Labour with a new leader possessing the skills to deliver the message will roll into 2014 and roll National back to the Opposition benches where that sorry bunch of silver spoon suckers truly belong…
I noticed that Shane Jones constantly tried to undermine both Robertson and Cunliffe. So much for the united Labour front. (Attempted to make himself out as the economic centrist compared to the other two.
Hammed it up for the camera when Cunliffe suggested an example for economic growth. ‘You’ve heard enough from the left’, hands in ears with wry smile).
Shane has said that he wants to take votes from National but, even if successful, if he were to lead Labour then that would inevitably lead to Labour losing female voters.
Jones even wore the blue tie.
I actually thought Cunliffe and Robertson were quite unified but Jones came across as a yob who basically admitted he’s National lite.
If Jones became PM I could see him becoming a Maori Muldoon.
Hooten and Williams have made some good points about Fonterras handling of the milk powder scare. First time I have heard something useful. I pray that it is not the exception that proves the rule.
* False positives occur.
* System should be that any perceived problem should freeze the powder and isolate it till the matter is investigated.
* That keeps it in-house and avoids the present anxious reaction by all over what has turned out to be nothing of importance.
* It takes time to investigate as not just one small sample but a colony of orgaisms have to be cultured and then examined and analysed.
phillip u
They all tend to be good looking though. I think from the celebrity style of human resource assessment they are successful. And that’s what NACTs want. They are no doubt following the current business practice of considering everyone with a certain level of professional competence to be interchangeable, good looks give extra points – generic and photogenic pollies chirping the same line.
Nick Davies on Bradley Manning and WikiLeaks ( 20′ 43″ )
09:30 Nick Davies broke the phone hacking scandal that had been covered up for
years by Rupert Murdoch’s News International, and his work saw the Guardian, alongside The New York Times, become the main news agency to publish excerpts from thousands of classified documents from US military servers. The cables were leaked by Bradley Manning, who was last month given a 35-year jail term for passing the files to WikiLeaks.
Pundits such as Armstrong are making the claim that the next election will be won/lost in the provinces. “It is in such provincial centres that next year’s election will be won and lost. On that score, Labour has an awful lot of ground to make up.”
Which is why Jones is pitching at the provinces. Am I right in thinking this is crap. The next election will be won/lost where is always has been, the major cities. In particular Auckland, and more particular, if Labour can get the vote out, in South Auckland.
I’m sorry but I dont give a shit about poking my tongue out at donkeyote and kidding myself I am taking part in the poltical process.
On the bus this morning two old ladies were complaining that they could either have a cup of tea or a milkshake but no sandwich to go with either.
There has been a genreal price rise over the last month that nobody seems to care about.
Well if you dont care then some people have too much.
Thats the issue in my book.
Dont have statistics….but I don’t think people from the provinces are particularly enamored with either flashy John Key Nact or Shane Jones
….in the provinces they face the same issues of employment , std of living , youth education, costs of university and employment and health issues as does everyone else….there is a lot of to and fro between country and city
…..what the provinces want IMO is a NZ leader , who understands NZ from a generational perspective, with a steady and ethical and balanced hand on the rudder…While not generally wildly radical….there are traditional Labour voters out in the provinces…just as there are Greens…and there are families who have traditionally voted Labour .
I would say ignore the provinces at your peril…particularly with the party vote
…popular also would be strengthening and retaining community Kiwi Bank ( Govt Guaranteed)and postal outlets( John Key has scoped privatising Kiwi Bank and Treasury has had Goldman Sachs evaluate it …and then downgraded!)
…. and anything else that strengthens local communities………
….eg bringing back Adult Continuing Community Education….( which National ditched)
….strengthen local all night Medical Centre hubs and hospitals for geriatric and respite care also maternity
….create training/apprenticeships for youth
….encouragement for small rural businesses and especially boutique tourist initiatives eg wine /produce/cheese sales at gate
@W Smith….doubt Shane Jones would be popular with the Labour vote and 50% woman vote in the provinces at all!….He is really Nact not Labour….and the women I have talked to aren’t enthused…in fact quite derogatory
The rural vote counts especially in the Party vote …and Cunliffe would do very well!…but not Grant Robertson IMO…however Louise Wall as a straight talking sporty type could do very well as Deputy for Labour Leader Cunliffe
Luddite Environmental Minister accused Greens of using airplanes, this same retort came from those opposed to steam railways, that the railway proponents used stage coaches to get the meeting.
Note to Rhino …. If you’re planning a review (or even an opinion) on the nicest man on Earth later on – chill. Take a deep breath – it ain’t worth the stress!.
It’s just that I’m anticipating you response to Jim Mora and the ‘word’ on Byron Bay.
GOD what a fukwit!
The best thing that went before was where Jesse was coming from – but then they all have mortgages to pay – which is probably a better explanation for 7 # – or whatever the hell it’s called
Good start to the leadership campaign for Robertson, Cunliffe and Jones however a note of caution needs to be sounded.
The last time a labour leader came out with promises but no figures to back them up we got the “show me the money” response and a win to National
If the aspiring leaders are going to go promising pay rises for everyone then they really should know how its going to be paid for…don’t expect any mercy for JK and realise that everything they’re promising will be noted by JK and will be used in the leadership debates
For whatever reason (probably intellectual snobbery) the left have always underestimated John Key: “hes just a money man, a gambler, puppet of USA, reads lines fed to him, media training etc etc”
Maybe he just happens to be really clever…naah the left should just keep underestimating him because that worked really well for Clark, Cullen, Goff, Campbell, Shearer and whoevers next in line to lead Labour…
not sticking up for labour here – but the constant meme of underestimating key – i reckon its only half true. People know hes a smart tricky bugger, but he also is a complete foolish clown.
I dont think its an issue of under estimating him – its more that he can change from goofball to snake at the drop of a hat, so in the modern news cycle he tends to lead because you always need to see which way hes going to go before you can counter it, and by that time hes already walked off to some other thing.
If you think hes going to be a goof and go first – he’ll just change into the snake version and pound you
after all – its hard to tackle a bucket of slime and ooze – it keeps changing shape.
PS – i doubt show me the money will work anymore – theres waaaay to many fiscal fuck ups from the nats now
No but remember some district councils have already realised the living wage would have meant a big increase in rates and so canned it, John Key will use that
Beer bore out of depth—and out of control.
Yet another failure for dire radio chat show The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 2 September 2013
Jim Mora, Vicky Hyde, Neil Miller
Today’s programme featured one Neil Miller, a beer writer who also dabbles in commenting about politics, though not to any discernible depth. Over the years as a guest on The Panel, he has sounded off against liberals, trade unions, John Minto and Robert Fisk, and announced that his favorite writer is the unfunny, brutal right wing “comedian” P.J. O’Rourke (Standardistas will remember O’Rourke was the genius who Brian Edwards could not remember interviewing.) Over the last year or so, Miller has refrained from commenting on much about anything beyond boutique beers. When he sticks to his speciality, he is bearable.
Today, however, Miller returned to commenting about politics. He has been listening to Senator Kerry’s ranting about Syria, and has evidently bought it all—-hook, line and sinker. He vehemently raved on for a good two minutes, snarling about the failure of the British parliament to blindly support U.S. claims and making it clear that he believes it is a moral imperative to support the Al-Qaeda rebels and to bomb the civilians of Syria. He was for the whole time uninterrupted and uncontradicted by either Jim Mora or Vicky Hyde, who calls herself a “skeptic”.
Appalled, I fired off the following email….
Please challenge Neil Miller’s credulous and irresponsible comments
Dear Jim,
Neil Miller is repeating US government propaganda as if it was the truth. Repeating John Kerry’s absurd assertions is no sort of argument at all.
Thanks for the letter Morrissey.
He was dreadful, mirroring Key.
“If you can legislate at $18.40 a hour and have no implications, why not make it $30 and hour – and show me one country in the world that has legislated for higher wages and it has been successful,” Key said.
Miller repeated this.
Is Miller ACT?
miller is perhaps the most pig-ignorant (and deeply annoying) of that (often sorry) line up of ‘experts’/’erudite-commenters’/cream of the nations’ intellectuals..eh..?….
..i mean..that ex-cop..?..and that ‘don’ (someone) person..?..
..and those various other ancient reactionaries they wheel/zimmer-frame in..?..(i’m looking at you..brian edwards..)
..i can’t figure out why the fuck he is there..that miller..he just pimps beer..everytime..and that’s it..?…(w.t.f. is that about..?..why is he allowed to do that..?..turn national radio into a fucken infomercial for his piss-pushing commercial-enterprises..?..why is he the only one allowed to do that..?)..
..and he (barely coherently) spouts the latest rightwing-shite/message..
..and his opinions clearly show that aside from his beer-passion..
..he’s as deep as a fucken beer-coaster..
..(and photos show he is a man who truly lives his ‘passion- – maybe a bit too much..eh..?…)..
..he’s the best the nation has/they can do..?
..and the thing is..opinions are one thing..and they can vary..and fair enough..
..but these ‘experts’ are often just allowed to peddle outright-lies..easily proven errors of fact..
..and they are never ever called on them..
..that bullshit is just alllowed to continue to float in the ether..
(btw..i didn’t hear it today..and can’t be bothered listening online..
..what did they say about byron bay..?..
(i lived there for a number of years..and there are worse places in the world to be..
..great service-industries there at the time..you could get cocaine home-delivered @ 3.00am/whenever..should you so choose/desire..
..and of course..there was the ‘mullumbimby-madness’..eh..?..
..i threw a birthday-party for my daughter when she turned ten..that went down in local-history..)
Will any candidate’s partner/spouse be running the party? No.
So what would they be in a campaign? Decoration.
People aren’t placards. Maybe all the significant others have better things to do than distract from a quite and interesting and fairly positive leadership campaign.
Put a sock in it Chris73. You’d be bitching your head off if he did. Already your lot have engaged the most intrusive and rubbishy bullshit about the Cunliffes’ baby care arrangements.
It was a dumb comment Cunliffe made, he should have said something like “we’ve worked hard to get here and I want to make sure everyone else has the same opportunity”
If I remember correctly Cunliffe did say that, can’t remember exactly what he said but I think the message was something similar to this. “I have climbed aboard and I am going to make sure the ladder is not removed so others cannot climb aboard.”
After seeing prat Gower this evening on TV3, the right is definitely shitting themselves that Cunliffe might WIN.
Cunliffe already gave an excellent response: ie they were a couple of kids from modest backgrounds, who, unlike the Nats, won’t be pulling the ladder up after themselves.
Predictable lack lustre response from you Chris73……….but sort of proves my point. You’ve picked a Catch 22 and your trolldom is invigorated. Don’t you have a fuck’n’ life in the realm of reasonable understanding ?
I guess shitting does this to people. Every orifice helps out………
Actually her background and the fact the old guard are backing Robertson is why I think Cunliffe is a better bet for Labour then Robertson also ruling out Norman is a big plus
Neil Miller on Mora this afternoon – once billed simply as a beer expert now trotted out as a political commentator as well – Miller made some claim (no authority cited) along the lines that changes to the youth rate put 9,000 youth job holders out of their jobs (this in the context of a discussion about living wage). I don’t know whether that’s true or not.
I am naturally suspicious of Miller however. For a start his voice and talky down persona reminds me very much of Simon Bridges. Secondly and obviously more importantly he always seems to me to be an unmitigated ShonKey Python sucker and arrogant with it. Coming out with the most extraordinary unabashed claims such as today re the referendum – “the asset sales question is corrupted by people playing politics” (paraphrased). Pleasingly the other panelist ticked him off for this mocking dismissal of democracy.
Those having knowledge (supported by reputable authority) re Miller’s claim that youth rate changes (presumably an increase) put 9,000 youth job holders out of their jobs, please share. If this was a bullshit throwaway line or only part of the story Miller must be castigated as must Mora for allowing it without challenge.
And as Morrissey pointed out, he raved on about supporting the US Intervention in Syria.
Apart from his interest in beer, what else do we know about him?
What makes him such an out and out right wing nut job?
Perhaps he is popular for offering to pay rounds at the pub. That would not be impossible in swaying Mora’s choice when you hear his varied selection of talkers passing themselves as experts or wits or informed incisive commentators.
No no no he’s not a RWJN……….he’s one of those arseholes who knows everything and to him his spot on Mora is just proof of that. And in truth Mora is in symbiosis with that notwithstanding the hideous Mr Affable so relentlessly performed.
Just selfish backward “I’m famous” fuckwits squatted on their upper middle class fart cushions……..that hilarious feature akshully being superfluous given their ugly sphincters’ failings – a gaseousness approaching intolerably toxic levels for the rest of us.
They know nothing about the broadness of life in NZ and care not therefore !
It’s all about the shitty “them”. What a waste of public money……..
I’ll believe you – I couldn’t stand hanging around for The Panel. A couple of hours of Mora before that – including his agreeing with anything and everything the man from Byron Bay said just made me want to puke
Does anyone know if he’s related to Michael Mora btw? If so they’d be chalk and cheese.
As for the Miller and Mora thing – you’ll notice Mora agrees with EVERYTHING his guests say. The reason everyone thinks he’s just the cat’s whisker is that his tactic is to compliment and grovel to anyone he has on the programme (such as it is). The guy’s so inoffensive, it’s offensive.
Current affairs and information it’s not!
But Tim he doesn’t emphasise CA&I really. He has some other phrase like A Panel like No Other or something, that would be right. He’s just a guy who has got the name of being nice because he goes round and smartens up people’s gardens on tv. And that makes him a real treasure don’t you think? We all love people who do that, there is such a need. I know I have one, for a better garden that is. And that makes him an expert on the latest populist viewpoint I should think.
Fascinating piece on Oz politics. Their system of preferential voting. If you tick for above the line choice of preferences then you go with whatever the party you voted for has chosen. If you want to choose for yourself, you go below the line. And each box has to be filled out in some sort of order or the whole thing is invalid.
I have voted there years ago before they decided that NZs weren’t people of standing, and it wasn’t easy then. Now apparently there have been a rash of small parties. They are all to be printed and I think it’s in the 100’s, did I hear 253, and fitted on an A3 sheet sideways which is the maximum size for the printing process. But to get all the parties and boxes on, the font will be so small that a magnifying sheet will be needed. Pythonesque. Have a good tipple of Schadenfreude.
Insight program on Nights with Bryan Crump. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight
NZ Radio Awards 2013: winner of the Best Documentary or Feature Programme & co-winner of Best Daily or Weekly series under an Hour Duration
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The Greens are calling for the Government to reconsider the immigration reset so that it better reflects our relationship with our Pacific neighbours. ...
Hamilton City Council and Whanganui District Council have both joined a growing list of Local Authorities to pass a motion in support of Green Party Drug Reform Spokesperson Chlöe Swarbrick’s Members’ bill to minimise alcohol harm. ...
Today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a major package of reforms to address the immediate skill shortages in New Zealand and speed up our economic growth. These include an early reopening to the world, a major milestone for international education, and a simplification of immigration settings to ensure New Zealand ...
Proposed immigration changes by the Government fail to guarantee pathways to residency to workers in the types of jobs deemed essential throughout the pandemic, by prioritising high income earners - instead of focusing on the wellbeing of workers and enabling migrants to put down roots. ...
Ehara taku toa i te toa takatahi, engari taku toa he toa takimano – my strength is not mine alone but the strength of many (working together to ensure safe, caring respectful responses). We are striving for change. We want all people in Aotearoa New Zealand thriving; their wellbeing enhanced ...
The Green Party is throwing its support behind the 10,000 allied health workers taking work-to-rule industrial action today because of unfair pay and working conditions. ...
Since the day we came into Government, we’ve worked hard to lift wages and reduce cost pressures facing New Zealanders. But we know the rising cost of living, driven by worldwide inflation and the war in Ukraine, is making things particularly tough right now. That’s why we’ve stepped up our ...
An independent review of New Zealand’s detention regime for asylum seekers has found arbitrary and abusive practices in Aotearoa’s immigration law, policy, and practice. ...
Tiwhatiwha te pō, tiwhatiwha te ao. Tiwhatiwha te pō, tiwhatiwha te ao. Matariki Tapuapua, He roimata ua, he roimata tangata. He roimata e wairurutu nei, e wairurutu nei. Te Māreikura mārohirohi o Ihoa o ngā Mano, takoto Te ringa mākohakoha o Rongo, takoto. Te mātauranga o Tūāhuriri o Ngai Tahu ...
Three core networks within the tourism sector are receiving new investment to gear up for the return of international tourists and business travellers, as the country fully reconnects to the world. “Our wider tourism sector is on the way to recovery. As visitor numbers scale up, our established tourism networks ...
The Government is contributing $100,000 to a Mayoral Relief Fund to help the Levin community following this morning’s tornado, Minister for Emergency Management Kiri Allan says. “My thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by severe weather events in Levin and across the country. “I know the tornado has ...
The Quintet of Attorneys General have issued the following statement of support for the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and investigations and prosecutions for crimes committed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine: “The Attorneys General of the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand join in ...
Morena tatou katoa. Kua tae mai i runga i te kaupapa o te rā. Thank you all for being here today. Yesterday my colleague, the Minister of Finance Grant Robertson, delivered the Wellbeing Budget 2022 – for a secure future for New Zealand. I’m the Minister of Health, and this was ...
Urgent Budget night legislation to stop major supermarkets blocking competitors from accessing land for new stores has been introduced today, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Dr David Clark said. The Commerce (Grocery Sector Covenants) Amendment Bill amends the Commerce Act 1986, banning restrictive covenants on land, and exclusive covenants ...
It is a pleasure to speak to this Budget. The 5th we have had the privilege of delivering, and in no less extraordinary circumstances. Mr Speaker, the business and cycle of Government is, in some ways, no different to life itself. Navigating difficult times, while also making necessary progress. Dealing ...
Budget 2022 provides funding to implement the new resource management system, building on progress made since the reform was announced just over a year ago. The inadequate funding for the implementation of the Resource Management Act in 1992 almost guaranteed its failure. There was a lack of national direction about ...
The Government is substantially increasing the amount of funding for public media to ensure New Zealanders can continue to access quality local content and trusted news. “Our decision to create a new independent and future-focused public media entity is about achieving this objective, and we will support it with a ...
$662.5 million to maintain existing defence capabilities NZDF lower-paid staff will receive a salary increase to help meet cost-of living pressures. Budget 2022 sees significant resources made available for the Defence Force to maintain existing defence capabilities as it looks to the future delivery of these new investments. “Since ...
More than $185 million to help build a resilient cultural sector as it continues to adapt to the challenges coming out of COVID-19. Support cultural sector agencies to continue to offer their important services to New Zealanders. Strengthen support for Māori arts, culture and heritage. The Government is investing in a ...
It is my great pleasure to present New Zealand’s fourth Wellbeing Budget. In each of this Government’s three previous Wellbeing Budgets we have not only considered the performance of our economy and finances, but also the wellbeing of our people, the health of our environment and the strength of our communities. In Budget ...
It is my great pleasure to present New Zealand’s fourth Wellbeing Budget. In each of this Government’s three previous Wellbeing Budgets we have not only considered the performance of our economy and finances, but also the wellbeing of our people, the health of our environment and the strength of our communities. In Budget ...
Four new permanent Coroners to be appointed Seven Coronial Registrar roles and four Clinical Advisor roles are planned to ease workload pressures Budget 2022 delivers a package of investment to improve the coronial system and reduce delays for grieving families and whānau. “Operating funding of $28.5 million over four ...
Establishment of Ministry for Disabled People Progressing the rollout of the Enabling Good Lives approach to Disability Support Services to provide self-determination for disabled people Extra funding for disability support services “Budget 2022 demonstrates the Government’s commitment to deliver change for the disability community with the establishment of a ...
Fairer Equity Funding system to replace school deciles The largest step yet towards Pay Parity in early learning Local support for schools to improve teaching and learning A unified funding system to underpin the Reform of Vocational Education Boost for schools and early learning centres to help with cost ...
$118.4 million for advisory services to support farmers, foresters, growers and whenua Māori owners to accelerate sustainable land use changes and lift productivity $40 million to help transformation in the forestry, wood processing, food and beverage and fisheries sectors $31.6 million to help maintain and lift animal welfare practices across Aotearoa New Zealand A total food and ...
House price caps for First Home Grants increased in many parts of the country House price caps for First Home Loans removed entirely Kāinga Whenua Loan cap will also be increased from $200,000 to $500,000 The Affordable Housing Fund to initially provide support for not-for-profit rental providers Significant additional ...
Child Support rules to be reformed lifting an estimated 6,000 to 14,000 children out of poverty Support for immediate and essential dental care lifted from $300 to $1,000 per year Increased income levels for hardship assistance to extend eligibility Budget 2022 takes further action to reduce child poverty and ...
More support for RNA research through to pilot manufacturing RNA technology platform to be created to facilitate engagement between research and industry partners Researchers and businesses working in the rapidly developing field of RNA technology will benefit from a new research and development platform, funded in Budget 2022. “RNA ...
A new Business Growth Fund to support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to grow Fully funding the Regional Strategic Partnership Fund to unleash regional economic development opportunities Tourism Innovation Programme to promote sustainable recovery Eight Industry Transformation Plans progressed to work with industries, workers and iwi to transition ...
Budget 2022 further strengthens the economic foundations and wellbeing outcomes for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa, as the recovery from COVID-19 continues. “The priorities we set for Budget 2022 will support the continued delivery of our commitments for Pacific peoples through the Pacific Wellbeing Strategy, a 2020 manifesto commitment for Pacific ...
Boost for Māori economic and employment initiatives. More funding for Māori health and wellbeing initiatives Further support towards growing language, culture and identity initiatives to deliver on our commitment to Te Reo Māori in Education Funding for natural environment and climate change initiatives to help farmers, growers and whenua ...
New hospital funding for Whangārei, Nelson and Hillmorton 280 more classrooms over 40 schools, and money for new kura $349 million for more rolling stock and rail network investment The completion of feasibility studies for a Northland dry dock and a new port in the Manukau Harbour Increased infrastructure ...
$168 million to the Māori Health Authority for direct commissioning of services $20.1 million to support Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards $30 million to support Māori primary and community care providers $39 million for Māori health workforce development Budget 2022 invests in resetting our health system and gives economic security in ...
Biggest-ever increase to Pharmac’s medicines budget Provision for 61 new emergency vehicles including 48 ambulances, along with 248 more paramedics and other frontline staff New emergency helicopter and crew, and replacement of some older choppers $100 million investment in specialist mental health and addiction services 195,000 primary and intermediate aged ...
Landmark reform: new multi-year budgets for better planning and more consistent health services Record ongoing annual funding boost for Health NZ to meet cost pressures and start with a clean slate as it replaces fragmented DHB system ($1.8 billion year one, as well as additional $1.3 billion in year ...
Fuel Excise Duty and Road User Charges cut to be extended for two months Half price public transport extended for a further two months New temporary cost of living payment for people earning up to $70,000 who are not eligible to receive the Winter Energy Payment Estimated 2.1 million New ...
A return to surplus in 2024/2025 Unemployment rate projected to remain at record lows Net debt forecast to peak at 19.9 percent of GDP in 2024, lower than Australia, US, UK and Canada Economic growth to hit 4.2 percent in 2023 and average 2.1 percent over the forecast period A ...
Cost of living payment to cushion impact of inflation for 2.1 million Kiwis Record health investment including biggest ever increase to Pharmac’s medicines budget First allocations from Climate Emergency Response Fund contribute to achieving the goals in the first Emissions Reduction Plan Government actions deliver one of the strongest ...
Budget 2022 will help build a high wage, low emissions economy that provides greater economic security, while providing support to households affected by cost of living pressures. Our economy has come through the COVID-19 shock better than almost anywhere else in the world, but other challenges, both long-term and more ...
Health Minister Andrew Little will represent New Zealand at the first in-person World Health Assembly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, from Sunday 22 – Wednesday 25 May (New Zealand time). “COVID-19 has affected people all around the world, and health continues to ...
New Zealand is committing to trade only in legally harvested timber with the Forests (Legal Harvest Assurance) Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament today. Under the Bill, timber harvested in New Zealand and overseas, and used in products made here or imported, will have to be verified as being legally harvested. ...
The Government has welcomed the release today of StatsNZ data showing the rate at which New Zealanders died from all causes during the COVID-19 pandemic has been lower than expected. The new StatsNZ figures provide a measure of the overall rate of deaths in New Zealand during the pandemic compared ...
Legislation that will help prevent serious criminal offending at sea, including trafficking of humans, drugs, wildlife and arms, has passed its third reading in Parliament today, Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta announced. “Today is a milestone in allowing us to respond to the increasingly dynamic and complex maritime security environment facing ...
Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor is set to travel to Thailand this week to represent New Zealand at the annual APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) meeting in Bangkok. “I’m very much looking forward to meeting my trade counterparts at APEC 2022 and building on the achievements we ...
Settlement of the first pay-equity agreement in the health sector is hugely significant, delivering pay rises of thousands of dollars for many hospital administration and clerical workers, Health Minister Andrew Little says. “There is no place in 21st century Aotearoa New Zealand for 1950s attitudes to work predominantly carried out ...
Health Minister Andrew Little opened a new intensive care space for up to 12 ICU-capable beds at Christchurch Hospital today, funded from the Government’s Rapid Hospital Improvement Programme. “I’m pleased to help mark this milestone. This new space will provide additional critical care support for the people of Canterbury and ...
Budget 2022 will continue to deliver on Labour’s commitment to better services and support for mental wellbeing. The upcoming Budget will include a $100-million investment over four years for a specialist mental health and addiction package, including: $27m for community-based crisis services that will deliver a variety of intensive supports ...
Budget 2022 will continue to deliver on Labour’s commitment to better mental wellbeing services and support, with 195,000 primary and intermediate aged children set to benefit from the continuation and expansion of Mana Ake services. “In Budget 2022 Labour will deliver on its manifesto commitment to expand Mana Ake, with ...
Auckland Central Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick has revealed an alarming failure by the Department of Conservation to live up to its name and protect native kororā (penguins) at Pūtiki Bay on Waiheke Island. “DOC was asked to submit on the Kennedy Point ...
Policy failure over the last eight years — including a massive cut to the ABC’s international funding — has weakened Australia’s voice in the Pacific to its lowest ebb since the Menzies government established the first radio shortwave service across the region more than 80 years ago. Now, with China’s ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern early in March insisted there was no cost-of-living “crisis” in New Zealand. Now her right-hand man, Grant Robertson, has presented a budget which he proudly claims deals with that very same “crisis”, giving away $1 billion in an emergency cost-of-living package. About 2.1 million New Zealanders ...
Podcast - This Budget needed to tackle health and climate while delivering cost-of-living relief. Deputy Political Editor Craig McCulloch assesses the implications. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne AAP/Lukas Coch The federal election is on Saturday. Polls close at 6pm local time; that means 6pm AEST in the eastern states, 6:30pm in SA and the ...
Analysis - It was the government's biggest week of the year with the Budget and the Emissions Reduction Plan coming out, and neither was given much of a welcome, Peter Wilson writes. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ataus Samad, Lecturer, Western Sydney University Mick Tsikas/AAP With the election almost upon us, thoughts are more than ever turned to political survival. While getting pre-selected and winning elections are the initial, difficult challenges of a political career, a major ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Chart by Keith Rankin. We know that New Zealand has one of the world’s lowest mortality outcomes, so far, in the Covid19 pandemic. (So has North Korea.) It’s still far too early to access the costs incurred – loss of utility enjoyed by actual and ‘would-have-been’ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Giuffre, Senior Lecturer in Communication, University of Technology Sydney Lillie Eiger/ Sony You’ve probably heard the name Harry Styles. He is the current “real big thing” in popular music. But how did a former boy band star become ...
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty managing director Mark Harris is advocating for a stamp duty on foreign buyers of residential property. Following yesterday’s Budget 2022 announcement, Harris believes that a stamp duty would help increase the ...
And how did the people react to the boost in spending announced in this year’s Budget to promote our wellbeing? In some cases by pleading for more; in other cases, by grouching they got nothing. But Budget spending is never enough. Two lots of bleating came from the Human Rights ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra University of Canberra Professorial Fellow Michelle Grattan and Emma La Rouche, from the University of Canberra’s Media and Communications team, look at the last week of the campaign as Australians head to the polls. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Hurlimann, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock It will be impossible to tackle climate change unless we transform the way we build and plan cities, which are responsible for a staggering 70% of global emissions. ...
Military spending allocated in the 2022 Wellbeing Budget is $6,077,484,000 - an average of more than $116.8 million every week, and a 10.4% increase on actual spending in 2021. [1] This year’s increase illustrates yet again that the government remains ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Tingay, John Curtin Distinguished Professor (Radio Astronomy), Curtin University JIM LO SCALZO/EPA The United States Congress recently held a hearing into US government information pertaining to “unidentified aerial phenomena” (UAPs). The last investigation of this kind happened ...
Bank shareholders, speculators, investors, and ticket clippers will be partying for days over the enormous profits they’ll be expecting following Labour’s budget reveal yesterday. After a 48 percent increase in profits in 2021, banks in particular ...
Budget 2022 has a relatively small amount of new cash allocated to science, research and innovation. This budget comes ahead of what could become a major overhaul of the research, science, and innovation sector in the coming years, with MBIE now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Curtin, Professor of Politics and Policy, University of Auckland Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to parliament via video link from COVID isolation during budget day.Getty Images All budgets are about economics and politics, and 2022’s was no different. The Labour ...
Early this Sunday evening there will be a phone alert you can’t ignore – but don’t worry, it’s just a test. This year’s nationwide test of the Emergency Mobile Alert system will take place on Sunday 22 May between 6-7pm It is expected ...
It was announced today that the inaugural Chinese Medicine Council of New Zealand (CMCNZ) has been appointed by the Minister of Health, Hon. Andrew Little. This brings the Chinese medicine profession in under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peggy Kern, Associate professor, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock It’s been a big week and you feel exhausted, and suddenly you find yourself crying at a nice nappy commercial. Or maybe you are struck with a cold or the coronavirus ...
No, we haven’t fully analysed Budget 2022, but we did listen to Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s speech. He took great pride in announcing his fifth Budget invests $5.9 billion a year in net new operating spending, while introducing multi-year funding packages that also draw from Budget 2023 and Budget 2024 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University Victor Grabarczyk/unsplash Dogs have an exceptional sense of smell. We take advantage of this ability in many ways, including by training them to find illicit drugs, dangerous goods and even people. In ...
The Government is using dirty tactics as it pushes through enabling legislation to increase PAYE revenue by 10% under the cover of yesterday’s Budget, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union in response to the Income Insurance Scheme (Enabling ...
RNZ Pacific A total of NZ$196 million has been set aside for Pacific services in Aotearoa New Zealand in this year’s Budget. A big chunk of that — $76 million will go on Pacific health services. Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the cash injection would be used to support Pacific ...
By George Heagney of Stuff A group of students from West Papua, the Melanesian Pacific region in Indonesia, are fearful about their futures in New Zealand after their scholarships were cut off. A group of about 40 students have been studying at different tertiary institutions in New Zealand, but in ...
By Craig McCulloch, RNZ News deputy political editor More than two million New Zealanders will get a one-off $350 sweetener as part of the Budget’s centrepiece $1 billion cost-of-living relief package. The temporary short-term support is counterbalanced by a record $11.1 billion for the health system as the government scraps ...
Asia Pacific Report newsdesk A movement dedicated to peaceful self-determination among indigenous groups in the Pacific is the latest group in Aotearoa to add support for struggling Papuan students caught in Aotearoa New Zealand after an abrupt cancellation of their scholarships. About 70 Papuan students are currently in New Zealand ...
RNZ Pacific The pro-independence coalition parties of Kanaky New Caledonia have selected their candidates for the French Legislative elections next month. Wali Wahetra from the Palika Party is standing in one electoral district, and Gerard Reignier from Union Caledonienne is standing in the other. Speaking with La Premiere, Wahetra explained ...
COMMENTARY:By Nina Santos in AucklandOn May 9, the Philippines went to the polls in what has been called “by far the most divisive and consequential electoral contest” in the Philippines.The electoral race had boiled down to two frontrunners: one was the current Vice-President Leni Robredo, running on ...
PNG Post-Courier Governor-General Grand Chief Sir Bob Dadae has described Papua New Guinea’s late Deputy Prime Minister Sam Basil as a vibrant and visionary leader who was passionate about his people and the electorate. He said Basil loved and dedicated his life to the people of Bulolo until his unexpected ...
Are you receiving NZ Superannuation? If you are, then no, you are not one of the 2.1 million Kiwi’s getting the $350 cost of living supplement announced in the 2022 Budget. If you hold a Gold card the extension of the half priced public ...
On May 19th, the Government released its 2022 Budget which included a number of initiatives to help vulnerable whānau in our communities. Many of these initiatives focus on a proactive strategy to recover from the effects of COVID. Within the community ...
Budget 2022 has been a disappointment for New Zealand’s leading advocate for older people. Although the Grey Power Federation is pleased to note that the Government is investing $3.103 million over four years to continue implementing the Better Later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato Ukraine’s sea port of Mariupol, blockaded and now fallen to Russian forces.Getty Images Trying to gauge the worst aspect of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is difficult. For some, it will be the ...
The Government has committed $37.485m to continue the work of achieving a thriving, fair and sustainable construction sector. The funding will support the Construction Sector Accord to deliver its Construction Sector Transformation Plan 2022-2025. “This ...
The Commission commends the Government’s Budget 2022 investment in specialist mental health and addiction, particularly the investment in community-based crisis services, specialist child and adolescent mental health and addiction services, and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Kenny, Professor, Australian Studies Institute, Australian National University You first have to lose an election on principle if you want to win one on principle. This was how Labor rationalised the miscalculations that led to its “Don’s Party” disappointment in 1969, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Camilla Hoyos, Research Fellow, University of Sydney Shutterstock There is increasing recognition of the important role sleep plays in our brain health. Growing evidence suggests disturbed sleep may increase the risk of developing dementia. I and University of Sydney ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Wilson, Associate Professor of Leadership, Swinburne University of Technology Shutterstock Whatever the result of the 2022 election, one thing is clear: many Australians are losing faith that their social institutions serve their interests. Our annual survey of 4,000 Australians ...
National Party leader Christopher Luxon has labelled the Budget a "backwards Budget" and with "bandaid" solutions. Watch his post-Budget speech here ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The text arrived on Thursday morning, from a woman who helps me with my horses. “And now I have to do that voting thing. Recommendations please? Who is best?” Well Margaret, after an unedifying ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Hellard, Deputy Director (Programs), Burnet Institute Australia’s COVID death toll is rising, yet public health measures to reduce transmission such as mask mandates are largely a thing of the past. It’s time for governments and the community to consider what ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society and NATSEM, University of Canberra Shutterstock Early in the election campaign, on April 14, we learned that Australia’s unemployment rate had slipped below 4% in March, to 3.95% – ...
The sum includes about $1.8 billion to wipe out DHB deficits, while Pharmac will receive $191m over two years to fund new drugs - with a particular focus on cancer care. ...
E tū welcomes Budget 2022, which includes a range of measures that will help E tū members and their communities during a time of increased hardship coming out of the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. E tū Assistant National Secretary Annie Newman ...
The 2022 Budget was delivered against a gloomier backdrop. The latest forecasts suggest more subdued growth, more persistent inflation, and further tightening in the labour market. The headline numbers provided little surprise. The Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Bonython, Associate Professor of Law, Bond University Shutterstock This Saturday, most Australians over 18 will vote in the federal election. The right to participate in elections is enshrined in international and domestic human rights law. Under Australia’s Commonwealth ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Shaw, Professor of Politics, Massey University Getty Images One way to make sense of Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s fifth budget speech was to see it as a political performance working on different levels. First, Labour needs this budget ...
Greater Wellington welcomed news today that the Government will permanently fund cheaper public transport fares for community services card hold holders. Chair of Greater Wellington Daran Ponter said there had been strong support for this type ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Preston, Professor of Economics, The University of Western Australia Shutterstock In 2020 the Morrison government allowed Australians to raid their superannuation to get through during the pandemic. This week Scott Morrison proposed letting people raid their super for a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Eltham, Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University Shutterstock The past term of government has been tough for arts and culture in Australia. Culture was among the worst affected by the pandemic of any aspect of society: ...
It's a 'cost of living crisis' not a 'spending on living crisis'. Throwing more and more money at a black-hole for kiwis to spend is akin to the famous saying: "...it's like standing in a bucket and trying to pull yourself up by the handle." ...
Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union and the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations are disappointed to see the tertiary education sector largely ignored once again in the Labour government’s fifth Budget since taking office in 2017. ...
The biggest Budget spend up in New Zealand’s history has delivered some, but not a lot, of initiatives that will support businesses in the Canterbury region. "Some of the initiatives announced in Budget 2022 will go some way towards helping business, ...
Community Housing Aotearoa, a peak body for the community housing sector, welcomes the announcement in today’s Budget to create a $350M Affordable Housing Fund. This investment is a good use of the unallocated Residential Response Fund and a sign ...
The Government’s fourth wellbeing budget fittingly delivered a raft of initiatives to support people, communities and the environment, but when it came to business support it was much as expected. The good news is $100m has been allocated for a ...
Budget 2022 has pluses and minuses for the disabled community, says Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero. On the plus side there was considerable investment in the new Ministry for Disabled People and other funding which has the potential ...
IMPEACHMENT
Congress Fires Opening Shot Across Obama’s Bow.
by John Walsh, August 31, 2013 Information Clearing House
“Mr. President, in the case of military operations in Libya you stated that authorization from Congress was not required because our military was not engaged in “hostilities.” In addition, an April 1, 2011, memorandum to you from your Office of Legal Counsel concluded:…”President Obama could rely on his constitutional power to safeguard the national interest by directing the anticipated military operations in Libya—which were limited in their nature, scope, and duration—without prior congressional authorization.’”
“We view the precedent this opinion sets, where “national interest” is enough to engage in hostilities without congressional authorization, as unconstitutional.”
Text from letter of Rep. Scott Regall (R, VA) to Pres. Obama
Signed by 140 Reps, including 21 Democrats
The letter of Scott Regall (1) to Barak Obama has exploded on the scene with its opening words:
“We strongly urge you to consult and receive authorization from Congress before ordering the use of U.S. military force in Syria. Your responsibility to do so is prescribed in the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
“While the Founders wisely gave the Office of the President the authority to act in emergencies, they foresaw the need to ensure public debate – and the active engagement of Congress – prior to committing U.S. military assets. Engaging our military in Syria when no direct threat to the United States exists and without prior congressional authorization would violate the separation of powers that is clearly delineated in the Constitution.”
With these perhaps historic words the Congress has begun to claw back its Constitutional right to decide issues of war and peace. Significantly the letter comes from a Republican lawmaker, and it is clearly a tribute to the leadership of the libertarians in the Republican Party, most notably Ron Paul, Justin Amash and Rand Paul.
But the situation is grave enough, possibly leading on to a World War, that 21 Democrats have challenged the President and their Party bosses to sign the statement. They are moving beyond partisanship as Ron Paul did in challenging George W. Bush on the war on Iraq.
If that were all that the letter said, it would be momentous enough. But the statement goes further and labels Obama’s cruel war on Libya as “unconstitutional,” because it was done without so much as a nod to Congress. In the end no lawyer and no court, not even the Supreme Court, can overrule Congress when it decides what to do when it considers a serious presidential action as “unconstitutional.”
Read more….
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36055.htm
This will go nowhere. There is no way in hell that the senate, let alone a GOP dominated house will vote to impeach a President over this.
A secret list curated by social network giant Facebook was published online recently after an employee for one of the company’s third-world contractors, upset at his poor working conditions and meager wage, decided to fight back.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/02/22/low-wage-facebook-contractor-leaks-secret-censorship-list/
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2012/03/social-media-giants-set-up-free-speech-zones-to-censor-dissent.html
Amazing about Facebook all right. But the rules actually reflect and react to the peculiar mental processes of people. It is a desire to prevent all people from being drowned in the outpourings of minds that think that ear wax is interesting or toe-jam, or snot or whatever horrible thing you can imagine.
I once saw a Penthouse or Playboy with photos of a woman defecating onto a piece of glass. Bet many of you immediately think that the woman was disgusting. She was persuaded to do her ‘act’ by something low, probably the reward wasn’t even high.
Many human minds get stuck on reverse or merely low gear for life and have to be limited from spoiling the world for everyone else.
Government Should Prioritise Job Creation
.. in Kenya. They wouldn’t be racist now, would they ?
http://allafrica.com/stories/201309010057.html
What’s going on here then, from today’s Herald online, Labour MP David Clark has pointed out that the Skycity convention center deal may just cost the tax payer some very big bucks after all,
Apparently the contract between the Government and Sky says that after a negotiation over the design of the convention center if the design agreed costs more than the agreed 402 million dollars the Government can choose to walk away from the deal OR throw in the cash to make up for any shortfall over 402 million dollars….
Another reason to vote NACT out! If “negotiations would continue through the 2014 election year”, then they may not be finished by the election (especially if it’s early in the year). Then a few design modifications to put it up above the $402 million mark, then activate the exit clause. It’s not like Sky City has been negotiating in good faith, so screw the bastards!
Elections have a great way of focussing the mind and coming to agreement on matters.
Especially if ShonKey uses the asset sale Referendum as an excuse for a snap election! National’s poll numbers aren’t going anywhere but down, so he might want to leave early – like a rat from a ship.
Wouldn’t the best way to raise the price past that $402 million threshold be to put up the purchase price of the TVNZ site. (If it has not been included in deal already, that is)
you are not surprised are you Bad?
coupled with their express lie that 800 jobs, not 340 jobs would be created…
it will also turn out to be a lie that the convention centre will run at anything but a loss.
18 jobs!
is the walk away opportunity before or after they get their extra pokies? If sky decide they don’t need a bigger convention centre, would they just have to put forward outrageously expensive specs so the govt walks away, and they still get to create more gambling addicts in the community?
Not sure Mac, the story in the Herald online didn’t go into that detail, a good question tho and hopefully David Clark gives it to Slippery the Prime Minister next time the Parliament is sitting…
I’m a cynical chap sometimes 🙂
Job creation .. for negotiators.
I hope WINZ takes this into account before placing ‘work ready’ women in jobs that may involve heavy lifting that might put mothers who have given birth naturally at risk of workplace injury.
I guess that even if it is 37 years since the ‘pre-existing condition’ women should stay at home – just to be safe, of course. I mean, who knows what might happen to them if they venture out? They might get ripped off by workplace insurers, or something.
Am I missing something, or is the DHB saying it would rather pay for the surgery itself (via the public list) rather than have its insurer pay for it? Would love to see the cost analysis of that.
“is the DHB saying it would rather pay for the surgery itself ”
It does seem to lead to that conclusion. Is there an increase in the cost of cover if they have too many of these problems? (Deny the employee claim rather than fix the workplace issue is a whole other question). If that’s the case I guess it’s cheaper just to fit her op in when it suits the DHB rather than when it suits her – 14 months earlier would have been nice, I guess, given the pain and inconvenience and lost income.
What sort of insurance agreement is it when the insurer implies that it had no input in the decision to decline cover? And what does it mean that fundamental, complication-free, human activities are ‘pre-existing conditions’?
Weird.
Did i miss something in the Leadership competition, Labour’s David Cunliffe is being quoted by RadioNZ as saying He will support the ‘Living Wage’ for all workers,
i greeted this news with an emphatically large YES, and who would have thunk it, employers are quoted as having the usual wail and whine about how unaffordable changing the minimum wage to the living wage would be,
Apparently there are some 600,000 workers who would receive a boost in their wages and employers are saying that this would ‘cost them’ 4 billion dollars,
That cost tho is simply alarmism at it’s worst, not all the low waged economy receives the $13.70 that is the minimum wage and if establishing the ‘living wage’ was a matter of 3 yearly steps to reach such a position the ‘cost’ is spread over 3 years,
Employers are being ‘simple’ seeing establishing the living wage as a ‘cost’ after all it isn’t like the low waged demographic are going to hoard such pay rises,
The economy will be the main beneficiary of the living wage as all such money will be spent back into the economy business will compete to grab a slice of such extra cash,
Business competing for a slice of the living wage will at the retail level at least probably have to hire more workers and suppliers will also be busier,
The Government will take in an be able to redistribute more monies from taxation and in general business will be far far busier recouping the living wage as profits….
Cunliffe’s press release from yesterday morning:
From RNZ this morning:
Problem with all of this is that the Labour Party determines its policy. So how can they say “I will…” anything that isn’t already policy, and if it is already policy is this a clever way for the party to get its broader policy across under the guise of a leadership contest?
I can’t relate to Jones. I think most here get that. BUT is he appealing to a large group of NZers who need a voice? I don’t really think Labour is chasing my vote (even though I am currently going to vote Green). I am a white middle class female and I am not sure that is the vote Labour is missing out on… altho they are missing out on mine so I recognise I am contradicting myself. Hopefully what I am trying to convey is conveyed?
conveyed, and agreed.
“Problem with all of this is that the Labour Party determines its policy. So how can they say “I will…” ”
I have been wondering about that too Tracey. It’s one thing for a leader to say “I will…”, but these men aren’t even leaders yet.
David Cunliffe wins that one in my opinion, what i would like Labour to release as an election policy is the living wage in the first 3 years of the next Labour Government,
How does Grant Robertson think the average head out there earning sweet F.A and not working for the Government or a Government contractor feels when they look at a policy of raising that minimum wage to a living wage only for those who work directly or indirectly for the government,
i am not effected by that minimum wage and i find it a ‘Bit s**t’ of Grant to paint such a distinction and such a policy is likely to ‘cost’ Labour votes at the 2014 election….
TV One yesterday reported:
and if I recall Mr Jones didn’t commit to a living wage? He repeated the need to support businesses to grow the economy including using our “resources”. Happy to be corrected on his stance on the living wage. I understand he believes in a near living wage for Ukranian sailors.
Yes David Cunliffe is on the right track here, but i still have the opinion that to go into the 2014 election with a policy of having the living wage for government employees and those contractors to the government’s employees will likely ‘cost’ Labour as many votes as what it would hope to gain,
The Government spend is obviously a huge part of the economy and much of that is spent into foreign economies, it would be good to see a Labour Government instruct ALL CEO’s to go through their budgets line by line to target spending that should be New Zealand based with a view to when contracts are renewed these contracts are biased heavily to New Zealand suppliers,
Contractors then could increase their chances of gaining such contracts by both submitting that they are ‘living wage’ employers along with how long they have been and further increase their chances by stating how many employees they would ‘take on’ by gaining the contracted work,
That’s the sort of business ‘competition’ that would benefit us all…
“The economy will be the main beneficiary of the living wage as all such money will be spent back into the economy business will compete to grab a slice of such extra cash,”
AKA, inflation.
Won’t let me edit for some reason. I would also expect quite a few people to lose their job if the minimum wage went from $13.75 to $18.40, even over a space of 3 years.
Increased inflation will be low and quite acceptable. If the economy begins to overheat (what a nice problem to have instead of a stodgy sluggish economy), simple measures can rein it back in.
Why? It went from $8/hr in 2002 to $11.25 in 2007 (41% increase in 5 years).
And unemployment stayed very low.
Inflation ran at 2.7% annual compounding over that time period. Towards the upper end of the 1-3% target. Total change was 16.4%.
So in real terms, the wage went up by 21.22%, not the 41% nominal amount.
”And unemployment stayed very low” being the heart of the matter…
That’s what I’m saying Lanth. Minimum wage got pushed up a large nominal amount, and inflation stayed well under control, and as bad12 said, that’s even given very low unemployment.
It is actually very difficult to generate significant additional inflation. It is a neoliberal theory used by orthodox economists (who are all paid well over the average wage) to scare working people away from seeking decent pay.
(Notice how it doesn’t stop massive pay rises ahead of inflation for the top 5% or 10% of income earners, or massive increases in incomes for corporations).
Hyperinflation is usually the result or very specific conditions. As far as I can tell these are limited to:
– Massive destruction of infrastructure and productive capacity by war.
– Severe currency collapse.
– Severe energy shock.
The “theory” that raising the minimum wage increases unemployment was debunked long ago, when people noticed that that when they raised the minimum wage, unemployment went down.
Lanth, economics and math is NOT my forte.
With that in mind IF
The minimum wage went to $18, and in order to maintain its workforces there was (and this is a way out there proposition not necessarily reflective of the real outcome) a drop in the increase of pay rates for management and higher earners in the same business and therefore their spending dropped overall, would that counter act inflation from the other end?
Is it possible that if businesses have to go up to $18 and they need those people to produce their goods (so cant lay them off) they would look to reduce salaries higher up the chain? Or pay less when recruiting the next middle management person?
I also wonder if there might not be an increase in productivity from those going from 13 to 18 per hour?
Going from $13.75 to $18/hr will have to be done in stages, and will have to be done in co-ordination with other government spending into the private sector economy.
If people on upper incomes don’t get pay rises in line with inflation, then their real income is going down.
Effectively you’d be moving wealth from the upper ends of the spectrum to the lower end. I don’t have a problem with that, really.
Well, in effect that is what has been happening for the last 25 years, but from the lower income to the higher income.
And let’s not ignore the share of national income that major corporations receive. I haven’t seen the statistics but I believe it to be massive and growing fast.
For instance, last year banking profits were enough to employ 60,000-70,000 people on $30K pa. Once you take in energy company and telco profits that number would be closer to 150,000.
Hey look…that’s roughly the number of unemployed people in this country. Spooky eh.
Right, the working poor should be mere serfs, not chained by bonds of steel but those of economic ism so that interest rates for the middle class remain low, nice…
What we need is actual money rises paid as set amounts to all, each few years so that poor people have their living maintained in line with measured inflation. The percentage rise, seemingly so egalitarian in speech, is a weapon of the wealthy. 10% rise, sounds good. On $20,000 per year that would be $200, on $200,000 the same percentage gives $2,000 p.a. And who needs it most?
Inflation which is expressed as a percentage is an attempt to keep track of prices and is really useful as an ongoing measure of the rises in price of a set list of items. But that percentage should be calculated to a money amount so that a rise to match inflation does not result in mere cents per hour or a $1 per week say Cullen brought in such a rise which was called the ‘chewing gum’ allowance. That was the Right side of Labour, in love with its ideology and theories, not the people who needed to be loved expressed as humane consideration.
I think for everyone to have a decent standard of living, inflation needs to be at about 5-6%. Keeping inflation at between 0-3% has pretty much inflicted poverty on many people.
It’s strange that we call this the ‘free market’ then, just a thought on inflation, it’s linkage to interest rates is what scares the middle class into accepting the impoverishment of those below them in the economy,
i would be interested to know what would occur if the raising of interest rates were to be taken out of the hands of the Reserve Bank and it’s Governor and be ‘set’ by the Finance Minister,
What would happen in the economy if interest rates were set where they are now and the minimum wage was Legislated as the ‘living wage’,
As a start interest rates for those with mortgages would remain the same, wages for those on the lower rungs of the economy would rise giving them some discretionary spend,
How unstable would prices become and how much discretion would those lower in the economy have in avoiding such price rises is the question…
And keeping interest rates low is another problem.
Benefits property speculators wanting to leverage up; penalises savers and retirees trying to live off interest on their bank deposits.
CV, but in that mix is also the ‘middle class, whether just plain home owners paying off the mortgage or the large number of them with the 2nd and 3rd rental investments also with mortgages attached,
Government can ‘get’ the short term speculators with a Capital Gains Tax, but, if Government were seen to ‘get’ the middle class by allowing interest rates to rise i would suggest that they wouldn’t be the Government for long,
To keep that middle class onside, no matter how much i condemn it’s move in the past 30 years into rental property as an investment, Government has to keep interest rates low,
Unfortunately the current ‘economics of the Apes’ scenario requires then that unemployment is used as a ‘tool’ to suppress demand in the economy along with the other crude ‘tool’ of suppressing wages for a large pool of the workforce,
Obviously Government to avoid the electoral fallout of rising interest rates must find a means of uncoupling interest rates from the inflation equation, a means that at present escapes me…
Currently home mortgage rates are a shitload higher than the Reserve Bank overnight rate of 2.5%.
Raise the rate 1% and force the banks to eat 1% less profit margin = home mortgage rates stay the same, but deposit rates climb by 1%, narrowing the profit margin between bank lending and borrowing rates.
And it is the BIG employers that are bitching, most of the ‘little’ employers already pay over the minimum rate to their staff.
And if you look at it properly.
Workers have more money.
Workers SPEND more money.
Employers hire more staff to cope.
Workers have more money.
What a nasty vicious circle this is to the Nats.
That’s the big difference that “minimum wage causes unemployment” economists miss: workers spend their money at the local market or store, they don’t bank/invest/spend $14k on a meal prepared by a celebrity chef who’ll take the money offshore.
Money gravitates towards money. Stick it away from the big concentrations of cash, and it will pass through many people as it flows back towards the jafaland CBD. Give it to the already rich, and it won’t hit a tenth as many people.
What is your answer to Key who said, “If that is so simple, why not raise it to $30/hr?”
my answer is
“if lowering taxes will create jobs and fire up the economy, why not drop it to a flat 10%.?”
It’s about balance.
Simple, who the f**k has given the mere suggestion that the living wage be $30 an hour??? the other point i wish to make to Slippery is Expletive deleted, Expletive deleted, Expletive deleted, Expletive deleted…
The $18/per hour figure has come from the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit following independent research into a New Zealand living wage rate conducted in February 2013.
We arent grabbing figures out of a hat and making a joke of this like you John. A living wage is the income necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life. Thats what Labour will provide for New Zealanders.
“Gridlock is predicted to worsen across the Wellington region after Transmission Gully and the Kapiti Expressway are built.
Hardest hit will be Wellington city, as people from Porirua and the Kapiti Coast ditch public transport in favour of a faster, cheaper journey into the capital on the new four-lane highways.
The predictions are contained in a report commissioned by Greater Wellington Regional Council, which warns that local roads could struggle to handle the additional tens of thousands of cars hopping off State Highway 1.
The report, by independent consultant Opus , was completed in December but has not yet reached the regional council table. It will be discussed at committee level next month. ” stuff.co.nz
Yes we were discussing this very gridlock in a Post last week, no time or fuel savings will be gained from Transmission Gully without some serious road building occurring at the point the Ngaraunga interchange disgorges onto the Wellington Urban Motorway where it meets the South bound traffic from the Hutt Valley,
There will simply be gridlock on the Ngaraunga Gorge and the only means of alleviating that gridlock would be to add two more lanes to the South bound Urban Motorway turning it into a ‘crazy spaghetti’ of 5 or 6 lanes which all the traffic Kapiti and Hutt would have a very short stretch of motorway to negotiate so as to be in the ‘right’ lane for their particular off-ramp,
Great for panel beaters but a recipe for disaster in terms of entering Wellington via it’s motorway system, and add another 2 billion dollars to the cost of transmission Gully…
I didn’t visit the thread but saw srylands name on the side init. Is he back living there now? Moved back from Aussie has he? 😉
Lolz, i am not sure, ‘it’ was here yesterday but then i think ‘it’ blinked so could be anywhere in ‘it’s’ fantasy world,Melbourne, Sydney, Timbucktoo, who knows…
Gridlock Ahh yes I remember those days spending hours stuck in a car, when mobile internet was a: Not yet invented, and B: when invented prohibitively expensive. So I have now moved the family to the Horowhenua (Yes Lurgee Levin) Sold the damn car built a couple of bikes and a stack of computers wired the house for noise, and here I am for the next 4 years. Oh well it could be worse. I could have to commute in AK or Welly
Now there’s a conundrum, worse or worst ? I always get them confused.
worse
as in, things could be worse. A third tory term, for instance.
” a faster, cheaper journey into the capital on the new four-lane highways ” .. with an NZ$12.00 toll each way ?
Lolz, and mind the traffic chaos at the bottom of Ngaraunga Gorge….
@bad..
“..The economy will be the main beneficiary of the living wage as all such money will be spent back into the economy business will compete to grab a slice of such extra cash,.”
you are on the money with that one..
..it has long surprised me that labour/the left somehow fails to recognise/argue the potency of this example of basic logic..
..because it is economics 101..that one of the most efficient ways to kickstart an economy –
– is to increase the incomes of those who are forced to spend all of that income on the basics of life..
..this because of the churn..as all of that money goes straight back into the economy/tills. = boost..
..(much more efficient than tax cuts for the richest..eh..?..
..i don’t think we believe that trickle-down chimera..any more..eh..?)
..and this case/argument is proven when you look at the outcomes from richardson/shipley tearing away that ‘churn’-money from sole-parents etc..
..talk to any retailer from the time..and hear their tales of the recession that also hit them..
..q.e.d..eh..?
phillip ure..
Indeed phillip ure, i well remember the recession that occurred after the hideous Richardson/Shiply benefit cuts of 1991,
National’s Steven Joyce was on RadioNZ a few minutes ago dragging the ‘jobs will be lost’ red herring through the debate,
Joyce sounded less than confidence, do i detect that note of fear, and Big Shame on RadioNZ for such biased radio for not having had one or both of the candidates appear on the radio to offer their opinion,
It is as you say ‘economics 101’, if you want to ensure the economy functions ‘better’ then put money into the hands of those who have little or no discretionary spending in their weekly budget and they will have little choice but to spend that money straight back into the local economy,
There is of course the i word, Inflation, and befor i sloped off into zzzzzland last night i told myself i need to delve into this side of the economic equation far deeper than i have at present,
the equation at present being that X people are kept unemployed and X people are kept on pitifully low wages to save the middle class and those above from the tyranny of interest rates rising, a situation which sees that middle class agreeing to an economy that is less than fully employed and with wages that make the lower paid demographic mere slaves bound not with chains of steel but instead the iron bonds of economic isms…
yup, cos no jobs lost under his government…
he’s had to make them up to have any … see claim of 800 jobs at sky convention centre rather than more conservative 340.
Arent articles like the one referred to below vacuous without reference to the miles covered etc?
I am no Government fan but this kind of article actually tells us very little, imo.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9112848/Ministers-rack-up-fuel-costs
Put another log on the fire!!! and the next house price boom will be in??? the Tron, yes Hamilton, the National Government has been busily ensuring that the house price inflation currently burning through the Auckland market takes off in the city due south,
Here’s how, in the past 2 years National have sold off 116 State Houses in the Waikato,(from the Waikato Times online), in those 2 years it has overseen the build of only 33 State houses, despite HousingNZ the States provider of social housing having 114 families waiting on it’s ‘At Risk’ list and another 106 families on it’s ‘serious’ list,
By lowering the number of HousingNZ properties it has in the Waikato the Government is creating demand for rental property, once such a demand is artificially created by this Government the competition to secure property between the Home buyer and those wanting to buy property for rental investment will begin in earnest,
This Government did this and are still doing this in Auckland, selling off the HousingNZ rental stock and not replacing the numbers sold which has kept the demand for rental property growing and lead to price inflation in the Auckland market,
They are obviously now hellbent on repeating the experiment in Hamilton…
Rising house prices leads to the incumbent being re-elected.
Dropping house prices leads to the incumbent being voted out.
All actions drive from this.
What about stagnate house prices, lower wages, high costs of living, and poorer housing stock?
“Key conceded many families were struggling, saying “that’s why we have Working for Families and the like”. ” 2013
‘communism by stealth’ and a ‘costly welfare monster’ 2007 and 2008
“Key followed this speech up in February 2007 by committing his party to a programme which would provide food in the poorest schools in New Zealand. 2007 http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0702/S00059.htm
Food in schools
What is the ‘progress’ on the announcement the Nats made several months ago?
it took them 7 years after making the policy to make the announcement so…
The recent TV propgram of the wealth gap pointed out that housing allowance subsidizes landlords who can charge higher rents; working for families subsidizes employers who can lower wages, and we know lack of a CGT with other legislation force scarcity at the top of the market by running down the rest of the housing stock. The middle and working classes (and a growing under class) are then ripped off by retail and utilities, funneling wealth up to the top of the upper class.
anyone willing to commit to removing govt biz from westpac to a locally owned bank ??
Yes hopefully that is also on the agenda for the next Labour Government, i remeber the contract with Westpac being renewed but cannot remember for how long,
KiwiBank should be readied to be able to conduct all the Governments business along with that should be a deliberate establishment of a large IT campus in one or other City so as to begin to group together the best brains in IT that this country possesses,
We may or may not have IT companies in New Zealand of such robustness as to be able to carry out an education payroll type of contract, but, if brought together in the one place i am sure that the multiple IT companies could and would have achieved a far better outcome for that particular contract than what occurred…
Great answer for me, thx bad12. Make a lotta jobs too the way you propose it.
But I am also guessing if and mean IF, heaven forbid, nact get back in, what’s the betting they will try to sell Kiwibank instead ?
“A rundown three-bedroom Auckland villa with a large hole in the toilet floor and watermarked ceilings has sold for $1.2 million – $75,000 more than the asking price for a three-storey Tauranga mansion with harbour views and a swimming pool.
The two examples show the widening gap between Auckland’s property market and provincial New Zealand, as revealed in the Herald’s quarterly Property Report today.
Bayleys real estate agent Gavin Perry, said houses rarely came up for sale in the popular Tauranga location, just five blocks from the CBD.
“It’s very interesting what you can buy in Tauranga nowadays for $1 million, which is actually what seems like the entry price you can buy for in some parts of Auckland.”
The implications in the spread (AK- provincial nz) as the demographics suggest the aging AK population may realise the capital gains in downsizing to where they will have an equity nestegg.
The building development market has not been producing small 1-2 bedroom housing stocks (aside from retirement centres) for which the market will require over the next 20 yrs or so.
Can someone tell me please, why No Minister has a feed on The Standard?
[lprent: It is a multi-author blog with at least one leftish author and a number of other authors who are periodically readable and show an ability to argue. It also has some complete dipshits who do an excellent impersonation of Whaleoil without the keyboard diarrhea
Besides, I figured that we need a range of views for noisy grumpy old white men. No Minister gives a excellent assortment of those on that fringe. ]
@ linz..and (ahem..!..)..why whoar doesn’t..?..
phillip ure..
I’d like to see Yes Minister have a permanent link. Anything for a light larf to allow some R&R
before the next onslaught into our wonderful world.
Thank you for your explanation about No Minister. I wonder if he pays royalties for the use of the Searle cartoon.
mike williams is on nat-rad laughing/sneering at the idea that a labour govt would introduce a living -wage..
..he predicts labour will veer back to the centre..post-leadership battle..
..and that it won’t happen..
phillip ure..
Lolz, from the same program, or is that progrom, Hooten sounded like someone has given His silver spoon a serious twist,
Among the aah’s and ooh’s wee Matty managed to squeeze out that the current leadership contest was a good look for Labour,
i have to of course insert here a Mike Williams ”i agree”, Labour with a new leader possessing the skills to deliver the message will roll into 2014 and roll National back to the Opposition benches where that sorry bunch of silver spoon suckers truly belong…
He’s a fan of Shane Jones.
Both dinosaurs.
Watching the Labour lads on Q+A:
I noticed that Shane Jones constantly tried to undermine both Robertson and Cunliffe. So much for the united Labour front. (Attempted to make himself out as the economic centrist compared to the other two.
Hammed it up for the camera when Cunliffe suggested an example for economic growth. ‘You’ve heard enough from the left’, hands in ears with wry smile).
Shane has said that he wants to take votes from National but, even if successful, if he were to lead Labour then that would inevitably lead to Labour losing female voters.
Jones even wore the blue tie.
I actually thought Cunliffe and Robertson were quite unified but Jones came across as a yob who basically admitted he’s National lite.
If Jones became PM I could see him becoming a Maori Muldoon.
Hooten and Williams have made some good points about Fonterras handling of the milk powder scare. First time I have heard something useful. I pray that it is not the exception that proves the rule.
* False positives occur.
* System should be that any perceived problem should freeze the powder and isolate it till the matter is investigated.
* That keeps it in-house and avoids the present anxious reaction by all over what has turned out to be nothing of importance.
* It takes time to investigate as not just one small sample but a colony of orgaisms have to be cultured and then examined and analysed.
tho’ i do agree with one thing these three righties (williams/hooten/ryan) agree on..
..just how mindbogglingly incompetent the agricultural minister nathan ‘clutch cargo’ guy is..
..(he who is prone to touching electric-fences..just to see if they are on..and often they are..(brilliant..!..eh..?..)
..and i have to put craig ‘the hapless one’ foss on notice..
..guy is close to seizing his ‘dumber-than-a-sack-of-doorknobs’ crown..
..and this is the surprise – at the lack of depth of talent in the national party..
..that the hapless-one..and now clutch..are really the best they have..?
.and let’s not even go near parata..
phillip ure..
phillip u
They all tend to be good looking though. I think from the celebrity style of human resource assessment they are successful. And that’s what NACTs want. They are no doubt following the current business practice of considering everyone with a certain level of professional competence to be interchangeable, good looks give extra points – generic and photogenic pollies chirping the same line.
Assange wikileaks Bradley Manning – good info and background on radionz this a.m.
http://www.theguardian.com/profile/nickdavies
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon
Nick Davies on Bradley Manning and WikiLeaks ( 20′ 43″ )
09:30 Nick Davies broke the phone hacking scandal that had been covered up for
years by Rupert Murdoch’s News International, and his work saw the Guardian, alongside The New York Times, become the main news agency to publish excerpts from thousands of classified documents from US military servers. The cables were leaked by Bradley Manning, who was last month given a 35-year jail term for passing the files to WikiLeaks.
Let’s not forget about this prick.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/04/adrian-lamo-testifies-bradley-manning
Pundits such as Armstrong are making the claim that the next election will be won/lost in the provinces. “It is in such provincial centres that next year’s election will be won and lost. On that score, Labour has an awful lot of ground to make up.”
Which is why Jones is pitching at the provinces. Am I right in thinking this is crap. The next election will be won/lost where is always has been, the major cities. In particular Auckland, and more particular, if Labour can get the vote out, in South Auckland.
I’m sorry but I dont give a shit about poking my tongue out at donkeyote and kidding myself I am taking part in the poltical process.
On the bus this morning two old ladies were complaining that they could either have a cup of tea or a milkshake but no sandwich to go with either.
There has been a genreal price rise over the last month that nobody seems to care about.
Well if you dont care then some people have too much.
Thats the issue in my book.
@northshoreguynz
Dont have statistics….but I don’t think people from the provinces are particularly enamored with either flashy John Key Nact or Shane Jones
….in the provinces they face the same issues of employment , std of living , youth education, costs of university and employment and health issues as does everyone else….there is a lot of to and fro between country and city
…..what the provinces want IMO is a NZ leader , who understands NZ from a generational perspective, with a steady and ethical and balanced hand on the rudder…While not generally wildly radical….there are traditional Labour voters out in the provinces…just as there are Greens…and there are families who have traditionally voted Labour .
I would say ignore the provinces at your peril…particularly with the party vote
David Cunliffe would be popular in the provinces
The stats would be interesting to see. Where the numbers are. But I agree, Cunliffe would be popular in the provinces as well.
@northshoreguynz….Off the top of my head:
…popular also would be strengthening and retaining community Kiwi Bank ( Govt Guaranteed)and postal outlets( John Key has scoped privatising Kiwi Bank and Treasury has had Goldman Sachs evaluate it …and then downgraded!)
…. and anything else that strengthens local communities………
….eg bringing back Adult Continuing Community Education….( which National ditched)
….strengthen local all night Medical Centre hubs and hospitals for geriatric and respite care also maternity
….create training/apprenticeships for youth
….encouragement for small rural businesses and especially boutique tourist initiatives eg wine /produce/cheese sales at gate
David Cunliffe would be popular in the provinces
– Shane Jones would be more popular in the provinces but sadly they don’t count as much these days
@W Smith….doubt Shane Jones would be popular with the Labour vote and 50% woman vote in the provinces at all!….He is really Nact not Labour….and the women I have talked to aren’t enthused…in fact quite derogatory
The rural vote counts especially in the Party vote …and Cunliffe would do very well!…but not Grant Robertson IMO…however Louise Wall as a straight talking sporty type could do very well as Deputy for Labour Leader Cunliffe
Louisa Wall could do very well indeed, except that caucus gets to choose the deputy and they’re in Robertson’s pocket.
Interesting press release.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1309/S00010/anonymous-mp-information.htm
Nothing on Tony Ryall? Or is his dirty washing an open secret?
Well come on Anon, if you have dirt on these MPs let’s see it.
Luddite Environmental Minister accused Greens of using airplanes, this same retort came from those opposed to steam railways, that the railway proponents used stage coaches to get the meeting.
Note to Rhino …. If you’re planning a review (or even an opinion) on the nicest man on Earth later on – chill. Take a deep breath – it ain’t worth the stress!.
It’s just that I’m anticipating you response to Jim Mora and the ‘word’ on Byron Bay.
GOD what a fukwit!
The best thing that went before was where Jesse was coming from – but then they all have mortgages to pay – which is probably a better explanation for 7 # – or whatever the hell it’s called
Good start to the leadership campaign for Robertson, Cunliffe and Jones however a note of caution needs to be sounded.
The last time a labour leader came out with promises but no figures to back them up we got the “show me the money” response and a win to National
If the aspiring leaders are going to go promising pay rises for everyone then they really should know how its going to be paid for…don’t expect any mercy for JK and realise that everything they’re promising will be noted by JK and will be used in the leadership debates
You mean he can remember things sometimes ? Nah.
For whatever reason (probably intellectual snobbery) the left have always underestimated John Key: “hes just a money man, a gambler, puppet of USA, reads lines fed to him, media training etc etc”
Maybe he just happens to be really clever…naah the left should just keep underestimating him because that worked really well for Clark, Cullen, Goff, Campbell, Shearer and whoevers next in line to lead Labour…
not sticking up for labour here – but the constant meme of underestimating key – i reckon its only half true. People know hes a smart tricky bugger, but he also is a complete foolish clown.
I dont think its an issue of under estimating him – its more that he can change from goofball to snake at the drop of a hat, so in the modern news cycle he tends to lead because you always need to see which way hes going to go before you can counter it, and by that time hes already walked off to some other thing.
If you think hes going to be a goof and go first – he’ll just change into the snake version and pound you
after all – its hard to tackle a bucket of slime and ooze – it keeps changing shape.
PS – i doubt show me the money will work anymore – theres waaaay to many fiscal fuck ups from the nats now
No but remember some district councils have already realised the living wage would have meant a big increase in rates and so canned it, John Key will use that
Beer bore out of depth—and out of control.
Yet another failure for dire radio chat show
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 2 September 2013
Jim Mora, Vicky Hyde, Neil Miller
Today’s programme featured one Neil Miller, a beer writer who also dabbles in commenting about politics, though not to any discernible depth. Over the years as a guest on The Panel, he has sounded off against liberals, trade unions, John Minto and Robert Fisk, and announced that his favorite writer is the unfunny, brutal right wing “comedian” P.J. O’Rourke (Standardistas will remember O’Rourke was the genius who Brian Edwards could not remember interviewing.) Over the last year or so, Miller has refrained from commenting on much about anything beyond boutique beers. When he sticks to his speciality, he is bearable.
Today, however, Miller returned to commenting about politics. He has been listening to Senator Kerry’s ranting about Syria, and has evidently bought it all—-hook, line and sinker. He vehemently raved on for a good two minutes, snarling about the failure of the British parliament to blindly support U.S. claims and making it clear that he believes it is a moral imperative to support the Al-Qaeda rebels and to bomb the civilians of Syria. He was for the whole time uninterrupted and uncontradicted by either Jim Mora or Vicky Hyde, who calls herself a “skeptic”.
Appalled, I fired off the following email….
Please challenge Neil Miller’s credulous and irresponsible comments
Dear Jim,
Neil Miller is repeating US government propaganda as if it was the truth. Repeating John Kerry’s absurd assertions is no sort of argument at all.
Yours in disgust at glib guests,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
Thanks for the letter Morrissey.
He was dreadful, mirroring Key.
“If you can legislate at $18.40 a hour and have no implications, why not make it $30 and hour – and show me one country in the world that has legislated for higher wages and it has been successful,” Key said.
Miller repeated this.
Is Miller ACT?
Morrissey +1
miller is perhaps the most pig-ignorant (and deeply annoying) of that (often sorry) line up of ‘experts’/’erudite-commenters’/cream of the nations’ intellectuals..eh..?….
..i mean..that ex-cop..?..and that ‘don’ (someone) person..?..
..and those various other ancient reactionaries they wheel/zimmer-frame in..?..(i’m looking at you..brian edwards..)
..i can’t figure out why the fuck he is there..that miller..he just pimps beer..everytime..and that’s it..?…(w.t.f. is that about..?..why is he allowed to do that..?..turn national radio into a fucken infomercial for his piss-pushing commercial-enterprises..?..why is he the only one allowed to do that..?)..
..and he (barely coherently) spouts the latest rightwing-shite/message..
..and his opinions clearly show that aside from his beer-passion..
..he’s as deep as a fucken beer-coaster..
..(and photos show he is a man who truly lives his ‘passion- – maybe a bit too much..eh..?…)..
..he’s the best the nation has/they can do..?
..and the thing is..opinions are one thing..and they can vary..and fair enough..
..but these ‘experts’ are often just allowed to peddle outright-lies..easily proven errors of fact..
..and they are never ever called on them..
..that bullshit is just alllowed to continue to float in the ether..
(btw..i didn’t hear it today..and can’t be bothered listening online..
..what did they say about byron bay..?..
(i lived there for a number of years..and there are worse places in the world to be..
..great service-industries there at the time..you could get cocaine home-delivered @ 3.00am/whenever..should you so choose/desire..
..and of course..there was the ‘mullumbimby-madness’..eh..?..
..i threw a birthday-party for my daughter when she turned ten..that went down in local-history..)
phillip ure..
http://www.chancerygreen.com/index.php/what-we-do/10-our-people/14-karen-price
Serious question here: Cunliffe wants to win and looking at his wifes profile she looks like a real go getter, an asset and a damn good one at that
Why isn’t he using her in his campaign a bit more…I really don’t get it
Because it’s about potential leaders, not their spouses.
Thats true but shes impressive which could only help Cunliffe…plus its never a bad idea promoting as a role model smart, successfull women
Will any candidate’s partner/spouse be running the party? No.
So what would they be in a campaign? Decoration.
People aren’t placards. Maybe all the significant others have better things to do than distract from a quite and interesting and fairly positive leadership campaign.
I’m sure it’ll be somewhere in the Labour rules of engagement drawn up for this leadership contest. Next to the bans on stilletos and strychnine.
Put a sock in it Chris73. You’d be bitching your head off if he did. Already your lot have engaged the most intrusive and rubbishy bullshit about the Cunliffes’ baby care arrangements.
It was a dumb comment Cunliffe made, he should have said something like “we’ve worked hard to get here and I want to make sure everyone else has the same opportunity”
If I remember correctly Cunliffe did say that, can’t remember exactly what he said but I think the message was something similar to this. “I have climbed aboard and I am going to make sure the ladder is not removed so others cannot climb aboard.”
After seeing prat Gower this evening on TV3, the right is definitely shitting themselves that Cunliffe might WIN.
karol and OAK both got the quote…here is karol’s
Thanks VP
Had a senior moment commonly known as SOS
That should have read as Thanks C V
CV as VP (or at least; deputy PM) would be amusing – if only for the look on Curran’s face!
Predictable lack lustre response from you Chris73……….but sort of proves my point. You’ve picked a Catch 22 and your trolldom is invigorated. Don’t you have a fuck’n’ life in the realm of reasonable understanding ?
I guess shitting does this to people. Every orifice helps out………
Director, the New Zealand Carbon Exchange, (2004 – present)
Oh really. I’ve changed my mind.
Actually her background and the fact the old guard are backing Robertson is why I think Cunliffe is a better bet for Labour then Robertson also ruling out Norman is a big plus
Though of course S. Jones would be best for NZ 🙂
Neil Miller on Mora this afternoon – once billed simply as a beer expert now trotted out as a political commentator as well – Miller made some claim (no authority cited) along the lines that changes to the youth rate put 9,000 youth job holders out of their jobs (this in the context of a discussion about living wage). I don’t know whether that’s true or not.
I am naturally suspicious of Miller however. For a start his voice and talky down persona reminds me very much of Simon Bridges. Secondly and obviously more importantly he always seems to me to be an unmitigated ShonKey Python sucker and arrogant with it. Coming out with the most extraordinary unabashed claims such as today re the referendum – “the asset sales question is corrupted by people playing politics” (paraphrased). Pleasingly the other panelist ticked him off for this mocking dismissal of democracy.
Those having knowledge (supported by reputable authority) re Miller’s claim that youth rate changes (presumably an increase) put 9,000 youth job holders out of their jobs, please share. If this was a bullshit throwaway line or only part of the story Miller must be castigated as must Mora for allowing it without challenge.
And as Morrissey pointed out, he raved on about supporting the US Intervention in Syria.
Apart from his interest in beer, what else do we know about him?
What makes him such an out and out right wing nut job?
Perhaps he is popular for offering to pay rounds at the pub. That would not be impossible in swaying Mora’s choice when you hear his varied selection of talkers passing themselves as experts or wits or informed incisive commentators.
No no no he’s not a RWJN……….he’s one of those arseholes who knows everything and to him his spot on Mora is just proof of that. And in truth Mora is in symbiosis with that notwithstanding the hideous Mr Affable so relentlessly performed.
Just selfish backward “I’m famous” fuckwits squatted on their upper middle class fart cushions……..that hilarious feature akshully being superfluous given their ugly sphincters’ failings – a gaseousness approaching intolerably toxic levels for the rest of us.
They know nothing about the broadness of life in NZ and care not therefore !
It’s all about the shitty “them”. What a waste of public money……..
I’ll believe you – I couldn’t stand hanging around for The Panel. A couple of hours of Mora before that – including his agreeing with anything and everything the man from Byron Bay said just made me want to puke
Does anyone know if he’s related to Michael Mora btw? If so they’d be chalk and cheese.
As for the Miller and Mora thing – you’ll notice Mora agrees with EVERYTHING his guests say. The reason everyone thinks he’s just the cat’s whisker is that his tactic is to compliment and grovel to anyone he has on the programme (such as it is). The guy’s so inoffensive, it’s offensive.
Current affairs and information it’s not!
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=519_1378042365
[lprent: Provide context to any link. Moved to OpenMike ]
Ummm – why should we click on this link? Would you like to provide some context or are you just a spam bot?
But Tim he doesn’t emphasise CA&I really. He has some other phrase like A Panel like No Other or something, that would be right. He’s just a guy who has got the name of being nice because he goes round and smartens up people’s gardens on tv. And that makes him a real treasure don’t you think? We all love people who do that, there is such a need. I know I have one, for a better garden that is. And that makes him an expert on the latest populist viewpoint I should think.
Fascinating piece on Oz politics. Their system of preferential voting. If you tick for above the line choice of preferences then you go with whatever the party you voted for has chosen. If you want to choose for yourself, you go below the line. And each box has to be filled out in some sort of order or the whole thing is invalid.
I have voted there years ago before they decided that NZs weren’t people of standing, and it wasn’t easy then. Now apparently there have been a rash of small parties. They are all to be printed and I think it’s in the 100’s, did I hear 253, and fitted on an A3 sheet sideways which is the maximum size for the printing process. But to get all the parties and boxes on, the font will be so small that a magnifying sheet will be needed. Pythonesque. Have a good tipple of Schadenfreude.
Insight program on Nights with Bryan Crump.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight
NZ Radio Awards 2013: winner of the Best Documentary or Feature Programme & co-winner of Best Daily or Weekly series under an Hour Duration
Australia goes to the polls in less that a week to decide between Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott.
Philippa Tolley looks at the key battlegrounds where the election will be decided, whether it’s policy or the leaders that matter most and how voters will cope with a record number of registered parties.
Excellent article by Chris Trotter:
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/09/02/democratic-distempers-how-labours-leadership-election-is-unsettling-the-neoliberal-establishment/
Trotter is always good for historical context – those decades of political engagement really do count for something!
It is indeed a good article.