This is a ‘congratulatory’ post: in an incredibly short period of time, humans have managed to ‘develop’ to the point where scientists are talking of the 6th mass extinction. Well done us!
About 50,000 years ago, plus or minus 20,000 years, there occurred among homo sapiens what is known as the cognitive revolution.
Among other developments in the brain, humans of the time stopped seeing themselves as a part of Nature, and began believing they were above Nature, a chosen species. That Nature was ‘created’ by ‘a God or Gods’ to serve them, and them alone.
50,000 or so years later, we’re on the point of exterminating ourselves.
The dinosaurs had much smaller brains, but they lasted for millions of years; homo sapiens for the blink of an eyelid in geological age.
Whether you accept we have a very few years left, or that human life will go on in some form forever, all need to realise we’ve made a colossal f*ck-up of it all in an incredibly short period of time, as evidenced by this graph.
“Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. In 2021, it fell on July 29.”
(Can't place the graph in post – but check the link)
The obvious trend is towards complete depletion of the Earth’s resources at some time in the not too distant future. Infinite growth on a finite planet anyone?
There has been much scientific talk about ‘tipping points,’ events which trigger an exponential change leading to probable extinction of our species.
One such crucial tipping point is ice loss in the Arctic (and the Antarctic for that matter).
If/when we lose all ice in the Arctic, (possibly about September next year) all hell will break loose in the world’s climate.
It’s patently obvious that NZ, being such a small player in world terms, can do little to persuade the major polluters to mend their ways, (Cop-out 26 proved that) except by radical example, which this government has been largely reluctant to provide.
What we can and should do is recognise the crisis, and prepare to at least weather (pun intended) the worst that climate change can inflict on us.
Yes, I’m talking about ‘a hermit kingdom,’ or perhaps, to rile up the right wing misogynists, that should be ‘a hermit queendom.’
So, here’s the problem: do we bury our heads in the sand by maintaining either a) that climate change is a myth, or is beneficial because we might be able to grow bananas in Invercargill, or b) initiate immediate steps to mitigate its worst effects on New Zealand?
initiate immediate steps to mitigate its worst effects on New Zealand?
What would such steps look like, how much would it cost and what would be the anticipated outcome?
Sometimes doing nothing, or at least doing something whose benefits outweigh the costs, is the best option. That’s because doing something might produce few if any benefits and take away resources from areas where they could be used more productively.
Bjorn Lomborg has made a similar point. If we can prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths by providing poor countries with clean drinking water, we should seriously think about doing so. (If we can prevent children from being run over and killed in their own driveway, we should consider doing so, especially if there is an easy fix, which there is.)
I’d be interested in your response to how much it’s going to cost to take these steps, what steps exactly are you referring to, and the likely benefits of taking such action.
I blame the Archon and Demiurge for giving us a subconscious mind and the ability to self reflect.. otherwise it would just be another day in paradise before the inevitable happens.
Tony, take a deep breath and relax. No amount of angst will stop the planet doing what the planet has always done.
I'm more worried about a pole shift. The Schumann Resonance 7.83 Hz ( the earths heartbeat, and according to some, what all living things rely on ) has apparently become weaker of the years.
I studied that stuff long ago, have Hapgood's book on it that Einstein wrote the foreword for. The magnetic poles seem to have a random walk sometimes:
the North Pole did wander across North America, right out towards New York, actually, and then back again across to Oregon," says Alan Cooper, an evolutionary biologist with Blue Sky Genetics and the South Australian Museum.
He explains that it "then zoomed down through the Pacific really fast to Antarctica and hung out there for about 400 years and then shot back up through the Indian Ocean to the North Pole again."
He and colleague Chris Turney, an earth scientist at the University of New South Wales, found a new way to study the exact timing of all this, using unusual trees in New Zealand.
It isn't easy for mainstreamers to admit that democracy is anti-democratic, but we're getting a few signs that they're starting to wake up to it:
The modest alterations Democrats proposed to the United States’ ailing democracy finally died in the Senate late Wednesday night, when one of the nation’s most anti-democratic institutions failed to alter an anti-democratic rule… Hours later, Democrats tried to reform Senate filibuster rules in a way that would allow them to pass the bill with a simple majority. But that vote failed too, when Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) joined all 50 Republicans against the rule change.
But the real problem is existential. The uniquely anti-democratic structures of the American political system have historically thwarted any effort to make the United States a more representative nation, especially for its Black, Latino, Native American and other marginalized populations… The chief culprit, however, is not the filibuster but the Senate, a legislative body that is biased in favor of rural, whiter, low-population states at the expense of more populated, Blacker and browner areas of the country.
The filibuster, an arcane Senate rule that places an arbitrary 60-vote threshold on nearly all forms of legislation, further intensifies the Senate’s minoritarian structure: The 52 senators who voted to maintain the rule Wednesday night, in fact, represent 34 million fewer Americans than the 48 who voted to change it. And a total lack of representation for the District of Columbia, whose 700,000 mostly Black and brown residents do not enjoy the benefits of statehood, skews the body even more.
America's left remains split down the middle. Liberals seeking to defend the status quo vs progressive changemakers:
In calls with civil and voting rights groups, White House aides reportedly expressed that the groups could simply “out-organize” the new GOP voter suppression laws without passing new voting rights legislation.
Those groups went public with their complaint about the White House’s inaction on July 13, when 150 civil and voting rights groups published a letter to the White House excoriating Biden for failing to use his position to help pass the legislation despite stating that the new voter suppression laws constituted “the most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War.”
From that link, I find it interesting that filibusters have become enormously more common in the time since 2009 than the nearly 2 decades before that (1991-2008).
I heard a Kmart merchandise manager on talkback yesterday. What a bleak picture he painted. The main points of his korero:
1- Kmart(NZ) has 30 containers sitting on the wharf in Australia that are yet to be loaded. They were due in NZ during December. Estimated time of arrival 3-6 months. I reckon longer, if at all, given Kmart Australia has its own sourcing issues. The reason for the delay is lack of crane and forklift operators.
2-Kmarts NZ warehouse is at present only 25% full.
3- He claims shelves are empty, and customers are turning on staff. Customers want product; they expect product…and when they can't buy what they want, staff cop it. I wonder if the government will, too? I can vouch for the empty shelves. My local KM has next to no sporting goods left.
The supposed caller then said something I thought was suss. He claimed ScoMo wants to lower the age ( under18) for gaining crane and forklift licences so vacancies can be filled. Having driven forklifts, I know they are dangerous machines under certain circumstances. But it would seem I was wrong – desperate times call for desperate measures. I believe ScoMo has since reconsidered that option.
It is my thinking that firstly, freight and shipping companies see NZ as an annex of Australia and we are completely dependent on AUS to get any goods, and I mean any. Secondly, by squeezing supply, pricing is thus artificially gauged and I honestly believe that we will see inflation close to double digits in the next 2 years . Our wages will not be able to keep pace and the young ones will jump the ditch. Now, planning and trade negotiations go only so far, what about delivery Management?
American politics throws up gems on a daily basis. Some of them encapsulate some of the realities of the country so well, like this from Mitch McConnell.
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," Biden said. "I mean, that's a storybook, man."
"I've had a great relationship. In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking," Biden said.
. Yep, they have no idea. I find it incredible. They need to differentiate between what black comedian Chris Rock calls black people and n&^%. Chris gets hot under the collar about this. See his YT clip Black people v *******.(Bring the Pain 1996)
Wow look at the way this lady is driving. Lowering the speed limits on some roads is not going to make any difference to the road toll while people drive like this. Peoples driving attitudes need to change.
While stupid driving is always dangerous, don't dismiss the effect of mandated speed reduction.
The road toll on SH6 has been greatly reduced since speeds were reduced from 100 to 80/90 km/h.
There was quite some opposition at the time from the Kaikoura MP down, citing time lost and the time cost to road freighters.
To contradict this view, the time difference is about 15 minutes for a 110 km journey, and an industry spokesman said that trucks save considerably (50 litres less on a 500 km journey) on fuel usage for every 10 km/h slower.
There have been no fatalities since introduction of these measures on SH6 designed to reduce the road toll.
That is a good result SH6 Mac. What concerns me is too many drivers like this lady that simply ignore all speed limits whether they be 80km/hr or 100km/hr and drive erratically.
How about getting a proper driver licence. It is truly frightening if you think about it. There are more than 40 000 people on the road without ever having learned to use a vehicle safely, road user codes, signs, restrictions etc. Any one of them can risk your life. You don't need lower limits, you need properly trained drivers.
The fatalities cannot be blamed on foreigners now as there are basically no tourists. You will look at bit closer to get to the truth. Lost control, too fast and alcohol would eliminate 95.7% of accidents. That is a lot. None has to do with speed limits but all with lack of skill and alcohol. It would be interesting to know the age group causing these crashes. But alas it is a data jungle and you find US data easier than any in NZ.
No, overestimating skill levels and alcohol is and 40 000 plus unqualified drivers. Driver error would indicate that someone reading texts whilst driving, overtaking to impress mates, showing off what the car "can do" whilst they are incapable of controlling the vehicle, completely unaware that they endanger the rest of the road users. I am not in favor of political correctness cop out excuses. If a driver is to immature to handle a car than they should have to use public transport and go and get more training. End of story.
K-Mart ( and the Warehouse et al ) not being filled up with plastic shit with a limited lifespan and even more hardly-to-be-worn badly made clothes to add to the 115 BILLION garments produced each year would be a win in my book.
For the record, my Chinese socks sourced from Mitre10, used to last two weeks before disintegrating. Now I can get six weeks wear before they get holes. That's progress and proof capitalism is the way to go!
WA has gone its own way by keeping its hard border with the rest of Australia shut to all except a few who apply for exemptions. McGowan reckons its better to wait for the booster rate to be up at about the 80-90% level (currently at about 25%) and millions of RAT tests to be available for use plus other planning for the inevitable Omicron sweep. Not sure if the state can keep Omicron out, as like NZ it's knocking hard at the border, but no doubt casting an eye on all other parts of the country from within WA, the scene hardly looks enticing.
I do think that, like McGowan in WA, Jacinda should be retaining the option of keeping the borders closed after the end of February (the current proposed end to MIQ border opening date) until NZ is 90% boosted, assuming Omicron doesn't get in by accident of course.
At present Labour seems fixated on sticking to this date. Are they in thrall to the business lobby?
How much more evidence of this do we need? We have decades-worth already. Where’s action on climate change, the housing crisis, inequality and infrastructure investment? They can sound tough in opposition but once they had complete control over cabinet very little has happened. Labour need to change their name, they abdicated actually fighting for workers a long time ago.
The problem with blanket assertions like "very little has happened" is that a moment's research can find a different set of facts which rather spoils the strength of other assertions.
The NZLP claims this-
"BOOSTING WAGES
We believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. That’s why since 2017, we’ve boosted the minimum wage by $4.25 – bringing it to $20 per hour. We’ve passed the Equal Pay Amendment Bill to ensure people who perform work of the same value are paid the same and started addressing pay inequities in our education and health systems. We’re also implementing Fair Pay Agreements, to improve wages and conditions and support our economic recovery.
RESTORING RIGHTS
We’re making sure workers get a fair deal by strengthening employment law. We’ve brought back meal and rest breaks, strengthened collective bargaining, restored protections for vulnerable workers, and limited 90-day trials to businesses with fewer than 20 employees. We’re committed to improving the Holidays Act to provide more certainty for employers and employees, and we’ve made changes to better protect migrants from exploitation.
LOOKING OUT FOR WELLBEING
We’re keeping workers safe and supporting them to balance their work with other demands. We’ve extended paid parental leave from 18 to 26 weeks, and we’ve doubled the minimum sick leave entitlement to 10 days to make sure no one feels pressured to go to work when they’re unwell. We increased funding to modernise WorkSafe, and launched a new Navigation Service offering free, independent advice and advocacy for people making ACC claims. We’ve also committed to keeping the retirement age at 65.
PROTECTING JOBS
Our strong COVID response has kept Kiwis safe while protecting jobs, allowing us to look ahead. Our wage subsidies have supported around 1.8 million jobs through alert level changes, and we created specific programmes to protect jobs in vulnerable sectors like sports, tourism, and the arts. To help protect those who do experience job loss through no fault of their own, we’re working on the design of a Social Unemployment Insurance scheme that would support workers to retain about 80 percent of their income for a period after they lose their jobs." https://www.labour.org.nz/policy
At New Zealand’s October general election, the Labour Party won a majority of Parliament’s seats and is likely to govern alone. Some of the workplace policies Labour campaigned on included:
Increasing minimum sick leave entitlement to 10 days per year. Labour will seek to increase this entitlement within the first 100 days of the new Government;
Reforming the Holidays Act 2003 to simplify leave calculations and allow annual and sick leave to accrue over time (rather than leave entitlements arising in blocks);
Increasing the minimum wage to $20 per hour in 2021. Labour has promised to take a ‘balanced approach’ to increases beyond 2021.
I was addressing your issue with "fighting for workers". Climate crisis, the housing crisis, increasing inequality and infrastructure investment are issues wider than workers' rights solely, save the inequality issue addressed in part by a $4.50 increase in the hourly minimum wage, doubled sick leave entitlement, workplace conditions improvements, fair pay agreements, pay equality, 90 day contracts etc.
You just can't say that very little has happened. You can argue for more, but argument based on scant regard for reality is not convincing. National do it with their current 'shambles' buzz word. It means less than nothing and is a sign of lack of proper argument.
Have you considered that workers are those most affected by all of those issues? I wasn't talking about 'rights', I'm talking material conditions.
A minimum wage increase is good for those on minimum wage however the majority of workers aren't on minimum wage and haven't seen their wages increase at the same rate.
“Seventy-three per cent of Kiwis received a pay increase of less than inflation last year according to the Labour Cost Index. Annual hourly earnings growth is the same as it was in 2019 pre-Covid and is less than it was in December 2021 according to the Quarterly Economic Survey.
“Increases in wages seems to be coming from New Zealanders working longer hours, with overtime hours up 22.8 per cent.
“We are seeing more activity but we are not yet seeing that translate into what you might expect right now in terms of wage inflation.”
A good article and one which spells out with facts and figures where we're at from the TU perspective. It does acknowledge some improvements and also that more is needed.
It does not however address the issue of "Labour need to change their name, they abdicated actually fighting for workers a long time ago."
Nothing in that article about what the Labour government needs to do. Most employers are private, not public. What do we need to see done, to address these issues, as a government?
What do I as a member tell my LEC and my nearest Labour MP 110 km away to get on with?
I do btw acknowledge that wider issues also impact on workers. But your statement was about "abdication of fighting for workers" and the discussion needs to go beyond that to the actuals of where we'r at, who can do what, and also what is beyond the power of government.
What do I as a member tell my LEC and my nearest Labour MP 110 km away to get on with?
That’s up to you, but I do remember our PM talking about the failure of neo-liberalism, so something that undermines that status quo rather than just hoping for change would be what I expected them to get on with.
I don’t accept that action on any of these issues is beyond the power of government, actually fighting for workers involves a redefining what is possible.
The evidence from Australia seems to be that business hasn't done well as the Omicron outbreak has meant staff shortages, hesitancy on the part of ordinary people to go out and risk being infected. The same businesses that were hard hit during lockdowns have been almost as badly hit with the high infection rate. Think the pressure on McGowan is from separated families more than WA business which is doing just fine. Queensland and other states and territories that had kept Delta out made a mistake in mid December opening up just as Omicron turned up. Once the borders were opened up, it was impossible to go into reverse. Guess it was hard at that point to know how bad things were going to get, but there is no excuse for NZ (like WA) to not learn the mistakes others have made and plan as fast as possible while doing whatever can be done to slow down Omicron's eventual arrival. Can't see businesses in NZ being happy once Omicron arrives tbh, whatever NZ Labour thinks.
Is it going to be broadcast on all the TV networks simultaneously? Which woman's magazine has arranged rights to publish the photos. What dress will Lorde wear and what will she sing?
Who cares? The Herald has been unable to find out anything so is reduced to a publishing a pointless lifestyle puff piece with pics of some wedding dress styles that Ardern might (or might not) wear.
It's being kept a closely-guarded secret. I'm happy to not know any details until the deed is done, the show is over, and the answers to your questions are revealed.
If any more was being announced about it, every detail would constantly be front page news when there are more important things to most of us that are real news.
Chris Luxon claiming the traffic light system is confusing and offering utterly simplistic solutions to complex problems two years into a pandemic is really just a neolib prosperity Christian desperately wanting to retreat into magical thinking that pretending COVID doesn't exist – that somehow by refusing to engage with understanding the tools to manage COVID and pleading for magical silver bullets will make COVID go away.
The recurring meta in National's covid response is the way it's strategy has been shaped by the clash between the Evangelical determinism and neoliberal ideology that is it's caucus's foundation beliefs and empirical requirements of a pandemic response. The party exhibits all the psychological stress one would expect of a political movement exposed to extreme and prolonged cognitive dissonance.
Luxon is merely yet another intellectual featherweight on the right, retreating into irrelevant and plaintive complaining rather than grasping and confronting the truth that the the ideas – and the actions that would flow from those ideas – that underpin his world view are not psychologically consistent with current reality.
Well said Sanc. Luxon blathered and complained endlessly today on RNZ's Morning Report, but when asked a simple question-"should RAT tests be free"-he had no answer saying that could be decided later.
With Luxon's becoming the leader, one assumed that the level of IQ of the opposition had improved. No such luck. Luxon's ranting about the lack of RAT's was so pathetic when those of the meanest of intellect know there is an international shortage. Did he expect the appropriate Ministers or the PM could magic them from their backsides? He has been raving about the government not rapidly producing sufficient ICU beds to handle a massive increase in demand – presumably in support of pandering to the demands of the hospitality industry. It seems he forgot that each bed requires 4-5 advance trained nursing staff. No magic wand would solve that problem, especially when a pandemic, once unleashed, would cause the NZ health system to immediately lose existing staff to infection, burn-out and resignations for self-preservation. He has also demonstrated that he should pull his head out of his rear end so that he can put an ear to the ground. If he did, he would discover what most people are aware of. There has been a great deal of planning, some of it of necessity being tentative. This has been going on at all levels of the health system since before omicron was a thing. How long would it take to get a chauffeur driven limo to take him perhaps 200m or more to the nearest medical practice to ask what preparations have been made?
Those were my thoughts Sanctuary. Luxon's undermining the forward planning with negativity is just a continuation of Bridges without the belligerence.
So according to Nationals play book. "We have done nothing to prepare" "We are late with these non existent actions" and "We have had a month on holiday", and the pearl, "We are confused by the confusing traffic light system"
As for "Pre orders of RAT tests, we have 5000 000 odd, with orders coming in batches through to June. He couldn’t say if they should be free.
Competing with a billion ordered by the USA puts us way down the list, as currently we don't need them.
When asked what he would do Luxon talked all round the question and had no concrete suggestions. He is allowing Bishop to bark at every situation. Situation familiar imo.
I loved it when they took Trump off…I love this even better. I needed that laugh after receiving another credit card charge back from a business that cannot now supply what I purchased.
"More than a third of Covid-19 cases caught at New Zealand’s border over the space of one week were unvaccinated or ineligible due to their age, a snapshot of data shows."
"While non-New Zealand citizens are required to be vaccinated to enter the country, there is no requirement for citizens to be vaccinated."
I would think you would run afoul of the New Zealand Immigration Act 2009, and in particular section 13.
Basically it says that if you are only a New Zealand citizen you can't be kept out and you can't be deported. I don't see how you could change this without making people stateless.
Besides it isn't a crime for New Zealand citizens not to be vaccinated. Why should it be for a New Zealand citizen wanting to enter the country?
Interesting development. The police & prison management seem to have treated this protest with kid gloves. One wonders whether that will embolden Tamaki's supporters to do more of this kind of thing when their leader isn't happy inside and complains to them.
I think most sensible people are wary of going too far in supporting Apostle Tamaki because they know a cult when they see one.
They generally don't go up in bad weather and we're not allowed to use fire hoses (not even just to make them wet)
Well sure, it holds up everything especially at lock up, once lock up happens you have less people on so while theres an idiot on the roof no ones going home, theres plenty of damage that can be done up there (windows etc, can get other places they shouldn't etc)
You have to look after your voter base, FB. Asians kind of get what National stands for. But, apart from a few outliers, Asians don't have a clue what Labour and the Greens are about. It's too wishy washy for them. They just want to make money, look after their families and get on with life. That's a great attitude.
If you're just pointing out the apparently contradictory messaging from National's leader and their mental health spokesperson…
Luxon says:
The first thing I'd say is that we believe we are bigger than our individual identities. We are first and foremost New Zealanders and we believe we are one country. But we fundamentally believe that we should target on the basis of need, not on the basis of ethnicity.
And so, we have real challenges. We've got a responsibility to help people in need. There is an overlap between ethnicity and need. But that should very much be the focus and starting point for that.
Luxon is saying in the first article that National believe in targeting by need, not ethnicity, but Doocey is saying:
We need to increase the access for the Asian population to access mental health services.
Without a specific mental health workforce strategy there is no way we are going to increase that level of service.
I don't think there's a contradiction in real terms because Luxon acknowledges there's often an overlap of ethnicity with need.
It seems like typical politician double-talk. Some people will hear the "need, not ethnicity" message & others will realise that he gives himself wriggle room in the event he ever finds himself in the position of, for example, having to decide whether to disband the Maori Health Authority. (He probably wouldn't dare do that.)
Luxon's trying to find points of policy difference with Labour but I get the impression he's still floundering.
Luxon's announcements/promises add up to one thing: spend more money.
It's not usually expressed like that, but that's what "invest" really means. He did this on day one of his leadership: invest more in education, climate change, etc. Sounds good!
In Hawke's Bay he called for more spending on health and as an aside, more aid for Tonga. I agree with both, but then I also agree with Grant Robertson borrowing the money to make this possible … while Luxon and Bridges say he should borrow less.
They are for all kinds of spending, and against saying where it comes from. It’s a cruel trick to play on (e.g.) nurses, who will be expecting National to demand higher pay for them, based on Luxon’s comments here:
Yep. It will be interesting to see when the new round of Q+A & Newshub Nation shows begin whether the interviewers will press him on where the money’s going to come from for his policy promises.
From what we’ve seen & heard from him so far he’ll probably just continue to be vague & maybe talk about reprioritising…. Others have already pointed out the practical problems with his suggestions that the government should be getting in tons more RATs & boosting the numbers of ICU beds. Such criticisms are easy to make but much harder to implement without the necessary resources being immediately available.
He’s a practiced smooth talker & therefore he may not put his foot in it as often as his predecessors Bridges & Collins. But otherwise he seems to basically be following the same non-plan. He’s far too vague & all over the place for me to consider him potential Prime Ministerial material yet.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has said there's enough money in the Covid Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF) for the costs of the Omicron outbreak – including the purchasing of rapid antigen tests – but warned more money might be needed if the country required a fourth round of vaccinations.
……
"Vaccine purchasing – obviously that's in a reasonable shape in terms of the allocated money for that – if we were to look at a fourth dose and so forth then we would need to find more money for that," Robertson said.
He added that the Government would find the money for an additional round of vaccinations, if they were required.
oh well, surely they would find the money, as the other option would be to bury the 'vaccine mandate' in a dust pile of history, unless they are happy to keep the mandate up and require people to pay for hte vaccines in the future. Which i don't think would go down well.
It's the code I started using a couple of weeks ago for Labour's big bold bright & shiny new Maori policy – apparent evidence of the collective heft now being exercised by their Maori MPs.
Abbreviation of the name of the report. Okay, it's true they haven't formalised it as policy yet – I'm anticipating most of it will be. They won't want to incentivise their Maori MPs to jump ship to the MP.
So I expect that – because it was a design produced by a high-level consensus of Maori leaders, and pan-tribal consensus is usually a rarity – there's a strong likelihood of implementation.
Less so if there had been disagreement about it in the media but the discussion I saw merely featured a few complaints about the concept of co-governance. As if the principles of Te Tiriti ought not to be read as a racial partnership. No sign Asian kiwis are seeking to become the third part of any such partnership!
If that polling is anywhere accurate there isn't a chance in hell that any of the Labour Party Maori MPs would defect. It's very cold out there if you lose your place at the taxpayer supplied trough and they aren't going to risk it. They aren't like Tariana Turia who quit on a question of principle.
There was discussion onsite here a few weeks ago about it. Anyway the govt description linked provides enough indication of provisional agreement on scheme & principles. A sound basis.
So I agree there's no reason for Willie & the others to feel discouraged at this point. Jumping ship only looms if Labour gets cold feet and the PM decides to abandon the thing.
Apparently I subconsciously conflated the two. That would be because they emanate from the same agenda: co-governance based on Treaty rights. I agree that Labour is doing the right thing in principle. In practice, we ought to watch this space…
Well I wouldn't get too excited. Often the holiday break gets folk re-centered & a shift of mood can become evident in the crowd. This time, they're feeling the same as before the break – which will reassure Labour.
Angst around Three Waters? Not enough to shift anything. Losing faith in pandemic strategy? No sign of that either. Best gloss possible – shit can happen fast with omicron, and there's an outside chance it could end up on Labour faces.
Without saying anything interesting or noteworthy. Honeymoon over already. Folks with a question-mark in their heads now shaking them sadly.
As if the guy never heard of the saying hit the ground running. I'm wondering if he's wondering what he ought to say. Preaching to the converted has a snowball's chance in hell of working. Centrists go huh?
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Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka KotahiThe fact that a ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st CenturyThe SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims StuffSteve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
David Farrar writes – We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how labour went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promiseThe result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
“I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
.“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
“It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet – is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
Bob Edlin writes – And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ HeraldThomas CoughlanSimeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
TL;DR:Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it: We want our country to be a ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Earthwise hosts Lois and Martin Griffiths. Earthwise presenters Lois and Martin Griffiths on Plains FM 96.9 community radio talk to Dr David Robie, a New Zealand author, independent journalist and media educator with a passion for the Asia-Pacific region. David talks about the struggle to raise awareness ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
SailGP’s races feature in-your-face action, with agile, hydro-foiling catamarans tacking and jibing for the title over several days. However, public comments ahead of the global series’ return to New Zealand have left this past year’s controversy in the shadows, as a key appointment attracts criticism from dolphin advocates. A year ...
Opinion: We are fast approaching a fundamental change in prisons. As the number of people on custodial remand looks set to overtake the number of sentenced prisoners, the main function of prisons in New Zealand may become incarcerating un-sentenced people who may not be guilty of offending. We have already ...
A huge seven months lies in store for the White Ferns, beginning this week with the visit of England and culminating with the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September and October. Starting on Tuesday in Dunedin, the world ranked No. 2 visitors will play five T20s and three ODIs, ...
Opinion: In a move that has shocked road safety advocates across the country, the new Minister of Transport, Simeon Brown, is poised to abandon the previous government’s speed limit reduction policy, particularly around schools. Even more alarmingly, he wants school speed limits to be variable rather than full-time, arguing ...
Auckland Council is opposing a fast-track development backed by Sir John Kirwan and Spark NZ, because it doesn’t meet stringent new climate adaptation requirements The post Surf-data centre faces new 3.8C climate warming rules appeared first on Newsroom. ...
When the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act was introduced in 2009 it was firmly targeted at gangs and drugs. The legislation means police no longer need a conviction to seize assets that criminals can’t prove were paid for legitimately, as long as their alleged offences are punishable by more than a ...
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The letters, which were published last week, were addressed to Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri, National Democrat Party (NasDem) Chairperson Surya Paloh, National Awakening Party (PKB) Chairperson Muhaimin Iskandar, Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) President Ahmad Syaikhu and United Development Party (PPP) Chairperson Muhammad Mardiono. In ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Evicting more people from state housing is ignorant to the consequences of poverty, the Greens say, but the Housing Minister says it's a privilege that can be taken away if abused. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emerald L King, Lecturer in Humanities, University of Tasmania IMDB Between Netflix’s 2023 live-action version of One Piece, and its latest take on Avatar: The Last Airbender, fans are once again asking: why are live-action anime adaptations so tricky to ...
The government says it still intends to deliver tax cuts by July, but will not lock them in until they have got them past their coalition partners. ...
This is a ‘congratulatory’ post: in an incredibly short period of time, humans have managed to ‘develop’ to the point where scientists are talking of the 6th mass extinction. Well done us!
About 50,000 years ago, plus or minus 20,000 years, there occurred among homo sapiens what is known as the cognitive revolution.
Among other developments in the brain, humans of the time stopped seeing themselves as a part of Nature, and began believing they were above Nature, a chosen species. That Nature was ‘created’ by ‘a God or Gods’ to serve them, and them alone.
50,000 or so years later, we’re on the point of exterminating ourselves.
The dinosaurs had much smaller brains, but they lasted for millions of years; homo sapiens for the blink of an eyelid in geological age.
Whether you accept we have a very few years left, or that human life will go on in some form forever, all need to realise we’ve made a colossal f*ck-up of it all in an incredibly short period of time, as evidenced by this graph.
“Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. In 2021, it fell on July 29.”
https://www.overshootday.org/
(Can't place the graph in post – but check the link)
The obvious trend is towards complete depletion of the Earth’s resources at some time in the not too distant future. Infinite growth on a finite planet anyone?
There has been much scientific talk about ‘tipping points,’ events which trigger an exponential change leading to probable extinction of our species.
One such crucial tipping point is ice loss in the Arctic (and the Antarctic for that matter).
https://kevinhester.live/2021/12/10/if-we-lose-the-arctic-we-lose-the-globe-weve-lost-the-arctic/
If/when we lose all ice in the Arctic, (possibly about September next year) all hell will break loose in the world’s climate.
It’s patently obvious that NZ, being such a small player in world terms, can do little to persuade the major polluters to mend their ways, (Cop-out 26 proved that) except by radical example, which this government has been largely reluctant to provide.
What we can and should do is recognise the crisis, and prepare to at least weather (pun intended) the worst that climate change can inflict on us.
Yes, I’m talking about ‘a hermit kingdom,’ or perhaps, to rile up the right wing misogynists, that should be ‘a hermit queendom.’
So, here’s the problem: do we bury our heads in the sand by maintaining either a) that climate change is a myth, or is beneficial because we might be able to grow bananas in Invercargill, or b) initiate immediate steps to mitigate its worst effects on New Zealand?
initiate immediate steps to mitigate its worst effects on New Zealand?
What would such steps look like, how much would it cost and what would be the anticipated outcome?
Sometimes doing nothing, or at least doing something whose benefits outweigh the costs, is the best option. That’s because doing something might produce few if any benefits and take away resources from areas where they could be used more productively.
Bjorn Lomborg has made a similar point. If we can prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths by providing poor countries with clean drinking water, we should seriously think about doing so. (If we can prevent children from being run over and killed in their own driveway, we should consider doing so, especially if there is an easy fix, which there is.)
I’d be interested in your response to how much it’s going to cost to take these steps, what steps exactly are you referring to, and the likely benefits of taking such action.
https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drinking-water
https://www.kidsandcars.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfupload/2002-08-23-driveway-related-paediatric-study.pdf
Ross. What would it cost? !!!!!! It would cost everything. Nothing more. Nothing less. How much were YOU thinking?
I blame the Archon and Demiurge for giving us a subconscious mind and the ability to self reflect.. otherwise it would just be another day in paradise before the inevitable happens.
Tony, take a deep breath and relax. No amount of angst will stop the planet doing what the planet has always done.
I'm more worried about a pole shift. The Schumann Resonance 7.83 Hz ( the earths heartbeat, and according to some, what all living things rely on ) has apparently become weaker of the years.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/earth-north-south-poles-flip-magnetic-field-2018-4
Dylan Thomas
Sage advice… if the light is dying?
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Everything is governed by time, we just think ours is of more importance than anyone's or anything else.
I studied that stuff long ago, have Hapgood's book on it that Einstein wrote the foreword for. The magnetic poles seem to have a random walk sometimes:
This always gives me hope for the planet.
https://youtu.be/EWXdTwFHETA
Yes Stephen, the planet will continue.
And maybe in a million or so years, another intelligent species will evolve to fuck it all up again!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/127553909/covid19-labour-sets-scene-for-omicron-but-what-happens-next
From Luke Malpass
This looks like a handy guide for what to do if you get covid including traffic light details. I've saved this link for future reference.
It isn't easy for mainstreamers to admit that democracy is anti-democratic, but we're getting a few signs that they're starting to wake up to it:
America's left remains split down the middle. Liberals seeking to defend the status quo vs progressive changemakers:
The Democrats want filibuster reform when it suits them but when it doesn't:
https://repustar.com/fact-briefs/do-both-political-parties-have-a-history-of-using-filibusters
From that link, I find it interesting that filibusters have become enormously more common in the time since 2009 than the nearly 2 decades before that (1991-2008).
Interesting isn't it
Can confirm this works well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha2JbLL0Ndo
Glad to hear that, PR.
I heard a Kmart merchandise manager on talkback yesterday. What a bleak picture he painted. The main points of his korero:
1- Kmart(NZ) has 30 containers sitting on the wharf in Australia that are yet to be loaded. They were due in NZ during December. Estimated time of arrival 3-6 months. I reckon longer, if at all, given Kmart Australia has its own sourcing issues. The reason for the delay is lack of crane and forklift operators.
2-Kmarts NZ warehouse is at present only 25% full.
3- He claims shelves are empty, and customers are turning on staff. Customers want product; they expect product…and when they can't buy what they want, staff cop it. I wonder if the government will, too? I can vouch for the empty shelves. My local KM has next to no sporting goods left.
The supposed caller then said something I thought was suss. He claimed ScoMo wants to lower the age ( under18) for gaining crane and forklift licences so vacancies can be filled. Having driven forklifts, I know they are dangerous machines under certain circumstances. But it would seem I was wrong – desperate times call for desperate measures. I believe ScoMo has since reconsidered that option.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jan/20/unpalletable-scott-morrison-hits-reverse-on-plan-to-allow-under-18s-to-drive-forklifts
It is my thinking that firstly, freight and shipping companies see NZ as an annex of Australia and we are completely dependent on AUS to get any goods, and I mean any. Secondly, by squeezing supply, pricing is thus artificially gauged and I honestly believe that we will see inflation close to double digits in the next 2 years . Our wages will not be able to keep pace and the young ones will jump the ditch. Now, planning and trade negotiations go only so far, what about delivery Management?
American politics throws up gems on a daily basis. Some of them encapsulate some of the realities of the country so well, like this from Mitch McConnell.
https://twitter.com/polialertcom/status/1484028301895249922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1484028301895249922%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnzissues.com%2FCommunity%2Fthreads%2Fdeathsantis-ruperts-next-candidate-for-potus.18909%2Fpage-7
Yeah crazy isn't it
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/biden-tells-interviewer-that-unlike-the-african-american-community-latino-community-is-diverse/
https://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/31/biden.obama/
"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," Biden said. "I mean, that's a storybook, man."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bidens-comments-ruffle-feathers/
"I've had a great relationship. In Delaware, the largest growth in population is Indian-Americans moving from India. You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I'm not joking," Biden said.
My favourite all time white liberal clip on voting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrBxZGWCdgs
It would be funny to see their reaction when they're told how racist they're being, heads would explode
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFOaMNnkzcw
. Yep, they have no idea. I find it incredible. They need to differentiate between what black comedian Chris Rock calls black people and n&^%. Chris gets hot under the collar about this. See his YT clip Black people v *******.(Bring the Pain 1996)
Wow look at the way this lady is driving. Lowering the speed limits on some roads is not going to make any difference to the road toll while people drive like this. Peoples driving attitudes need to change.
Watch: Speeding Auckland driver's frightening crash caught on camera – NZ Herald
While stupid driving is always dangerous, don't dismiss the effect of mandated speed reduction.
The road toll on SH6 has been greatly reduced since speeds were reduced from 100 to 80/90 km/h.
There was quite some opposition at the time from the Kaikoura MP down, citing time lost and the time cost to road freighters.
To contradict this view, the time difference is about 15 minutes for a 110 km journey, and an industry spokesman said that trucks save considerably (50 litres less on a 500 km journey) on fuel usage for every 10 km/h slower.
There have been no fatalities since introduction of these measures on SH6 designed to reduce the road toll.
That is a good result SH6 Mac. What concerns me is too many drivers like this lady that simply ignore all speed limits whether they be 80km/hr or 100km/hr and drive erratically.
How about getting a proper driver licence. It is truly frightening if you think about it. There are more than 40 000 people on the road without ever having learned to use a vehicle safely, road user codes, signs, restrictions etc. Any one of them can risk your life. You don't need lower limits, you need properly trained drivers.
The fatalities cannot be blamed on foreigners now as there are basically no tourists. You will look at bit closer to get to the truth. Lost control, too fast and alcohol would eliminate 95.7% of accidents. That is a lot. None has to do with speed limits but all with lack of skill and alcohol. It would be interesting to know the age group causing these crashes. But alas it is a data jungle and you find US data easier than any in NZ.
Causes of road accidents in New Zealand
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/07/revealed-over-40-000-drivers-remain-on-restricted-and-learner-licences-for-a-decade.html
So, driver error then.
No, overestimating skill levels and alcohol is and 40 000 plus unqualified drivers. Driver error would indicate that someone reading texts whilst driving, overtaking to impress mates, showing off what the car "can do" whilst they are incapable of controlling the vehicle, completely unaware that they endanger the rest of the road users. I am not in favor of political correctness cop out excuses. If a driver is to immature to handle a car than they should have to use public transport and go and get more training. End of story.
K-Mart ( and the Warehouse et al ) not being filled up with plastic shit with a limited lifespan and even more hardly-to-be-worn badly made clothes to add to the 115 BILLION garments produced each year would be a win in my book.
For the record, my Chinese socks sourced from Mitre10, used to last two weeks before disintegrating. Now I can get six weeks wear before they get holes. That's progress and proof capitalism is the way to go!
WA has gone its own way by keeping its hard border with the rest of Australia shut to all except a few who apply for exemptions. McGowan reckons its better to wait for the booster rate to be up at about the 80-90% level (currently at about 25%) and millions of RAT tests to be available for use plus other planning for the inevitable Omicron sweep. Not sure if the state can keep Omicron out, as like NZ it's knocking hard at the border, but no doubt casting an eye on all other parts of the country from within WA, the scene hardly looks enticing.
Koff:
I do think that, like McGowan in WA, Jacinda should be retaining the option of keeping the borders closed after the end of February (the current proposed end to MIQ border opening date) until NZ is 90% boosted, assuming Omicron doesn't get in by accident of course.
At present Labour seems fixated on sticking to this date. Are they in thrall to the business lobby?
How much more evidence of this do we need? We have decades-worth already. Where’s action on climate change, the housing crisis, inequality and infrastructure investment? They can sound tough in opposition but once they had complete control over cabinet very little has happened. Labour need to change their name, they abdicated actually fighting for workers a long time ago.
The problem with blanket assertions like "very little has happened" is that a moment's research can find a different set of facts which rather spoils the strength of other assertions.
The NZLP claims this-
"BOOSTING WAGES
We believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. That’s why since 2017, we’ve boosted the minimum wage by $4.25 – bringing it to $20 per hour. We’ve passed the Equal Pay Amendment Bill to ensure people who perform work of the same value are paid the same and started addressing pay inequities in our education and health systems. We’re also implementing Fair Pay Agreements, to improve wages and conditions and support our economic recovery.
RESTORING RIGHTS
We’re making sure workers get a fair deal by strengthening employment law. We’ve brought back meal and rest breaks, strengthened collective bargaining, restored protections for vulnerable workers, and limited 90-day trials to businesses with fewer than 20 employees. We’re committed to improving the Holidays Act to provide more certainty for employers and employees, and we’ve made changes to better protect migrants from exploitation.
LOOKING OUT FOR WELLBEING
We’re keeping workers safe and supporting them to balance their work with other demands. We’ve extended paid parental leave from 18 to 26 weeks, and we’ve doubled the minimum sick leave entitlement to 10 days to make sure no one feels pressured to go to work when they’re unwell. We increased funding to modernise WorkSafe, and launched a new Navigation Service offering free, independent advice and advocacy for people making ACC claims. We’ve also committed to keeping the retirement age at 65.
PROTECTING JOBS
Our strong COVID response has kept Kiwis safe while protecting jobs, allowing us to look ahead. Our wage subsidies have supported around 1.8 million jobs through alert level changes, and we created specific programmes to protect jobs in vulnerable sectors like sports, tourism, and the arts. To help protect those who do experience job loss through no fault of their own, we’re working on the design of a Social Unemployment Insurance scheme that would support workers to retain about 80 percent of their income for a period after they lose their jobs." https://www.labour.org.nz/policy
If you don't like that as a source try this one from an employer, the Clubs of NZ. https://www.clubsnz.org.nz/members-area/news/new-labour-government-whats-on-the-workplace-reform-agenda/
"5 November 2020
At New Zealand’s October general election, the Labour Party won a majority of Parliament’s seats and is likely to govern alone. Some of the workplace policies Labour campaigned on included:
New protections for contractors"
Yes, like I said, very little has happened in regard to the climate crisis, the housing crisis, increasing inequality and infrastructure investment.
I was addressing your issue with "fighting for workers". Climate crisis, the housing crisis, increasing inequality and infrastructure investment are issues wider than workers' rights solely, save the inequality issue addressed in part by a $4.50 increase in the hourly minimum wage, doubled sick leave entitlement, workplace conditions improvements, fair pay agreements, pay equality, 90 day contracts etc.
You just can't say that very little has happened. You can argue for more, but argument based on scant regard for reality is not convincing. National do it with their current 'shambles' buzz word. It means less than nothing and is a sign of lack of proper argument.
Have you considered that workers are those most affected by all of those issues? I wasn't talking about 'rights', I'm talking material conditions.
A minimum wage increase is good for those on minimum wage however the majority of workers aren't on minimum wage and haven't seen their wages increase at the same rate.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/300374351/threequarters-of-workers-get-pay-rises-that-dont-keep-up-with-inflation
A good article and one which spells out with facts and figures where we're at from the TU perspective. It does acknowledge some improvements and also that more is needed.
It does not however address the issue of "Labour need to change their name, they abdicated actually fighting for workers a long time ago."
Nothing in that article about what the Labour government needs to do. Most employers are private, not public. What do we need to see done, to address these issues, as a government?
What do I as a member tell my LEC and my nearest Labour MP 110 km away to get on with?
I do btw acknowledge that wider issues also impact on workers. But your statement was about "abdication of fighting for workers" and the discussion needs to go beyond that to the actuals of where we'r at, who can do what, and also what is beyond the power of government.
That’s up to you, but I do remember our PM talking about the failure of neo-liberalism, so something that undermines that status quo rather than just hoping for change would be what I expected them to get on with.
I don’t accept that action on any of these issues is beyond the power of government, actually fighting for workers involves a redefining what is possible.
That's up to me. Thanks.
That is unless you can get them to undo all the policy and philosophy changes of the 4th Labour Government, then do that. Thanks.
The evidence from Australia seems to be that business hasn't done well as the Omicron outbreak has meant staff shortages, hesitancy on the part of ordinary people to go out and risk being infected. The same businesses that were hard hit during lockdowns have been almost as badly hit with the high infection rate. Think the pressure on McGowan is from separated families more than WA business which is doing just fine. Queensland and other states and territories that had kept Delta out made a mistake in mid December opening up just as Omicron turned up. Once the borders were opened up, it was impossible to go into reverse. Guess it was hard at that point to know how bad things were going to get, but there is no excuse for NZ (like WA) to not learn the mistakes others have made and plan as fast as possible while doing whatever can be done to slow down Omicron's eventual arrival. Can't see businesses in NZ being happy once Omicron arrives tbh, whatever NZ Labour thinks.
No they aren't. They just have much more important things to worry about and they don't have any time to pay any attention to Covid 19.
Covid 19 is yesterday's story. This is 2022.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/which-wedding-dress-will-jacinda-ardern-say-yes-to-for-her-big-day/MBANKU6HJUJNZQHYR36R4HPSUQ/
Is it going to be broadcast on all the TV networks simultaneously? Which woman's magazine has arranged rights to publish the photos. What dress will Lorde wear and what will she sing?
Who cares? The Herald has been unable to find out anything so is reduced to a publishing a pointless lifestyle puff piece with pics of some wedding dress styles that Ardern might (or might not) wear.
It's being kept a closely-guarded secret. I'm happy to not know any details until the deed is done, the show is over, and the answers to your questions are revealed.
If any more was being announced about it, every detail would constantly be front page news when there are more important things to most of us that are real news.
Chris Luxon claiming the traffic light system is confusing and offering utterly simplistic solutions to complex problems two years into a pandemic is really just a neolib prosperity Christian desperately wanting to retreat into magical thinking that pretending COVID doesn't exist – that somehow by refusing to engage with understanding the tools to manage COVID and pleading for magical silver bullets will make COVID go away.
The recurring meta in National's covid response is the way it's strategy has been shaped by the clash between the Evangelical determinism and neoliberal ideology that is it's caucus's foundation beliefs and empirical requirements of a pandemic response. The party exhibits all the psychological stress one would expect of a political movement exposed to extreme and prolonged cognitive dissonance.
Luxon is merely yet another intellectual featherweight on the right, retreating into irrelevant and plaintive complaining rather than grasping and confronting the truth that the the ideas – and the actions that would flow from those ideas – that underpin his world view are not psychologically consistent with current reality.
Well said Sanc. Luxon blathered and complained endlessly today on RNZ's Morning Report, but when asked a simple question-"should RAT tests be free"-he had no answer saying that could be decided later.
So, is the garden gnome thick. Or just being devious??
With Luxon's becoming the leader, one assumed that the level of IQ of the opposition had improved. No such luck. Luxon's ranting about the lack of RAT's was so pathetic when those of the meanest of intellect know there is an international shortage. Did he expect the appropriate Ministers or the PM could magic them from their backsides? He has been raving about the government not rapidly producing sufficient ICU beds to handle a massive increase in demand – presumably in support of pandering to the demands of the hospitality industry. It seems he forgot that each bed requires 4-5 advance trained nursing staff. No magic wand would solve that problem, especially when a pandemic, once unleashed, would cause the NZ health system to immediately lose existing staff to infection, burn-out and resignations for self-preservation. He has also demonstrated that he should pull his head out of his rear end so that he can put an ear to the ground. If he did, he would discover what most people are aware of. There has been a great deal of planning, some of it of necessity being tentative. This has been going on at all levels of the health system since before omicron was a thing. How long would it take to get a chauffeur driven limo to take him perhaps 200m or more to the nearest medical practice to ask what preparations have been made?
Those were my thoughts Sanctuary. Luxon's undermining the forward planning with negativity is just a continuation of Bridges without the belligerence.
So according to Nationals play book. "We have done nothing to prepare" "We are late with these non existent actions" and "We have had a month on holiday", and the pearl, "We are confused by the confusing traffic light system"
As for "Pre orders of RAT tests, we have 5000 000 odd, with orders coming in batches through to June. He couldn’t say if they should be free.
Competing with a billion ordered by the USA puts us way down the list, as currently we don't need them.
When asked what he would do Luxon talked all round the question and had no concrete suggestions. He is allowing Bishop to bark at every situation. Situation familiar imo.
Was funny to hear him remind everyone that he'd "run an airline"!
Yes, that makes all the difference. Confidence should rein, he ran an airline!!!
John Keys' latest apprentice is a drip.
I noticed that too fender. His logic is that he can run an airline (in a semi monopolistic situation) so I can run a country.
He is not coming over well so far.
For anyone interested in the new Fresh Prince remake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTJz6__YePU&t=334s
I loved it when they took Trump off…I love this even better. I needed that laugh after receiving another credit card charge back from a business that cannot now supply what I purchased.
I like that he skewers everyone, the Star Trek take off is pretty good as well
From Stuff.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300500687/covid19-one-third-of-border-cases-over-one-week-were-unvaccinated
"More than a third of Covid-19 cases caught at New Zealand’s border over the space of one week were unvaccinated or ineligible due to their age, a snapshot of data shows."
"While non-New Zealand citizens are required to be vaccinated to enter the country, there is no requirement for citizens to be vaccinated."
Shouldn't they be??
I would think you would run afoul of the New Zealand Immigration Act 2009, and in particular section 13.
Basically it says that if you are only a New Zealand citizen you can't be kept out and you can't be deported. I don't see how you could change this without making people stateless.
Besides it isn't a crime for New Zealand citizens not to be vaccinated. Why should it be for a New Zealand citizen wanting to enter the country?
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2009/0051/latest/DLM1440595.html
Interesting. Obviously one of those moments where the stars align and I agree with Alwyn.
Don't get me wrong, almost all of them should be vaccinated. But making that a requirement for returning citizens gets dicey.
Now, whether airlines should require it for everyone who sets foot on their plane, that's another issue.
The good bishop’s supporters make a bid for relevance and support. Will they succeed? Stay tuned, possums.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/destiny-church-protest-brian-tamaki-supporters-barricade-mt-eden-prison-entrance/VXLCCY7ECWXY6PLGJM5VWBGK3A/
Interesting development. The police & prison management seem to have treated this protest with kid gloves. One wonders whether that will embolden Tamaki's supporters to do more of this kind of thing when their leader isn't happy inside and complains to them.
I think most sensible people are wary of going too far in supporting Apostle Tamaki because they know a cult when they see one.
Yes, looking forward to the news tonight so we can get some moving pictures.
' The police & prison management seem to have treated this protest with kid gloves'
Should see what we do when a prisoner gets on a roof…basically nothing, negotiate untill they get bored and climb down
Do you hope for a really bad spell of weather with sleet and gale force winds?
Would it make any difference to how long they stayed there?
They generally don't go up in bad weather and we're not allowed to use fire hoses (not even just to make them wet)
Well sure, it holds up everything especially at lock up, once lock up happens you have less people on so while theres an idiot on the roof no ones going home, theres plenty of damage that can be done up there (windows etc, can get other places they shouldn't etc)
Christopher Luxon says "we should target on the basis of need, not on the basis of ethnicity"
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/01/national-leader-christopher-luxon-responds-to-man-at-public-meeting-who-got-round-of-applause-for-denouncing-use-of-te-reo-m-ori.html
But…
National calls for better mental health services for Asians.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/01/national-calls-for-better-mental-health-services-for-asians.html
You have to look after your voter base, FB. Asians kind of get what National stands for. But, apart from a few outliers, Asians don't have a clue what Labour and the Greens are about. It's too wishy washy for them. They just want to make money, look after their families and get on with life. That's a great attitude.
If you're just pointing out the apparently contradictory messaging from National's leader and their mental health spokesperson…
Luxon says:
Luxon is saying in the first article that National believe in targeting by need, not ethnicity, but Doocey is saying:
I don't think there's a contradiction in real terms because Luxon acknowledges there's often an overlap of ethnicity with need.
It seems like typical politician double-talk. Some people will hear the "need, not ethnicity" message & others will realise that he gives himself wriggle room in the event he ever finds himself in the position of, for example, having to decide whether to disband the Maori Health Authority. (He probably wouldn't dare do that.)
Luxon's trying to find points of policy difference with Labour but I get the impression he's still floundering.
Luxon's announcements/promises add up to one thing: spend more money.
It's not usually expressed like that, but that's what "invest" really means. He did this on day one of his leadership: invest more in education, climate change, etc. Sounds good!
In Hawke's Bay he called for more spending on health and as an aside, more aid for Tonga. I agree with both, but then I also agree with Grant Robertson borrowing the money to make this possible … while Luxon and Bridges say he should borrow less.
They are for all kinds of spending, and against saying where it comes from. It’s a cruel trick to play on (e.g.) nurses, who will be expecting National to demand higher pay for them, based on Luxon’s comments here:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/127552519/nz-needs-to-invest-in-small-hospitals–luxon
Yep. It will be interesting to see when the new round of Q+A & Newshub Nation shows begin whether the interviewers will press him on where the money’s going to come from for his policy promises.
From what we’ve seen & heard from him so far he’ll probably just continue to be vague & maybe talk about reprioritising…. Others have already pointed out the practical problems with his suggestions that the government should be getting in tons more RATs & boosting the numbers of ICU beds. Such criticisms are easy to make but much harder to implement without the necessary resources being immediately available.
He’s a practiced smooth talker & therefore he may not put his foot in it as often as his predecessors Bridges & Collins. But otherwise he seems to basically be following the same non-plan. He’s far too vague & all over the place for me to consider him potential Prime Ministerial material yet.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-fund-could-not-fund-fourth-vaccine-dose-if-necessary-says-grant-robertson/KWWCIICJZMQPXLZJDDW3YBMSCY/
……
oh well, surely they would find the money, as the other option would be to bury the 'vaccine mandate' in a dust pile of history, unless they are happy to keep the mandate up and require people to pay for hte vaccines in the future. Which i don't think would go down well.
he's clearly saying two things:
1+ 2. where will he find the money? – or better from which fund will he take the money.
What the…? Must be some printing error. This shouldn't be happening in my reality.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/labour-regaining-momentum-in-latest-poll-as-nationals-luxon-surge-stalls/BSFRG6IHQ4Q33NZX5XXKHS4XMI/
Don't live in a bubble then. Actually it's margin of error stuff apart from this bit:
I wonder if the pollsters couldn't find many Maori to ask?? Everyone at the marae that day perhaps…
Actually, it's possible that mM worked a miracle for Labour – 1.7% shift from MP. Sorta like a vote of confidence in the scheme, eh?
mM?
It's the code I started using a couple of weeks ago for Labour's big bold bright & shiny new Maori policy – apparent evidence of the collective heft now being exercised by their Maori MPs.
what new Māori policy? Why mM?
Abbreviation of the name of the report. Okay, it's true they haven't formalised it as policy yet – I'm anticipating most of it will be. They won't want to incentivise their Maori MPs to jump ship to the MP.
So I expect that – because it was a design produced by a high-level consensus of Maori leaders, and pan-tribal consensus is usually a rarity – there's a strong likelihood of implementation.
Less so if there had been disagreement about it in the media but the discussion I saw merely featured a few complaints about the concept of co-governance. As if the principles of Te Tiriti ought not to be read as a racial partnership. No sign Asian kiwis are seeking to become the third part of any such partnership!
I just checked online & suspect I may have inadvertently conflated two reports – sorry, if so… https://www.newsroom.co.nz/maori-co-governance-talks-another-covid-19-victim
If that polling is anywhere accurate there isn't a chance in hell that any of the Labour Party Maori MPs would defect. It's very cold out there if you lose your place at the taxpayer supplied trough and they aren't going to risk it. They aren't like Tariana Turia who quit on a question of principle.
I think the thing I used the mM code for may have been related to this:
https://www.dia.govt.nz/three-waters-reform-programme-iwi-maori-interests
There was discussion onsite here a few weeks ago about it. Anyway the govt description linked provides enough indication of provisional agreement on scheme & principles. A sound basis.
So I agree there's no reason for Willie & the others to feel discouraged at this point. Jumping ship only looms if Labour gets cold feet and the PM decides to abandon the thing.
I wondered what on earth māturanga Māori had to do with it.
Maybe you were thinking of the He Puapua report, Dennis?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/explained/125740914/the-contentious-he-puapua-plan-explained
Apparently I subconsciously conflated the two. That would be because they emanate from the same agenda: co-governance based on Treaty rights. I agree that Labour is doing the right thing in principle. In practice, we ought to watch this space…
''Actually it's margin of error stuff apart from this bit:''
Oh, crikey, that's made me feel better, Dennis. And the ''bit'' part makes me feel even better still.
Well I wouldn't get too excited. Often the holiday break gets folk re-centered & a shift of mood can become evident in the crowd. This time, they're feeling the same as before the break – which will reassure Labour.
Angst around Three Waters? Not enough to shift anything. Losing faith in pandemic strategy? No sign of that either. Best gloss possible – shit can happen fast with omicron, and there's an outside chance it could end up on Labour faces.
''Angst around Three Waters''
Still plenty of of gold for the Tories to mine there.
Luxon surge? lol
There was a Not-Collins surge. That was always going to happen, and would have happened if they'd picked Mark Richardson or a funny-shaped potato.
Then Luxon started talking …
lol The ECG started beeping faintly when Dr Collins left, that doesn't mean the patient is spritely
The EEG is still a flat line
Luxon started talking …
Without saying anything interesting or noteworthy. Honeymoon over already. Folks with a question-mark in their heads now shaking them sadly.
As if the guy never heard of the saying hit the ground running. I'm wondering if he's wondering what he ought to say. Preaching to the converted has a snowball's chance in hell of working. Centrists go huh?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/destiny-church-protest-brian-tamaki-supporters-barricade-mt-eden-prison-entrance/VXLCCY7ECWXY6PLGJM5VWBGK3A
You’re late. Covered already by Blade at 12.47pm:
.https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-01-2022/#comment-1853431
Being completely nosey I now want to know what the hygiene items are:
tweezers to keep his eyebrows looking freshly tweezed
special face cream or shaving cream
extra soft toilet paper
any exotic items of self care – special oils and unguents
or
would it be more banal such as haemorrhoid cream, snake oil ……..
No matter what it is it is clearly worthy of having a fuss made.
He wants holy water and deodorant as the other inmates are treating him like someone who stinks.
He'd also like his botox as the eyebrows are wilting, and he nearly swollowed one.
Someone suggested yesterday it'd be condoms. Someone else, tampons.
Hair dye and grease.
Oh Shangreagh,… Best laugh of the day. "Snake oil"
Soap, razors, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrush and toilet paper is the usual stuff we give out and women get extra sanitary items
All very boring sorry
Soap, razors, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrush and toilet paper is the usual stuff we give out and women get extra sanitary items
All very boring sorry
Fender and Peter and McFlock you are all very 'naughty boys'…….almost as bad as this very naughty girl.
well written keep it up