The real question is why does Venezuela NEED any aid at all. It is an oil rich country that is not suffering drought and has plenty of arable land available.
Because of US sanctions and deliberate sabotage. Just as they did to Allende. You twit.
Maduro hasn’t helped, but how would any leader cope with the deliberate sabotage of the economy, destruction and repeated coup attempts by a much larger neighbour?
Nonsense, Till very recently there were no economic sanctions on Venezuela. There were targeted sanctions on members of the Venezuelan regime though. The Venezuelan economy has imploded not because of sanctions and American intervention but due to the policies followed by the Venezuelan regime. If you don’t believe me just ask me about a particular issue and I will show you how it is caused by a particular policy.
How about the opposite Gossy – when a particular policy causes a particular issue.
When a country decides a policy where its oil reserves and industry are owned by the people. The issue – the US, multi-corporations, and right wing allies don’t like that because they are being denied a slice of the action – and other countries may even follow suit. So they covertly at first destabilise the economy and democracy by inciting violence and unrest, block trade, and then rush in pretending to be the saviours of the people.
In the wake of the latest round of polls … I’ve noticed a lot of loose talk predicting NZF’s apparently inevitable electoral doom.
So … I’ve gone back and compared the Peters Party’s ratings in Colmar Bruntons at the same (16 month) point following previous Elections (starting with post-1999). While also outlining how those Poll ratings compared with their Party Vote at the subsequent General Election. Might just surprise ya.
If they follow either their post-96 or post-05 trajectories then (based on their current rating – which is superior to their 1% & 2.2% ratings at the same point into previous Govts) they will, in fact, cross the threshold in 2020.
Ryan accused the Labour Party of being “infected” with “anti-Jewish racism” since Corbyn became its leader in 2015. She alleged that the issue did not exist before Corbyn’s election as Labour leader
The new Judeophilic Labour Party is polling at 8% – not bad for a party with no policies, no name yet, and a bunch of no names. Our very own Sustainable New Zealand Party must be very encouraged with this result lol.
If you have 45 minutes spare today or want something thought provoking to listen to while completing your chores , here is Derrick Jensen talking to Rachel Stewart about New Zealand’s waterways, farming and future environmental collapse.
Derrick Jensen’s book Endgame is a must read as well.
Just want to alert people to this thing of beauty:
“Fox News refused to air this full interview with historian Rutger Bregman after Fox News host Tucker Carlson lost his temper, calling his guest a ‘tiny brain…moron’ during the interview.”
How would you feel if your friends, neighbours, work colleagues etc could rate your behaviour? Then the government gave you a ranking, gave everyone a ranking, from the opinion of others. Such a ranking would determine where you could live etc. Too bad if you were in a bad mood one day.
“Strictly speaking, there aren’t strict boundaries between Earth and space. Our atmosphere doesn’t just end at a certain altitude; it peters out gradually. A new study from Russia’s Space Research Institute (SRI) shows that our atmosphere extends out to 630,000 km into space.”
This is interesting in and of itself. And try thinking about this as political analysis. It then becomes about blurred boundaries, extended influence, unlikely connections…
A love of science fiction taught me about lagrange points – but your comment made me look them up again – “The L1 point is approximately 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth (about four times the distance of the Moon), in the direction of the Sun. There, SOHO enjoys an uninterrupted view of our daylight star.”
“In the West you can change the parties, not the policies. In China, you can change the policies, not the parties. In both systems, the rich are in charge”.
Yeah, and “lagrange” is just an independently cool word for scifi.
I was surprised SOHO isn’t exactly at L1, because it would be a bit unstable and signals would be washed out by the sun, so it orbits L1 – but there’s nothing at L1. Weirdness.
The stability around an L1 point is a real trip to get your head around. The point itself is unstable, of the radial and tangential directions one is stable and the other unstable. So if you try to park something there it drifts away. But it’s possible to have a stable orbit around the L1 point. In an idealised three body system with perfectly circular orbits, that is.
But in our real system, the earth’s orbit is not circular, there’s the moon passing between the L1 point and earth, there’s the variable solar wind. So anything orbiting our real-life L1 point needs regular orbital adjustments.
Yeah. But I’m having trouble coming up with any possible reason to want to put anything at the earth-moon L1 point. From a lunar perspective it would just go around and around above the centre point of the hemisphere facing us.
Maybe some sort of staging point / dock that’s handy for a lunar gravity assist? Especially if a nanotube space elevator comes into play – slingshot the payload from the elevator to L1 station, assemble whatever you need to assemble, and then have the moon help the finished vehicle or supply package on its way. All done without a small nuke’s worth of rocket fuel. Not sure why it couldn’t be hiffed immediately from the elevator, though, unless there’s a basic safety principle of assembling things that might go boom well away from your primary orbital system.
But all this is on the scientific principle of extraxerunt de ano est, of course.
Baggy Marry to be investigated by Parliamentary Services for using government money to further National Party interests.
The Nats probably give a huge collective shrug at this sort of behaviour since I’m sure they are all neck deep in it. It’s just how you do things when you belong to the born-to-rule elite.
The AG did do her a massive favour releasing this letter today of all days…
Space Cadet Bonespurs isn’t getting his Space Farce after all.
Bowing to bipartisan concerns in Congress, President Trump retreated Tuesday from his plan to create an independent “space force” in the Pentagon, proposing instead to consolidate the military’s space operations and personnel in the Air Force.
Lime e-scooters hit the streets of Auckland in October last year, followed by mass roll-outs in Christchurch, Dunedin and the Hutt Valley.
The e-scooters have proved a huge hit but at a cost. The Accident Compensation Authority (ACC) has recorded more than 1,200 injury claims for e-scooters since October last year, at a cost to the public of $566,405. The majority of the injuries – 656 – have been in Auckland.
The glitch has seen riders break collarbones and jaws, among other serious injuries.
In particular, there are concerns about the speed at which the scooters can travel (up to 48km/h) and the rising number of accidents.
“We cannot let cool trump safety,” Auckland Transport chairman Lester Levy told RNZ. “From the outset, I have had serious safety concerns, initially about user behaviour, but recently we’re seeing what could be equipment – either software or mechanical failure. I am very concerned.”
A loss of balance or personal control was the most common reason listed for an injury claim, but unexpected braking issues were not able to be isolated from the data, ACC said.
Is Lisa Owen working for RNZ, or for the National Party? Checkpoint, RNZ National, Thursday 21 February 2019, 5 p.m.
The Tax Working Group is the big news of the day. Lisa Owen stares grimly at the camera and intones:
“That second holiday property, and farm: all said to be part of the recommended HIT LIST…”
Yes, it’s RNZ, but in tone and intellectual depth, it sounds like NewstalkZzzzzzB. And, yes, Richard Griffin, a vacuous National Party placeman, is running the show.
even at 33% you maintain 67% of your gain, so it will take a little longer (or more risk) to reach your goal, big deal…it hasnt changed the fundamentals….sadly
Whether its checkpoint or morning report my gripe is theres no time to digest anything , within a nanosecond its on to the next topic .Whats the fucking rush ??A bit more balance would be nice also , RNZ seems joined at the hip with bbc and american commentators like the rest of the world doesnt even exist !!
Dairy farmers going for efficiency and faster growth in feed had better be careful of a result that has caused cow deaths in the USA.
High nitrate, mostly concentrated in grass stems, causes quick death, Evans says. Nitrate converts to nitrite in a cow’s rumen. Nitrite in the blood blocks oxygen uptake. Without oxygen, cows die quickly.
“Testing low-quality forage for nitrate is urgent,” Evans said. “We’re trying to get word out. Producers need to know potential problems.”
In an MU Extension teleconference with area livestock specialists, Eldon Cole, Mount Vernon, told of two cases in southwestern Missouri. One farmer fed new forage to his herd of 70 cows. Forty were dead the next morning. In another case, 20 cows died.
In both cases, producers used nitrogen or poultry litter to boost forage growth last fall.
MU Extension centers may have kits used for testing nitrate in drought areas last summer, Evans said. Those work best on split stems that are still moist.
Area extension specialists for livestock or agronomy advise producers on testing and forming safe rations.
MU Extension beef nutritionist Eric Bailey says supplements dilute nitrate in cow diets.
[BUT] Adding starchy grain speeds up rumen fermentation more than other feeds.
Hay ferments slowly.
“Nitrogen is needed by the rumen bugs, and nitrate provides it,” Bailey adds. “Bugs break nitrate down to provide nitrogen. When fermentation is slow, not much nitrate is digested.”
[BUT] Unused nitrate, converted to nitrite, spills into the blood. Adding grain to hay diets speeds nitrate usage. http://www.thebullvine.com/news/
A tax on captial gains is needed to balance the tax system in NZ at the minute people who have all NZ captial =money get away with paying less % taxes than the common person . When these people gain enough Captial money they FLEE with there money to Island states with minimal tax rates .
This type of behaviour by the wealthy 00.1 is a huge drain on New Zealands Resorces that leaves the burden of keeping NZ Society functioning on the lower classes shoulders thats a big burden when you have 10% of people owning 95 % of NZ Captial=money. AT the minute its like Big companies have a wopping great hose siphoning many billions out of NZ economy leaving little captial behind to keep the society that they siphoned the Captial from funcing at a healthy humane level anyone can SEE that is not a SUSTAINABLE MODEL as eventually society has no Captial left.
Look at the power companys shonky sold and made $5 billion that $5 billion has been losted in less than 5 years with the profts losted and the Captial Gains losted to KIWIS. They take that money with out paying taxes .shonky gifted half of OUR stratedic assets to foreigners most people need power these days.
Don’t listen to simon as national party has showen its true colours time and time again they serve the wealthy weather it ruins OUR country or not https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2kQqPH85gc
P.S A Captial Gains TAX will keep some of the captial in NZ for te mokopunas and DECENDANT,S to have a happy healthy LIFE
The capitalist system is a unsustainable model people think that capital that is gain comes from the organization willing to pay more for thee ASSET in the short term that’s correct .
Long term all the capital gained comes from the loss of the purchaseing POWER of OUR dollars yesterday we could buy one liter of milk for 80 cents today we have to pay more $1.00 the assets that have been sold at a higher price will charge U.S. more for there product or services that is the phenomenon called inflation in reality it is the 99 % of people paying for the capital flowing overseas it will also be Te mokopunas playing for that capital outflow from Aotearoa. It’s not ROCKET SCIENCE it’s a model dreamed up by the wealthiest to serve the wealthiest people at the expense of the lower class’s .
That is why we have people who have so much money if they got there money in cash and stacked it in one dollar note the stack would reach Te Marama they could not count there money in ten life times . It is what we have at the minute capitalism so too make that system fair a capital gains tax is NEEDED .Ka kite Ano.
Kia ora Newshub A bad dease in Otago that’s not on we are a first world nation.
The airshow lost its main attraction a b52 well that will be less carbon in our inviroment they must burn heaps of fuel.???? Stargazing is free of carbon and putea.
The container deposit skeem is good but shying away from cutting carbon out of our environment is just soft.
That’s sad that the Zoo had to put down a barboon.
Looks like someone is on the attack against the billionaire from America who got busted doing his business I wonder who he has upset with the power to do that to him.
That was cool the penguins being released they are such unique cute creatures Ka pai.
The Scarfie flats in Dunedin are classic they have a Kiwi flear and wit Ka kite ano P.S I won’t be commenting on movies till. I watch them
Kia ora R&R We do have to stop the short term thinking and make products so they last for years make it so it is best to repair reuse instead of REPLACE.
Good point on weed I agree. That is a nother good point 1000 liters of Wai to make 1 liter of WINE we could bring down the 400 litres of Wai to grow 1 litre of milk te Papatuanukue needs milk not wine Ka kite ano
R&R take the whenua away take there Mana away and you end up with people who don’t like there reality so they get stoned or drunk to get to a different reality /Cause Colonialism is the cause of that problem thats a fact Ka kite ano P.S break a person and they want to hide in a bottle
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Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
The Whangarei District Council being forced to fluoridate their local water supply is facing a despotic Soviet-era disgrace. This is not a matter of being pro-fluoride or anti-fluoride. It is a matter of what New Zealanders see and value as democracy in our country. Individual democratically elected Councillors are not ...
Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
By Lagi Keresoma in Apia The Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) Committee has finally issued a statement — 5 days after damaging social media attacks following the 2025 Pageant finals hosted by the Solomon Islands last Saturday. The statement yesterday simply said the committee recognised and deeply regretted the distress ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – The New Zealand government and the mainstream media have gone ballistic (thankfully not literally just yet) over the move by the small Pacific nation to sign a strategic partnership with China in Beijing this week. It is the latest in ...
The Chinese have politely told the Kiwis to back off. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters that China and the Cook Islands have had diplomatic relations since 1997 which “should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party”. “New Zealand is rightly furious about it,” a TVNZ Pacific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When parliamentarians left Canberra on Thursday after the fortnight sitting, federal politics had the air of an uneasy waiting game. Waiting for the election date, although the campaign has been running for months. ...
The Health Committee has heard from both the Minister for Mental Health, and from members of the public offering their own lived experience of mental health treatment. ...
The regional imperialist powers, including Australia, New Zealand and France have maintained neo-colonial control over the Southwest Pacific for more than a century, keeping the fragile island nations in a state of dependency with conditions of poverty ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne Public transport in Queensland now costs just 50 cents. Yet in the first six months of the trial, it’s been revealed that thousands of commuters were ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Harris Rimmer, Professor, Griffith Law School, Griffith University Two federal politicians from opposing camps reached across the aisle this week to promote a valuable cause – the wellbeing of future Australian generations. Independent MP Sophie Scamps tabled the Wellbeing of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Younger, Lecturer in Southern Ocean Vertebrate Ecology, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania Australia’s Antarctic territory represents the largest sliver of the ice continent. For decades, Australian scientists have headed to one of our three bases – Mawson, ...
A Māori Purposes Bill is an omnibus bill that enables minor, technical, and non-controversial amendments to legislation relating to Māori affairs. This Māori Purposes Bill aims to modernise some legislation relating to Māori Affairs. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Campbell, Lecturer, Performing Arts, UniSA Creative, University of South Australia Matt Byrne/STCSA Housework, a new play by Emily Steel, lifts the rock off politics to expose its crawling, ruthless, yet undeniably comic underside. The result is masterful, hilarious and deeply ...
After two years of major damage from storms, a key government unit has made an abrupt change to focus on cyber security over and above natural disasters. ...
Pacific Media Watch Papua New Guinea’s civic space has been rated as “obstructed” by the Civicus Monitor and the country has been criticised for pushing forward with a controversial media law in spite of strong opposition. Among concerns previously documented by the civil rights watchdog are harassment and threats against ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Younger, Lecturer in Southern Ocean Vertebrate Ecology, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania Australia’s Antarctic territory represents the largest sliver of the ice continent. For decades, Australian scientists have headed to one of our three bases – Mawson, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott Dwyer, Research Director, Energy Futures, University of Technology Sydney 24K-Productions Our cars sit unused most of the time. If you have an electric vehicle, you might leave it charging at home or work after driving it. But there’s another step ...
Everything you missed from day four of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard two hours of submissions.Read our recaps of the previous hearings here.Parliament’s Room 3 was the same old, same old on Thursday morning for the fourth Treaty principles bill hearing – brown ...
By Melina Etches of the Cook Islands News A motion of no confidence has been filed against the Prime Minister and his Cabinet following the recent fiasco involving the now-abandoned Cook Islands passport proposal and the comprehensive strategic partnership the country will sign with China this week. Cook Islands United ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott Dwyer, Research Director, Energy Futures, University of Technology Sydney 24K-Productions Our cars sit unused most of the time. If you have an electric vehicle, you might leave it charging at home or work after driving it. But there’s another step ...
The December results are reported against forecasts based on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2024 (HYEFU 2024), published on 17 December 2024, and the results for the same period for the previous year. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ajay Narendra, Associate Professor of Insect Neuroethology, Macquarie University Pranav Joshi Jumping spiders – one of the largest spider families – get their name from the extraordinary jumps they make to hunt prey, to navigate and also to evade predators. Male ...
Both ministers have confirm they shared a phone call on Thursday morning, with the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement due to expire next month. ...
The final designs for the long-awaited Courtenay Place revamp have been released. Joel MacManus takes a closer look at the details. At an embargoed media briefing on Wednesday, Wellington mayor Tory Whanau and a team of council staff showed journalists a 3D-printed model of Courtenay Place. For about an hour, ...
The Economic Growth Minister is targeting increasing competition in the banking, grocery, and electricity sectors for the government to address this year. ...
Ecomatters Bike Hub has helped 30,000 Aucklanders start cycling. Shanti Mathias rides over to understand the impact of these community bike workshops.When An Na moved with her husband and two kids to Auckland in 2022, it took a while to start learning their way around. “We started taking our ...
Echo Chamber is The Spinoff’s dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. Labour leader Chris Hipkins is on the war path – the path being the overthrowing of Act leader David Seymour, and hopefully ...
Callaghan Innovation told 63 workers their roles were being made redundant, including 16 commercialisation roles, 14 scientists and engineers, 6 Māori Innovation roles, and others working in data, digital, product design, risk and audit, marketing, government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Sheedy, Professor – Risk governance, culture, remuneration, Macquarie University This week the corporate regulator is taking on executives and directors of Star Entertainment in the Federal Court, in a landmark case for Australian corporate governance. ASIC will allege that despite multiple ...
Concert for Trump, Pompeo, and Abrams
In 1971 George Harrison and Ravi Shankar organized a concert in New York for the victims of the Pakistan-Bangladesh war.
Imagine if they’d supported the murderous U.S.-backed Pakistani regime instead.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/20/pink-floyd-roger-waters-condemns-richard-branson-venezuela-aid-concert
Branson is a pimp for U.S. imperialism.
The real question is why does Venezuela NEED any aid at all. It is an oil rich country that is not suffering drought and has plenty of arable land available.
Because of US sanctions and deliberate sabotage. Just as they did to Allende. You twit.
Maduro hasn’t helped, but how would any leader cope with the deliberate sabotage of the economy, destruction and repeated coup attempts by a much larger neighbour?
Don’t believe all you read in Fox news.
…. and Cuba
I never believe anything I read in Cuba….
Nonsense, Till very recently there were no economic sanctions on Venezuela. There were targeted sanctions on members of the Venezuelan regime though. The Venezuelan economy has imploded not because of sanctions and American intervention but due to the policies followed by the Venezuelan regime. If you don’t believe me just ask me about a particular issue and I will show you how it is caused by a particular policy.
Of course, the US Governments stated intention to “make their economy scream”, had nothing to do with it!
I have a Northland bridge to sell you, Gossy.
How about the opposite Gossy – when a particular policy causes a particular issue.
When a country decides a policy where its oil reserves and industry are owned by the people. The issue – the US, multi-corporations, and right wing allies don’t like that because they are being denied a slice of the action – and other countries may even follow suit. So they covertly at first destabilise the economy and democracy by inciting violence and unrest, block trade, and then rush in pretending to be the saviours of the people.
Well its February 2019-time for Sir Ray Avery to perform…after all these years of…
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/07/24/164742/can-ray-avery-turn-promises-into-reality
Old Black Magic of the Silver Fox
In the wake of the latest round of polls … I’ve noticed a lot of loose talk predicting NZF’s apparently inevitable electoral doom.
So … I’ve gone back and compared the Peters Party’s ratings in Colmar Bruntons at the same (16 month) point following previous Elections (starting with post-1999). While also outlining how those Poll ratings compared with their Party Vote at the subsequent General Election. Might just surprise ya.
https://sub-zero-politics.blogspot.com/2019/02/old-black-magic-of-silver-fox.html
Nice analysis.
Cheers
My guess is that Peters will open some kind of investigation into Jian Yang, timed for maximum effect for the next election.
Can you add post 1996 election.
I ask that because NZ First has been in government three times, 1996, 2005 and 2017.
They slipped below 5% after their first two times in government so it will be interesting to see if history repeats again.
1999 they were saved as a result of Winston winning Tauranga and post 2008 they spent three years fishing.
Unless Winston or Shane win a seat I can’t see them in Parliament at the end of next year.
Updated to include 1996 data.
If they follow either their post-96 or post-05 trajectories then (based on their current rating – which is superior to their 1% & 2.2% ratings at the same point into previous Govts) they will, in fact, cross the threshold in 2020.
(outlined with updated data at bottom of Post)
Centrist paradise.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/382989/three-mps-quit-tory-party-to-join-independent-group
Hard left Paradise
Ryan accused the Labour Party of being “infected” with “anti-Jewish racism” since Corbyn became its leader in 2015. She alleged that the issue did not exist before Corbyn’s election as Labour leader
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/world/eighth-mp-quits-labour-party
The new Judeophilic Labour Party is polling at 8% – not bad for a party with no policies, no name yet, and a bunch of no names. Our very own Sustainable New Zealand Party must be very encouraged with this result lol.
If you have 45 minutes spare today or want something thought provoking to listen to while completing your chores , here is Derrick Jensen talking to Rachel Stewart about New Zealand’s waterways, farming and future environmental collapse.
Derrick Jensen’s book Endgame is a must read as well.
https://t.co/kc7EsuAdPa?amp=1
No ‘Duncan Garner’ option?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows/2019/02/poll-what-causes-more-harm-alcohol-or-cannabis.html
He is causing harm by questioning how wise it is to legalise weed?
Why so serious today, Chris?
What was Druncan Garner’s conshidered opin-opin-hic on that then.
Just want to alert people to this thing of beauty:
“Fox News refused to air this full interview with historian Rutger Bregman after Fox News host Tucker Carlson lost his temper, calling his guest a ‘tiny brain…moron’ during the interview.”
“You’re a millionaire getting paid by billionaires”…”you’re probably not going to air this are you?” great stuff.
Thanks,
Wow. Dog Tucker lol 🙂
Awesome indeed a thing of beauty well executed. dim rightie never saw it coming lol
Thanks t_g, I enjoyed that immensely.
This is right on topic.
Well I hope that Paul Russell Wilson guy now gets put in jail for good.
The nats blaming the government for something the nats introduced, yet again:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/110753822/is-a-life-worth-47-million
Bernie will face another obstacle in his run for the presidency and that is the Democratic party it self.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/02/20/bernie-sanders-can-beat-trump-the-question-is-will-the-democrats-let-him/
The T.D.B makes some good points in the Bloomfield – Slater case.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/02/20/slater-vs-blomfield-what-it-says-about-us-as-a-people/
capital gains tax here we come.
The Sky is Falling!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=msSc7Mv0QHY
How would you feel if your friends, neighbours, work colleagues etc could rate your behaviour? Then the government gave you a ranking, gave everyone a ranking, from the opinion of others. Such a ranking would determine where you could live etc. Too bad if you were in a bad mood one day.
Reminds me of an episode of Black Mirror.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyUi6-Opzzw&list=PLJk1a21GKEZXxT9wwmnVle-zautJw4q12&index=3
However in China it’s not science fiction, it’s reality.
Millions of people are punished for alleged bad behaviour under a government monitoring scheme in China.
Is China taking social monitoring too far?
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2019/02/china-social-monitoring-190219184710862.html
Interesting
“Strictly speaking, there aren’t strict boundaries between Earth and space. Our atmosphere doesn’t just end at a certain altitude; it peters out gradually. A new study from Russia’s Space Research Institute (SRI) shows that our atmosphere extends out to 630,000 km into space.”
https://www.universetoday.com/141560/did-you-know-the-earths-atmosphere-extends-beyond-the-orbit-of-the-moon/amp/
This is interesting in and of itself. And try thinking about this as political analysis. It then becomes about blurred boundaries, extended influence, unlikely connections…
So the moon has a tiny bit of wind resistance in its orbit.
And SOHO orbits a point with nothing in it, wikipedia tells me.
fun facts for the day 🙂
A love of science fiction taught me about lagrange points – but your comment made me look them up again – “The L1 point is approximately 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth (about four times the distance of the Moon), in the direction of the Sun. There, SOHO enjoys an uninterrupted view of our daylight star.”
https://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/about/orbit.html
nice
I wonder if politics is about moving that political lagrange point one way or another rather than moving the the parties themselves.
What my Chinese mates like to say.
“In the West you can change the parties, not the policies. In China, you can change the policies, not the parties. In both systems, the rich are in charge”.
Could be worse you could be in charge 👍
Yeah, and “lagrange” is just an independently cool word for scifi.
I was surprised SOHO isn’t exactly at L1, because it would be a bit unstable and signals would be washed out by the sun, so it orbits L1 – but there’s nothing at L1. Weirdness.
The stability around an L1 point is a real trip to get your head around. The point itself is unstable, of the radial and tangential directions one is stable and the other unstable. So if you try to park something there it drifts away. But it’s possible to have a stable orbit around the L1 point. In an idealised three body system with perfectly circular orbits, that is.
But in our real system, the earth’s orbit is not circular, there’s the moon passing between the L1 point and earth, there’s the variable solar wind. So anything orbiting our real-life L1 point needs regular orbital adjustments.
and don’t forget wind resistance for the earth-moon L1 🙂
Yeah. But I’m having trouble coming up with any possible reason to want to put anything at the earth-moon L1 point. From a lunar perspective it would just go around and around above the centre point of the hemisphere facing us.
True.
Maybe some sort of staging point / dock that’s handy for a lunar gravity assist? Especially if a nanotube space elevator comes into play – slingshot the payload from the elevator to L1 station, assemble whatever you need to assemble, and then have the moon help the finished vehicle or supply package on its way. All done without a small nuke’s worth of rocket fuel. Not sure why it couldn’t be hiffed immediately from the elevator, though, unless there’s a basic safety principle of assembling things that might go boom well away from your primary orbital system.
But all this is on the scientific principle of extraxerunt de ano est, of course.
Shape of things to come.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/20/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-bramble-cay-melomys-another-victim-of-climate-change?fbclid=IwAR1hpvEMrqi-PPm-PphZAH8zpKHTWNi562NhadYoQjegGRMd2zgQmWoVzic
Baggy Marry to be investigated by Parliamentary Services for using government money to further National Party interests.
The Nats probably give a huge collective shrug at this sort of behaviour since I’m sure they are all neck deep in it. It’s just how you do things when you belong to the born-to-rule elite.
The AG did do her a massive favour releasing this letter today of all days…
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/02/auditor-general-recommends-investigation-into-maggie-barry-s-use-of-parliamentary-staff-for-party-purposes.html
Space Cadet Bonespurs isn’t getting his Space Farce after all.
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-pol-space-trump-20190219-story.html
Pretty much all US military operations in space already occurred under the Air Force umbrella.
Thank Trump the US has a space force..
Hmmm Lime scooters are causing a bit of pain..
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/21/auckland-threatens-to-eject-lime-scooters-after-wheels-lock-at-high-speed
Is Lisa Owen working for RNZ, or for the National Party?
Checkpoint, RNZ National, Thursday 21 February 2019, 5 p.m.
The Tax Working Group is the big news of the day. Lisa Owen stares grimly at the camera and intones:
Yes, it’s RNZ, but in tone and intellectual depth, it sounds like NewstalkZzzzzzB. And, yes, Richard Griffin, a vacuous National Party placeman, is running the show.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12027576
Lisa Owen and all the others are unofficial National party spokespersons.
The same old tactics are being applied…..to rouse those who have money and privilege.
The MSM take their instructions from the National party on how to convey anything that means their rich , privileged supporters are under threat.
After all it is their country not ours !!!
even at 33% you maintain 67% of your gain, so it will take a little longer (or more risk) to reach your goal, big deal…it hasnt changed the fundamentals….sadly
+1
Checkpoint has been wrecked, and Lisa induces nausea.
I can’t stomach it for much longer unfortunately..
Whether its checkpoint or morning report my gripe is theres no time to digest anything , within a nanosecond its on to the next topic .Whats the fucking rush ??A bit more balance would be nice also , RNZ seems joined at the hip with bbc and american commentators like the rest of the world doesnt even exist !!
Isn/t Richard Griffin a bit old and tired?
Dairy farmers going for efficiency and faster growth in feed had better be careful of a result that has caused cow deaths in the USA.
High nitrate, mostly concentrated in grass stems, causes quick death, Evans says. Nitrate converts to nitrite in a cow’s rumen. Nitrite in the blood blocks oxygen uptake. Without oxygen, cows die quickly.
“Testing low-quality forage for nitrate is urgent,” Evans said. “We’re trying to get word out. Producers need to know potential problems.”
In an MU Extension teleconference with area livestock specialists, Eldon Cole, Mount Vernon, told of two cases in southwestern Missouri. One farmer fed new forage to his herd of 70 cows. Forty were dead the next morning. In another case, 20 cows died.
In both cases, producers used nitrogen or poultry litter to boost forage growth last fall.
MU Extension centers may have kits used for testing nitrate in drought areas last summer, Evans said. Those work best on split stems that are still moist.
Area extension specialists for livestock or agronomy advise producers on testing and forming safe rations.
MU Extension beef nutritionist Eric Bailey says supplements dilute nitrate in cow diets.
[BUT] Adding starchy grain speeds up rumen fermentation more than other feeds.
Hay ferments slowly.
“Nitrogen is needed by the rumen bugs, and nitrate provides it,” Bailey adds. “Bugs break nitrate down to provide nitrogen. When fermentation is slow, not much nitrate is digested.”
[BUT] Unused nitrate, converted to nitrite, spills into the blood.
Adding grain to hay diets speeds nitrate usage.
http://www.thebullvine.com/news/
A tax on captial gains is needed to balance the tax system in NZ at the minute people who have all NZ captial =money get away with paying less % taxes than the common person . When these people gain enough Captial money they FLEE with there money to Island states with minimal tax rates .
This type of behaviour by the wealthy 00.1 is a huge drain on New Zealands Resorces that leaves the burden of keeping NZ Society functioning on the lower classes shoulders thats a big burden when you have 10% of people owning 95 % of NZ Captial=money. AT the minute its like Big companies have a wopping great hose siphoning many billions out of NZ economy leaving little captial behind to keep the society that they siphoned the Captial from funcing at a healthy humane level anyone can SEE that is not a SUSTAINABLE MODEL as eventually society has no Captial left.
Look at the power companys shonky sold and made $5 billion that $5 billion has been losted in less than 5 years with the profts losted and the Captial Gains losted to KIWIS. They take that money with out paying taxes .shonky gifted half of OUR stratedic assets to foreigners most people need power these days.
Don’t listen to simon as national party has showen its true colours time and time again they serve the wealthy weather it ruins OUR country or not
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2kQqPH85gc
P.S A Captial Gains TAX will keep some of the captial in NZ for te mokopunas and DECENDANT,S to have a happy healthy LIFE
You got it.
The capitalist system is a unsustainable model people think that capital that is gain comes from the organization willing to pay more for thee ASSET in the short term that’s correct .
Long term all the capital gained comes from the loss of the purchaseing POWER of OUR dollars yesterday we could buy one liter of milk for 80 cents today we have to pay more $1.00 the assets that have been sold at a higher price will charge U.S. more for there product or services that is the phenomenon called inflation in reality it is the 99 % of people paying for the capital flowing overseas it will also be Te mokopunas playing for that capital outflow from Aotearoa. It’s not ROCKET SCIENCE it’s a model dreamed up by the wealthiest to serve the wealthiest people at the expense of the lower class’s .
That is why we have people who have so much money if they got there money in cash and stacked it in one dollar note the stack would reach Te Marama they could not count there money in ten life times . It is what we have at the minute capitalism so too make that system fair a capital gains tax is NEEDED .Ka kite Ano.
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.
Kia ora Newshub A bad dease in Otago that’s not on we are a first world nation.
The airshow lost its main attraction a b52 well that will be less carbon in our inviroment they must burn heaps of fuel.???? Stargazing is free of carbon and putea.
The container deposit skeem is good but shying away from cutting carbon out of our environment is just soft.
That’s sad that the Zoo had to put down a barboon.
Looks like someone is on the attack against the billionaire from America who got busted doing his business I wonder who he has upset with the power to do that to him.
That was cool the penguins being released they are such unique cute creatures Ka pai.
The Scarfie flats in Dunedin are classic they have a Kiwi flear and wit Ka kite ano P.S I won’t be commenting on movies till. I watch them
Kia ora R&R We do have to stop the short term thinking and make products so they last for years make it so it is best to repair reuse instead of REPLACE.
Good point on weed I agree. That is a nother good point 1000 liters of Wai to make 1 liter of WINE we could bring down the 400 litres of Wai to grow 1 litre of milk te Papatuanukue needs milk not wine Ka kite ano
R&R take the whenua away take there Mana away and you end up with people who don’t like there reality so they get stoned or drunk to get to a different reality /Cause Colonialism is the cause of that problem thats a fact Ka kite ano P.S break a person and they want to hide in a bottle