A little pearl of wisdom from one of the regular contributors:
"Belief in the threat of climate change is what people think they are supposed to support, so they do, to pollsters. Belief in business as usual is what people depend on, so they vote accordingly."
Dennis Frank – Daily Review, 20th May, 2019.
He was talking about the Oz election, but the problem is universal. I'm afraid the man in the street, Joe Bloggs, will not take climate change seriously until it bites him on the bum.
"That's where leadership is meant to step in, but they're too scared of corporate ire"
Hold it right there WtB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
There'll need to be several "pieces of work" and a number of consultative "conversations" with "officials" before anything can proceed "going forward". When those "conversations" are complete and "resonations" reached, we can probably proceed on a path of transformation and compassion
Na you’re wrong . This government has in very short time got most people excepting climate change as fact . And is progressing in the right direction . Move to fast and the push back will mean failure.
Of course if we had started in 1958 it would have been better . But today is the next best time.
"This government has in very short time got most people excepting climate change as fact "
So that's an achievement is it? I 'spose it is (in a really miniscule sort of way – even though most of them knew in the first place but were just coming to terms with the long term rather than keeping their loifsoyles taday and ta morra)
The bleeding bloody obvious springs to mind. A shame it doesn't extend to other ussues going forwid.
Megan and the sure rinse
Iain and Krus ummigrayshun and the feks of currint polsee
its easy to not understand if your job depends on it.
that is what i lay at the feet of government anywhere.
i don't so much have an issue with joe and jane sixpack but i have an issue with those that have the power to chance (all of them – no matter party affiliation) but do nothing.
I see the purchase price of 'bought-back' kiwibuild houses is not disclosed as 'commercially sensitive'. This is total bollocks – it is public money. What happens when you are locked to the religion of having a private business taking a cut of all things delivered by the state.
@ UncookedSelachimorpha +1 "What happens when you are locked to the religion of having a private business taking a cut of all things delivered by the state."
That religion is called free market liberalism, which just sunk the Australian Labour party and was the reason NZ Labour only scrapped in by the skin of it's teeth after three terms of disgusting and destructive National leadership.
This is part of a critique by Chris Trotter on the Oz Labour win that wasn't. (BEOT Big End of Town)
Simple enough, one might have thought, but one would have been reckoning without the extraordinary tone-deafness of the post-Hawke/Keating Labor Party. Instead of interpreting the poll data as evidence that, if they played their cards right, a win might just be possible, Shorten et al regarded it as proof that, since a loss was impossible, they could play their cards any damn way they pleased.
“We’ll never get a better chance to do all the things we’ve been promising ourselves for the past decade than this”, Labor told itself. “So, come on Comrades, this time we can quite safely bet the whole farm!” Which is pretty much what they did: promising to raise taxes and increase spending like it was going out of style. (Which, of course, it has been for the best part of three decades.)
Not only did they ignore the fact that the BEOT has untold billions invested in the farm, but they also thought it would be good politics to construct their campaign narrative around the idea of putting the inhabitants of the BEOT in their place. Unsurprisingly, the BEOT had a better idea.
I don't agree with Trotters analysis or his 'three objectives to winning an election..
"Winning a general election requires a political party to achieve three critical objectives: 1) Convince the voters that, economically-speaking, your team has got the right solutions. 2) Convince the voters that your opponents haven’t got a clue what the right answers even look like. 3) Convince the voters that, unless they do something to stop them, your opponents have a better-than-even chance of winning the election. In just three words: Reassure. Undermine. Terrify."
I will offer my opinion on winning elections a bit later, but must get off and do some work now.
Bloody hell Sam! How I wish you and others would quit using the word 'woke' in any other way than as the past participle of the verb 'to wake'.
What you are trying to show is that 1) you are hip 2) you are up with the terminology 3) you understand neocon rubbish words, and that they are useful, and that they add something to our vocabulary.
Sorry to disabuse you, but they are unintelligible rubbish, akin to those who use them.
I think Chris Trotter paints himself into unfortunate corners sometimes.
You absolutely have to rein in the BEOT if you want a society that works OK for everyone. But if you can't defeat the BEOT electorally, because they can outspend and out-message you, plus you face a populace where the psychological hegemony of neoliberal ideas runs very deep after 40 years of propaganda – what then? Despair?
It is much easier to gloomily describe this predicament than suggest ways of painting out of the corner. (I plead guilty on this one too.)
the prices the govt paid should be disclosed as LINZ captures all sales data. All realestate agents have access how else would they be able to have data on local sales .
Yes I wondered about that. Why not keep it as a state house and put in tenants who would appreciate it and look after it and be part of a community that was probably working and functional. Good house, good possibilities for lifting oneself out of the doldrums. Go for it Twyford, but choose your tenants right.
The bullying in parliament report comes out today. Hang on to your hats, I predict this will be damning for both the major parties. Very pleased it's happening, it's long overdue, thanks to Trev and the government for initiating it.
Thanks for bringing it up Cinny. I think it is going to be a shock to most people just how toxic the place is.
I would love to see a commission of inquiry into bullying in the Public Service generally and that it include retrospective cases. That would enable me to come forward and tell my story. It is something I've wanted – indeed needed – to do for a very long time but have been unable to due to the lack of a safe and secure environment.
“Just because it’s politics and people are passionate doesn’t mean any of us can behave like arseholes around this place. It’s a privilege to serve here, and the people who put us here expect us to lead and want to respect us as leaders.”
Apparently parliament is a toxic environment awash in bullying, harassment, entitled behaviour, verbal abuse and positively teeming with massive, unrestrained egos.
Well I never!
Also, the Press Gallery behave in 'unacceptable' ways.
Stuff has 4 – FOUR articles on Game of Thrones ending this morning, as if it was important. It's good TV, but important? As part of a picture it is.
Bread and Circuses aka violence conditioning for the masses. Producers/writers seem to delight in trying to outshine each other in their propensity to dream up horrors.
"a way to kill compassion to ensure the brutalization of Roman civilians and thus their compliance (or at least their complacency) vis-à-vis Imperial expansion and domestic policing"
Have we learned to not give a fuck yet? Are we entertained by all these stabbings?
There'll be awards, red carpet, gushing interviews, tears…
You ask whether "Have we learned to not give a fuck yet? Are we entertained by all these stabbings".
From the fact that the series appears to have been very popular I suppose the answer to the questions has to be yes. If nobody watched it they certainly wouldn't have bothered spending a fortune on making it. One must simply suggest that everyone who watched it was in fact entertained.
So says he who, immodestly, says that he had never heard of the series until recently and has never seen a single episode. The most I have seen was snippets in the news in the last few days.
So, if you don't approve of what they are showing the only thing to do is don't watch it. It is like the people who claim that "I never vote. It just encourages the bastards". If you watch the program, and the ads, you are just encouraging the people who make it to go even further next time.
What political statement will the Crusaders make next? First they offend religion, now sexuality. Not bad for a non-political group who just play a game.
Sure there is always at least two sides to every story, and often one involves lies to protect reputations, especially when it comes to the national sport.
How many of us here have seen drunk rugby players act like arseholes? Heaps I'd say.
Listening to the interviews this morning I believe the other fellows who complained and not the Crusaders denial and great innocence. It's a reflection I think of the brutal way that things get splattered on Facebook, the no-respect for others, the arrogant 'I'll do it my way, you lowlife (applies to whoever is chosen for disdain). This type of abuse has been going on for years and so many sportspeople give themselves an edge by harassing others in opposing teams, or the public. That's our society these days folks, authority is prepared to allow shit to happen to others, bystanders even, as externalities to the really important goal, whatever that is.
If it wasn't already obvious to everybody in the world, the US have completely lost any interest in disguising the fact that they are prepared to attack or bully any country that stands in the way of their hegemony out in the open.
Their hostile and dangerous actions against Venezuela and Iran.
Their attackon Huawei.
The US war on whistle blowers and persecution of Assange.
The US compliance and support of apartheid in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel.
Their compliance and support of the humanitarian tragedy in Yemen.
The US arming and legitimizing the despotic terrorist state of Saudi Arabia.
The list could go on, and on.
Lets just hope that Bernie Sanders gets the nomination, takes out Trump in the rust belt, and restores at lest a semblance of sanity to US foreign policy.
I think most people would consider the US governments relentless actions against Huawei over the last while including today's announcement, only in order to protect US private corporate interests as an attack, so in a word yes.
We assure you while we are complying with all US gov't requirements, services like Google Play & security from Google Play Protect will keep functioning on your existing Huawei device," Google said on Twitter.
I see there is another teens fleeing from police crash in Te Atatu on the Stuff web site this morning. When are these idiots going to learn when police signal you to stop…..you stop! At least they only injured themselves so that's all good. they will be off the roads for a while which makes it safer for everyone.
Many (maybe even most) teens do. Pushing too hard, failing to do risk assessment, not seeing warning signs, getting carried away, not realising how drunk they are…
Google told me there was an OIA request on police chase statistics last year: seems that a little over half of pursuits are abandoned (probably includes "called off for safety" as well as "lost 'em"). So some of these kids' peer group probably have escaped pursuit before.
All fun and games until someone gets hurt. But if there's nothing else to do, or no real hope for advancement, teens gonna do stupid shit.
Went flying off a 50cc a couple of years back. Straight over the handle bars, instinctive forward roll, worst problem was a tear in my pants from where I hit the key in the ignition with my thigh. God bless lower speeds.
Rear end panel damage to the car cost more than my scooter did new (which had a jiggle at the garage but was otherwise fine).
That was me worrying about what guy on the left was going to do, to the detriment of forward observation. #imadickhead
So you think that stealing cars, driving dangerously and endangering the public is all ok and just a bit of youthful silliness? These idiots put innocent people on the roads in danger.
Yes I did some stupid things as a teen but I never once stole a car, and never once ran from police.
Jimmy you good little lord fauntleroy, you sound a bit preachy there. You are probably too old and was always in the wrong class to appreciate the great attraction of stealing cars and joy riding. If you can be so proud of not having stolen a car, what is it that you did when you were being naughty? You seem to take pride in not having had to run from police in a stolen car. So what did you do?
The joyriders might be from a background that would understand and enjoy 'Boy'. Have a look at the trailer, and I bet it will show a different way of looking at the dynamics of life Jimmy than you have experienced.
So you still don't give a shit that kids actually got injured, but there was a chance that you could have been. Oh the humanity!
Keep up the middle class moral outrage, one day you might come down from the ivory tower and figure out why Remuera kids aren't doing this stuff or tagging from dusk till dawn.
No I don't give a shit that these kids got injured. They made the choice and got injured due to their own actions. However, I am greatly concerned (and give a shit) that while they are on the road hooning around they are putting my kids and other innocent people in danger.
How would you feel if they drove in to your wife / daughter /son trying to evade the police?
I'd feel like I seriously screwed up my responsibilities as a parent.
There's plenty of ways to have loads of fun scaring yourself shitless with speed, heights, freefalls, explosions etc that don't involve putting strangers at risk. Anything to do with public roads and vehicles are particularly important to take responsibly and seriously, not something to get your jollies with. Because the consequences to strangers can be so severe.
That's the attitude I think I've successfully just given my eldest (easy, he's that way inclined anyway) and I'm about to start trying to get my twins to take on board (hmm, gonna be more of a challenge, they're somewhat more neurotypical teenage boys).
I was more on Jimmy's idea that we needed to imagine a personal relationship to give a damn.
To me, hooning is one of those things where the negligence is there, but they're still kids. Kids make mistakes.
Contrast that with a court news thing I saw a while back where the hoon was basically in his late thirties – donuts, excess speed, failing to stop, ISTR it was the full trifecta. That dude, I'm totally with the "lock him up" crowd. Teens, even early twenties? I'm more ambivalent.
You mean my kids driving and running from police? I would be seriously disappointed with my parenting skills, and seriously disappointed with them. I hate to think what my old man would have done to me if I had ever not stopped for police when told to.
I don't know the statistics, but I am seriously wondering if there would be less of these terrible instances if it was advertised that the police will chase you as these young people with the nothing to lose mentality are simply putting their foot down knowing police will pull out of the chase.
You'd also be sad they got injured, no? Don't forget that bit.
Here are the stats. The trouble with your plan is that sometimes the offenders get away – lose the cops in back roads, get enough distance to bail, whatever. You just change the rules into more of an "all or nothing" situation. Same with stiffer penalties – that just increases the panic from an initial poor reaction.
The psychology and practicality of vehicle pursuits for both offender and police officer is interesting – did some reading on it about ten years ago. ISTR that if aerial unit was involved it basically doubled the chances of a successful stop. But then of course that gets limited by finance and controlled air spaces.
Maybe I'm too old to think like them, but if I knew the police would relentlessly pursue me I would be less likely to run as even if I initially got away they would eventually catch up to me. At the moment they know they have probably a 50% chance? of getting away and unfortunately they take the chance often with tragic results.
As the mother of three, and the child of a veritable gaggle of parents and step parents…let me assure you that children can be very very disappointing. It doesn't necessarily make them bad people, and sometimes they grow up to be even better than you, as a parent, deserve.
You clearly lack the imagination to understand that the whole point of the chase, the adrenaline rush, is from being chased..being caught is no more of a factor in the decision to flee, than the idea the cops will stop chasing. In fact its probably slightly disappointing when the cops do pull back. The whole point is these kids are not thinking, they are simply reacting to stimuli.
If the adrenaline rush is what they are after, then I have even less sympathy for them when they "roll the dice" and lose. They put countless innocent people at risk simply for a "high" ….very selfish.
I do feel sorry for the police as they are often in a no win situation.
If that did happen I'd probably feel a lot better about it knowing a sane policy was in place that didn't involve risky police chases and naughty teens that endangered more lives.
When they are 'young,dumb and full of cum', combined with whatever the fuck else has shaped their usually totally dysfunctional and violent lives, I don't think these young guys are really in a psychological space of mind to 'learn when police signal you to stop…..you stop!'
The problems for most of these 'idiots' are far more systemic and complicated than that, that much I do know, how to fix it, that question is probably well above my pay level.
For an informative view on how a good place turns shitty and youth go to the pack watch all series of The Wire.
It starts in the street but moves on to the working class supplying the street and then a larger focus with the dodgy dealing political and business class all in on their various games.
It is startlingly profound in retrospect.
It touched briefly upon further meddling from on high. Were the focus to enlarge further there'd be the 'philanthropic' (the PR face of the billionaire class) types behind the scenes encouraging class warfare via deals to influence money-centric law.
Just thinking this morning about how money is just a set of formalised, legalised promises. We talk about it as if it is real and substantial, Donald Duck's Grandpa had gold coins in a pile that he used to jump into. But gold is just a token within the money system that is carefully managed as to its daily value for buying some real thing – hamburgers have been used as a standard for instance.
If we thought in our minds when we say money, that we are talking of fairydust we would be closer to understanding the real thing we speak of. And economists have worked out how fairydust is transferred and added value to and relates to real, physical things and real work either physical or mental.
And a Kiwi economist has made it big in his field and is speaking on Radionz about why we don't have to worry about robots and their effect on our degraded society. Get ready for some beautifully delivered fairydust tales for the political nursery school.
10:05 Kinley Salmon : Debunking the "robocalypse"
With all the talk of artificial intelligence and machine learning – does the technological revolution really mean that robots are knocking on the door to take many of our jobs? New Zealand economist Kinley Salmon says there is so much hype, it's hard to think straight. In his new book Jobs, Robots and Us, he argues that more people than ever are in work in New Zealand, technology isn't something that just happens to us, and that the future of work is in our own hands.
We The Beeple
The Wire was set in the time when crack cocaine was flooding the ghettoes of the US courtesy of Reagan;s covert war against the Sandinista govt in Nicaragua.
Gary Webb broke the story, only to be shunned by his fellow journalists (remind you of anyone?)vilified and discredited .Later he was vindicated, too late to save his life . He committed suicide..if shooting yourself twice in the head is a thing.
During the first series the FBI guy talks about how things have changed since the towers fell and heroin being sold on the street is branded WMD and Bin Laden. So it's probably set around 2003.
It's pretty much contemporary with the time of filming. It's not a period piece.
Great characters. Really sophisticated plots. Amazing lines and scenes (my personal favourite was the scene examination conducted purely with the word "fuck"). And Idris.
I imagine that a lot of the people who read and comment on this site will applaud. Ford, after all, make those evil cars and trucks that are, at least in Greenies view, destroying the world. Get them all off the road. Let people go back to the 19th century and take a train or walk
At least I imagine what our resident idiot MP Genter would say. The only cars that should be allowed on the streets of Wellington will be her beloved Beemer Limo's.
The Government will provide almost $40 million in funding for ambulance services in a bid to relieve the pressure some of the providers are under.
But speaking to media this morning, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters gave a strong hint the Government was planning to fully fund St John in the near future.
"I very confident that we can look forward to a day, and not very far from now, where 95 per cent of the needs of St Johns is funded from central Government."
Although he was confident, he said he was not speaking for "the whole Cabinet, at this point in time".
Having taken a ride in a ambulance a few weeks ago and chatting with the paramedic (over the awful clattering of the vehicle as it negotiated the bends of our sealed but twisty rural roads) I am very, very happy about this.
I'll be positively orgasmic if Cabinet agrees to fund at least 95% of the service…Winston might be forgiven a few of his sins if he can pull this off.
No that would be bad Gabby. Is the idea that the funding will be made available from reducing services elsewhere? Rural people need more, not less for sure.
I see why the Winston First Party survives. People like Rosemary, after 40 years of disappointment, still believe Winston's lies.
Actually it would be very easy to provide the full cost of running the New Zealand Ambulance services. All that is needed is to stop the taxpayer funding Winston's hobby of horse-racing. In order to keep the finances of the NZF party healthy, and to keep Winnie happy with his part ownership of racehorses, the taxpayer is throwing ever more money at all weather tracks.
Originally it was just one track in the Waikato, probably at Cambridge. Now he has wound the ante up to 3 tracks, at Cambridge, at Awapuni and in the South Island. The largesse will come out of the Peters/Jones $3 billion slush fund. If we spent the money, which is probably up to $40 million for horses by this time, we could pay the full cost of ambulance services immediately.
Now: " it would be very easy to provide the full cost of running the New Zealand Ambulance services."
Then:
"PM Bill English told The AM Show on Monday ambulance operators are "not asking for full funding, we're not promising full funding … The proportion of funding is fairly high, and as I understand it has been steady over the years. When you visit the ambulance services they have got pretty good gear these days. Their staff are very well-trained."
(May 2017)
It's amazing how many "easy" things National never got around to doing, isn't it?
Full funding is a pretty cheap promise and relatively easy to do. All that is true.
Bill English was right. The Ambulance service in NZ is pretty good. Modern equipment and well staffed with people who are expert at their job. In recent years all the St Johns equipment has gone through a huge level of upgrade.
The main reason why St Johns has not wanted full funding has been to preserve their independence. Total full funding makes that difficult. Even a small amount of donations (relative to the total cost) has helped preserve their independence.
It will be interesting to see if St Johns will be able to continue to be independent as they have historically been.
thanks heavesn for fundraising, volunteer work – aka unpaid work, bake sales and that stuff so that government actually ahs got nothing else to do but pay your wages and perks right?
and i for one am sure you will want that ambulance service the day you keel over and need one. would be too bad if they showed up in a vehicle from the fifties.
I used to work for the AA before i opened my business, the pretty good gear breaks down regularly cause it is not pretty good, just extremely well maintained by the unpaid staff, you arrogant do nothing know nothing.
People don't have as much free time to donate to St John these days it takes more to make ends meet for everyone. We get a professional service we should pay for it.
I recall my old man was attending the rugby every few weekends in season as a St John representative, he never got a dime but it was a windfall for us kids when we went: all the recycle soft drink bottles. Two cents each, two cents was money!
Dad was never into rugby, but as a local St John guy he fulfilled his obligations. On top of helping loads of players he saved a few people after bad accidents in our village too.
He never once appreciated that government took their service for granted, and it's been an awful long time.
From my understanding, if there are St Johns attending Saturday sport – St Johns are being paid by the sporting organisation.
Sacred Heart (Auckland)has St Johns attending Saturday winter sport. The St Johns staff were called on the day 2 boys being knocked out and a broken bone and that was only the 9:00 games !!! – To cover the costs there is a coffee/Hot Chocolate stand and the old boys cover any shortfalls, great idea by the school, and I would recommend any to seek & support the coffee service.
Thanks Herodotus. Back in the day the club might of donated to St Johns, but the actual officer didn't get paid. A free feed occasionally, but not expected. The public however were very supportive of Dad, their gratitude was obvious.
It was even noted by some parents when he was at Te Aroha baths that they felt safer having their kids swim with him present. Then we nearly lost my brother in the same place – translucent water hid him at the bottom Dad's foot hit something and he hauled him out already unconscious.
It must be hard being held in esteem, only to be human.
Good stuff. The ambulance service should be a 100% public funded service, just like police etc. This 'charity' model is bullshit that only exists to allow the wealthy to avoid paying their share.
A fossil Galaxias fish from Foulden Maar. Photo credit Jon Lindqvist.
Fossil leaves from Foulden Maar. Photo credit Jennifer Bannister.
A fossil leaf from Foulden Maar. Photo credit Tammo Reichgelt.
A short section of core from the Foulden Maar deposit, showing annual layers (alternating yellowish and dark layers) along with underwater landslide events (thicker dark layers). Photo credit Bethany Fox.
100x magnification of a 23-million-year-old leaf cuticle (Litsea calicarioides) from Foulden Maar, showing stomata (white) and epidermal cells (purple). Photo credit Tammo Reichgelt.
A fossil flower (Fouldenia staminosa) from Foulden Maar. Photo credit Jennifer Bannister.
Getz Ice Shelf on the Antarctic coast Credit: NASA/Dick Ewers
The overseas mining company seeking to expand its operation next to a fossil rich geological site of international significance in Otago, says it has good motives, and is surprised by the negative reaction. Plaman Resources is 50.9% owned by the Mayasian business Iris Corp, and 49% owned by two Australian businessmen. It has a permit to mine diatomite in Middlemarch at Foulden Maar – a 23-million-year-old crater lake at Middlemarch – and is seeking permission to buy the neighbouring property to expand the mine. The diatomite is brand named "Black Pearl" and sold as stock feed. The plan has run into strong opposition from some locals, concerned scientists and former Prime Minister Helen Clark. Kathryn talks with co-founder and CEO of Plaman Resources, Peter Plakadis.
On later on Radionz. Rod Oram first about tourism goals, which may be related to the next one on m/billionaires coming here for boltholes!
11:30 New Zealand's billionaire doomsday preppers
A new VICE documentary attempts to track down the overseas billionaires building boltholes in New Zealand. "Hunt for the Bunker People" follows freelance journalist Baz Mcdonald as he investigates why the super rich are looking to buy land in Queenstown as "apocalypse insurance."
As Baz comes to terms with the causes of this paranoia, he considers the implication for Queenstown's shrinking middle class. He joins Kathryn to speak about the documentary and what he plans to do next with his investigation.
Hunt for the Bunker People screens on VICE will be on SKY On Demand and SKY GO until May 23rd.
Does earthquake insurance need a fundamental rethink as private insurers trim their books and EQC gets out of contents insurance?
Kathryn Ryan speaks with the minister responsible for the Earthquake Commission, Dr Megan Woods.
Changes to the Earthquake Commission Act come into affect on July 1st.
They include an increase in the cap on EQC residential building cover from $100,000 to 150,000, a withdrawal of contents cover, and more transparency if earthquake claims have been made on a house in the past.
The Lord of the Great Grift is one step closer to getting exposed. A federal judge has ruled his accountants have to turn over his paperwork to Congress.
Best not reveal anything that might undermine the narrative.
Two left wing NGOs, Yesh Din and Emek Shaveh, filed a petition under the Freedom of Information Act to reveal the identities of archaeological sites and archaeologists working in the West Bank. According to Emek Shaveh, the High Court ruled to conceal the identities of the locations and archaeologists.
Supreme Court rejects NGOs petition, arguing that publishing information publicly could expose archaeologists to academic boycott and undermine Israel’s position in future diplomatic negotiations.
Here’s the result of David Seymour’s incitement of violence toward Golriz Ghahraman the other day.
Now she has to have a police escort to protect her from violent white supremacist RWNJs. This clearly proves it is far right creeps like David Seymour who are undermining the decency and safety of New Zealand society.
Don’t respect me but please (!) respect my requests (plural) to cut out the personal shit. Pointless personal shit is just that. You’ve already taken too much of my time.
what the fuck are you on about. This is like the 100th time you've threatened to ban me. Fuck me. You give a dork a little bit of power and it goes straight to there head.
so asides from anything the woke Australian Green Party leader decided he'd lead a caravan up the Australian coast signalling the virtues of thrift and cleanliness. Net result was 4% swing to the liberals and then in NZ, more woke nutters.
[Given my earlier requests here on OM to cut out the pointless personal shit, this looks like a deliberate provocation of Sam who seems unable to control himself when provoked and you know it – Incognito]
I thought that you had received a ban Sam. Your abusive comments deserve abusive description – they are shit. And your abuse isn't even high-class stuff. You are lowering the tone of this blog and you haven't said anything of value except your own lame opinions. We have plenty of those ourselves, in our own rubbish bins, and yours belong in yours.
Depends if you desire to be a super moderator or a super debater because when it's moderated it's actually not debating, wonder if this place is still for robust debate anymore. Where I come from debates can turn into fist fights. Besides that I was under the impression that I had received a permanent ban at one point for breaking some code of behaviour or something rather than the content of what I was saying ie moderated for ideological reasons rather than causing harm to some ones fragile frame of mind.
I don’t want to ban Sam or anybody else for that matter. I would like him (and others) to cut out the pointless personal shit and get on with robust debate. All it takes is a small change in online behaviour that will have large positive effects on the tone on/of this site.
Stockholm’s general shelters are in poor condition.
In the event of a crisis or war, they could not be used, according to the real estate office.
And there is no money to fix them.
Stockholm city is responsible for 22 active shelters. But none of them meet the requirements – and they cannot fulfill their function as shelters in the event of a crisis or war, Mitt i [local free ‘zine] can now reveal.
The protective shelters are used today as, for example, garages. But the city is obliged to be able put them in service within 48 hours, which is currently not possible. It appears from the real estate office’s budget for the years 2020-2022.
What would happen if there was a crisis or war?
– We can’t handle the 48 hour limit. It is a question of how to plan, says Thomas Schillén, property manager at the real estate office.
In order to be able to use the protective shelters, good ventilation, shock wave doors and toilets are required. It would take many millions to be able to fix them, money missing from the budget.
– We have got a tightening of the new majority and have not received any new funds. We are tightening our staff and have other projects that take a lot of money, “says Thomas Schillén
Chaotic scenes in Newcastle city centre as Nigel Farage hit by a milkshake. He’s been whisked away by his security. This is the aftermath. pic.twitter.com/qxz8yay492
The government announced yesterday the appointment of five new Deputy Chairpersons to the Human Rights Review Tribunal. Legislation has been tweaked to allow these Deputy Chairperson to make and write up decisions.
" This Government has acknowledged the unacceptable backlog of cases before the Human Rights Review Tribunal that developed under the previous National Government and we have taken action by establishing the Deputy Chairperson positions to help reduce the growing backlog,” says Aupito William Sio. "
Unfortunately, one of these Deputy Chairpersons has proven herself to be less than impartial and has, over the decade she spent fighting against disabled people and their chosen family carers, chosen to engage in tactics that in my opinion bring the profession of lawyer in (further) disrepute.
I have sat an listened to her deliberately misinform and misrepresent our situation and on more than one occasion has actually made statements that in any other venue would be considered lying.
Martha Coleman markets herself as being a 'human rights specialist'.. and yes she has had much experience in arguing against claims brought under NZBORA and the HRA.
In the case of family carers being paid to provide the disability supports an eligible person has been assessed as needing her tactics failed (in numerous venues) as the lawyers from the Office of Human Rights Proceedings won the case by simply telling the truth and presenting the facts to the Tribunal and the Courts.
Reality will occasionally prevail.
One aspect of Coleman's career that has always intrigued me is the fact that while she was being paid by Crown Law to prepare the case against family carers she was also a member of the National Advisory Council for the Employment Of Women who stated in their March 2008 report…
NACEW supports a framework for family caring that is based on the following principles: •that the unique contribution of family carers is the provision of emotional and associative care and this needs to be recognised and valued as a priority •that formal care packages are comprehensive responses to the intensity of a client’s needs, and do not make assumptions about the family supports available •that a client and their family members can opt for greater family involvement in care arrangements and negotiate the basis of their involvement within the care package provided •that individual family members who are contracted into explicit service roles have similar protections and rights as other workers.
Yes, I get that lawyers have to be able to argue both sides of an issue convincingly…that's probably why so many end up in politics…but to have read the above, and listened to Coleman enthusiastically and with some malice argue against it, to me calls into question her suitability to participate in decision making for a Tribunal dedicated to upholding human rights.
The fact that Coleman leveled some of her invective against me personally most certainly colours my view.
Waiting in anticipation for the report into National Party culture that was promised us once the report on Parliament culture was out. I can't seem to find it anywhere though. Wonder what's taking so long…
Stuff just reported this: "Speaking during the first reading of the bill, National leader Simon Bridges said his party was supportive of the principles of the bill but National had "real differences" and expected to see change in select committee. The Government's flagship climate change bill – technically an amendment to an earlier law – would force future governments to set a series of "carbon budgets" over the next 30 years, declining until all long-lived emissions reach net zero at 2050. It will pass first reading on Tuesday afternoon." https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/112890233/national-supports-climate-change-bill-through-first-reading
"The proposed law is based on the United Kingdom's Climate Change Act. The bill would also set up an independent Climate Change Commission that would advise the Government on what these targets should be and how exactly governments should meet them. It would not have any independent power on its own. It's understood NZ First was particularly uncomfortable with talk about giving the commission Reserve Bank-like powers to set the emissions targets itself. Governments will also be required to set a plan for how they will respond to the various effects of climate change."
I wonder who the chief judge is in the circuit where all of the fights between Congress and Trump will play out and whether he cares about partisan norm-busting. Oh that's right…it's some guy named Merrick Garland.
Stuff: "MPs were "treated like gods" with a "master servant relationship". What about goddesses? Seems like it could be a case of unconscious sexism. Mistresses are sometimes into dominance too. There was a dominatrix in the headlines a while back, after the guy who had been paying to be dominated actually died.
And if you call them public servants, is it really all that surprising that MPs treat them as such? What part of the residual patriarchy is so hard to grasp?
Can you expand on your criticisms of Martha Coleman a little more for me @ RMcD?
In what way has she spent "fighting against disabled people and their chosen family carers"? (for example).
I'm not suggesting in any way that your assertions are incorrect.
I'm just curious having known both Martha and brother Bruce in her formative years. Having seen how many of my peers have put comfy little lives over principle, nothing will surprise me, but I'm not yet ready to put Martha in that category.
btw @ lprent – not quite sure why this appears as 25, as opposed to 20.1 or 20.2. but it's possible I'm losing it
Actually, assume the worst (I’m losing it) – I’d hate to have you obsessing over a potential bug that isn’t
Often happens to me. I think I hit the reply to comment button, then after I post it shows up at the bottom of the thread. Remedy is highlight what you wrote, ctrl C to copy it, then delete comment. Then hit the reply button to the comment you want to respond to, ctrl V to copy your response into the new window, post it and watch to ensure it does publish in the right place.
As I admitted… The fact that Coleman leveled some of her invective against me personally most certainly colours my view.
I am one of those family carers.
I sat in on many of those hearings and watched her at work.
I was part of the last group to be represented by the OHRP against the Crown and the Ministry, and up until the final straight Martha 'these people have a sense of entitlement' Coleman was the Crown appointed assassin.
And oh, how she seemed to love her work.
Yeah, yeah, lawyers are supposed to use every trick in the book to make the opposition look like shit…but come on…there are limits, surely?
As I said…misinformation, malicious misrepresentation (well it seemed like malice from where I was sitting) and callous disregard for the people with disabilities who would die without appropriate hands- on care and those of us who provided that care…in many cases where the Ministry's own contracted providers refused to because the Ministry would not fund that level of care.
Even after losing in Atkinson and Spencer, Coleman dug in when it came to our case (King). It beggared belief as for all intents and purposes we were the same as the Atkinson and Spencer cases. Arguably the level of complexity in the care required from and by the King plaintiffs was measurably higher than in the previous cases.
In my particular case she argued that I was claiming to be paid for doing what 'every one else does for love'.
The Ministry's own records show that at least 40 other spouses were being paid by the Ministry for providing care for their partner…and we had met some of these couples who couldn't understand why we were not given the same accommodation by the Ministry.
However…Coleman knew this, must have gained at least a smidgen of an inkling what our lives are like…she sat through enough hearings and read enough of our submissions….you'd think, you'd hope, that at some point she'd actually back off and advise the Crown that the right thing to do would be to put the injustice and the discrimination right.
But, no. And this time last year I was girding up my delicate bits to sit in a court room and listen to Coleman yet again argue a case she had already lost on more than one occasion.
Orders came from Higher Up later last year that the Crown were to settle our case.
Coleman et al suddenly disappeared from the opposition benches and new Crown Lawyers brought in to try and make nice.
I occasionally fantasize that Coleman et al perhaps, in a fit of conscience, deliberately threw Atkinson and Spencer…but no. What they did do, and quite successfully, was to manage to stall any resolution for the rest of us so that National had time to concoct the Part 4 amendment to the PHD Act.
Coleman played a significant role in a saga that has left many in the non ACC disability community, especially those with very high support needs who want to live in their own homes, feeling marginalised. And abused. And totally disillusioned with 'the system'.
Such is the nature of the law and a good many in the legal profession (as we all know from the bullying and misogyny that's become public recently).
I've known a few perfectly 'nice' people that turn into complete arseholes in a court room because its all about winning. If it were me, I'd be more pissed off with MoH – though not surprised given the state of much of our public service these days.
But maybe she has turned into a complete bitch. It'd be a hell of a change over a lifetime though
Where do progressives go for comfort these days. In the USA they are almost up to two figures for shaming rape and sex between men and women if not married. Reading a book of Russian theory The Foundations of Geopolitics by Alexander Dugin there is this:
Foundations engages with obscure strains in 20th-century fascism, relying heavily, for example, on theorist Julius Evola, who advised Mussolini and the SS and promoted extreme misogyny as well as racism for use by the Russian elite. All sex for Evola is rape and a woman outside the home “a monkey.” He and Dugin both sneer that modern men—not to mention gays, lesbians, and transsexuals—are “feminized.” In the Evola-Dugin playbook, sexual and racist anxieties lie at the root of today’s Russian fascism. And with but slight qualification, one can see Rob Porter, Steve Bannon (an Evola fan), Roy Moore, and Donald Trump as decadent facsimiles.
seenothing any publisty is good publicity to some .
I say the Skypath project for cycling and walking is awesome good that the project is going to start.
M8 I'm going to pop the balloons of these new partys Tamaki don't you get the big picture you are going to help the people who have been disrespecting tangata whenua FOOL.
I brought some cheap honey it didn't even have a sweet taste. Honey is has been a medicine for thousands of years and Maori tohunga have been healing tangata for thousands of years to.
Tavita wahine is being lead around the mulberry Bush of the justice system if they were wealthy there would have been people paying for his death that's the system Whanau.
I'm not even going to comment on that fool who can't see past his own faith fool in Britain.
All I can say is I feel for the rabbit wahine in Christchurch I love my pets to maybe start a give a little page to help pay for your rabbits vacation
Tamiki is just going to help national float there toilet I have all ready give my view to not impress with him or Naro trying float his christen party to they both have egos that make them think te ra revolvers around them.
The parliament staff problems is going to get sorted as for Tau what insults did he say to Trevor for that to happen
Kia ora to Maori growing kiwifruit there are heaps of places in Te taiwhiti to grow kiwifruit it could easily be grown organically to big bucks.
It's awesome that Ngati Porou are going to get the right we want from the crown
For ower Coast and Tangaroa
The Whana of the Pike river mine will be happy it is all finally coming to past and reveal what went wrong we know that the safety standards were dropped and that could have been the cause.
The students strive is a awesome way to get Neanderthals attention the pollies around the Papatuanuku are pandering to money and not their children future money is the phenomenon that causes policy to be made that is good for the 00.1% that's a fact.
A lot of consumer don't no the consumer laws but now days thanks to social media and Google we can check the laws.
Bridget Davis I tell the mokopuna you are what you eat I think you book Bridgets Healthy Kitchen is awesome I say a healthy gute is a fact .I need to clean up my diet ma te wa
In my view the poor commen tamariki are in a much better position with the Labour lead government if national was still in power poverty will still snowballing they would have a block on the subject and no one would be talking about it.
I agree with Duncan Tamiki won't make the 5% threshold to get into Parliament remember he has had a few brain FARTs.
Eco maori champions wahine equal rights the Women of Influence award is a great way to achieve that goal of more Wahine getting into managing our Papatuanuku .
Nominations are open for the seventh annual Women of Influence awards, a celebration of change makers and inspiring women.
Sponsored by Stuff and Westpac, the awards have previously recognised politicians, philanthropists, businesswomen and artists.
Jackie Clark, of South Auckland social welfare charity The Aunties, won the supreme award last year. In 2017, former prime minister Helen Clark received the lifetime achievement award. Kate kite ano links below
Its is good that the IPCA has stated that the police chaser was at fault now that a problem has been admitted prosess can be put in place to minimize the losses of life.
Bit of drama with the ambulances people wages.
I have had a good flue it was Monday when I got it a week ago .
Those Christians political parties will take us back 100years with their neanderthal views.
Students strike is what is needed to get the common people view out there above the oil barons $$$$$$$$$$ it is there future we are stuffing NOW.
I feel for the people who are in the atrocitie weather that is happening in America at the minute the common people will suffer the most.
The Queen keeping up with technology the shopping kiosk are very good no need to talk to anyone I have a swarm of puppets following me around. Kate kite ano
I have said that the 2 new Christian political party's will drag Aotearoa back 100years.
It's awesome that Ngati Porou is finally getting our mana back to care for Tangaroa and his creation.
Its better to have a Labour lead government helping tangata whenua than a national lead government that takes from the poor and gives to the wealthy FOOL not everyone is going to be happy its quite hard for that phenomenon in Maoridom
Cool Maori art on display at the Auckland airport it gives Eco Maori a sore face to see all the interest in Maori culture and te reo now it was not like that just a few years ago.
Reprinted from Jacobinmag by Jane Slaughter and Chris Brooks Almost 50,000 UAW workers are on strike against GM and a two-tier labor system that undermines worker solidarity. But members may need to wage a battle on two fronts — against the company, but also against their own union leadership. Forty-nine ...
Before Jacingrant There Was Gracinda: Grant Robertson and his 2014 running mate, Jacinda Ardern. She stood at his side: loyal and obliging, as she had ever been. The media dubbed this duo “Gracinda” – a sort of political “Brangelina”. The other young people who worked alongside Robertson were also ambitious ...
. . Just when you thought Simon Bridges couldn’t sink any lower – he has. After the March 15th Christchurch terror attack, the (current) Leader of the National Party issued strong committments to support urgently needed gun law reform; “We will be ready and prepared to be constructive and to ...
We all know that bad parents simply don’t care about their children’s education. Most truants have loser parents, and grow up to be involved with crime, or in low paid employment usually like their parents. The nonsense so-called “climate strike” coming up will be attended mostly by the least intelligent ...
Is the terrorist Organisation Greenpeace and the loony Green parties around the World hiring professional internet trolls? I have noticed a trend lately where if you post research, news articles or even comments that show the manmade climate change scam to be just that, you are immediately attacked, often within ...
Today is the first day of the global climate strike. Led by schoolkids, people all around the world are going to protest to demand action on climate change. New Zealand isn't doing it till next Friday (join us!), but if you want to get active early, there's plenty to do ...
The Herald has a story today about the 400 MW of wind power currently under construction. Good news, right? Except that none of it is being driven by policy (instead, its about replacing Contact Energy's Taranaki Combined Cycle gas-fired power plant, due to shut down in 2022), and most of ...
To Protect and Serve: When the Prime Minister finds herself enmeshed in the coils of a full-blown political scandal, her colleagues and party comrades have only one priority: to release her as swiftly – and with as little lasting injury – as possible. Is this what Jacinda Ardern’s colleagues and ...
When military leaders cover up and lie to elected civilian authorities, the foundation of democratic civil-military relations is undermined because it is those authorities who are entrusted to hold the military accountable to the public that they mutually serve. But this is only true if civilian political authorities take their ...
The Make It 16 campaign to lower the voting age is launching this afternoon, and they have already announced plans to challenge the law in court:The campaign, named "Make it 16" will launch at Parliament on Friday, with plans to take their case to the High Court, testing the rights ...
by Daphna Whitmore The long years of Netanyahu’s reign are drawing to an end. For years he has epitomized reactionary zionism as he oversaw hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers seize land in the West Bank. There are now 700,000 settlers, putting an end to the myth that Israel was ...
BP, Z and Mobil all insist that petrol price hikes are temporary, “in a very literal sense.” The nation’s major petrol providers are trying to allay customer fears over prices, promising that they’ll move to lower them again “immediately” when the Middle East is returned to its formerly peaceful state. ...
South African coach Rassie Erasmus says he has no idea what they’re going to do about the boat. In a highly anticipated press conference this afternoon, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has finally unveiled the team’s boat for its Rugby World Cup 2019 campaign. In a press conference that went ...
The Operation Burnham inquiry continued to question senior NZDF staff today, and their shoddy coverup over their knowledge of civilian casualties continue to fall apart. If you recall, first, we were asked to believe that it was all a series of "mistakes and errors": a senior officer with multiple degrees ...
The Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 2) had part of its committee stage yesterday. its a generally tedious bill about the nitty-gritty of local government reorganisation. But it includes a clause making the Local Government Commission subject to the Ombudsmen Act, and hence the OIA. Great! Except of ...
Yesterday Ihumātao's mana whenua reached a consensus that they would like their land back, and asked the government to negotiate with Fletcher's for its return. The government's response? Try and undermine that consensus, while talking about how doing anything would undermine existing Treaty settlements. The first is just more bad ...
Its Suffrage Day, the 126th anniversary of women winning the right to vote (but not stand in elections) in New Zealand. And to celebrate, the government has bought Kate Sheppard's house in Christchurch:The government has bought Kate Sheppard's former home in Christchurch for more than $4 million. The Ilam villa ...
The UN climate summit is happening in new York next week, and unlike previous years, coal-burners and denier-states are not being invited to speak:Leading economies such as Japan and Australia will not be invited to speak at next week’s crunch UN climate change summit, as their continued support for coal ...
Get Back Jojo! The elation in Mayor Phil Goff’s camp may be easily imagined as they watched social media light up in indignation at challenger John Tamihere’s "Sieg Heil to that" quip. Just when JT’s notoriously right-wing, sexist and homophobic stains were beginning to fade back into his ‘colourful’ past, ...
Patrick Gower is good value when he's high. Not that I've ever, you know, got stoned with him. But in the second part of his documentary Patrick Gower on Weed, he does what you'd expect in a modern weed documentary and immerses himself – first with a doctor, then a ...
We surveyed candidates on their attitudes to issues facing the Western Bay Region, find out what they think: “Closing the Gap” Tauranga, one of the area groups of Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc., has surveyed all candidates in the three local body elections to discover attitudes to some basic issues ...
Please spread widely, and sign, to support science and rationalism over the new irrationalism sweeping universities and institutions. PROJECT NETTIE Sexual reproduction, the generation of offspring by fusion of genetic material from two different individuals, evolved over 1 billion years ago. It is the reproductive strategy of all higher animals ...
Just when I was thinking that Palmerston North's mayoral race (which includes a convicted child molester / public wanker and a convicted child beater) was the worst in the country, Auckland mayoral candidate John Tamihere opened his mouth:Auckland mayoral candidate John Tamihere is being slammed for using the words "sieg ...
We reprint below an article from the excellent website the Economics of Imperialism by Tony Norfield This is an update of the statistics for my Index of Power, using data for 2018-19 and discussing what a country’s ranking reflects. The major change is that China’s rank has shifted up and ...
The All Blacks have been, for more than a century, arguably the most successful International sports team in the world. But they are more than that; even for those Kiwis who are immune to the charms of rugby (and there are more than a few), the All Blacks are ambassadors ...
Alone, Alone, All, All, Alone: To argue that the Prime Minister is the victim of her advisers’ failure to keep her informed may offer Jacinda some measure of exoneration – but only at the cost of casting her as a hopeless political ingénue. A star-dusted muppet, whose only purpose is to ...
In times of hysteria about the “World coming to an end” and “rising sea levels” so-called ‘Journalists’ who can barely spell words longer than four letters are having a ball! Though the majority of the Public have worked out that manmade climate change is nothing short of pseudo-science, and the ...
I don't want to give pblicity to certain parts of the internet that are better left to fester in their own irrelevance (I know, a bit like this place) but the listing of Chris Trotter as a 'author' on Cameron Slater's spinoff website, the BFD requires some explanation.Now, I don't ...
The text below is a Twitter thread by Heather Heying that explains the essence of sexual reproduction and it long evolutionary history. She is an evolutionary biologist and a “professor-in-exile” after she and her husband, Bret Weinstein, stood up to supporters of an enforced “Day of Absence” for white staff and teachers ...
With crunch time for new Zealand climate policy approaching, most of the New Zealand media have got on board with a global reporting effort to cover the issue. There's one strand of stories today about polling and what it shows about changing public attitudes to the crisis, but the strand ...
Dangerous Foes: For those readers of Bowalley Road who feel disposed to dismiss any prospect of an Israeli destabilisation of New Zealand politics, the example of the United Kingdom repays close attention. Ever since the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the British Labour Party, the Israelis have sanctioned, funded and ...
Make It 16, the youth-led campaign to lower New Zealand's voting age, is holding an official campaign launch at Parliament this Friday from 16:30. If you'd like to attend, you can register using EventBrite here. ...
by Don Franks It was a lovely sunny Wellington afternoon with blue skies above the beaches. In Courtenay Place, political activists packed out a stuffy upstairs room for an important meeting. The assembled pacifists, anarchists, communists and independent young radicals of Peace Action Wellington felt the need for a mission ...
Current and former NZDF top brass are being publicly grilled this week by the hit and run inquiry over their public responses to allegations of civilian casualties. Previously, they've claimed there were no casualties, a position which led them to lie to Ministers and to the public. Now, they're saying ...
by Rafael D. Quiles (gender-critical gay man from Puerto Rico) The writing on the wall is right in people’s faces and people just don’t see it or don’t want to. What could actually possess a heterosexual male to want to feminize himself and claim that he is a lesbian? Because ...
From the Wall Street Journal:Inside a room of the ornately decorated Hotel du Palais during last month’s Group of Seven summit in Biarritz, France, President Trump awaited a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. Mr. Trump looked over a gathering of American and Egyptian officials and called out in ...
by the Redline blog collective At Redline we are very saddened to hear of the death of Magdalen Burns who passed away on the morning of Friday, September 13 (British time). Magdalen was a great fighter for the rights of women in general and lesbian women in particular, a defender ...
The Brexit issue has certainly brought with it a series of apparently difficult constitutional issues, many of them concerning the respective roles of the executive and parliament. Most of them arise because of the unwillingness of MPs, despite their professions to the contrary, to be bound by a constitutional rarity ...
. . This blogpost is different to my usual format of reporting on issues… Since July 1011, I have blogged on a variety of political issues; near always political and/or environmental; mostly highly critical of the previous National Government. Other issues included Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and repression of ...
Those close to the Police Minister believe the initiative may be the result of Nash “seeing a great deal” on AliExpress. In a move that comes seemingly out of nowhere, Police Minister Stuart Nash announced this afternoon that he expects all frontline staff to don bearskin hats, famously worn by ...
The government has released its Arms Legislation Bill, containing the second tranche of changes to gun laws following the March 15 massacre. And it all looks quite sensible: a national gun register, higher penalties for illegal possession and dealing, tighter restrictions on arms dealers and shooting clubs, and a shorter ...
Private prisons are a stain on humanity. Prison operators explicitly profit from human misery, then lobby for longer prisons terms so they can keep on profiting. And in the US, prison companies run not only local and state prisons, but also Donald Trump's immigration concentration camps. Faced with this moral ...
When National was in power, they were very keen on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) - basicly, using private companies to finance public infrastructure as a way of hiding debt from the public. They were keen on using them for everything - roads, schools, hospitals. But as the UK shows, that "service" ...
Moving And Shaking: There was a time when people spoke matter-of-factly about the “labour movement” – a political phenomenon understood to embrace much more than the Labour Party. Included within the term’s definition was the whole trade union movement – many of whose members looked upon the Labour Party as ...
by Philip Ferguson Much of the left, even people who formally identify as marxists, have collapsed politically in the face of postmodern gender theory of the sort pioneered by American philosopher Judith Butler. For Butler even biological sex is socially constructed. “If the immutable character of sex is contested, perhaps ...
The media is reporting that the (alleged) Labour party sexual assaulter has resigned from their job at Parliament, which means hopefully he won't be turning up there making people feel unsafe in future. Good. But as with everything about this scandal, it just raises other questions. Most significantly: why the ...
By Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern I am every bit as angry as you are. I am every bit as disappointed as you must be. The people with power, oversight and the ability to do something about these processes within the Labour Party should be ashamed. Whoever those people are, I ...
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Labour Party president Nigel Haworth resigned yesterday over the party's sexual assault scandal. But while that's good news, its unlikely to take away the stench of a coverup. Because according to Paula Bennett in Parliament yesterday, pretty much everyone in the Prime Minister's office was involved as well:I have been ...
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There has been a lot of talk about Boris Johnson wanting an election, and he has blustered with great gusto about 'chicken' Jeremy Corbyn refusing one, but I think there are many reasons why he is secretly glad he has been refused the opportunity:The Tories are an utter rabble,tearing themselves ...
Scottish appeal court judges have declared that Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament in the run-up to the October Brexit deadline is unlawful. The three judges, chaired by Lord Carloway, Scotland’s most senior judge, overturned an earlier ruling that the courts did not have the powers to interfere in the prime ...
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I understand there's some stuff going round about how the SIS "was removed from the list of public offices covered by the Public Records Act in 2017". The context of course being their records derived from US torture, which will be disposed of or sealed. The good news is that ...
Dr. Christopher Labos and Jonathan Jarry discuss the recent Canadian fluoride/IQ research. They provide an expert analysis of the paper and its problems. Click on image to go to podcast. The critical debate about the recent ...
Australia is burning down again, and meanwhile its natural disaster minister is denying climate change:Australia’s minister responsible for drought and natural disasters, David Littleproud, has said that he doesn’t “know if climate change is manmade”. Clarifying earlier comments that the question is “irrelevant” when considering the Coalition government’s response to ...
Auckland Philippines Solidarity is excited to host Professor Judy Taguiwalo for a speaking tour of NZ in September. She is a well-known activist in the Philippines and was a political prisoner under the Marcos dictatorship. Professor Taguiwalo briefly served as a Cabinet member under President Duterte but was forced from ...
This open letter to the Green Party was penned after an opinion piece by Jill Abigail, a feminist and founding member of the party, was censored by the Greens’ leadership. (Redline has reprinted her article here).The intolerance of the Green Party leaders and their acceptance of the misogyny of gender ...
Today is a Member's day, and David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill continues its slow crawl through its committee stage. They're spending the whole day on it today, though the first hour is likely to be spent on voting left over from last time. After that they'll move on ...
An ambitious plan to fly to Los Angeles petered out into a brief sight-seeing trip and a desire to return home and get some sleep before work tomorrow. Air New Zealand has confirmed a flight to Los Angeles last night was turned back about a quarter of the way into ...
There appears to be consensus – by omission – that the concept of indigenous futures should be accepted at face value. So I scavenged the internet to see if I could locate an academic descriptor or a framework around how we think about it as a concept, and whether it ...
Here’s another novelty chocolate to shove in your gob, New Zealand Cadbury could be seeking to make itself great again with a rumoured new release: Pineapple Trumps, a spin on its classic chocolate-encased pineapple treat and do-it-yourself tooth remover. The global confectionery manufacturer and bumbling “before” character in an infomercial, ...
During my time in the Pentagon I had the privilege of sitting down with military leaders and defence and security officials from a variety of Latin American nations. Sometimes I was present as a subordinate assistant to a senior US defence department official, sometimes as part of a delegation that ...
Kia ora, Aotearoa. It’s that magical time of year. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. In English, the week that frightens talk radio. As you probably know by now, all your favourite media outlets are participating, some more successfully than others. Stuff has changed its name to Puna for the ...
Eighteen months ago, the government promised to strengthen the Bill of Rights Act, by explicitly affirming the power of the courts to issue declarations of inconsistency and requiring Parliament to formally respond to them. So how's that going? I was curious, so I asked for all advice about the proposal. ...
As the Brexit saga staggers on, the focus is naturally enough on the Prime Minister and his attempts to achieve Brexit “do or die”. But the role played by the Leader of the Opposition is of almost equal interest and complexity. The first problem for Jeremy Corbyn is that he ...
“Climate change is here - we all need to do our part.” Monday 23rd September 2019. Press Release: Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre Climate change is happening. CEAC – compendium facts tribute to ‘Climate Change Week’ https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/115098866/exceptionally-rare-warming-above-antarctica-may-be-affecting-nzs-weather ...
Criminal law changes are now increasingly being used by politicians as a vote gathering tool pandering to lynch mob special interest groups. To look tough against crime, govts constantly increase penalties, create new crimes, and make it harder to get ...
It has been two years since Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called climate change her generation's nuclear free moment. And on Monday, against a backdrop of global climate protest, she will give the opening speech at the United Nation's climate ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson is under intense scrutiny. New figures show economic growth has slowed to levels not seen for six years. And he has chosen not to answer questions about when he heard about serious allegations of a sexual assault cover-up ...
NZDF Attends Commemorations to Mark International Mission in East Timor A New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) contingent participated today in the 20th anniversary commemorations of the International Force East Timor (INTERFET) mission in Dili. The commemoration ...
They’ve only been up and running for a few months, but a New Zealand not-for-profit has already made a big impact on period poverty in New Zealand. ...
The allocation of money for publicly funded broadcasting for election campaigns should be turned on it's head according to Massey University professor of communication design Claire Robinson. ...
Disappointment expressed by Fletcher Building CEO, Ross Taylor, reflects the increasing frustration held by many with this Government’s failure to protect private property rights.[1] ...
The independent Interim Climate Change Committee today launched an eight-week, nationwide call for evidence on options available to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ...
Social Credit has lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman over the way the Overseas Investment Office is handling its official information request for disclosure of documents on the sale of Westland Milk Products to Chinese company Inner Mongolian ...
This Friday in Solidarity with the Global Climate Strike All of the SodaStream’s e-commerce platforms and head office operations will be closed to kick-off the week-long event, and employees will march the #CLIMATESTRIKE in Auckland on 27 September. ...
Federated Farmers congratulates the Auditor-General’s office on its release today of its report Managing Freshwater Quality: Challenges and Opportunities. ...
Growth has now slowed to a 6-year low, and downside risks are dominating. June quarter GDP growth came in at 0.5%qoq, in line with our expectation, and slightly above consensus. Although there were a few sensational reports of the chance of a negative print. ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is calling the release of the National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA) framework a good first step in balancing New Zealand’s response to climate change. ...
Family First NZ says that a new Colorado report compiled by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area finds marijuana-positive traffic fatalities, hospitalisations, marijuana use, and illegal market activity have exploded since marijuana legalization. ...
This year’s Ratepayers’ Report , local government league tables released yesterday, reveals which local councils owe the most and which owe the least. ...
Rachel MacGregor welcomes the decision released today by Justice Hinton. The key issue on which all the various litigation has been based is the question, did Colin Craig sexually harass Rachel. That question has been answered – he did. Justice ...
The Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) has today ratified a ground breaking pay deal with Dunedin Railways which will see all union members being paid a living wage and the lowest paid receiving an 18% wage increase. Higher paid RMTU members ...
Inclusion for trans women/men and non-binary peoples has today been announced as the cornerstone of a new resolution for the National Council of Women New Zealand (NCWNZ). ...
It took a testy Morning Report interview this week to remind me that Simon Bridges was still the Leader of the Opposition. Until then, he had been largely invisible as the events of recent weeks unfolded. ...
The National Council of Women NZ has today welcomed the news that the Government has purchased Kate Sheppard’s house in Christchurch, the base for the NZ suffrage campaign. ...
The Māori Party supports mana whenua of Ihumātao and acknowledges their coming together to reach consensus on the future of their whenua. “We also acknowledge the leadership of the Kīngitanga who have played an important role in supporting ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is questioning why, for the second time, Jacinda Ardern has appointed a Crown-owned company Chief Executive to Chair her “Business Advisory Council”, following her announcement that Mercury CEO Fraser Whineray ...
Responding to the Government’s decision to give around $300 million to Amazon as a sweetener for filming a TV series in New Zealand, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “As a matter of simple waste, this is striking, ...
I am very pleased with Air New Zealand’s Decision to backdown and withdraw their application to trademark into a logo Kia Ora. I said at the time that it was an ill conceived idea and poorly thought out – more importantly it should never have been ...
NZEI Te Riu Roa members will be joining with others across the union movement by wearing black and white in support of pay equity on Suffrage Day tomorrow, and urging the Government to commit to a settlement for teacher aides this year. ...
Yesterday’s announcement from the Minister for Immigration, to improve temporary work visas for migrant workers, provides some positive changes but more detail is needed. The Council of Trade Unions fundamentally supports the principle of making ...
FIRST Union today welcomed Westpac’s public admission of the significant gender pay gap in its workforce and reiterated its call for employers to work with unions to close this disparity, arguing that this work must begin at the bottom of the pay ...
Changes to the work visa system announced by the Minister of Immigration are not all positive for employers or migrants, comments Ms June Ranson, chair of the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment (NZAMI) , a leading voice in the ...
The Dairy Workers Union (DWU) has welcomed the announcement from dairy company, Synlait, that they will be boosting parental leave entitlements significantly for working parents. ...
In June, the Children’s Commissioner announced a thematic review into Oranga Tamariki’s policies, processes and practice relating to care and protection issues for tamariki Māori aged 0-3 months. Today the Children’s Commissioner has released the full ...
“Closing the Gap” Tauranga, one of the area groups of Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc., has surveyed all candidates in the three local body elections to discover attitudes to some basic issues of the Western Bay region. We believe that this is ...
In response to DairyNZ's attempt to dismiss an economic report that highlighted dairy's role in the New Zealand economy is only three per cent of GDP, Fish & Game New Zealand Chief Executive Martin Taylor says: "If DairyNZ wishes to reject a report ...
Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has successfully guided the mana whenua of lhumaatao to reach a consensus on the future of their whenua. ...
Two activists disguised as shareholders interrupted the AGM of a gold mining company in central Auckland this morning to inform shareholders their plans to mine for gold in conservation estate in the Karangahake Gorge were unwelcome. ...
The Capital and Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) has been labelled ‘NATO’ (no action, talk only) when it comes to child mental health, with just 0.6 full time staff (24 hours per week) for inpatient child psychology and just 0.8 full time staff ...
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has awarded three New Zealand climate youth groups with its Ambassador of Conscience award, its highest recognition for human rights work, previously given to the likes of Nelson Mandela, Ai Weiwei and Malala Yousafzai. ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union , in partnership with the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance , has today published this year's Ratepayers' Report – online local government league tables – at www.ratepayersreport.nz . ...
NZUS Council executive director Jordan Small welcomes the news New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will meet with US President Donald Trump in New York next week. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison was frank, when quizzed at a news conference during his visit to Washington, on whether he would be seeking to travel to China in the next year. “Well, you have to be invited ...
By Michael Andrew Social media and tech industries have been replicating the ugliest aspects of capitalism from the 1800s, according to an AUT computer science lecturer. Associate Professor Tony Clear says that social media and tech executives are taking advantage of unregulated markets in a similar way as wealthy ...
Covering Climate Now: There’s a range of dairy-free ice creams available these days, but it’s a fair bet none will be as delicious – or satisfying – as making your own. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!If the latest stats ...
Covering Climate Action: Ahead of the UN’s Climate Action Summit, artist Joseph Michael and composer Rhian Sheehan teamed up to create Voices For The Future, a 30-minute installation projected onto the UN buildings.The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Joseph Michael is ...
New Zealand banning Huawei’s 5G network equipment won’t impact you nearly as much as the US’s recent moves against Huawei phones, writes Henry Burrell. Twenty years ago, you would have shown off your flash new Ericsson or Nokia. How times change. Now, those two entities exist only to provide mobile network ...
Op-Ed by Kaveh Zahedi, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)Kaveh Zahedi is Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).In less than ten days world leaders will be ...
Grant McDougall reviews Kilgour’s new solo album, Bobbie’s A Girl, which sees him reflecting on the deaths of his friend and former bandmate, Peter Gutteridge and his own mother, Helen Kilgour. There is a passage in Shayne Carter’s excellent recent autobiography, Dead People I Have Known, in which he describes ...
New Zealand painter-poet Gregory O’Brien has just published a new collection of essays and art; pitched as a “field notebook … my whale survey”, Always Song in the Water drifts from his own front lawn in Hataitai, up to Northland and way, way across the Pacific. It’s the sort of ...
Ruby Porterlooks into New Zealand’s future when the sea level rises 10, 25 and 80 metres, and finds out how much of Auckland will be left.I grew up in Ponsonby, but the only bay I knew around here was Cox’s. It’s fed by a creek which was once a mahinga ...
Opening up a skid pad, create more housing for single people and make the central city dog friendly: policies from Christchurch's lesser-known mayoral candidates. ...
Josie Adams, Hayden Donnell, and Alice Webb-Liddall read thousands of policy statements to find the climate change deniers, fudgers, prevaricators (and believers) running in our local elections.The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The SpinoffMembers. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click here.One of the problems ...
The paintings of Colin McCahon convey dissonance and uncertainty, writes Shannon Te Ao. So what does this say about us? And why are we maintaining this Pākehā male narrative at the expense of more inclusive representation?Colin McCahon would have turned 100 on August the 1st. If you keep one eye ...
Amanda Thompson spends a day with the New Zealand men’s roller derby squad as they prepare for next year’s world champs in the US.Let’s play a word game. Let’s list some contact sports and the top teams in those codes.Say rugby. Are you thinking about the All Blacks yet? What ...
Covering Climate Now:Dietary Requirements is The Spinoff’s monthly podcast in which we eat, drink and talk about it too, with special thanks to Freedom Farms. This month, we go crazy for crickets in a climate week special.The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. ...
To mark International Day of Peace, Dr Rebecca Dudley of the New Zealand Red Cross explores the role that New Zealanders play in the global story of war and peace. Personal stories about war almost always begin with a memory.A humid afternoon in South Sudan.A calm Wednesday evening in Beirut.A bustling ...
The history of tattoo art in Japan is deep-rooted and complex – and so is the cultural aversion to tattooed bodies, explains Brian Ashcraft, the author of a book on subject.Tonight, when the All Blacks take the field, they’ll be covering up. In order not to run afoul of Japanese ...
Covering Climate Now: Saying climate change is important is one thing. So why are we so incapable of having a real conversation about what actually addressing it will mean? Sam McGlennon investigates. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Up until a week ago, ...
"This is what Wellington boy said, after he finished his quick and bloody deed. You know what your problem is? Once a slut, always a slut": a short story by Auckland writer Eileen Merriman. ...
Michael Mann, a climatologist and famous press critic, talks to the Columbia Journalism Review about the dangers of both understating and overstating the dangers of climate change. ...
Ahead of the All Blacks first game Trevor McKewen makes some his fanciful, fraught and some hopefully on-point predictions for the Rugby World Cup.Can you take one for the team? Could you cope with the All Blacks coming up short in achieving an unprecedented third straight World Cup if it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra [embedded content]University of Canberra Deputy Vice-Chancellor Leigh Sullivan discusses Scott Morrison’s new family law inquiry with Michelle Grattan. They also speak of the developments in the Tamil family from Biloela’s case, and the UN barring ...
Analysis - Jacinda Ardern heads for the UN as the sexual assault scandal rumbles on at home, and Simon Bridges says he isn't going to ease off his personal attacks on the PM. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dries Verstraete, Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Design and Propulsion, University of Sydney CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d ...
In this episode of our new tarot reading show Wild Card, The Spinoff’s resident psychic divines the outcome of the All Blacks’ opening match against the Springboks on Saturday.In the first and potentially only episode of Wild Card, we have a focus on sport. The Spinoff’s psychic-in-residence, Jo Sees, specialises ...
Recently-retired Sky TV chief executive John Fellet talks to Newsroom business editor Nikki Mandow about baseball, media, goldfish, accountancy - and more baseball. ...
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s.With Duncan enjoying a MAFS-style beach holiday in Bali, Alex and Jane are left to cover another crazy week in reality television. Shannon Ryan has gone full beast-mode in Celebrity Treasure Island, Married ...
Dr Bryce Edwards“Diversity” is a central theme of the current local government elections – with the common criticism that incumbent politicians are generally too “stale, male, and pale” (or variations on that). Numerous commentators and candidates have lamented the lack of women, ethnic minorities, and youth in local government. ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Climate change, environment Paul Gorman (Stuff): How would you spend an unlimited war chest for ...
A review into the Ministry for Culture and Heritage will look into the relationship between a staffer and the external developer responsible for a massive data breach. ...
Covering Climate Now: The Spinoff crew who took on climate change with a vegan diet for the week reflect on the highs, the lows, the pies and the fries. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!As I write, I’m tucking into ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Crisp, Professorial Fellow, Dianoia Institute of Philosophy, Australian Catholic University As world chiefs and youth leaders gather in New York at the United Nations Climate Action Summit, many of us as individuals are feeling powerless and overwhelmed. Making big personal changes ...
The head of one of the country's biggest news media firms is the latest subject of criticism for darkening his face at a staff party he attended dressed as US basketballer Lamar Odom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Coral Gartner, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland Health authorities in the United States are investigating 530 cases of lung illness, including seven deaths, reportedly connected to vaping. Some of these patients have been diagnosed with lung inflammation ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (Chatto & Windus, $48)Obvs. (Read our review by Pip Adam here)2 Three ...
When comedy documentary Funny As was made, a lot of interviews got left on the cutting room floor which NZ On Screen quickly picked up. Here are some of our favourites.We’re a pretty funny bunch us Kiwis. Trapped on a tiny island at the end of the earth it appears ...
Auckland rapper JessB has just released a new EP and wraps up a national mini-tour tonight in her home town. Jogai Bhatt talked to her about her world travels, performing at Ihumātao, and how her community and her music intersect.It’s only been two years since JessB entered the public radar ...
A new poem by Waiheke poet Rata Gordon.PacingA deep bow to NerudaIt so happens I am sick of being a woman. It happens that I walk into BP stations and supermarkets greasy, swollen, like a cow made of soap, losing my way in a field of placentas and pesticides.The smell ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda Gardiner, Lecturer, Edith Cowan University In August, a 24-year-old woman appeared before the Western Australian District Court after pleading guilty to concealing the birth of her newborn baby in 2018. The charge of concealment of birth refers to hiding the dead ...
Voting papers are being sent out today, and lots of people say they won’t fill them out because they don’t know anything about the candidates. Respected website ‘The Spinoff’ is trying to fix that through its Policy Local tool. But it’s not the only one. Catherine Jeffcoat talks to the ...
This week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by literary editor Steve Braunias ...
Writer and cannabis legalisation expert Russell Brown watched episode two of Patrick Gower on Weed, and found it highly entertaining but dangerously light on facts. Patrick Gower is good value when he’s high. In the second part of his documentary Patrick Gower on Weed, he does what you’d expect in a ...
Sydney shock-jock Alan Jones has written to Jacinda Ardern saying he didn't intend any violence towards her when he said on air that Australia's Prime Minister should "shove a sock down [her] throat". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caio Seguin, PhD candidate, University of Melbourne Brain regions exchange information by sending and receiving signals through a network of nerve connections. This exchange is crucial to all aspects of the brain’s functioning, including how we experience the world, form and retrieve ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Miranda Kaye, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney Over the next 12 months, a joint parliamentary committee will examine Australia’s family law system. It will be led by conservative Liberal MP Kevin Andrews and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. ...
Open mike 21/05/2019 
Reprinted from Jacobinmag by Jane Slaughter and Chris Brooks Almost 50,000 UAW workers are on strike against GM and a two-tier labor system that undermines worker solidarity. But members may need to wage a battle on two fronts — against the company, but also against their own union leadership. Forty-nine ...4 hours ago
Before Jacingrant There Was Gracinda: Grant Robertson and his 2014 running mate, Jacinda Ardern. She stood at his side: loyal and obliging, as she had ever been. The media dubbed this duo “Gracinda” – a sort of political “Brangelina”. The other young people who worked alongside Robertson were also ambitious ...13 hours ago
. . Just when you thought Simon Bridges couldn’t sink any lower – he has. After the March 15th Christchurch terror attack, the (current) Leader of the National Party issued strong committments to support urgently needed gun law reform; “We will be ready and prepared to be constructive and to ...2 days ago
We all know that bad parents simply don’t care about their children’s education. Most truants have loser parents, and grow up to be involved with crime, or in low paid employment usually like their parents. The nonsense so-called “climate strike” coming up will be attended mostly by the least intelligent ...2 days ago
Today is the first day of the global climate strike. Led by schoolkids, people all around the world are going to protest to demand action on climate change. New Zealand isn't doing it till next Friday (join us!), but if you want to get active early, there's plenty to do ...2 days ago
To Protect and Serve: When the Prime Minister finds herself enmeshed in the coils of a full-blown political scandal, her colleagues and party comrades have only one priority: to release her as swiftly – and with as little lasting injury – as possible. Is this what Jacinda Ardern’s colleagues and ...3 days ago
When military leaders cover up and lie to elected civilian authorities, the foundation of democratic civil-military relations is undermined because it is those authorities who are entrusted to hold the military accountable to the public that they mutually serve. But this is only true if civilian political authorities take their ...3 days ago
BP, Z and Mobil all insist that petrol price hikes are temporary, “in a very literal sense.” The nation’s major petrol providers are trying to allay customer fears over prices, promising that they’ll move to lower them again “immediately” when the Middle East is returned to its formerly peaceful state. ...3 days ago
South African coach Rassie Erasmus says he has no idea what they’re going to do about the boat. In a highly anticipated press conference this afternoon, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has finally unveiled the team’s boat for its Rugby World Cup 2019 campaign. In a press conference that went ...3 days ago
Get Back Jojo! The elation in Mayor Phil Goff’s camp may be easily imagined as they watched social media light up in indignation at challenger John Tamihere’s "Sieg Heil to that" quip. Just when JT’s notoriously right-wing, sexist and homophobic stains were beginning to fade back into his ‘colourful’ past, ...4 days ago
Patrick Gower is good value when he's high. Not that I've ever, you know, got stoned with him. But in the second part of his documentary Patrick Gower on Weed, he does what you'd expect in a modern weed documentary and immerses himself – first with a doctor, then a ...4 days ago
We surveyed candidates on their attitudes to issues facing the Western Bay Region, find out what they think: “Closing the Gap” Tauranga, one of the area groups of Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc., has surveyed all candidates in the three local body elections to discover attitudes to some basic issues ...4 days ago
Why is New Zealand climate change policy so crap? The Herald this morning has a long article on the twists and turns of climate change policy in New Zealand [paywalled / depaywall script], which shows where we've been. The short version is that the government first began worrying about this ...5 days ago
The All Blacks have been, for more than a century, arguably the most successful International sports team in the world. But they are more than that; even for those Kiwis who are immune to the charms of rugby (and there are more than a few), the All Blacks are ambassadors ...5 days ago
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Dangerous Foes: For those readers of Bowalley Road who feel disposed to dismiss any prospect of an Israeli destabilisation of New Zealand politics, the example of the United Kingdom repays close attention. Ever since the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the British Labour Party, the Israelis have sanctioned, funded and ...6 days ago
Make It 16, the youth-led campaign to lower New Zealand's voting age, is holding an official campaign launch at Parliament this Friday from 16:30. If you'd like to attend, you can register using EventBrite here. ...7 days ago
by Don Franks It was a lovely sunny Wellington afternoon with blue skies above the beaches. In Courtenay Place, political activists packed out a stuffy upstairs room for an important meeting. The assembled pacifists, anarchists, communists and independent young radicals of Peace Action Wellington felt the need for a mission ...7 days ago
From the Wall Street Journal:Inside a room of the ornately decorated Hotel du Palais during last month’s Group of Seven summit in Biarritz, France, President Trump awaited a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. Mr. Trump looked over a gathering of American and Egyptian officials and called out in ...1 week ago
Those close to the Police Minister believe the initiative may be the result of Nash “seeing a great deal” on AliExpress. In a move that comes seemingly out of nowhere, Police Minister Stuart Nash announced this afternoon that he expects all frontline staff to don bearskin hats, famously worn by ...1 week ago
Moving And Shaking: There was a time when people spoke matter-of-factly about the “labour movement” – a political phenomenon understood to embrace much more than the Labour Party. Included within the term’s definition was the whole trade union movement – many of whose members looked upon the Labour Party as ...1 week ago
By Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern I am every bit as angry as you are. I am every bit as disappointed as you must be. The people with power, oversight and the ability to do something about these processes within the Labour Party should be ashamed. Whoever those people are, I ...1 week ago
Two-Faced? Labour insiders' commitment to the neoliberal status quo puts them at odds with their party’s membership; its trade union affiliates; and a majority of Labour voters, but this only serves to strengthen the perception they have of themselves as a special elite. Among the lesser breeds, they’ll talk up a ...2 weeks ago
By Simon Bridges. The following is a press release from the office of Simon Bridges, leader of The National Party. Key ora, New Zealand. Happy Maori Language Week. Look, I’m writing to you today because I want to clear something up. There’s been a lot of kerfuffle around some things ...2 weeks ago
Dr. Christopher Labos and Jonathan Jarry discuss the recent Canadian fluoride/IQ research. They provide an expert analysis of the paper and its problems. Click on image to go to podcast. The critical debate about the recent ... 2 weeks ago
An ambitious plan to fly to Los Angeles petered out into a brief sight-seeing trip and a desire to return home and get some sleep before work tomorrow. Air New Zealand has confirmed a flight to Los Angeles last night was turned back about a quarter of the way into ...2 weeks ago
There appears to be consensus – by omission – that the concept of indigenous futures should be accepted at face value. So I scavenged the internet to see if I could locate an academic descriptor or a framework around how we think about it as a concept, and whether it ...2 weeks ago
Here’s another novelty chocolate to shove in your gob, New Zealand Cadbury could be seeking to make itself great again with a rumoured new release: Pineapple Trumps, a spin on its classic chocolate-encased pineapple treat and do-it-yourself tooth remover. The global confectionery manufacturer and bumbling “before” character in an infomercial, ...2 weeks ago
Kia ora, Aotearoa. It’s that magical time of year. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. In English, the week that frightens talk radio. As you probably know by now, all your favourite media outlets are participating, some more successfully than others. Stuff has changed its name to Puna for the ...2 weeks ago
“Climate change is here - we all need to do our part.” Monday 23rd September 2019. Press Release: Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre Climate change is happening. CEAC – compendium facts tribute to ‘Climate Change Week’ https://www.stuff.co.nz/science/115098866/exceptionally-rare-warming-above-antarctica-may-be-affecting-nzs-weather ...9 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison was frank, when quizzed at a news conference during his visit to Washington, on whether he would be seeking to travel to China in the next year. “Well, you have to be invited ...46 mins ago
By Michael Andrew Social media and tech industries have been replicating the ugliest aspects of capitalism from the 1800s, according to an AUT computer science lecturer. Associate Professor Tony Clear says that social media and tech executives are taking advantage of unregulated markets in a similar way as wealthy ...14 hours ago
Covering Climate Now: There’s a range of dairy-free ice creams available these days, but it’s a fair bet none will be as delicious – or satisfying – as making your own. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!If the latest stats ...14 hours ago
Covering Climate Action: Ahead of the UN’s Climate Action Summit, artist Joseph Michael and composer Rhian Sheehan teamed up to create Voices For The Future, a 30-minute installation projected onto the UN buildings.The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Joseph Michael is ...14 hours ago
New Zealand banning Huawei’s 5G network equipment won’t impact you nearly as much as the US’s recent moves against Huawei phones, writes Henry Burrell. Twenty years ago, you would have shown off your flash new Ericsson or Nokia. How times change. Now, those two entities exist only to provide mobile network ...15 hours ago
Op-Ed by Kaveh Zahedi, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Grant McDougall reviews Kilgour’s new solo album, Bobbie’s A Girl, which sees him reflecting on the deaths of his friend and former bandmate, Peter Gutteridge and his own mother, Helen Kilgour. There is a passage in Shayne Carter’s excellent recent autobiography, Dead People I Have Known, in which he describes ...17 hours ago
New Zealand painter-poet Gregory O’Brien has just published a new collection of essays and art; pitched as a “field notebook … my whale survey”, Always Song in the Water drifts from his own front lawn in Hataitai, up to Northland and way, way across the Pacific. It’s the sort of ...18 hours ago
Ruby Porter looks into New Zealand’s future when the sea level rises 10, 25 and 80 metres, and finds out how much of Auckland will be left.I grew up in Ponsonby, but the only bay I knew around here was Cox’s. It’s fed by a creek which was once a mahinga ...19 hours ago
Opening up a skid pad, create more housing for single people and make the central city dog friendly: policies from Christchurch's lesser-known mayoral candidates. ...1 day ago
The paintings of Colin McCahon convey dissonance and uncertainty, writes Shannon Te Ao. So what does this say about us? And why are we maintaining this Pākehā male narrative at the expense of more inclusive representation?Colin McCahon would have turned 100 on August the 1st. If you keep one eye ...2 days ago
Amanda Thompson spends a day with the New Zealand men’s roller derby squad as they prepare for next year’s world champs in the US.Let’s play a word game. Let’s list some contact sports and the top teams in those codes.Say rugby. Are you thinking about the All Blacks yet? What ...2 days ago
To mark International Day of Peace, Dr Rebecca Dudley of the New Zealand Red Cross explores the role that New Zealanders play in the global story of war and peace. Personal stories about war almost always begin with a memory.A humid afternoon in South Sudan.A calm Wednesday evening in Beirut.A bustling ...2 days ago
The history of tattoo art in Japan is deep-rooted and complex – and so is the cultural aversion to tattooed bodies, explains Brian Ashcraft, the author of a book on subject.Tonight, when the All Blacks take the field, they’ll be covering up. In order not to run afoul of Japanese ...2 days ago
Covering Climate Now: Saying climate change is important is one thing. So why are we so incapable of having a real conversation about what actually addressing it will mean? Sam McGlennon investigates. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Up until a week ago, ...2 days ago
Ahead of the All Blacks first game Trevor McKewen makes some his fanciful, fraught and some hopefully on-point predictions for the Rugby World Cup.Can you take one for the team? Could you cope with the All Blacks coming up short in achieving an unprecedented third straight World Cup if it ...2 days ago
To tackle the crises of climate and unsustainability we need great cultural changes in civil society, business and politics. ...2 days ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dries Verstraete, Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Design and Propulsion, University of Sydney CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d ...2 days ago
Recently-retired Sky TV chief executive John Fellet talks to Newsroom business editor Nikki Mandow about baseball, media, goldfish, accountancy - and more baseball. ...2 days ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roger Crisp, Professorial Fellow, Dianoia Institute of Philosophy, Australian Catholic University As world chiefs and youth leaders gather in New York at the United Nations Climate Action Summit, many of us as individuals are feeling powerless and overwhelmed. Making big personal changes ...2 days ago
The head of one of the country's biggest news media firms is the latest subject of criticism for darkening his face at a staff party he attended dressed as US basketballer Lamar Odom. ...2 days ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Coral Gartner, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland Health authorities in the United States are investigating 530 cases of lung illness, including seven deaths, reportedly connected to vaping. Some of these patients have been diagnosed with lung inflammation ...2 days ago
A congestion charge is needed to deter motorists from clogging central city districts at peak times, according to an economics consultancy. ...2 days ago
Jacinda Ardern confuses Japan with China - and she's not the only one with a case of political foot-in-mouth. ...3 days ago
Voting papers are being sent out today, and lots of people say they won’t fill them out because they don’t know anything about the candidates. Respected website ‘The Spinoff’ is trying to fix that through its Policy Local tool. But it’s not the only one. Catherine Jeffcoat talks to the ...3 days ago
This week's biggest-selling New Zealand books, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by literary editor Steve Braunias ...3 days ago
Writer and cannabis legalisation expert Russell Brown watched episode two of Patrick Gower on Weed, and found it highly entertaining but dangerously light on facts. Patrick Gower is good value when he’s high. In the second part of his documentary Patrick Gower on Weed, he does what you’d expect in a ...3 days ago
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A little pearl of wisdom from one of the regular contributors:
"Belief in the threat of climate change is what people think they are supposed to support, so they do, to pollsters. Belief in business as usual is what people depend on, so they vote accordingly."
Dennis Frank – Daily Review, 20th May, 2019.
He was talking about the Oz election, but the problem is universal. I'm afraid the man in the street, Joe Bloggs, will not take climate change seriously until it bites him on the bum.
But by then, I fear, it will be far too late.
That's where leadership is meant to step in, but they're too scared of corporate ire.
Shallow from being hollowed out.
Some muddy the waters to appear deep.
They're not.
"That's where leadership is meant to step in, but they're too scared of corporate ire"
Hold it right there WtB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
There'll need to be several "pieces of work" and a number of consultative "conversations" with "officials" before anything can proceed "going forward". When those "conversations" are complete and "resonations" reached, we can probably proceed on a path of transformation and compassion
Na you’re wrong . This government has in very short time got most people excepting climate change as fact . And is progressing in the right direction . Move to fast and the push back will mean failure.
Of course if we had started in 1958 it would have been better . But today is the next best time.
"This government has in very short time got most people excepting climate change as fact "
So that's an achievement is it? I 'spose it is (in a really miniscule sort of way – even though most of them knew in the first place but were just coming to terms with the long term rather than keeping their loifsoyles taday and ta morra)
The bleeding bloody obvious springs to mind. A shame it doesn't extend to other ussues going forwid.
Megan and the sure rinse
Iain and Krus ummigrayshun and the feks of currint polsee
etc.
I'm thinking we need to have a conversation
There’s an element of truth in that but elections are not single-issue polls and a poll is just a poll.
its easy to not understand if your job depends on it.
that is what i lay at the feet of government anywhere.
i don't so much have an issue with joe and jane sixpack but i have an issue with those that have the power to chance (all of them – no matter party affiliation) but do nothing.
If a Kiwibuild house is bought by the government after not selling – will it become a state house? Good if it did.
Unsold kiwibuild houses bought by government
I see the purchase price of 'bought-back' kiwibuild houses is not disclosed as 'commercially sensitive'. This is total bollocks – it is public money. What happens when you are locked to the religion of having a private business taking a cut of all things delivered by the state.
@ UncookedSelachimorpha +1 "What happens when you are locked to the religion of having a private business taking a cut of all things delivered by the state."
That religion is called free market liberalism, which just sunk the Australian Labour party and was the reason NZ Labour only scrapped in by the skin of it's teeth after three terms of disgusting and destructive National leadership.
Turn Labour Left!
This is part of a critique by Chris Trotter on the Oz Labour win that wasn't. (BEOT Big End of Town)
Simple enough, one might have thought, but one would have been reckoning without the extraordinary tone-deafness of the post-Hawke/Keating Labor Party. Instead of interpreting the poll data as evidence that, if they played their cards right, a win might just be possible, Shorten et al regarded it as proof that, since a loss was impossible, they could play their cards any damn way they pleased.
“We’ll never get a better chance to do all the things we’ve been promising ourselves for the past decade than this”, Labor told itself. “So, come on Comrades, this time we can quite safely bet the whole farm!” Which is pretty much what they did: promising to raise taxes and increase spending like it was going out of style. (Which, of course, it has been for the best part of three decades.)
Not only did they ignore the fact that the BEOT has untold billions invested in the farm, but they also thought it would be good politics to construct their campaign narrative around the idea of putting the inhabitants of the BEOT in their place. Unsurprisingly, the BEOT had a better idea.
https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/99754/chris-trotter-says-bill-shorten-will-go-down-australian-political-history-labor-leader
I don't agree with Trotters analysis or his 'three objectives to winning an election..
"Winning a general election requires a political party to achieve three critical objectives: 1) Convince the voters that, economically-speaking, your team has got the right solutions. 2) Convince the voters that your opponents haven’t got a clue what the right answers even look like. 3) Convince the voters that, unless they do something to stop them, your opponents have a better-than-even chance of winning the election. In just three words: Reassure. Undermine. Terrify."
I will offer my opinion on winning elections a bit later, but must get off and do some work now.
Right AT add your thoughts later and I'll look foir that. You might like to see on the Billionaire post #13 from Dennis F. and Red Logix.
Heuristic: if someone that hasn't learnt anything new in the past 5 years tells you that something new sucks, then their opinion isn't worth dog shit.
Too many woke people get credit for losing years ago.
Bloody hell Sam! How I wish you and others would quit using the word 'woke' in any other way than as the past participle of the verb 'to wake'.
What you are trying to show is that 1) you are hip 2) you are up with the terminology 3) you understand neocon rubbish words, and that they are useful, and that they add something to our vocabulary.
Sorry to disabuse you, but they are unintelligible rubbish, akin to those who use them.
Heh.
Appropriating African-American vernacular to ridicule others is a chan kiddie thing.
https://thetylt.com/culture/do-white-people-need-to-stop
Fuck you joe90
[Cut the personal shit or find a sandpit to play in – Incognito]
And hello to you, bby boi.
[Cut the personal shit or find a sandpit to play in – Incognito]
take your greeting and shove it up your arse.
See my Moderation note @ 12:53 PM.
Edit: Mod notes above.
See my Moderation note @ 12:58 PM.
I think Chris Trotter paints himself into unfortunate corners sometimes.
You absolutely have to rein in the BEOT if you want a society that works OK for everyone. But if you can't defeat the BEOT electorally, because they can outspend and out-message you, plus you face a populace where the psychological hegemony of neoliberal ideas runs very deep after 40 years of propaganda – what then? Despair?
It is much easier to gloomily describe this predicament than suggest ways of painting out of the corner. (I plead guilty on this one too.)
the prices the govt paid should be disclosed as LINZ captures all sales data. All realestate agents have access how else would they be able to have data on local sales .
Good point! You wouldn't normally be able to get around LINZ / valuation records.
Yes I wondered about that. Why not keep it as a state house and put in tenants who would appreciate it and look after it and be part of a community that was probably working and functional. Good house, good possibilities for lifting oneself out of the doldrums. Go for it Twyford, but choose your tenants right.
Don't hold your breath waiting for a reporter to ask for an explanation of the commercial sensitivity.
Gabby Yes. I think that we hear understand a lot of the sensitivities though.
The bullying in parliament report comes out today. Hang on to your hats, I predict this will be damning for both the major parties. Very pleased it's happening, it's long overdue, thanks to Trev and the government for initiating it.
Thanks for bringing it up Cinny. I think it is going to be a shock to most people just how toxic the place is.
I would love to see a commission of inquiry into bullying in the Public Service generally and that it include retrospective cases. That would enable me to come forward and tell my story. It is something I've wanted – indeed needed – to do for a very long time but have been unable to due to the lack of a safe and secure environment.
Hugs Anne. I so understand what you are saying. May the day come, when you will feel safe and secure enough to share your story. Much love to you.
Thank-you Cinny. You are a lovely person.
Will we ever see the names of the MPs etc accused of bulling?
The full Report is available here…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/389696/serious-bullying-rife-at-parliament-report
A seriously Grim Read which flatters our Halls of Power not at all.
Shame.
“Just because it’s politics and people are passionate doesn’t mean any of us can behave like arseholes around this place. It’s a privilege to serve here, and the people who put us here expect us to lead and want to respect us as leaders.”
Thanks for the link Rosemary, it can be a rather vile environment for some who work there. It's the self entitlement of some MP's that's the worst.
Apparently parliament is a toxic environment awash in bullying, harassment, entitled behaviour, verbal abuse and positively teeming with massive, unrestrained egos.
Well I never!
Also, the Press Gallery behave in 'unacceptable' ways.
Stuff has 4 – FOUR articles on Game of Thrones ending this morning, as if it was important. It's good TV, but important? As part of a picture it is.
Bread and Circuses aka violence conditioning for the masses. Producers/writers seem to delight in trying to outshine each other in their propensity to dream up horrors.
"a way to kill compassion to ensure the brutalization of Roman civilians and thus their compliance (or at least their complacency) vis-à-vis Imperial expansion and domestic policing"
Have we learned to not give a fuck yet? Are we entertained by all these stabbings?
There'll be awards, red carpet, gushing interviews, tears…
Game of what? Never ‘eard of it.
You ask whether "Have we learned to not give a fuck yet? Are we entertained by all these stabbings".
From the fact that the series appears to have been very popular I suppose the answer to the questions has to be yes. If nobody watched it they certainly wouldn't have bothered spending a fortune on making it. One must simply suggest that everyone who watched it was in fact entertained.
So says he who, immodestly, says that he had never heard of the series until recently and has never seen a single episode. The most I have seen was snippets in the news in the last few days.
So, if you don't approve of what they are showing the only thing to do is don't watch it. It is like the people who claim that "I never vote. It just encourages the bastards". If you watch the program, and the ads, you are just encouraging the people who make it to go even further next time.
Re the Crusaders…. who would think that a bunch of drunk rugby heads playing away from home would hassle and abuse gay people?
Far out, how they are playing it down is shocking, that kind of behaviour by rugbyheads has been going on since year dot.
Abuse and booze, that's NZ rugby culture, tell me I'm wrong.
What political statement will the Crusaders make next? First they offend religion, now sexuality. Not bad for a non-political group who just play a game.
Do you have proof it happened.?
Hi wags, on RNZ this morn a local woman claimed a player spat beer at her and pinched her bum.
She 'found pig's it was Richie Mounga, 'social mediad' him with her allegations. His response was part apology, part denial. Didn't sound good.
let's ban booze, its a gate way to shitty manners and violence.
Plenty of people can drink without getting abusive. Better to ban thugby.
sorry i forgot the sarcasm tag
/s
Booze and abuse is ingrained in many codes fans. Scottish football is back to it's bad old ways because it never left.
Society's ugly side comes out after a few beersies
Sounds like you've already decided they are guilty then. There is two sides to every story you know.
One story is coherent and detailed, the other is evasive and defensive.
Usually a good indication, that…
Sure there is always at least two sides to every story, and often one involves lies to protect reputations, especially when it comes to the national sport.
How many of us here have seen drunk rugby players act like arseholes? Heaps I'd say.
Update, there is to be an investigation….
https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/112870592/crusaders-coach-scott-robertson-says-trios-alleged-homophobic-slurs-were-misconstrued
Will be interesting to see what the security footage shows but it sounds bad.
George Bridge named as one of the players
struggling with their sexualityinvolved in alleged homophobic incident.https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12232758
Listening to the interviews this morning I believe the other fellows who complained and not the Crusaders denial and great innocence. It's a reflection I think of the brutal way that things get splattered on Facebook, the no-respect for others, the arrogant 'I'll do it my way, you lowlife (applies to whoever is chosen for disdain). This type of abuse has been going on for years and so many sportspeople give themselves an edge by harassing others in opposing teams, or the public. That's our society these days folks, authority is prepared to allow shit to happen to others, bystanders even, as externalities to the really important goal, whatever that is.
no presumption of innocence at cinny? ESP as independent witnesses have backed their side of events ?
If it wasn't already obvious to everybody in the world, the US have completely lost any interest in disguising the fact that they are prepared to attack or bully any country that stands in the way of their hegemony out in the open.
Their hostile and dangerous actions against Venezuela and Iran.
Their attack on Huawei.
The US war on whistle blowers and persecution of Assange.
The US compliance and support of apartheid in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel.
Their compliance and support of the humanitarian tragedy in Yemen.
The US arming and legitimizing the despotic terrorist state of Saudi Arabia.
The list could go on, and on.
Lets just hope that Bernie Sanders gets the nomination, takes out Trump in the rust belt, and restores at lest a semblance of sanity to US foreign policy.
By attack I guess you mean the unprecedented announcement by the US that Huawei will no longer be able to access Google's operating system and apps?
https://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/mobile-phones/huawei-apps-banned-china-hits-back-at-google-united-states/news-story/cfb7fa8cf0a164e28799eb236457a505
“Panicked Huawei owners are already selling their smartphones amid fears they’ll stop working properly, a top trade-in site has warned.
MusicMagpie — which lets you swap your old phones for cash — says it’s seen a huge spike in the number of people selling their Huawei smartphones.”
I think most people would consider the US governments relentless actions against Huawei over the last while including today's announcement, only in order to protect US private corporate interests as an attack, so in a word yes.
This was in stuff
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/112868643/google-says-google-play-and-other-services-will-still-work-on-huawei-phones
I see there is another teens fleeing from police crash in Te Atatu on the Stuff web site this morning. When are these idiots going to learn when police signal you to stop…..you stop! At least they only injured themselves so that's all good. they will be off the roads for a while which makes it safer for everyone.
You never did anything stupid as a youth?
You enjoy seeing people injured… nice one.
I never did something stupid that got me killed weewee. You only get to do that once.
I came close once or twice.
Many (maybe even most) teens do. Pushing too hard, failing to do risk assessment, not seeing warning signs, getting carried away, not realising how drunk they are…
Google told me there was an OIA request on police chase statistics last year: seems that a little over half of pursuits are abandoned (probably includes "called off for safety" as well as "lost 'em"). So some of these kids' peer group probably have escaped pursuit before.
All fun and games until someone gets hurt. But if there's nothing else to do, or no real hope for advancement, teens gonna do stupid shit.
I once went 100kph through a massive puddle in a Honda City.
That didn't end well.
Must have taken you a couple of days to get up to that speed lol
Heh. Yeah. And a couple of seconds to stop.
Always wear your seatbelt, kids. And don't drive your Dad's Honda City through puddles at excessive speed. It's a terrible idea.
Went flying off a 50cc a couple of years back. Straight over the handle bars, instinctive forward roll, worst problem was a tear in my pants from where I hit the key in the ignition with my thigh. God bless lower speeds.
Rear end panel damage to the car cost more than my scooter did new (which had a jiggle at the garage but was otherwise fine).
That was me worrying about what guy on the left was going to do, to the detriment of forward observation. #imadickhead
So you think that stealing cars, driving dangerously and endangering the public is all ok and just a bit of youthful silliness? These idiots put innocent people on the roads in danger.
Yes I did some stupid things as a teen but I never once stole a car, and never once ran from police.
Jimmy you good little lord fauntleroy, you sound a bit preachy there. You are probably too old and was always in the wrong class to appreciate the great attraction of stealing cars and joy riding. If you can be so proud of not having stolen a car, what is it that you did when you were being naughty? You seem to take pride in not having had to run from police in a stolen car. So what did you do?
The joyriders might be from a background that would understand and enjoy 'Boy'. Have a look at the trailer, and I bet it will show a different way of looking at the dynamics of life Jimmy than you have experienced.
So you still don't give a shit that kids actually got injured, but there was a chance that you could have been. Oh the humanity!
Keep up the middle class moral outrage, one day you might come down from the ivory tower and figure out why Remuera kids aren't doing this stuff or tagging from dusk till dawn.
No I don't give a shit that these kids got injured. They made the choice and got injured due to their own actions. However, I am greatly concerned (and give a shit) that while they are on the road hooning around they are putting my kids and other innocent people in danger.
How would you feel if they drove in to your wife / daughter /son trying to evade the police?
How would you feel if they were your kids?
I'd feel like I seriously screwed up my responsibilities as a parent.
There's plenty of ways to have loads of fun scaring yourself shitless with speed, heights, freefalls, explosions etc that don't involve putting strangers at risk. Anything to do with public roads and vehicles are particularly important to take responsibly and seriously, not something to get your jollies with. Because the consequences to strangers can be so severe.
That's the attitude I think I've successfully just given my eldest (easy, he's that way inclined anyway) and I'm about to start trying to get my twins to take on board (hmm, gonna be more of a challenge, they're somewhat more neurotypical teenage boys).
I was more on Jimmy's idea that we needed to imagine a personal relationship to give a damn.
To me, hooning is one of those things where the negligence is there, but they're still kids. Kids make mistakes.
Contrast that with a court news thing I saw a while back where the hoon was basically in his late thirties – donuts, excess speed, failing to stop, ISTR it was the full trifecta. That dude, I'm totally with the "lock him up" crowd. Teens, even early twenties? I'm more ambivalent.
You mean my kids driving and running from police? I would be seriously disappointed with my parenting skills, and seriously disappointed with them. I hate to think what my old man would have done to me if I had ever not stopped for police when told to.
I don't know the statistics, but I am seriously wondering if there would be less of these terrible instances if it was advertised that the police will chase you as these young people with the nothing to lose mentality are simply putting their foot down knowing police will pull out of the chase.
You'd also be sad they got injured, no? Don't forget that bit.
Here are the stats. The trouble with your plan is that sometimes the offenders get away – lose the cops in back roads, get enough distance to bail, whatever. You just change the rules into more of an "all or nothing" situation. Same with stiffer penalties – that just increases the panic from an initial poor reaction.
The psychology and practicality of vehicle pursuits for both offender and police officer is interesting – did some reading on it about ten years ago. ISTR that if aerial unit was involved it basically doubled the chances of a successful stop. But then of course that gets limited by finance and controlled air spaces.
Maybe I'm too old to think like them, but if I knew the police would relentlessly pursue me I would be less likely to run as even if I initially got away they would eventually catch up to me. At the moment they know they have probably a 50% chance? of getting away and unfortunately they take the chance often with tragic results.
The 50% includes legitimate escapes and bails.
And it's not a cost-benefit analysis. Kids get carried away.
As the mother of three, and the child of a veritable gaggle of parents and step parents…let me assure you that children can be very very disappointing. It doesn't necessarily make them bad people, and sometimes they grow up to be even better than you, as a parent, deserve.
You clearly lack the imagination to understand that the whole point of the chase, the adrenaline rush, is from being chased..being caught is no more of a factor in the decision to flee, than the idea the cops will stop chasing. In fact its probably slightly disappointing when the cops do pull back. The whole point is these kids are not thinking, they are simply reacting to stimuli.
If the adrenaline rush is what they are after, then I have even less sympathy for them when they "roll the dice" and lose. They put countless innocent people at risk simply for a "high" ….very selfish.
I do feel sorry for the police as they are often in a no win situation.
If that did happen I'd probably feel a lot better about it knowing a sane policy was in place that didn't involve risky police chases and naughty teens that endangered more lives.
When they are 'young,dumb and full of cum', combined with whatever the fuck else has shaped their usually totally dysfunctional and violent lives, I don't think these young guys are really in a psychological space of mind to 'learn when police signal you to stop…..you stop!'
The problems for most of these 'idiots' are far more systemic and complicated than that, that much I do know, how to fix it, that question is probably well above my pay level.
For an informative view on how a good place turns shitty and youth go to the pack watch all series of The Wire.
It starts in the street but moves on to the working class supplying the street and then a larger focus with the dodgy dealing political and business class all in on their various games.
It is startlingly profound in retrospect.
It touched briefly upon further meddling from on high. Were the focus to enlarge further there'd be the 'philanthropic' (the PR face of the billionaire class) types behind the scenes encouraging class warfare via deals to influence money-centric law.
Just thinking this morning about how money is just a set of formalised, legalised promises. We talk about it as if it is real and substantial, Donald Duck's Grandpa had gold coins in a pile that he used to jump into. But gold is just a token within the money system that is carefully managed as to its daily value for buying some real thing – hamburgers have been used as a standard for instance.
If we thought in our minds when we say money, that we are talking of fairydust we would be closer to understanding the real thing we speak of. And economists have worked out how fairydust is transferred and added value to and relates to real, physical things and real work either physical or mental.
And a Kiwi economist has made it big in his field and is speaking on Radionz about why we don't have to worry about robots and their effect on our degraded society. Get ready for some beautifully delivered fairydust tales for the political nursery school.
10:05 Kinley Salmon : Debunking the "robocalypse"
With all the talk of artificial intelligence and machine learning – does the technological revolution really mean that robots are knocking on the door to take many of our jobs? New Zealand economist Kinley Salmon says there is so much hype, it's hard to think straight. In his new book Jobs, Robots and Us, he argues that more people than ever are in work in New Zealand, technology isn't something that just happens to us, and that the future of work is in our own hands.
Audio later
Audio: Link supplied by a human!
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018695990/kinley-salmon-debunking-the-robocalypse
We The Beeple
The Wire was set in the time when crack cocaine was flooding the ghettoes of the US courtesy of Reagan;s covert war against the Sandinista govt in Nicaragua.
Gary Webb broke the story, only to be shunned by his fellow journalists (remind you of anyone?)vilified and discredited .Later he was vindicated, too late to save his life . He committed suicide..if shooting yourself twice in the head is a thing.
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu//NSAEBB/NSAEBB2/index.html
During the first series the FBI guy talks about how things have changed since the towers fell and heroin being sold on the street is branded WMD and Bin Laden. So it's probably set around 2003.
It's pretty much contemporary with the time of filming. It's not a period piece.
Great characters. Really sophisticated plots. Amazing lines and scenes (my personal favourite was the scene examination conducted purely with the word "fuck"). And Idris.
Ford has announced it will lay off 7,000 workers worldwide. Pretty shocking. That's a small town out of work.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12232788
I imagine that a lot of the people who read and comment on this site will applaud. Ford, after all, make those evil cars and trucks that are, at least in Greenies view, destroying the world. Get them all off the road. Let people go back to the 19th century and take a train or walk
At least I imagine what our resident idiot MP Genter would say. The only cars that should be allowed on the streets of Wellington will be her beloved Beemer Limo's.
Sometimes infantile hyperbole doesn't work.
Agree, AB. Alwyn usually tries to seem literate and intelligent, but that one was just plain silly.
"We are stting in a leaky boat without an oar"
Why? – as Jacinda's policy to tackle climate change has evaporated sady for her generation and her offspring's..
So arresting journalists and handing down prison terms is the new norm. Thanks censorship crowd.
https://www.thecanary.co/feature/2019/05/15/today-a-nato-country-sentenced-this-woman-to-nearly-two-years-in-jail-for-journalism/
There's nothing new about Turkey imprisoning journalists.
https://cpj.org/imprisoned/2016.php
*slow hand clap*
Way to miss the point joe90…
WTF was your point?
Ring the bells! Sound the trumpets!
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12232792
The Government will provide almost $40 million in funding for ambulance services in a bid to relieve the pressure some of the providers are under.
But speaking to media this morning, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters gave a strong hint the Government was planning to fully fund St John in the near future.
"I very confident that we can look forward to a day, and not very far from now, where 95 per cent of the needs of St Johns is funded from central Government."
Although he was confident, he said he was not speaking for "the whole Cabinet, at this point in time".
Having taken a ride in a ambulance a few weeks ago and chatting with the paramedic (over the awful clattering of the vehicle as it negotiated the bends of our sealed but twisty rural roads) I am very, very happy about this.
I'll be positively orgasmic if Cabinet agrees to fund at least 95% of the service…Winston might be forgiven a few of his sins if he can pull this off.
Well done.
Sounds great Rosemary.
As long as it doesn't end in further cuts to rural services greysie.
No that would be bad Gabby. Is the idea that the funding will be made available from reducing services elsewhere? Rural people need more, not less for sure.
The idea would be that once central government controls the finances it'll decide where it gets the biggest bang for its buck.
I see why the Winston First Party survives. People like Rosemary, after 40 years of disappointment, still believe Winston's lies.
Actually it would be very easy to provide the full cost of running the New Zealand Ambulance services. All that is needed is to stop the taxpayer funding Winston's hobby of horse-racing. In order to keep the finances of the NZF party healthy, and to keep Winnie happy with his part ownership of racehorses, the taxpayer is throwing ever more money at all weather tracks.
Originally it was just one track in the Waikato, probably at Cambridge. Now he has wound the ante up to 3 tracks, at Cambridge, at Awapuni and in the South Island. The largesse will come out of the Peters/Jones $3 billion slush fund. If we spent the money, which is probably up to $40 million for horses by this time, we could pay the full cost of ambulance services immediately.
Let's do it.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/sport/other/ardern-says-new-10m-all-weather-horse-racing-track-protect-significant-losses
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12091937
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12231683
Hmmm …
Now: " it would be very easy to provide the full cost of running the New Zealand Ambulance services."
Then:
"PM Bill English told The AM Show on Monday ambulance operators are "not asking for full funding, we're not promising full funding … The proportion of funding is fairly high, and as I understand it has been steady over the years. When you visit the ambulance services they have got pretty good gear these days. Their staff are very well-trained."
(May 2017)
It's amazing how many "easy" things National never got around to doing, isn't it?
Full funding is a pretty cheap promise and relatively easy to do. All that is true.
Bill English was right. The Ambulance service in NZ is pretty good. Modern equipment and well staffed with people who are expert at their job. In recent years all the St Johns equipment has gone through a huge level of upgrade.
The main reason why St Johns has not wanted full funding has been to preserve their independence. Total full funding makes that difficult. Even a small amount of donations (relative to the total cost) has helped preserve their independence.
It will be interesting to see if St Johns will be able to continue to be independent as they have historically been.
The Ambulance service in NZ is pretty good
thanks heavesn for fundraising, volunteer work – aka unpaid work, bake sales and that stuff so that government actually ahs got nothing else to do but pay your wages and perks right?
and i for one am sure you will want that ambulance service the day you keel over and need one. would be too bad if they showed up in a vehicle from the fifties.
I used to work for the AA before i opened my business, the pretty good gear breaks down regularly cause it is not pretty good, just extremely well maintained by the unpaid staff, you arrogant do nothing know nothing.
People don't have as much free time to donate to St John these days it takes more to make ends meet for everyone. We get a professional service we should pay for it.
I recall my old man was attending the rugby every few weekends in season as a St John representative, he never got a dime but it was a windfall for us kids when we went: all the recycle soft drink bottles. Two cents each, two cents was money!
Dad was never into rugby, but as a local St John guy he fulfilled his obligations. On top of helping loads of players he saved a few people after bad accidents in our village too.
He never once appreciated that government took their service for granted, and it's been an awful long time.
From my understanding, if there are St Johns attending Saturday sport – St Johns are being paid by the sporting organisation.
Sacred Heart (Auckland)has St Johns attending Saturday winter sport. The St Johns staff were called on the day 2 boys being knocked out and a broken bone and that was only the 9:00 games !!! – To cover the costs there is a coffee/Hot Chocolate stand and the old boys cover any shortfalls, great idea by the school, and I would recommend any to seek & support the coffee service.
Thanks Herodotus. Back in the day the club might of donated to St Johns, but the actual officer didn't get paid. A free feed occasionally, but not expected. The public however were very supportive of Dad, their gratitude was obvious.
It was even noted by some parents when he was at Te Aroha baths that they felt safer having their kids swim with him present. Then we nearly lost my brother in the same place – translucent water hid him at the bottom Dad's foot hit something and he hauled him out already unconscious.
It must be hard being held in esteem, only to be human.
What was their reasoning for wanting to be 'independent'?
People like Rosemary, after 40 years of disappointment, still believe Winston's lies.
I do?
What lies is Winston telling that you are assuming I believe?
Peters does nothing without a political motive and most of the time it is his privileged mates and supporters who benefit.
This time, if his machinations pay off, we all benefit.
Potentially.
Good stuff. The ambulance service should be a 100% public funded service, just like police etc. This 'charity' model is bullshit that only exists to allow the wealthy to avoid paying their share.
Mining our vanished past for fertiliser. Isn't that a great analogy of what is happening to us every day.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018695982/mining-company-we-have-good-motives-here
A fossil Galaxias fish from Foulden Maar. Photo credit Jon Lindqvist.
Fossil leaves from Foulden Maar. Photo credit Jennifer Bannister.
A fossil leaf from Foulden Maar. Photo credit Tammo Reichgelt.
A short section of core from the Foulden Maar deposit, showing annual layers (alternating yellowish and dark layers) along with underwater landslide events (thicker dark layers). Photo credit Bethany Fox.
100x magnification of a 23-million-year-old leaf cuticle (Litsea calicarioides) from Foulden Maar, showing stomata (white) and epidermal cells (purple). Photo credit Tammo Reichgelt.
A fossil flower (Fouldenia staminosa) from Foulden Maar. Photo credit Jennifer Bannister.
Getz Ice Shelf on the Antarctic coast Credit: NASA/Dick Ewers
The overseas mining company seeking to expand its operation next to a fossil rich geological site of international significance in Otago, says it has good motives, and is surprised by the negative reaction. Plaman Resources is 50.9% owned by the Mayasian business Iris Corp, and 49% owned by two Australian businessmen. It has a permit to mine diatomite in Middlemarch at Foulden Maar – a 23-million-year-old crater lake at Middlemarch – and is seeking permission to buy the neighbouring property to expand the mine. The diatomite is brand named "Black Pearl" and sold as stock feed. The plan has run into strong opposition from some locals, concerned scientists and former Prime Minister Helen Clark. Kathryn talks with co-founder and CEO of Plaman Resources, Peter Plakadis.
Thanks Grey – good analogy, and nice photos.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/05/17/588070/fossil-dirt-nutrition-claims-under-doubt
On later on Radionz. Rod Oram first about tourism goals, which may be related to the next one on m/billionaires coming here for boltholes!
11:30 New Zealand's billionaire doomsday preppers
A new VICE documentary attempts to track down the overseas billionaires building boltholes in New Zealand. "Hunt for the Bunker People" follows freelance journalist Baz Mcdonald as he investigates why the super rich are looking to buy land in Queenstown as "apocalypse insurance."
As Baz comes to terms with the causes of this paranoia, he considers the implication for Queenstown's shrinking middle class. He joins Kathryn to speak about the documentary and what he plans to do next with his investigation.
Hunt for the Bunker People screens on VICE will be on SKY On Demand and SKY GO until May 23rd.
Insurance love it or hate it – need it.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018695812/earthquake-damage-insurance-dr-megan-woods
Does earthquake insurance need a fundamental rethink as private insurers trim their books and EQC gets out of contents insurance?
Kathryn Ryan speaks with the minister responsible for the Earthquake Commission, Dr Megan Woods.
Changes to the Earthquake Commission Act come into affect on July 1st.
They include an increase in the cap on EQC residential building cover from $100,000 to 150,000, a withdrawal of contents cover, and more transparency if earthquake claims have been made on a house in the past.
The Lord of the Great Grift is one step closer to getting exposed. A federal judge has ruled his accountants have to turn over his paperwork to Congress.
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/20/politics/mazars-trump-records/index.html
Best not reveal anything that might undermine the narrative.
Two left wing NGOs, Yesh Din and Emek Shaveh, filed a petition under the Freedom of Information Act to reveal the identities of archaeological sites and archaeologists working in the West Bank. According to Emek Shaveh, the High Court ruled to conceal the identities of the locations and archaeologists.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/High-Court-rules-archaeologists-identities-and-digs-in-West-Bank-remain-undisclosed-590167
Supreme Court rejects NGOs petition, arguing that publishing information publicly could expose archaeologists to academic boycott and undermine Israel’s position in future diplomatic negotiations.
https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.premium-west-bank-archaeological-digs-must-not-be-made-public-israel-s-top-court-rules-1.7255369
Here’s the result of David Seymour’s incitement of violence toward Golriz Ghahraman the other day.
Now she has to have a police escort to protect her from violent white supremacist RWNJs. This clearly proves it is far right creeps like David Seymour who are undermining the decency and safety of New Zealand society.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/05/golriz-ghahraman-gets-police-security-escort-following-seymour-menace-comments.html
Happy now, David?
Rubbish. That's got zip nothing to do with counter terrorism operations. Fuck all to do with it, except to demonstrate how woke you are.
Aww. Did joe90 get under your skin, sweetheart?
Your concern for Golriz lasted as long as your woke delusions.
You're angry. Go for a walk to clear your head.
My emotions have zip fuck all to do with your knowledge and skills of counter terrorism.
Please don’t go down this path, you two.
Being a good moderator you'll be able to see that Sam needs a break.
as the woke nutter whispers sweet nothings into people's ears.
Hmmm, holidays for singles are becoming more popular it seems …
I’m a lousy moderator but I do like gifting holidays for couples …
Don't drag me into it. You'll notice I've not responded to Sam after your suggestion. Sam? Not so much.
Why should I respect you, Incognito or anyone else's?
Don’t respect me but please (!) respect my requests (plural) to cut out the personal shit. Pointless personal shit is just that. You’ve already taken too much of my time.
Appreciated.
what the fuck are you on about. This is like the 100th time you've threatened to ban me. Fuck me. You give a dork a little bit of power and it goes straight to there head.
I quite happily let you ban yourself, if you like. You think you can handle the power, Sam? The only question might be: for how long?
* their
i genuinely snorted my drink when I read that – very funny.
Look at the people around you, incognito. Some times it's best to just focus on the people who give a dam.
so asides from anything the woke Australian Green Party leader decided he'd lead a caravan up the Australian coast signalling the virtues of thrift and cleanliness. Net result was 4% swing to the liberals and then in NZ, more woke nutters.
Who's wokey cuckysambam?
[Given my earlier requests here on OM to cut out the pointless personal shit, this looks like a deliberate provocation of Sam who seems unable to control himself when provoked and you know it – Incognito]
fuck off time waster
See my Moderation note @ 5:17 PM.
I thought that you had received a ban Sam. Your abusive comments deserve abusive description – they are shit. And your abuse isn't even high-class stuff. You are lowering the tone of this blog and you haven't said anything of value except your own lame opinions. We have plenty of those ourselves, in our own rubbish bins, and yours belong in yours.
Depends if you desire to be a super moderator or a super debater because when it's moderated it's actually not debating, wonder if this place is still for robust debate anymore. Where I come from debates can turn into fist fights. Besides that I was under the impression that I had received a permanent ban at one point for breaking some code of behaviour or something rather than the content of what I was saying ie moderated for ideological reasons rather than causing harm to some ones fragile frame of mind.
I don’t want to ban Sam or anybody else for that matter. I would like him (and others) to cut out the pointless personal shit and get on with robust debate. All it takes is a small change in online behaviour that will have large positive effects on the tone on/of this site.
Charming.
(google translation)
Stockholm’s general shelters are in poor condition.
In the event of a crisis or war, they could not be used, according to the real estate office.
And there is no money to fix them.
Stockholm city is responsible for 22 active shelters. But none of them meet the requirements – and they cannot fulfill their function as shelters in the event of a crisis or war, Mitt i [local free ‘zine] can now reveal.
The protective shelters are used today as, for example, garages. But the city is obliged to be able put them in service within 48 hours, which is currently not possible. It appears from the real estate office’s budget for the years 2020-2022.
What would happen if there was a crisis or war?
– We can’t handle the 48 hour limit. It is a question of how to plan, says Thomas Schillén, property manager at the real estate office.
In order to be able to use the protective shelters, good ventilation, shock wave doors and toilets are required. It would take many millions to be able to fix them, money missing from the budget.
– We have got a tightening of the new majority and have not received any new funds. We are tightening our staff and have other projects that take a lot of money, “says Thomas Schillén
https://mitti.se/nyheter/skyddsrum-oanvandbara-renovering/?omrade=hela-stockholm
Aww..
#milkshake
300 million quid a week, one milkshake at a time.
milkshakes – the new rotten eggs and tomatoes.
The government announced yesterday the appointment of five new Deputy Chairpersons to the Human Rights Review Tribunal. Legislation has been tweaked to allow these Deputy Chairperson to make and write up decisions.
" This Government has acknowledged the unacceptable backlog of cases before the Human Rights Review Tribunal that developed under the previous National Government and we have taken action by establishing the Deputy Chairperson positions to help reduce the growing backlog,” says Aupito William Sio. "
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/new-support-human-rights-review-tribunal
Unfortunately, one of these Deputy Chairpersons has proven herself to be less than impartial and has, over the decade she spent fighting against disabled people and their chosen family carers, chosen to engage in tactics that in my opinion bring the profession of lawyer in (further) disrepute.
I have sat an listened to her deliberately misinform and misrepresent our situation and on more than one occasion has actually made statements that in any other venue would be considered lying.
Martha Coleman markets herself as being a 'human rights specialist'.. and yes she has had much experience in arguing against claims brought under NZBORA and the HRA.
In the case of family carers being paid to provide the disability supports an eligible person has been assessed as needing her tactics failed (in numerous venues) as the lawyers from the Office of Human Rights Proceedings won the case by simply telling the truth and presenting the facts to the Tribunal and the Courts.
Reality will occasionally prevail.
One aspect of Coleman's career that has always intrigued me is the fact that while she was being paid by Crown Law to prepare the case against family carers she was also a member of the National Advisory Council for the Employment Of Women who stated in their March 2008 report…
NACEW supports a framework for family caring that is based on the following principles: •that the unique contribution of family carers is the provision of emotional and associative care and this needs to be recognised and valued as a priority •that formal care packages are comprehensive responses to the intensity of a client’s needs, and do not make assumptions about the family supports available •that a client and their family members can opt for greater family involvement in care arrangements and negotiate the basis of their involvement within the care package provided •that individual family members who are contracted into explicit service roles have similar protections and rights as other workers.
https://women.govt.nz/sites/public_files/NACEW-Financial-support-for-family-carers-2008.pdf
Yes, I get that lawyers have to be able to argue both sides of an issue convincingly…that's probably why so many end up in politics…but to have read the above, and listened to Coleman enthusiastically and with some malice argue against it, to me calls into question her suitability to participate in decision making for a Tribunal dedicated to upholding human rights.
The fact that Coleman leveled some of her invective against me personally most certainly colours my view.
Waiting in anticipation for the report into National Party culture that was promised us once the report on Parliament culture was out. I can't seem to find it anywhere though. Wonder what's taking so long…
Too true, didn't simon say it would be released after the parliament report?
So that would be tomorrow then, should have been this afternoon.
Stuff just reported this: "Speaking during the first reading of the bill, National leader Simon Bridges said his party was supportive of the principles of the bill but National had "real differences" and expected to see change in select committee. The Government's flagship climate change bill – technically an amendment to an earlier law – would force future governments to set a series of "carbon budgets" over the next 30 years, declining until all long-lived emissions reach net zero at 2050. It will pass first reading on Tuesday afternoon." https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/112890233/national-supports-climate-change-bill-through-first-reading
"The proposed law is based on the United Kingdom's Climate Change Act. The bill would also set up an independent Climate Change Commission that would advise the Government on what these targets should be and how exactly governments should meet them. It would not have any independent power on its own. It's understood NZ First was particularly uncomfortable with talk about giving the commission Reserve Bank-like powers to set the emissions targets itself. Governments will also be required to set a plan for how they will respond to the various effects of climate change."
Karma's a wonderful thing.
Stuff: "MPs were "treated like gods" with a "master servant relationship". What about goddesses? Seems like it could be a case of unconscious sexism. Mistresses are sometimes into dominance too. There was a dominatrix in the headlines a while back, after the guy who had been paying to be dominated actually died.
And if you call them public servants, is it really all that surprising that MPs treat them as such? What part of the residual patriarchy is so hard to grasp?
Anyway, psychology aside, we will now have everyone carefully avoiding the implication that democracy creates toxic workplaces: "Parliament is a toxic workplace with a systemic bullying problem – Francis Review" – Andrea Vance https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/112865411/parliament-a-toxic-workplace-with-systematic-bullying-problem–francis-review
Good to see National supporting Shaw's climate bill into Parliament through its first reading.
They will protest the methane level proposed on behalf of stock farmers, so this is the limits of Shaw's persuasion.
Not a bad result.
How politics is supposed to be done. Need more of this.
Can you expand on your criticisms of Martha Coleman a little more for me @ RMcD?
In what way has she spent "fighting against disabled people and their chosen family carers"? (for example).
I'm not suggesting in any way that your assertions are incorrect.
I'm just curious having known both Martha and brother Bruce in her formative years. Having seen how many of my peers have put comfy little lives over principle, nothing will surprise me, but I'm not yet ready to put Martha in that category.
btw @ lprent – not quite sure why this appears as 25, as opposed to 20.1 or 20.2. but it's possible I'm losing it
Actually, assume the worst (I’m losing it) – I’d hate to have you obsessing over a potential bug that isn’t
Often happens to me. I think I hit the reply to comment button, then after I post it shows up at the bottom of the thread. Remedy is highlight what you wrote, ctrl C to copy it, then delete comment. Then hit the reply button to the comment you want to respond to, ctrl V to copy your response into the new window, post it and watch to ensure it does publish in the right place.
Coleman, working for Crown Law, was the lead in the defense for the Ministry of Health in 'Atkinson".
One of the better precis of the case here…https://www.hrc.co.nz/enquiries-and-complaints/faqs/caring-disabled-adult-family-members/
….and over on Public Address here….https://publicaddress.net/access/paying-family-carers-what-was-all-the-fuss/
As I admitted… The fact that Coleman leveled some of her invective against me personally most certainly colours my view.
I am one of those family carers.
I sat in on many of those hearings and watched her at work.
I was part of the last group to be represented by the OHRP against the Crown and the Ministry, and up until the final straight Martha 'these people have a sense of entitlement' Coleman was the Crown appointed assassin.
And oh, how she seemed to love her work.
Yeah, yeah, lawyers are supposed to use every trick in the book to make the opposition look like shit…but come on…there are limits, surely?
As I said…misinformation, malicious misrepresentation (well it seemed like malice from where I was sitting) and callous disregard for the people with disabilities who would die without appropriate hands- on care and those of us who provided that care…in many cases where the Ministry's own contracted providers refused to because the Ministry would not fund that level of care.
Even after losing in Atkinson and Spencer, Coleman dug in when it came to our case (King). It beggared belief as for all intents and purposes we were the same as the Atkinson and Spencer cases. Arguably the level of complexity in the care required from and by the King plaintiffs was measurably higher than in the previous cases.
In my particular case she argued that I was claiming to be paid for doing what 'every one else does for love'.
The Ministry's own records show that at least 40 other spouses were being paid by the Ministry for providing care for their partner…and we had met some of these couples who couldn't understand why we were not given the same accommodation by the Ministry.
However…Coleman knew this, must have gained at least a smidgen of an inkling what our lives are like…she sat through enough hearings and read enough of our submissions….you'd think, you'd hope, that at some point she'd actually back off and advise the Crown that the right thing to do would be to put the injustice and the discrimination right.
But, no. And this time last year I was girding up my delicate bits to sit in a court room and listen to Coleman yet again argue a case she had already lost on more than one occasion.
Orders came from Higher Up later last year that the Crown were to settle our case.
Coleman et al suddenly disappeared from the opposition benches and new Crown Lawyers brought in to try and make nice.
I occasionally fantasize that Coleman et al perhaps, in a fit of conscience, deliberately threw Atkinson and Spencer…but no. What they did do, and quite successfully, was to manage to stall any resolution for the rest of us so that National had time to concoct the Part 4 amendment to the PHD Act.
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2013/0022/latest/whole.html
Bastards.
Coleman played a significant role in a saga that has left many in the non ACC disability community, especially those with very high support needs who want to live in their own homes, feeling marginalised. And abused. And totally disillusioned with 'the system'.
I'm sure she'll look back in pride at her work.
Such is the nature of the law and a good many in the legal profession (as we all know from the bullying and misogyny that's become public recently).
I've known a few perfectly 'nice' people that turn into complete arseholes in a court room because its all about winning. If it were me, I'd be more pissed off with MoH – though not surprised given the state of much of our public service these days.
But maybe she has turned into a complete bitch. It'd be a hell of a change over a lifetime though
I'd be more pissed off with MoH –
Heh. I am pretty sure that Coleman's style perfectly complimented the Misery of Health's intent.
Where do progressives go for comfort these days. In the USA they are almost up to two figures for shaming rape and sex between men and women if not married. Reading a book of Russian theory The Foundations of Geopolitics by Alexander Dugin there is this:
Foundations engages with obscure strains in 20th-century fascism, relying heavily, for example, on theorist Julius Evola, who advised Mussolini and the SS and promoted extreme misogyny as well as racism for use by the Russian elite. All sex for Evola is rape and a woman outside the home “a monkey.” He and Dugin both sneer that modern men—not to mention gays, lesbians, and transsexuals—are “feminized.” In the Evola-Dugin playbook, sexual and racist anxieties lie at the root of today’s Russian fascism. And with but slight qualification, one can see Rob Porter, Steve Bannon (an Evola fan), Roy Moore, and Donald Trump as decadent facsimiles.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-far-right-book-every-russian-general-reads
The Christchurch shooter has been charged with terrorism.
What are the implications for all other white supremacists in New Zealand?
Will they now, (finally), be put on the official terror watch list?
Will their organisations now be ruled 'terrorist organisations' under the Suppression Of Terrorism Act?
Will members and organisers of white supremacist and fascist groups face arrest if they try to hold triumphalist public parades and rallies?
Will publicly displaying fascist regalia and flags become a crime, as it is in Germany?
And if not, why not?
Should specific amendments be made to Suppression of Terrorism Act to suppress and disrupt White Supremacist organisations?
<a href="https://apnews.com/703d6b9cdd0d4da78e6ad0fc14f0ffa8" rel="nofollow">https://apnews.com/703d6b9cdd0d4da78e6ad0fc14f0ffa8</a>
Kia ora Newshub.
seenothing any publisty is good publicity to some .
I say the Skypath project for cycling and walking is awesome good that the project is going to start.
M8 I'm going to pop the balloons of these new partys Tamaki don't you get the big picture you are going to help the people who have been disrespecting tangata whenua FOOL.
I brought some cheap honey it didn't even have a sweet taste. Honey is has been a medicine for thousands of years and Maori tohunga have been healing tangata for thousands of years to.
Tavita wahine is being lead around the mulberry Bush of the justice system if they were wealthy there would have been people paying for his death that's the system Whanau.
I'm not even going to comment on that fool who can't see past his own faith fool in Britain.
All I can say is I feel for the rabbit wahine in Christchurch I love my pets to maybe start a give a little page to help pay for your rabbits vacation
Ka kite ano
Kia ora team ao Maori News.
Tamiki is just going to help national float there toilet I have all ready give my view to not impress with him or Naro trying float his christen party to they both have egos that make them think te ra revolvers around them.
The parliament staff problems is going to get sorted as for Tau what insults did he say to Trevor for that to happen
Kia ora to Maori growing kiwifruit there are heaps of places in Te taiwhiti to grow kiwifruit it could easily be grown organically to big bucks.
It's awesome that Ngati Porou are going to get the right we want from the crown
For ower Coast and Tangaroa
The Whana of the Pike river mine will be happy it is all finally coming to past and reveal what went wrong we know that the safety standards were dropped and that could have been the cause.
Ka kite ano
Kia ora The Am Show .
The students strive is a awesome way to get Neanderthals attention the pollies around the Papatuanuku are pandering to money and not their children future money is the phenomenon that causes policy to be made that is good for the 00.1% that's a fact.
A lot of consumer don't no the consumer laws but now days thanks to social media and Google we can check the laws.
Bridget Davis I tell the mokopuna you are what you eat I think you book Bridgets Healthy Kitchen is awesome I say a healthy gute is a fact .I need to clean up my diet ma te wa
In my view the poor commen tamariki are in a much better position with the Labour lead government if national was still in power poverty will still snowballing they would have a block on the subject and no one would be talking about it.
I agree with Duncan Tamiki won't make the 5% threshold to get into Parliament remember he has had a few brain FARTs.
Ka kite ano
Some Eco maori music for the minute
my devices are playing up
Some Eco Maori music for the minute
Eco maori champions wahine equal rights the Women of Influence award is a great way to achieve that goal of more Wahine getting into managing our Papatuanuku .
Nominations are open for the seventh annual Women of Influence awards, a celebration of change makers and inspiring women.
Sponsored by Stuff and Westpac, the awards have previously recognised politicians, philanthropists, businesswomen and artists.
Jackie Clark, of South Auckland social welfare charity The Aunties, won the supreme award last year. In 2017, former prime minister Helen Clark received the lifetime achievement award. Kate kite ano links below
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/women-of-influence/112888859/know-any-women-of-influence-awards-look-to-honour-change-makers
Kia ora Newshub.
Its is good that the IPCA has stated that the police chaser was at fault now that a problem has been admitted prosess can be put in place to minimize the losses of life.
Bit of drama with the ambulances people wages.
I have had a good flue it was Monday when I got it a week ago .
Those Christians political parties will take us back 100years with their neanderthal views.
Students strike is what is needed to get the common people view out there above the oil barons $$$$$$$$$$ it is there future we are stuffing NOW.
I feel for the people who are in the atrocitie weather that is happening in America at the minute the common people will suffer the most.
The Queen keeping up with technology the shopping kiosk are very good no need to talk to anyone I have a swarm of puppets following me around. Kate kite ano
Kia ora te ao Maori news
I have said that the 2 new Christian political party's will drag Aotearoa back 100years.
It's awesome that Ngati Porou is finally getting our mana back to care for Tangaroa and his creation.
Its better to have a Labour lead government helping tangata whenua than a national lead government that takes from the poor and gives to the wealthy FOOL not everyone is going to be happy its quite hard for that phenomenon in Maoridom
Cool Maori art on display at the Auckland airport it gives Eco Maori a sore face to see all the interest in Maori culture and te reo now it was not like that just a few years ago.
Ka kite ano