Simon Bridges works tirelessly in front of the camera. His face is the most known in the length and breadth of Aotearoa. Forever portraying Himself. Bits and Pieces.
While his unsteady assistant Paula, plays bowls from time to time, blatantly releasing highly private material. Her Face is likely well known too.
Which is why I hope Simon Bridges – New Zealand's most known man – gets confirmed in the role he chooses this coming Friday.
We will miss him like heck – if he throws in his Towel. Camera tossed from the Sky Tower. And all that.
Two Faces National. These two are the Only persons known in the National paddock.
And God forbid, if David Seymore's strange dancing ass gets accepted. Bodies all over the place. Endless Bodies. Endless bodies and big money everywhere. No Thanks
Fascinating interview with Hooten on RNZ – he is knifing Bridges hard and talking up Todd Muller (who?).
The National party chickens are coming home to roost, with the number of fundies who have won seats meaning the social conservatives and liberal are now split into two factions – in one corner we have the Evangelical wing & the culture warriors coalesced around Bridges and his happy clappy brother in law, in the other the pragmatic, power at all costs brigade with Todd Muller and Nikki Kaye (likely to lose her seat on this polling).
Well, Michelle Boag, the wicked witch of Waiheke, is also putting the boot into Bridges on RNZ and pushing Muller just now. She is more grandiloquent than connected these days, but she probably represents a strand of National party grandee thinking.
Simon might be in front today, but the push to persuade the wavering MPs is clearly on and if tonight poll is equally bad for National then it may be Simon loses, or worse wins on his own vote only.
So – with Todd Muller – working on placing the Farmers as the Government of New Zealand, the Cities and Towns will turn their backs on Mr and Mrs Gum boots.
Don't do it Todd Boy. Cities and Industries, And multiple essential things are required in a Nation.
It’s quite something isn’t it, the way National Party commentators are practically willing the country into an historic recession so they can say “I told you so”.
As for the Nats losing ground. Colmar Brunton that’s due tonight was apparently polling up until yesterday evening so may capture some of the public sentiment developing as the proverbial hit the fan for the Nats.
Oz was doing really well until there was an outbreak in a meatworks in Victoria. Now they are back to where they were 30 days ago.
Meatworks have been hit particularly hard in Canada and the USA as well.
From what I heard they have been doing social distancing in NZ in meatworks and running double shifts. But that's led to problems with drought stricken farmers trying to get rid of stock and finding it hard to book in.
dunno about Canada, but US workers were told to come in even if ill.
There might also be stats on how centralised the US meat industry is comapred to NZ, but I don't know where. A farmer rep on the Daily Show was saying part of the problem is over the past few decades smaller regional plants have shut down in favour of a few larger facilities. If one in five plants goes down to 30% capacity, that's a major hit. If 2 in 15 go down to 30%, not so bad. And the ones at 100% are closer.
An AMAZING person who can nail her comments – I hope she goes far in the future, a real gem. I wouldn't be surprised if these same essential workers are the same that I see receiving handouts at Christmas time
But don't worry something is happening within National that is FAR MORE IMPORTANT !!
South Auckland cry: 'NZ wants to rebuild, but it's on our backs'
Kiwiblog's best commenter is theorising the National Party leadership challenge is a set up to make Simon look strong. They're all in on it, apparently.
Wouldn't like to be the National Party if this is true and the public find out…
Kiwiblog is ridiculous and irrelevant these days, Farrar has turned it into a platform for a parade of has-been detritus defending 1980s neoliberalism and the comments have re-housed all the wing nuts from whaleoil.
Farrar himself just wants to keep the money coming in to Curia, so he’ll hunt with the hares and run with the hounds.
Sometimes I go there, it is the modern day equivalent of the gruesome pleasure of a 18th Century tourist’ visiting Bedlam. A guilty pleasure, as it were.
The technicolour pustulence can be appealing when you're passing through. I do worry about some of the locals. The promoter always seems to be rolling in cash, villagers scrabbling at his hem.
For the public to find out there'd have to be a leaker and that's unlikely to happen isn't it? Chuckle chuckle.
Mind you if you're 'Kiwiblog's best commenter' you'd probably be quite good at playing the Kiwiblog/Farrar bullshit game and floating bullshit to create a picture you want painted.
The funny thing is that while I think Bridges is a twerp and an embarrassment to National there are other perspectives. I think for a supposed intelligent person he is dumb. He may not have got in a position to do something terrible, his Strike Force Raptor troops sorting the people were words, all piss and wind, he didn't get a chance to unleash them. On Thursday morning he's a political pariah. Did he perpetrate any evil?
John Key, 'Sir' John Key is a hero. His words about the GCSB may have been all piss and wind when it came to their relationship to truth and deed, but he had to chance to, and did what went on.
Line them up. One is like shandy made with non-alcoholic beer and one is Sunset Very Strong Rum with its 84.5% of alcohol.
If David Cormack is to be believed Simon Bridges had a evangelical conversion to a full on God botherer a couple of years ago. If that is true, it would explain his near fanatical conviction that he must – MUST! – bring down these Godless socialists.
Yes he is. The quiet infiltration of hard core evangelicals into National is something our ultra media opinionistas seem determined not to discuss, but it is clearly fuelling this split in National.
If the tory christians lose this caucus tussle, maybe the fortunes of minor parties of that space get a boost. Be interesting to hear how it plays out in the Nat party hierarchy beyond caucus, where the real power resides.
Nah the main groomers and child abusers these days are in schools teaching kids all about anal sex, trans delusions, and how it's wrong to judge people. Instead of showing kids how to be safe from predators
[Nice slur on teachers. Next time you try to make a concise point you could perhaps leave the denigration of a large professional group out of it, yes? As it stands, you come across as a disturbed troll with unresolved issues – Incognito]
Matthew 21:12-13 Jesus throws the moneylenders out of the temple
Luke 4:18-19 Jesus proclaims good news to the poor and oppressed
Matthew 25:37-40 Jesus warns of judgement against those who fail to care for the vulnerable and poor
etc etc
SiBri may have had a conversion to something but it wasn't the Way that Jesus preached. How easily those who dabble in church and don't bother to do the homework fall into relying on religious rules, rather than humbling themselves
The funniest 5 minutes on TV in ages was the Voxpop on the Bridges debacle last night. Still laughing on the classic Nat party garden party attender whose opinion of Jacinda was she wished she was leading the Nat party but when shown photos of Muller and Kaye replied " Amy someone" and "Simon Joyce ". Go Team.
Loved that moment too. A reminder to us lefties that a lot of National's support is based on cultural taxonomies and hierarchies. National represent the right sort of people who pay their bills and mow their lawns. Formal ideology, or any actual knowledge of what is happening in the world, come in second. It's quite sobering really, because it's so resistant to any form of persuasion, and insulting it just strengthens the underlying prejudice that the left is uncouth and unpleasant.
A Well summarised and analysed I think. Why it is very hard to move intelligent and efficacious policy in NZ. The myopic citizens of the comfortably-off (never rich) who surprisingly tend to be right-wing Gnats, don't want to see reality. That is as uncouth as it was to the lords and ladies of the Regency era in the light novels I read for stress-relief. That was then says my mind but – it parallels what I see with eyes wide open now, comes in an urgent whisper from the sidelines.
After some years as a tradesman, I found someone having a flash house and right wing views, was a fairly good indication that I needed to get a big deposit, up front.
transmission gully is in the shit. government has been talking about throwing everything at it. looks like the company is about to walk away from it as it would cost less than staying.
also, someone just took a 50ton digger to ripping parts of it up.
covid, everyone left and went back to australia. trucks, utes were found at wellington airport with the keys still in them.
Someone should ask Simon Bridges about that. When he gets a breather from the Nats infighting. That project has been heading for disaster even while he was the Transport Minister trying to persuade everybody it was on time and under budget.
What harsh winters? What a load of bollocks. That project was a dog from the start. National happily awarded the PPP to an Australian company who didn’t really have a clue what road building in NZ’s tricky geological conditions would require. So far the project has needed about 50% more earthworks than originally specced. They were bringing workers in from Australia, who’ve all gone home because of Covid. The ripping up the tarmac that you’ve mentioned is probably the latest effort at relaying work due to mistakes by the building consortium.
different weather up there mate. go read the reports on the slosh and frozen soil. the last winter or the one before where it rained so much no work could be done for months. same reason kapati express way keeps having issues, drainage to do with how the roads were laid. that was the fault of the contractors though, who are actually being contracted to fix it 😀
Last two winters down south have been bloody odd. There's a hole at the bottom of my road that the council has been meaning to fix for 12 months. Some of that is other reasons but the weather has definitely been an issue. Too much rain.
The sales pitch for PPPs like Transmission Gully was that the private parties would finance all the upfront costs and build it and wear the risks, and would then make their money by getting paid an ongoing annual fixed fee starting from when it was opened and operating.
So if the company is about to just walk away, then it looks to me like the PPP model says we should get all the work done so far for free, and the government could then just go ahead and complete the job and get it done at reduced cost with the bonus of not having to pay the annual operating fees.
Or did the National government lie about what PPPs really are and pull a bait and switch on us all when they signed up to the project?
There were always a couple of vehicles used by The Transmission gully workers around our way at night – must have accommodation in the area. Vehicles were there post lockdown but haven't seen them just recently. The plot thickens
Just browsing through the Health website and looked at the workforce tab. Asking both employees and organisations to register their needs.
My questions are:
– When and how and where the contracts to the agencies below awarded- what fees if any do they receive from public money or does the employer pay as usual and why was the decision made to use these two firms?
Beyond has been around a fair while and has always looked to be a mid – upper level agency but the Accent Health if I have the right one looks like it specialised pretty much in the recruitment of overseas health workers and getting visas. Not an obvious choice?
– while there may be a need to allocate available trained staff across the public health system – is this also being used to allocate people to by the private for profit healthcare sector in particular the aged care and outsourced care giving contracts? If it is being used by for profit providers why are they not being advised to advertise over the usual websites and for that matter be required to pay decent wages and have decent conditions of work?
-should public money be used to enhance private contracts
– Is the contract tracing outsourced and if so are they accessing the app data?
Accent Health Recruitment is matching health workers to roles by considering the qualifications and skill sets required, the location where the worker is needed, and the hours they would need to work. Beyond Recruitment is assisting with additional screening questions and reference checks to help determine suitability.
Matthew Paris from UK on Radionz this morning gave me a hollow laugh. Their private company Serco, the efficient operator of all things, has been given the government contract to be part of the Covid-19 tracing system.
Lots of people signing up for it, it would probably have ended up looking like running a bounty-hunter system like in the old USofA. And ballsed up right at the start, they sent one of the applicants a file with addresses of all the other applicants and Matthew Paris says, they now all know those contacts.
How the UK thought that their contracting out was going to be better for this delicate and important task than direct control I don't know. But under present political strictures from the USA's Milton Friedman et al it seems that UK gummint and others of similar mien (mean!), is set at being nothing but an expensive employment agency for ambitious nouveau riche jerks after perks.
Yeah , I have always thought a 4 day working week was the right balance in life, particularly if working for someone else! Bring it on Jacinda – it won,t make any difference to me , as self -employed I work any ,or all, seven days of the week I want to, or need to.
I recall my father once telling me a three day weekend would be perfect, "One day for the house, one day for the family and one for himself". And then he said, "Guess which one misses out at the moment".
Data manipulation in Florida and Georgia by Republican administrations to support re-opening of the state. Listen from 1m19s through to about 2m22s. Amazing. And so delusional to believe they could get away with it – at least when Stalin always reported exceeding his 5-year plans for steel production, there was no public information eco-system that allowed people to check.
Poor old Mike. Yesterday he claimed National could still win but today has conceded defeat.
Still claiming National won the election in 2017, etc. And on the Labour led government which has gained plaudits all over the world for its pandemic response he has this to say:
As opposed to a circus of a panicked, self-absorbed, spineless, self-interested former government that gave up at the first sign of trouble.
Try reading that bit you quoted again, in context! He's actually putting the boot into the Nats. And that's after a moment of honesty: "I have no idea." 🙃
"Unfortunately, for the last half-century, the prevailing political message in many countries has been that governments cannot – and therefore should not – actually govern. Politicians, business leaders, and pundits have long relied on a management creed that focuses obsessively on static measures of efficiency to justify spending cuts, privatization, and outsourcing.
As a result, governments now have fewer options for responding to the crisis, which may be why some are now desperately clinging to the unrealistic hope of technological panaceas such as artificial intelligence or contact-tracing apps. With less investment in public capacity has come a loss of institutional memory (as the UK’s government has discovered) and increased dependence on private consulting firms, which have raked in billions. Not surprisingly, morale among public-sector employees has plunged in recent year"
I thought this was an excellent extract to pass on pat. I have quoted it and you in a comment on TDB in Waatea News today. More people should read this summation I believe, and perhaps we could see more clearly.
Imagine if it seeded here. A Scott Base lab's popular Emperor Penguin turns ill. They pop it on a flight to the Christchurch vet school. Prof + 20 students develop a weird cough. As soon as they twigged I'd hope our Government would slam down on the region/city and secure it tightly. Stop all domestic movement. Aircraft, cars, buses, taxis trains, bikes, pedestrians, insist everyone locks down hard. With the exception of departing international flights. There will be lots of people not feeling well that need to get home to all points on the globe. I think we should follow WHO guidelines and halt all domestic movement but allow taxi, bus and Uber movement to the departure terminal of the Christchurch international airport.
You'd think someone would have had a little tinkle, even if not a full on leak, but yeah, waiting for the likely discrepancies between polls for the line to be reported as national are pulling it back etc.
I suppose I'll have to break a habit and actually watch tv news for a change.
There's a column in Stuff written by someone called Damian Grant. The blurb at the end says " Damien Grant is a regular columnist for Stuff, and an insolvency practitioner and business owner based in Auckland. He writes from a libertarian perspective and is a member of the Taxpayers Union' but not of any political party."
In writing about Todd Muller's writing as a 10 year of how he wanted to be American President, Grant says: " Now, I am not going to criticise a ten-year-old for outsized ambitions; this is the inevitable result of an education system that rewards participation rather than achievement."
What? I dreamt of being an All Black, a famous pop singer and climbing Mt Everest. The inevitable result of an education system that rewards participation rather than achievement I suppose?
I could have dreamt of being a silly arse and ended up being one. But what sort of an education system would it be if I ended up like Damian Grant?
Sentenced to 30 months' jail for fraud and says jail doesn’t change you, nat type shill, would rather buy a new phone than give to charity, and has an all round sort of tosser bigot vibe.
Grant clearly doesn't know anything about the education system – it has a mania for assessment mainly due to influential nitwits (like Grant) constantly demanding it. To cut him some slack, I guess all right-wing libertarians have been pyschically scarred by seeing the state intervene strongly and competently to save people from a deadly virus. And in addition save the economy from far worse damage than it would have experienced without that interference. Kind of blows their worldview to smithereens and makes them babble incoherently.
Why are the National party propagandists so good at unconscious irony?
After decades of pushing for an education system that rewards mindless rote learning, to pass constant narrow testing, he complains about education that "rewards participation rather than achievement".
The aggressive retort by party diplomats is designed to do what it's doing. It's working. It has nothing to do with annoying us and everything to do with no fuel at Chinese bowsers being Don's fault.
Yeah, I've been provoked into flipping out in an outrageous way before, I'm sure I'm not alone. I'm pleased I didn't do so in front of an armed Policeman. When flipping out, calculating the status of the people about is furthermost from your mind.
Nobody is evil to the core but it's hard not to wonder if some of these people being taken down aren't evil at all. They left their insulin in their other pants etc.
I think you're right, we can put wild animals to sleep with tranquiliser darts, we insist on it, anything else is Barbaric, why not humans.
That reminds me of Nigel Latta in his Beyond the Darklands programme. A young chap had spent years drinking and driving, had been through the courts and sent to prison a number of times, but over the years he'd also killed six people. This, according to Nigel Latta, meant that he was 'evil'. It really was quite incredible. Latta's approach in that show was always to interview the subject's friends and family about the person's background to try to explain their behaviour. People who knew this chap described him as essentially a good guy who was kind and worked hard and who'd give you the shirt off his back, but that when he drank he'd do stupid things. Nobody said a bad word against this guy apart from how he was when he drank. Latta went to the trouble of talking to these people presumably to get an insight into things, but still described him as 'evil'. It was an extraordinary conclusion, especially coming from someone who holds themselves out as an expert on 'human behaviour'.
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Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
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 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
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Better the devils you know…
Simon Bridges works tirelessly in front of the camera. His face is the most known in the length and breadth of Aotearoa. Forever portraying Himself. Bits and Pieces.
While his unsteady assistant Paula, plays bowls from time to time, blatantly releasing highly private material. Her Face is likely well known too.
Which is why I hope Simon Bridges – New Zealand's most known man – gets confirmed in the role he chooses this coming Friday.
We will miss him like heck – if he throws in his Towel. Camera tossed from the Sky Tower. And all that.
Two Faces National. These two are the Only persons known in the National paddock.
And God forbid, if David Seymore's strange dancing ass gets accepted. Bodies all over the place. Endless Bodies. Endless bodies and big money everywhere. No Thanks
Fascinating interview with Hooten on RNZ – he is knifing Bridges hard and talking up Todd Muller (who?).
The National party chickens are coming home to roost, with the number of fundies who have won seats meaning the social conservatives and liberal are now split into two factions – in one corner we have the Evangelical wing & the culture warriors coalesced around Bridges and his happy clappy brother in law, in the other the pragmatic, power at all costs brigade with Todd Muller and Nikki Kaye (likely to lose her seat on this polling).
Rent a rant doing as instructed or just having some fun probably filling up airtime.
They risk doing worse with an unskilled media operator but that's not an issue when the media's in your corner is it.
Well, Michelle Boag, the wicked witch of Waiheke, is also putting the boot into Bridges on RNZ and pushing Muller just now. She is more grandiloquent than connected these days, but she probably represents a strand of National party grandee thinking.
Simon might be in front today, but the push to persuade the wavering MPs is clearly on and if tonight poll is equally bad for National then it may be Simon loses, or worse wins on his own vote only.
Anything but real news I guess these days…..she's just another opinionator
Do you think Simon is bright enough to vote for himself?
Not so stupid as to offer a deal to Muller, "You vote for me and I'll vote for you!"
I'd be interested to know if any of these speculating talking heads have clients in the national caucus.
The Farm takes over ?
So – with Todd Muller – working on placing the Farmers as the Government of New Zealand, the Cities and Towns will turn their backs on Mr and Mrs Gum boots.
Don't do it Todd Boy. Cities and Industries, And multiple essential things are required in a Nation.
It’s quite something isn’t it, the way National Party commentators are practically willing the country into an historic recession so they can say “I told you so”.
Granny's done her bit today on that with the mouth being feed (nz businesses) biting the govt over not being like Oz.
The Herald's ambient bias is amazing. Trevett practically urging National to "not lose ground" is quite something.
And Hosking, he is frantic with worry.
Just as well hardly anyone reads it nowadays.
As for the Nats losing ground. Colmar Brunton that’s due tonight was apparently polling up until yesterday evening so may capture some of the public sentiment developing as the proverbial hit the fan for the Nats.
Oz was doing really well until there was an outbreak in a meatworks in Victoria. Now they are back to where they were 30 days ago.
Meatworks have been hit particularly hard in Canada and the USA as well.
From what I heard they have been doing social distancing in NZ in meatworks and running double shifts. But that's led to problems with drought stricken farmers trying to get rid of stock and finding it hard to book in.
Here's a graph (I hope)
Try linking.
Sorry the link is such a long but at the end is a pretty graph.
https://scontent.fwlg2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/99103830_1015063508887603_5323176634096812032_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=0YaLJ2lgBMkAX-FFD-e&_nc_ht=scontent.fwlg2-1.fna&oh=0855e86c2e3bf7238ffd96444a4bca1b&oe=5EECE234
That uptick in Australia shows up clearly. Unfortunate.
The silver lining is that this whole situation will do wonders for the synthetic meat industry.
why should facts get in the way of some RW spin being it's fronted by the COO of Fonterra…..one of the most incompetently managed organisations in NZ.
Up against Fletchers that's no mean feat.
Do you think meat works being hit hard in the USA and Canada has something to do with the temperature as well as hard to social distance on a line?
dunno about Canada, but US workers were told to come in even if ill.
There might also be stats on how centralised the US meat industry is comapred to NZ, but I don't know where. A farmer rep on the Daily Show was saying part of the problem is over the past few decades smaller regional plants have shut down in favour of a few larger facilities. If one in five plants goes down to 30% capacity, that's a major hit. If 2 in 15 go down to 30%, not so bad. And the ones at 100% are closer.
An AMAZING person who can nail her comments – I hope she goes far in the future, a real gem. I wouldn't be surprised if these same essential workers are the same that I see receiving handouts at Christmas time
But don't worry something is happening within National that is FAR MORE IMPORTANT !!
South Auckland cry: 'NZ wants to rebuild, but it's on our backs'
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12333389
Very impressive! Another wahine toa.( just looked it up – tamatai talavou in Samoan)
Wow! Street knowledge more powerful than you'd think. I wonder if it's ironic that she knows she's being pimped by the government?
https://youtu.be/UGkywE_uCEI
Farrar watch:
Kiwiblog's best commenter is theorising the National Party leadership challenge is a set up to make Simon look strong. They're all in on it, apparently.
Wouldn't like to be the National Party if this is true and the public find out…
Kiwiblog is ridiculous and irrelevant these days, Farrar has turned it into a platform for a parade of has-been detritus defending 1980s neoliberalism and the comments have re-housed all the wing nuts from whaleoil.
Farrar himself just wants to keep the money coming in to Curia, so he’ll hunt with the hares and run with the hounds.
his site traffic says otherwise.
A lot of people like watching bumfights for entertainment.
Sometimes I go there, it is the modern day equivalent of the gruesome pleasure of a 18th Century tourist’ visiting Bedlam. A guilty pleasure, as it were.
The technicolour pustulence can be appealing when you're passing through. I do worry about some of the locals. The promoter always seems to be rolling in cash, villagers scrabbling at his hem.
If you believe his site traffic statistics.
IRC Whale Oils were like 2/3 apple safari views …
It's an ugly site, I had a look the other day, just looks old, boring, stale…
For the public to find out there'd have to be a leaker and that's unlikely to happen isn't it? Chuckle chuckle.
Mind you if you're 'Kiwiblog's best commenter' you'd probably be quite good at playing the Kiwiblog/Farrar bullshit game and floating bullshit to create a picture you want painted.
The funny thing is that while I think Bridges is a twerp and an embarrassment to National there are other perspectives. I think for a supposed intelligent person he is dumb. He may not have got in a position to do something terrible, his Strike Force Raptor troops sorting the people were words, all piss and wind, he didn't get a chance to unleash them. On Thursday morning he's a political pariah. Did he perpetrate any evil?
John Key, 'Sir' John Key is a hero. His words about the GCSB may have been all piss and wind when it came to their relationship to truth and deed, but he had to chance to, and did what went on.
Line them up. One is like shandy made with non-alcoholic beer and one is Sunset Very Strong Rum with its 84.5% of alcohol.
If David Cormack is to be believed Simon Bridges had a evangelical conversion to a full on God botherer a couple of years ago. If that is true, it would explain his near fanatical conviction that he must – MUST! – bring down these Godless socialists.
Wasn't his brother-in-law already on that path?
Yes he is. The quiet infiltration of hard core evangelicals into National is something our ultra media opinionistas seem determined not to discuss, but it is clearly fuelling this split in National.
If the tory christians lose this caucus tussle, maybe the fortunes of minor parties of that space get a boost. Be interesting to hear how it plays out in the Nat party hierarchy beyond caucus, where the real power resides.
All those kiddy-fiddlers from those collapsed so-called "Christian "parties had to go somewhere.
Nah the main groomers and child abusers these days are in schools teaching kids all about anal sex, trans delusions, and how it's wrong to judge people. Instead of showing kids how to be safe from predators
[Nice slur on teachers. Next time you try to make a concise point you could perhaps leave the denigration of a large professional group out of it, yes? As it stands, you come across as a disturbed troll with unresolved issues – Incognito]
well, that went south quickly.
Or North, hemisphere depending.
See my Moderation note @ 11:46 AM.
Noted. Apologies for the angry outburst
Ta
It may feel like a thankless, even bleak task at times, but it's an important responsibility. You do it better than I ever managed.
Matthew 21:12-13 Jesus throws the moneylenders out of the temple
Luke 4:18-19 Jesus proclaims good news to the poor and oppressed
Matthew 25:37-40 Jesus warns of judgement against those who fail to care for the vulnerable and poor
etc etc
SiBri may have had a conversion to something but it wasn't the Way that Jesus preached. How easily those who dabble in church and don't bother to do the homework fall into relying on religious rules, rather than humbling themselves
The funniest 5 minutes on TV in ages was the Voxpop on the Bridges debacle last night. Still laughing on the classic Nat party garden party attender whose opinion of Jacinda was she wished she was leading the Nat party but when shown photos of Muller and Kaye replied " Amy someone" and "Simon Joyce ". Go Team.
Loved that moment too. A reminder to us lefties that a lot of National's support is based on cultural taxonomies and hierarchies. National represent the right sort of people who pay their bills and mow their lawns. Formal ideology, or any actual knowledge of what is happening in the world, come in second. It's quite sobering really, because it's so resistant to any form of persuasion, and insulting it just strengthens the underlying prejudice that the left is uncouth and unpleasant.
A Well summarised and analysed I think. Why it is very hard to move intelligent and efficacious policy in NZ. The myopic citizens of the comfortably-off (never rich) who surprisingly tend to be right-wing Gnats, don't want to see reality. That is as uncouth as it was to the lords and ladies of the Regency era in the light novels I read for stress-relief. That was then says my mind but – it parallels what I see with eyes wide open now, comes in an urgent whisper from the sidelines.
"Pay their bills"?
Except their tax bills?
After some years as a tradesman, I found someone having a flash house and right wing views, was a fairly good indication that I needed to get a big deposit, up front.
Heh.
"Between the idea and the reality ….falls the Shadow"
Some news for you.
transmission gully is in the shit. government has been talking about throwing everything at it. looks like the company is about to walk away from it as it would cost less than staying.
also, someone just took a 50ton digger to ripping parts of it up.
covid, everyone left and went back to australia. trucks, utes were found at wellington airport with the keys still in them.
make of that what you will.
Someone should ask Simon Bridges about that. When he gets a breather from the Nats infighting. That project has been heading for disaster even while he was the Transport Minister trying to persuade everybody it was on time and under budget.
I can tell you it mostly was. It was a couple of harsh winters and now covid, which I think has put the nail in.
What harsh winters? What a load of bollocks. That project was a dog from the start. National happily awarded the PPP to an Australian company who didn’t really have a clue what road building in NZ’s tricky geological conditions would require. So far the project has needed about 50% more earthworks than originally specced. They were bringing workers in from Australia, who’ve all gone home because of Covid. The ripping up the tarmac that you’ve mentioned is probably the latest effort at relaying work due to mistakes by the building consortium.
Yep. See article linked below. https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-05-2020/#comment-1713753
different weather up there mate. go read the reports on the slosh and frozen soil. the last winter or the one before where it rained so much no work could be done for months. same reason kapati express way keeps having issues, drainage to do with how the roads were laid. that was the fault of the contractors though, who are actually being contracted to fix it 😀
Last two winters down south have been bloody odd. There's a hole at the bottom of my road that the council has been meaning to fix for 12 months. Some of that is other reasons but the weather has definitely been an issue. Too much rain.
the road was ripped up by an angry employee a few days ago. it's being kept hush hush. not a lot of goodwill out there.
Can't beat local knowledge. 🙂
Contractors that don't know, weather occurs. LOL.
According to my local info it was about a year behind 2 years ago
The sales pitch for PPPs like Transmission Gully was that the private parties would finance all the upfront costs and build it and wear the risks, and would then make their money by getting paid an ongoing annual fixed fee starting from when it was opened and operating.
So if the company is about to just walk away, then it looks to me like the PPP model says we should get all the work done so far for free, and the government could then just go ahead and complete the job and get it done at reduced cost with the bonus of not having to pay the annual operating fees.
Or did the National government lie about what PPPs really are and pull a bait and switch on us all when they signed up to the project?
Exactly, and all the gear is leased so let the leasor take it back and then rent it for a fraction of the price and get the new MOW finish it. Sorted.
Good detail about all of that: https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2020/05/06/times-up-for-ppps/
There were always a couple of vehicles used by The Transmission gully workers around our way at night – must have accommodation in the area. Vehicles were there post lockdown but haven't seen them just recently. The plot thickens
Marvelous.
https://twitter.com/ProjectLincoln/status/1263204731570307073
Just browsing through the Health website and looked at the workforce tab. Asking both employees and organisations to register their needs.
My questions are:
– When and how and where the contracts to the agencies below awarded- what fees if any do they receive from public money or does the employer pay as usual and why was the decision made to use these two firms?
Beyond has been around a fair while and has always looked to be a mid – upper level agency but the Accent Health if I have the right one looks like it specialised pretty much in the recruitment of overseas health workers and getting visas. Not an obvious choice?
– while there may be a need to allocate available trained staff across the public health system – is this also being used to allocate people to by the private for profit healthcare sector in particular the aged care and outsourced care giving contracts? If it is being used by for profit providers why are they not being advised to advertise over the usual websites and for that matter be required to pay decent wages and have decent conditions of work?
-should public money be used to enhance private contracts
– Is the contract tracing outsourced and if so are they accessing the app data?
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-resources-health-professionals/join-covid-19-surge-workforce
How are workers assigned to roles?
Accent Health Recruitment is matching health workers to roles by considering the qualifications and skill sets required, the location where the worker is needed, and the hours they would need to work. Beyond Recruitment is assisting with additional screening questions and reference checks to help determine suitability.
Matthew Paris from UK on Radionz this morning gave me a hollow laugh. Their private company Serco, the efficient operator of all things, has been given the government contract to be part of the Covid-19 tracing system.
Lots of people signing up for it, it would probably have ended up looking like running a bounty-hunter system like in the old USofA. And ballsed up right at the start, they sent one of the applicants a file with addresses of all the other applicants and Matthew Paris says, they now all know those contacts.
How the UK thought that their contracting out was going to be better for this delicate and important task than direct control I don't know. But under present political strictures from the USA's Milton Friedman et al it seems that UK gummint and others of similar mien (mean!), is set at being nothing but an expensive employment agency for ambitious nouveau riche jerks after perks.
Yeah , I have always thought a 4 day working week was the right balance in life, particularly if working for someone else! Bring it on Jacinda – it won,t make any difference to me , as self -employed I work any ,or all, seven days of the week I want to, or need to.
I recall my father once telling me a three day weekend would be perfect, "One day for the house, one day for the family and one for himself". And then he said, "Guess which one misses out at the moment".
Data manipulation in Florida and Georgia by Republican administrations to support re-opening of the state. Listen from 1m19s through to about 2m22s. Amazing. And so delusional to believe they could get away with it – at least when Stalin always reported exceeding his 5-year plans for steel production, there was no public information eco-system that allowed people to check.
Poor old Mike. Yesterday he claimed National could still win but today has conceded defeat.
Still claiming National won the election in 2017, etc. And on the Labour led government which has gained plaudits all over the world for its pandemic response he has this to say:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12333626
If TVNZ put him in as debate moderator again the country should hit the streets in protest.
Try reading that bit you quoted again, in context! He's actually putting the boot into the Nats. And that's after a moment of honesty: "I have no idea." 🙃
Ah well. He's not a good writer, is he. None on these broadcasters seem to be yet they are all given opinion column inches.
It is telling he has thrown in the towel though!
"Unfortunately, for the last half-century, the prevailing political message in many countries has been that governments cannot – and therefore should not – actually govern. Politicians, business leaders, and pundits have long relied on a management creed that focuses obsessively on static measures of efficiency to justify spending cuts, privatization, and outsourcing.
As a result, governments now have fewer options for responding to the crisis, which may be why some are now desperately clinging to the unrealistic hope of technological panaceas such as artificial intelligence or contact-tracing apps. With less investment in public capacity has come a loss of institutional memory (as the UK’s government has discovered) and increased dependence on private consulting firms, which have raked in billions. Not surprisingly, morale among public-sector employees has plunged in recent year"
https://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/105135/mariana-mazzucato-and-giulio-quaggiotto-show-why-countries-embraced-proactive-state
So true…Will we finally learn the lesson?
I suspect the slow start to Kiwibuild had more to do with that, and a lack of spare capacity, than anything else.
Perhaps…although it was the wrong policy in any case. Something that likely would have been realised in time had the state capability existed.
Yes. I never liked it.
They should have simply built a lot more State rental houses.
My feelings as well
I thought this was an excellent extract to pass on pat. I have quoted it and you in a comment on TDB in Waatea News today. More people should read this summation I believe, and perhaps we could see more clearly.
Its a message that cannot be too widely disseminated (imo)
Imagine if it seeded here. A Scott Base lab's popular Emperor Penguin turns ill. They pop it on a flight to the Christchurch vet school. Prof + 20 students develop a weird cough. As soon as they twigged I'd hope our Government would slam down on the region/city and secure it tightly. Stop all domestic movement. Aircraft, cars, buses, taxis trains, bikes, pedestrians, insist everyone locks down hard. With the exception of departing international flights. There will be lots of people not feeling well that need to get home to all points on the globe. I think we should follow WHO guidelines and halt all domestic movement but allow taxi, bus and Uber movement to the departure terminal of the Christchurch international airport.
Dog eat dog at noon for Simon and Todd.
AC/DC – Dog Eat Dog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t22TpvtLOro
Isn't the Todd thing a charade to make us all say in unison 'Simon won'
Well that'd be a helluva travel tab Todd Munter's run up for the sake of a subterfuge. Pretty big bubble Munty has by the look of it.
Any spoilers from the 1 news poll?
Nope, but #savesimon is trending #1 on twitter thanks to the input from the left 🙂 Bloody brilliant 🙂
Roll on 6pm, not long now
You'd think someone would have had a little tinkle, even if not a full on leak, but yeah, waiting for the likely discrepancies between polls for the line to be reported as national are pulling it back etc.
I suppose I'll have to break a habit and actually watch tv news for a change.
Hehehe it's more dramatic via the TV news.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cphNpqKpKc4
heh
There's a column in Stuff written by someone called Damian Grant. The blurb at the end says " Damien Grant is a regular columnist for Stuff, and an insolvency practitioner and business owner based in Auckland. He writes from a libertarian perspective and is a member of the Taxpayers Union' but not of any political party."
In writing about Todd Muller's writing as a 10 year of how he wanted to be American President, Grant says: " Now, I am not going to criticise a ten-year-old for outsized ambitions; this is the inevitable result of an education system that rewards participation rather than achievement."
What? I dreamt of being an All Black, a famous pop singer and climbing Mt Everest. The inevitable result of an education system that rewards participation rather than achievement I suppose?
I could have dreamt of being a silly arse and ended up being one. But what sort of an education system would it be if I ended up like Damian Grant?
Sentenced to 30 months' jail for fraud and says jail doesn’t change you, nat type shill, would rather buy a new phone than give to charity, and has an all round sort of tosser bigot vibe.
What more do you need to know?
Grant clearly doesn't know anything about the education system – it has a mania for assessment mainly due to influential nitwits (like Grant) constantly demanding it. To cut him some slack, I guess all right-wing libertarians have been pyschically scarred by seeing the state intervene strongly and competently to save people from a deadly virus. And in addition save the economy from far worse damage than it would have experienced without that interference. Kind of blows their worldview to smithereens and makes them babble incoherently.
Why are the National party propagandists so good at unconscious irony?
After decades of pushing for an education system that rewards mindless rote learning, to pass constant narrow testing, he complains about education that "rewards participation rather than achievement".
I think Red L has read this.
The aggressive retort by party diplomats is designed to do what it's doing. It's working. It has nothing to do with annoying us and everything to do with no fuel at Chinese bowsers being Don's fault.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/417168/homicide-sexual-assault-charges-plummet-during-lockdown
Overall, 22 percent fewer charges were laid in the District Court during the lockdown.
Homicide, robbery and fraud charges all dropped roughly 40 percent while the biggest change was a 65 percent drop in sexual violence charges.
Charges relating to family violence – expected to rise as households came under pressure in the pandemic – dropped 10 percent.
Majorly, lack of (alcoholic) fuel?
"I ain't got no Woodies or DB Browns Uncle Grey but I could have the postie drop you in a little bag of Gizzy Madness my grey mango."
Or, there's no escape.
Why can't cops just use their tasers or shoot people in the shoulder or the leg or something instead of killing people?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/121584925/shocked-friends-remember-taranaki-man-shot-dead-by-police
Yeah, I've been provoked into flipping out in an outrageous way before, I'm sure I'm not alone. I'm pleased I didn't do so in front of an armed Policeman. When flipping out, calculating the status of the people about is furthermost from your mind.
Nobody is evil to the core but it's hard not to wonder if some of these people being taken down aren't evil at all. They left their insulin in their other pants etc.
I think you're right, we can put wild animals to sleep with tranquiliser darts, we insist on it, anything else is Barbaric, why not humans.
That reminds me of Nigel Latta in his Beyond the Darklands programme. A young chap had spent years drinking and driving, had been through the courts and sent to prison a number of times, but over the years he'd also killed six people. This, according to Nigel Latta, meant that he was 'evil'. It really was quite incredible. Latta's approach in that show was always to interview the subject's friends and family about the person's background to try to explain their behaviour. People who knew this chap described him as essentially a good guy who was kind and worked hard and who'd give you the shirt off his back, but that when he drank he'd do stupid things. Nobody said a bad word against this guy apart from how he was when he drank. Latta went to the trouble of talking to these people presumably to get an insight into things, but still described him as 'evil'. It was an extraordinary conclusion, especially coming from someone who holds themselves out as an expert on 'human behaviour'.
To think, I believed the bullshit they fed us when the Taser was added to their arsenal.
I'd be gutted if National polls over 30% tonight.
Don't the Brunton polls usually over egg the nat vote and squish the reds and greens?
I'd be disappointed if they're above 35%
Usually, yes, but these are no usual times and the one poll may influence the other.
Blimey, 29%, your guts are safe. lol
Gee, I hope not. You don't deserve such a fate. I'm picking they come in at 35%, Labour 50%, Greens 6%, NZF 3%, ACT 2%…
It'll probably be L 42, N 39, G 4.9, NZF 8.
"It's a miracle", Simon will say and liken himself to Lazarus (Tova already has) or even Jesus him/herself!
I wouldn’t want to disappoint Tova!
Whoops, looks like I was wrong. 🙂
todd muller worked for fonterra nuff said