“To the economically illiterate, if some company makes a million dollars in profit, this means that their products cost a million dollars more than they would have cost without profits. It never occurs to such people that these products might cost several million dollars more to produce than if they were produced by enterprises operating without the incentives to be efficient created by the prospect of profits.”
[Changed the font and added WP blockquote using Editor for clarity. Bold is for specific emphasis – if you bold the whole quoted text it come across as shouting – Incognito]
Now and then being 'bold' can be justified. But of course if used too often it loses its effectiveness, ie our minds get used to it, it just becomes more of the same, or we get irrritated and turn away.
But so much of our societal habits and practices are usual, accepted and unexamined. Like always wanting higher profits and lower wages. Labour costs are commonly the biggest costs that a firm can face; so that maybe they reflect the truth of how things should be.
And something that the quote of Thomas Sewell does not mention, is that the profits that are found high enough to be satisfactory, often are that way because economic externalities have been left out.
That is no money has been paid out or withheld to pay for past damage to workers or the environment and none has gone into studying and implementing practices to prevent future damage. The rest of society bears that cost, which is exponential we find when we look at all the results on the ground and in Climate Change itself.
I think this is a place for people's thoughts and minds to exchange and learn from each other. Shouldn't that be encouraged, not reduced by rules set by long practice which may be discouraging in this era of disruption which we need to face, discuss and understand? There need to be limits but not too rigid. The times demand we shake ourselves and open up our brains.
A quote and a query comes to mind. Do we understand why the quote below from Shortland Street has longevity? That might offer us a 'Being John Malkovich' (film) window to our psyche, ie
"You're not in Guatemala now, Dr Ropata."
Setting authoritarian and rigid rules has not worked; we see by the mess and despair around us amongst a majority of people. We need looser rules to make us do what the PTB decided and agreed rules to guide us to an amicable living rather than just civil. Can we achieve a new way to handle our future with many hands on it, of people stepping forward who are thoughtful, informed, considered, and collaborative, and whose decisions are practical and mindful of the effect on all.
I was listening to Radionz this morning with Kim Hill and other interesting speakers. (Do others know Lloyd Cole's music?) One is an author, Sarah Moss from the UK, who I thought had some good ideas. We who are thinking and not just doing, take in and give out ideas, and are trying to be collaborative. So I mention this interview as likely to be interesting to others. I feel good when i hear people who have good ideas and hopes for a human future. Maybe you do too.
Perhaps we need to think about thinking. Against the ordinary citizen are people who study how our minds work and create propaganda that pushes our personal buttons. We need to understand ourselves and the things that they learn. So this from one google listing on brainstorming.
It's a pity that when someone puts up a statement or quote that has said something to them and they share it, another person tries to find some small aspect of it that can be used to dismiss the main point of it. Dont uou think? (I am putting some errors into my discourse so you can find something easy to comment on!)
Ah there's the rub. Let's proceed. I can't I must be in the garden but have put up my think piece to add to the fertile field of thought here on this blog. Good growing!
I do think points of order matter but it's rather tiring. Prefer them to everything but the major matter. You lot ( except me when I want amusement) are terrible. This isn't a Left amusement park, but as a letters depositary that's how it ends up. Climate change, end of resources and the poorest of us, are everything. In comparison, nothing else matters.
Finally someone with a platform being honest and talking about class struggle…time for those companies making millions in profit to share that wealth around with the workers… and here is something that deserves to be bold
Bernie Sanders' Union Platform Calls for Class Struggle
I don't think you will see Warren making a big issue with class warfare going forward ( I could be wrong here) I have noticed her rhetoric has shifted to more of a defending the 'hard working middle class' as of late, which would fit in nicely with her new role as saviour of the establishment DNC, I mean she has been obliquely endorsed by the Koch Bros funded Third Way think tank after all…but then you seem to be status quo centrist kind of guy, so I can see how Warren would tick all your boxes…you guys are all about being pragmatic and compromise, even as we head faster and faster toward the cliff…you are like “can’t we slow down just a bit..please”
“She believes in capitalism, amazingly we have to say this, but that matters. What she’s offering is not a rejection of capitalism.”
“She is not tipping over the edge into what is absolutely unsustainable in a general election,” he added. “Our principle problem with Sanders is that he has.”
"Yet she scares the money men." you really think so? ..I guess that's why she had the tick from Third Way then, cos they like scaring themselves.
Look 90, warren is pretty good,of course and no doubt or argument from me, but she is also a shaping up as the compromise candidate for the establishment to back. and they really are scared of Bernie, shit scared, because unlike Warren , he wants real systemic change, he is the only one who will actually 'rock the boat'..and that is just a fact.
Anyhoo, you rock the boat to build movements suitability large enough to affect real, systemic change. Any movement large enough to affect real, systemic change must include the centre and unless he can capture the centre, Sander's won't be able to deliver squat.
I like her. I'd prefer Bernie of course, but she comes across as smart, hard-headed, and looking to address the drivers of many US problems. If the DNC can be persuaded to abandon self-sabotage sufficiently to let go of Biden, Warren can probably beat Trump. If not though, there's that thing about those who refuse to learn the lessons of history.
I like her too, but lets face it Bernie is the only one who could possibly change the direction of the US in a real and meaningful way, infact he is the only one who wants too, Warren will end up being like Helen Clark ..thats why Third way like her, in her (Warren's) own words a capitalist to her bones.
No worries, comradeship is what attracted me to Left politics when I was a very young man, and is still what I believe is it's real power.
I guess that is why it is always under assault from those in power, and those (like many here unfortunately) on the left who have drunk the kool aid of neoliberalism…it's a damn shame.
What do you think Bernie will do/achieve as POTUS?
He'll have a couple of years of both houses, if enough dem reps are on board with his plan.
He might get one or two big hits, like Obama did with healthcare. Or Warren might with campaign finance reform.
But he's not the Chosen One. He's just a man. You're setting yourself up for another four years of bitterness, and that's if he gets elected. If he misses the nom, we'll never hear the end of it. Again.
So far 'All' he's done is entirely move the conversation, and that's just as a candidate.
He allows the population who are suffering under a corrupted, ineficient and inhumane system of Health Care, Education, Housing, Employment..realise they can in fact demand better service and protections from their elected Representatives.
There is a reason the Corporate powers and DNC would rather he exited stage left…and its not because he has no power to bring about change..
From the fact that many of the #metoo wave of candidates, including Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, were members of and activists for the Democrats (and its state affiliates) for more than a few years before 2016.
Bernie did change the conversation, but he was an outsider looking to use the Democrat Party machinery. He wasn't a lifelong Democrat. Many of the #metoo crowd are.
Maybe Rose McGowan had a stronger effect on the dems than St Bernie did.
I don't think they would like to be described as " #metoo candidates", as I am sure their platform encompasses a little more than that one issue, and further, if you really don't understand that all the progressive gains recently are directly the result of the momentum and energy created by Bernie Sanders, then I would say you have seriously misread the direction of US politics since 2016.
You get precious about the terminology I used to denote a wave of candidates who decided 2018 was the time to put themselves forward, and then you dismiss literally all the work they did in the democratic party before Bernie became a member and continue as democrats after he got re-elected to senate as an independent.
Sanders fights. It's the right attitude. He talks. Warren making agreements with corrupt power doesne impress. Everything needs to be overthrown. Power needs to bow to the people. No agreement needs to be made with the present. This makes me think he should choose Tulsi Gabbard as his vice-president. But I don't think that plutocracy will allow him.
I'm saying revolution. Or nothing for our youngers.
Production is carried on for profit, not for use. There is no provision that all those able and willing to work will always be in a position to find employment; an “army of unemployed” almost always exists. The worker is constantly in fear of losing his job. Since unemployed and poorly paid workers do not provide a profitable market, the production of consumers’ goods is restricted, and great hardship is the consequence. Technological progress frequently results in more unemployment rather than in an easing of the burden of work for all. The profit motive, in conjunction with competition among capitalists, is responsible for an instability in the accumulation and utilization of capital which leads to increasingly severe depressions. Unlimited competition leads to a huge waste of labor, and to that crippling of the social consciousness of individuals which I mentioned before.
[Left the bold (!) but changed the font and added WP blockquote using Editor for clarity. Italics is for specific emphasis and effect – if you italicise the whole quoted text it loses its effect – Incognito]
There is no “TS's style new guide” because it would have been forewarned and announced loudly and clearly and quite possibly after some consultation. That said, Lynn does try to improve the text Editor and other things here by making technicaladjustments with various success, as you know.
I think you might be taking my Moderation note as some kind of authoritarian instruction, when it is/was actually meant to be read as a suggestion. If you don’t agree with the suggestion to improve clarity of comments, I’m keen to hear it and the reason(s) why. Blockquotes and quotation marks have a special function as does font style; I think they are there for a reason. Please don’t get too alarmed and/or read too much into being ‘moderated’.
Lastly, I thought it was obvious that I was not ‘moderating’ in a vacuum but in the context of the comment @ 1 and the reactions it elicited.
I apologise if I did upset you, as this was not my intention. NB some commenters here have an idiosyncratic style that’s beyond reprieve 😉
I’ve always block quoted comments I reply to and italicised text I cite.
Tricky when you have a mixture of quotes like that. I seem to have started italicising short initial ones from other commenters like this, but doubt there is any right way.
Accessibility work taught me it is harder for people to read lots of italics, capitals, or bold. Most of us can test that pretty easily by just reading an average paragraph in different formats..
FOR INSTANCE, DO YOUR EYES GET MORE TIRED READING A WHOLE CHUNK IN CAPS LIKE THIS WHEN IT GOES ON FOR MORE THAN A LINE OR TWO? MIGHT BE OKAY AS A HEADING BUT AT FOUR OR FIVE LINES THE EFFORT MAY BECOME MORE APPARENT. DOES ALSO DEPEND ON THE FONT USED. MY EYES END UP FEELING A BIT PHYSICALLY SORE THESE DAYS WHEN I ENCOUNTER THIS. HOW ABOUT YOURS?
Likewise long blocks of text without paragraphs, or excessive use of ellipses (both are almost a guarantee for me not to read a comment).
I used to use italics a fair bit, as it seems to convey quoting better than " " for longer quotes. Now I tend to use the blockquote, although it's a bit idiosyncratic (on my browser at least).
All bold irks me because it messes with my brain over moderation bold.
Not so long ago, I think it was after one of the iterations of the Text Editor, I embarked on a personal crusade to improve readability here and enhance readers’ experience (scrolling!). Nobody ever commented on it but I became zealously obsessed and deleted almost every non-breaking space that had no clear stylistic function other than to add unnecessary ‘whitecaps’ to each comment, big or small, and even created large deserts of white space.
Suffice to say, it was an exercise in futility and like carrying water to the sea using a bucket with holes in it.
True but I do trust Twitr a lot more than Bookface on that front. Have not managed to monetise our attention very well by comparison.
Results from free tracking cookie manager from the EFF:
Privacy Badger (www.eff.org/privacybadger) is a browser extension that automatically learns to block invisible trackers. Privacy Badger is made by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit that fights for your rights online.
Privacy Badger found 22 potential trackers on thestandard.org.nz:
Yeah, I know. I’ve looked at this a number of times over the years.
We use google analytics (keep track of usage – nothing else is remotely accurate), google fonts (the fonts used on the site are from there – which is why it looks familiar across many platforms), gravatar (those personalised icons), QR (the post barcode), twitter (the shout and count on twitter icon), facebook (the shout and count on facebook icon), and wordpress.org (including the wp) because we use wordpress jetpack.
Of those, the twitter and the QR aren’t critical. Basically twitter is the peanuts in terms of draw and the home to a noisy minority of wordy loons, QR is only used by a small number of new readers on mobiles.
However some of the other cookies (what you’re calling trackers) aren’t ‘on’ the standard. They are either on your client or attached to external videos.
Plus of course there is a load of javascript in various portions of the site – mostly jquery. Not that much because I limit its use in favour of site longevity.
Down below the level you can see, there are a pile of connections to other systems. The wordfence that prevents site attacks by looking at what everyone is asking for and from where. The AWS cloudfront (via w3 total cache) that looks at the calls for every image and document on the site and supplies it from locations around the world, the AWS route 53 that does the same for the DNS, the shunting through voyager….
If you choose to turn all them off – then that is your issue. The site won’t be that usable without them (especially the bits of javascript – which are far more dangerous than cookies).
No-one could pay me enough to provide the kind of site detailing that these systems provide. Which is why they are used.. One stacked on top of the other – and they are all potential monitoring systems.
Plus of course there is me.
Welcome to the net – built in a mound of monitoring systems where the basic anonymity is that really we don’t care enough to turn over the midden enough to clear out the problems.
It’s possible the anti-change campaigners in both Chamberlain Park [golf course] and Takapuna will be a deciding factor in the final tally even if they’re a minority of the population. After decades of underinvestment in infrastructure, the city’s governing body and local boards could once again see an influx of candidates who are primarily distinguished by their ability to say no to things.
It seems to me that a more embracing guide for living than being kind is needed, though 'kind' helps. I believe 'kind' creates the feeling of a hippy-sounding mantra. It doesn't stand against the hard-nosed approach of the majority mired in the capitalist system, which I notice comes with a kevlar (more modern than armour) protection from receipt and acceptance of compassionate thoughts and understanding.
What about being kind and practical in balance in everything. I think that would help us to face off the dismissal of the human condition that is prevalent in neolib economics, and Randian 'The Virtue of Selfishness'.*
Stephen Fry discusses Ayn Rand and her works 2minsapprox
Incidentally that is shown as coming from Radio 4. If a country has only private radio, they would not hear or see any of this sort of discussion. Instead it would be full of capitalist jargon very focussed on what were seen to be profitable subjects, ventures and discussions that would be influential in maintaining the wall against expansion of understanding and help.
Synchronicity at work? There seems to be more attention being paid to the use of language and rhetoric.
It may seem pedantic to make a fuss over language, but it is important to remember the power of labelling and the connotations that go with it. It is a reminder too that we should consider how language is carefully packaged and presented to us by our politicians.
Within the binary structure of language, which itself is debatable, words are defined not in and of themselves, but in relation to their opposites. This means that if a "victim" exists within this set of circumstances, then a "perpetrator" must also exist. Hence, the concept of "victim" can be used as a rhetorical tactic to assign guilt to someone in the court of public opinion.
I think what we have seen being played out in the NZ Media recently is a classic example of a ternary (triangular) structure similar to the Karpman drama triangle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karpman_drama_triangle) involving the Victim, the Rescuer, and the Persecutor (sometimes called the Perpetrator). These roles can interchange. This model describes “a type of destructive interaction that can occur between people in conflict”.
I’m not going to assign names/entities to the three roles in this drama but like to emphasise that binary descriptions, concepts, and ‘explanations’ can be useful but can also be extremely limiting and overly simplistic depending on the context and their use or aim.
Our need to think – and toss ideas round outside the envelope (is writing letters and NZ Post really a thing of the past, should we be happy to see it disappear?). Random thoughts, like the above, are they useful and valuable or just inefficient?
The more we rely on technology to make us efficient, the fewer skills we have to confront the unexpected, says writer and entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan. She shares why we need less tech and more messy human skills — imagination, humility, bravery — to solve problems in business, government and life in an unpredictable age. "We are brave enough to invent things we've never seen before," she says. "We can make any future we choose."
Fucking unbelievable. That they were cavalier with evidence collection, destroyed evidence, and we don't know who or why. Can't believe the Pike River families are still having to g through this kind of thing.
Newshub revealed police notes in February that described the way they gathered evidence as "diabolical". Now we know they destroyed exhibits they decided "had no evidential value".
"It's troubling. It indicates a reasonably relaxed view to the handling of evidence," says independent investigator Tim McKinnel.
He says evidence is generally only disposed of if there are storage issues or if exhibits present a health and safety risk.
"Outside of those issues, I can't see why you would begin destroying items from a potential crime scene when so little is known about what happened there," he says.
Police will not say who exactly ordered the items be destroyed. But the lead police investigator only found out about it late last year.
Espots – gaming – not gambling. A shared space for the young brought up on the computer and games since they paid pacman at age 6 probably. Good idea to bring them together for simple friendship even proximity. A guided space where you can hang out with no stress.
..."We also have events during night-time as well where we tend to fill the arena with people, so Tuesday nights – I'm actually at the arena tonight and the boys here are being very quiet … we’ve got them in here playing Formula 1 2019 together, so it’s a racing car game."
The arena is packed during these weekly events, Featonby says.
"We’ve got a big group from one of the hostels that come in every Tuesday night without fail and fill the arena for me, which is quite nice. One of the main parts I like about being the esports coordinator is the relationship-building – getting to know them and sharing their passion for gaming."
. …"What we don’t support are realistic first-person shooters, so being the first university to have an esports presence we’re very wary that we need to be above board with everything we do and especially after Christchurch."
Games that feature realistic-looking guns, blood and gore – like the popular Counter-Strike – are not available at the arena, a move which was unpopular with some, but some of the more cartoon-style shooting games are allowed.
Jonathan Pie in full flow dissing everything in Boorish's Cabnt. Take note – not for sensitive ears – has a go at every bit of virtue signalling from the Conservatives.
Media coverage of the economy is drifting into the territory of predicting a recession and then when this does not come explaining that there was little growth but for that via migration.
This without placing this in perspective – past growth was slightly higher and so was immigration.
Given continuing demand from employers for more migrants … and the path to a higher MW ($20 in April 2021), those predicting recession connected to local economic factors alone have no credibility.
Really, you can still use the same tenancy agreement with all the same clauses you had back in 2016, as long as you cross out the bit about the letting fee.
This is all despite a Government which came to power promising the first serious change to tenancy laws in a generation, with an end to no-cause termination, limiting and codifying rent increases, more allowances for pets, and more modification of homes.
Is "social credit" an organisation, an author, or just a generic category of story? Can't seem to find it on the site. Might just be a category from Bradbury – I was wondering if the actual social credit movement was getting more active again.
Social Credit is New Zealand's oldest, surviving, smaller political party.
The following (below) is from mosa's initial link.
Social Credit, which has been part of New Zealand’s political landscape for 66 years, was the first party to propose a comprehensive environmental policy when it published a 28 page booklet entitled ‘You and Your Environment’ in 1973.
It was also the first party to promote an anti-nuclear position for New Zealand and it campaigned strongly for proportional representation.
More of us from the left should be supporting them.
Yes we know, you think lefties and environmentalists should vote for a party that doesn't have a shit show chance of getting into Parliament rather than the one that is already there. All so boring.
With Labour largely having the Greens onside, they know there is hardly anywhere for the left-wing voter to turn. Hence, we on the left need to show them otherwise.
The competition would be good for the left, forcing them both (Labour and the Greens) to up their game.
And that, IMO, would be a real concern for Labour. They would have to offer us more than merely being a National lite.
I think it is great that Labour is playing nice with the Greens these days. There are two things that are needed now for a more left and environmental government:
1. for the Greens to win back the vote they lost back to Labour last election and other stragglers they can pick up so that they are a bigger player in the government
2. for Labour to win more of the swing vote from National so that Winston First's support is not required to pass legislation.
More of us from the left should be supporting them.
You'd like to see more of the left vote directed to parties that won't make the threshold, so that their vote share gets re-distributed to, among others, right-wing parties? So not surprised to hear that…
I'd like to see more of the left vote directed to them (SC) to not only make the threshold but to help them win.
But clearly, I can't do that alone.
The left have a choice. Continue to vote Labour and get National lite or force Labour to up their game. The Greens have shown they are ineffective. Shaw won't rock the boat. Hell, they were the ones that came up with the BRR all on their own. Largely robbing Labour of the funding to do little more than National. Therefore, it's time to give SC a go.
Less chance of them climbing to even get a score on the board in opinion polls than there is of you being taken seriously on this site claiming to be part of "we on the left".
Good to hear! If only NZ would just wait for some kind of study so that we know it is safe or not. But no, why not experiment with our population first (because, rugby!)?
For fucks sake i am sick off feckin rugby !!!!!!!!
It is totally out of control and wayyyyyy over the top.
Imagine what it will be like when or if we loose or win for that matter.
If we loose then the NZRFU will hold an inquiry which will regrettably get more publicity than the current Burnham shambles.
If we win it will be like the second coming of christ and no one even those kiwis who DON'T watch this stupid 80 minutes of utter crap will not be safe.
What annoys me is: we've got the police ballsing-up the Pike River Inquiry by destroying crucial evidence, and it now transpires senior Defence Force personnel were either total incompetents or downright liars.
But all we get to hear about is a bunch of macho-ridden boof-heads kicking a funny shaped ball around a field.
You know things are dire when the arch capitalists start musing thus…
"Off the record, other senior people in the City tell me they find the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, who has been circulating among them busily in recent months, a serious and intriguing figure: a supposed Marxist who looks, and sometimes talks, a bit like a bank manager.
A similar thaw is under way in the more thoughtful parts of the business press. With western capitalism having a crisis of confidence, at the very least – this week the Financial Times announced “Capitalism: time for a reset” – Labour’s radical economic alternatives have begun to look more reasonable to some business journalists. The Economist, despite its longstanding support for the Thatcherite free-market reforms that McDonnell would like to reverse, has been covering the development of Labour’s new economic thinking with intense curiosity since 2017. This month, the more cautious, centrist FT has published a succession of long articles about “Labour’s new establishment” and its ambitions for Britain. While the pieces were still spiked with criticisms, the scale of the coverage has suggested a degree of respect – and that corporate Britain needs to understand Corbynism, and be prepared to make some accommodations with it."
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
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The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
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Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
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With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
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There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
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When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
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David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Photo by Jari Hytönen on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
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. ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Williams Veazey, ARC DECRA Research Fellow, University of Sydney DavideAngelini/Shutterstock In the 2007 film The Bucket List Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two main characters who respond to their terminal cancer diagnoses by rejecting experimental treatment. Instead, they go ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohan Singh, Professor of Agri-Food Biotechnology, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences at the University of Melbourne., The University of Melbourne Tanja Esser/Shutterstock Australia’s vital agriculture sector will be hit hard by steadily rising global temperatures. Our climate is already ...
The Acumen Edelman Trust barometer reported that New Zealand’s political trust score now sits below the global average, a topic explored in a recent discussion paper by Maxim Institute. ...
Greenpeace Aotearoa executive director Russel Norman says, "The Fast-Track Bill is the most damaging piece of environmental legislation any Government has introduced in living memory. People are angry, and it’s time to march." ...
The school lunches programme has been retained – and will be extended to some preschoolers. So how is it going to cost $107 million less? To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. The minister with many hats David Seymour wears a number of hats, but this week ...
“Show us the bird,” I found myself muttering at times while reading Hard by the Cloud House by Peter Walker, a deeply thoughtful, often hilarious, at times rambling – but somehow delightfully so – search for the story of a big bird. But not just any bird: the bird. This ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jack Marley, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition DPVUE .images/Shutterstock Your home was probably designed for a climate that no longer exists. As long as humanity continues to burn fossil fuel, padding the heat-trapping blanket of gases in Earth’s atmosphere, the ...
A senior lawyer has filed a complaint about tikanga becoming a required law school module. Law lecturer Carwyn Jones explains what he’s getting wrong. “…the first law of Aotearoa, a law that served the needs of tangata whenua for a thousand years before the arrival of tauiwi.”– Ani Mikaere ...
In 2019, an Auckland woman woke up from surgery to find that she had undergone a treatment she didn’t consent to. She tells Alex Casey about her experience. From her very first period at the age of 14, Laura experienced “debilitating” levels of pain that forced her to withdraw from ...
In the gloom following director-general Al Morrison’s job cuts in 2013, the Department of Conservation restructured its operations arm. Eleven conservancy districts were whittled into six new “conservation delivery” regions, under which the Rēkohu/Wharekauri/Chatham Islands area, comprising 40 scattered islands more than 800km east of Christchurch, was tethered to the ...
One of th e country’s top litigation lawyers says New Zealand is seeing a lift in court action between companies. Chapman Tripp partner Justin Graham, who oversees a team of around 80 litigation specialists, says the courts are now so log-jammed that it’s taking over two years to get cases ...
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Comment: Concerns about the state of the economy are creeping up to the top of firms’ list of challenges. That’s evident in both surveys and the tone of our recent client discussions. Skimming the past few weeks of eco-news, it’s not hard to see why. – Retail card spending fell ...
Opinion: Could former co-leader James Shaw still make a difference to working with National? The post How the Greens could be contenders appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Opinion: What if we got rid of our existing drug laws and replaced them with a new law that legalised and carefully regulated all psychoactive substances, from cannabis to MDMA, methamphetamine and LSD to magic mushrooms? And which also included legal drugs such as alcohol and nicotine. “Wow,” you might ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government is talking up the crucial role of gas as a transition fuel “through to 2050 and beyond”. In a gas strategy to be released on Thursday, the government envisages the fuel’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Next week the government will again next try to get its legislation through to deal with non-citizens who won’t cooperate with efforts to deport them. The bill, which the opposition and crossbench refused to rush ...
A long-term project that will set out an alternative vision for Aotearoa that looks beyond the narrow confines of the policy straight jacket adopted by successive governments. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bree Hurst, Associate Professor, Faculty of Business and Law, QUT, Queensland University of Technology TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock A much-awaited report into Coles and Woolworths has found what many customers have long believed – Australia’s big supermarkets engage in price gouging. What started ...
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— Thomas Sowell
Hmmm.
[Changed the font and added WP blockquote using Editor for clarity. Bold is for specific emphasis – if you bold the whole quoted text it come across as shouting – Incognito]
Are you worried people will not read your quote if you do not make the whole thing bold?
Now and then being 'bold' can be justified. But of course if used too often it loses its effectiveness, ie our minds get used to it, it just becomes more of the same, or we get irrritated and turn away.
But so much of our societal habits and practices are usual, accepted and unexamined. Like always wanting higher profits and lower wages. Labour costs are commonly the biggest costs that a firm can face; so that maybe they reflect the truth of how things should be.
And something that the quote of Thomas Sewell does not mention, is that the profits that are found high enough to be satisfactory, often are that way because economic externalities have been left out.
That is no money has been paid out or withheld to pay for past damage to workers or the environment and none has gone into studying and implementing practices to prevent future damage. The rest of society bears that cost, which is exponential we find when we look at all the results on the ground and in Climate Change itself.
In this place, whole sentences in bold tend to be moderators' comments.
I think this is a place for people's thoughts and minds to exchange and learn from each other. Shouldn't that be encouraged, not reduced by rules set by long practice which may be discouraging in this era of disruption which we need to face, discuss and understand? There need to be limits but not too rigid. The times demand we shake ourselves and open up our brains.
A quote and a query comes to mind. Do we understand why the quote below from Shortland Street has longevity? That might offer us a 'Being John Malkovich' (film) window to our psyche, ie
Setting authoritarian and rigid rules has not worked; we see by the mess and despair around us amongst a majority of people. We need looser rules to make us do what the PTB decided and agreed rules to guide us to an amicable living rather than just civil. Can we achieve a new way to handle our future with many hands on it, of people stepping forward who are thoughtful, informed, considered, and collaborative, and whose decisions are practical and mindful of the effect on all.
I was listening to Radionz this morning with Kim Hill and other interesting speakers. (Do others know Lloyd Cole's music?) One is an author, Sarah Moss from the UK, who I thought had some good ideas. We who are thinking and not just doing, take in and give out ideas, and are trying to be collaborative. So I mention this interview as likely to be interesting to others. I feel good when i hear people who have good ideas and hopes for a human future. Maybe you do too.
Perhaps we need to think about thinking. Against the ordinary citizen are people who study how our minds work and create propaganda that pushes our personal buttons. We need to understand ourselves and the things that they learn. So this from one google listing on brainstorming.
https://business.tutsplus.com/articles/top-brainstorming-techniques–cms-27181
19 Top Brainstorming Techniques to Generate Ideas for Every Situation
A few techniques for this type of brainstorming include Step Ladder Brainstorming, Round Robin Brainstorming, Rapid Ideation, and Trigger Storming.
Sorry I just copied + pasted and it was bold. Didn't think.
All good. Enjoy your eve.
operative word being 'might'
It's a pity that when someone puts up a statement or quote that has said something to them and they share it, another person tries to find some small aspect of it that can be used to dismiss the main point of it. Dont uou think? (I am putting some errors into my discourse so you can find something easy to comment on!)
you may not recognise the importance of the caveat.
the proverb dosnt say "profit is the mother of invention"
'Some small aspect' – or a fundamental flaw..
Ah there's the rub. Let's proceed. I can't I must be in the garden but have put up my think piece to add to the fertile field of thought here on this blog. Good growing!
I do think points of order matter but it's rather tiring. Prefer them to everything but the major matter. You lot ( except me when I want amusement) are terrible. This isn't a Left amusement park, but as a letters depositary that's how it ends up. Climate change, end of resources and the poorest of us, are everything. In comparison, nothing else matters.
How would this economist manage to ignore lots of factors including externalities? Ah, by being another of these dolts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Sowell
Oof.
Finally someone with a platform being honest and talking about class struggle…time for those companies making millions in profit to share that wealth around with the workers… and here is something that deserves to be bold
Bernie Sanders' Union Platform Calls for Class Struggle
What took him so long?
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4779589/class-warfare
I don't think you will see Warren making a big issue with class warfare going forward ( I could be wrong here) I have noticed her rhetoric has shifted to more of a defending the 'hard working middle class' as of late, which would fit in nicely with her new role as saviour of the establishment DNC, I mean she has been obliquely endorsed by the Koch Bros funded Third Way think tank after all…but then you seem to be status quo centrist kind of guy, so I can see how Warren would tick all your boxes…you guys are all about being pragmatic and compromise, even as we head faster and faster toward the cliff…you are like “can’t we slow down just a bit..please”
Warren emerges as potential compromise nominee
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/19/democratic-establishment-elizabeth-warren-136987
Why Elizabeth Warren doesn’t scare many moderate (read establishment) Democrats..
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/campaigns/article231718348.html
“She believes in capitalism, amazingly we have to say this, but that matters. What she’s offering is not a rejection of capitalism.”
“She is not tipping over the edge into what is absolutely unsustainable in a general election,” he added. “Our principle problem with Sanders is that he has.”
Warren was on message long before the advent of St Bern.
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/the-viral-video-of-elizabeth-warren-going-after-gop-on-class-warfare-2011-9?
Yet she scares the money men.
https://twitter.com/CNBC/status/1171500839686590464
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/19/delivering-alpha-elizabeth-warren-presidency-causes-a-scare.html
"Yet she scares the money men." you really think so? ..I guess that's why she had the tick from Third Way then, cos they like scaring themselves.
Look 90, warren is pretty good,of course and no doubt or argument from me, but she is also a shaping up as the compromise candidate for the establishment to back. and they really are scared of Bernie, shit scared, because unlike Warren , he wants real systemic change, he is the only one who will actually 'rock the boat'..and that is just a fact.
What tick?
Anyhoo, you rock the boat to build movements suitability large enough to affect real, systemic change. Any movement large enough to affect real, systemic change must include the centre and unless he can capture the centre, Sander's won't be able to deliver squat.
I like her. I'd prefer Bernie of course, but she comes across as smart, hard-headed, and looking to address the drivers of many US problems. If the DNC can be persuaded to abandon self-sabotage sufficiently to let go of Biden, Warren can probably beat Trump. If not though, there's that thing about those who refuse to learn the lessons of history.
I like her too, but lets face it Bernie is the only one who could possibly change the direction of the US in a real and meaningful way, infact he is the only one who wants too, Warren will end up being like Helen Clark ..thats why Third way like her, in her (Warren's) own words a capitalist to her bones.
Hi Adrian.
Just wanted to thank you for your support last week.
No worries, comradeship is what attracted me to Left politics when I was a very young man, and is still what I believe is it's real power.
I guess that is why it is always under assault from those in power, and those (like many here unfortunately) on the left who have drunk the kool aid of neoliberalism…it's a damn shame.
What do you think Bernie will do/achieve as POTUS?
He'll have a couple of years of both houses, if enough dem reps are on board with his plan.
He might get one or two big hits, like Obama did with healthcare. Or Warren might with campaign finance reform.
But he's not the Chosen One. He's just a man. You're setting yourself up for another four years of bitterness, and that's if he gets elected. If he misses the nom, we'll never hear the end of it. Again.
So far 'All' he's done is entirely move the conversation, and that's just as a candidate.
He allows the population who are suffering under a corrupted, ineficient and inhumane system of Health Care, Education, Housing, Employment..realise they can in fact demand better service and protections from their elected Representatives.
There is a reason the Corporate powers and DNC would rather he exited stage left…and its not because he has no power to bring about change..
Sanders shifted the conversation in 2016 – and it shifted even further last year, from within the Democratic party.
As a president, how much do you think he could actually get done?
Reforming healthcare requires both houses to cooperate, and SCOTUS to defeat any legal challenges.
Reforming administration requires budgetary approval from the legislature.
Can he unilaterally end US hegemony around the world?
Change minimum wage levels?
Role back the attack on reproductive healthcare?
"from within the Democratic party" WTF..really? where exactly did you get that totally outrageous fake news from?…the Russians maybe?
From the fact that many of the #metoo wave of candidates, including Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, were members of and activists for the Democrats (and its state affiliates) for more than a few years before 2016.
Bernie did change the conversation, but he was an outsider looking to use the Democrat Party machinery. He wasn't a lifelong Democrat. Many of the #metoo crowd are.
Maybe Rose McGowan had a stronger effect on the dems than St Bernie did.
I don't think they would like to be described as " #metoo candidates", as I am sure their platform encompasses a little more than that one issue, and further, if you really don't understand that all the progressive gains recently are directly the result of the momentum and energy created by Bernie Sanders, then I would say you have seriously misread the direction of US politics since 2016.
Noice.
You get precious about the terminology I used to denote a wave of candidates who decided 2018 was the time to put themselves forward, and then you dismiss literally all the work they did in the democratic party before Bernie became a member and continue as democrats after he got re-elected to senate as an independent.
St Julian. St Bernie! Can I get a St Greta? Preys Jaysus.
Only if it's for the greta good
People do seem to be warming to her around the globe. Must be some sort of expression for that, like "world-wide mellowing".
@ Adrian Thornton (at 3:59 pm)
Sanders fights. It's the right attitude. He talks. Warren making agreements with corrupt power doesne impress. Everything needs to be overthrown. Power needs to bow to the people. No agreement needs to be made with the present. This makes me think he should choose Tulsi Gabbard as his vice-president. But I don't think that plutocracy will allow him.
I'm saying revolution. Or nothing for our youngers.
Sowell.
Really?
See my Moderation note @ 8:34 AM.
And while we're bolding.
– Albert Einstein
[Left the bold (!) but changed the font and added WP blockquote using Editor for clarity. Italics is for specific emphasis and effect – if you italicise the whole quoted text it loses its effect – Incognito]
Good quote. Thanks Joe90.
See my Moderation note @ 10:24 AM.
I've always block quoted comments I reply to and italicised text I cite.
Do you have a link to TS's style new guide?
There is no “TS's style new guide” because it would have been forewarned and announced loudly and clearly and quite possibly after some consultation. That said, Lynn does try to improve the text Editor and other things here by making technical adjustments with various success, as you know.
I think you might be taking my Moderation note as some kind of authoritarian instruction, when it is/was actually meant to be read as a suggestion. If you don’t agree with the suggestion to improve clarity of comments, I’m keen to hear it and the reason(s) why. Blockquotes and quotation marks have a special function as does font style; I think they are there for a reason. Please don’t get too alarmed and/or read too much into being ‘moderated’.
Lastly, I thought it was obvious that I was not ‘moderating’ in a vacuum but in the context of the comment @ 1 and the reactions it elicited.
I apologise if I did upset you, as this was not my intention. NB some commenters here have an idiosyncratic style that’s beyond reprieve 😉
Tricky when you have a mixture of quotes like that. I seem to have started italicising short initial ones from other commenters like this, but doubt there is any right way.
Accessibility work taught me it is harder for people to read lots of italics, capitals, or bold. Most of us can test that pretty easily by just reading an average paragraph in different formats..
FOR INSTANCE, DO YOUR EYES GET MORE TIRED READING A WHOLE CHUNK IN CAPS LIKE THIS WHEN IT GOES ON FOR MORE THAN A LINE OR TWO? MIGHT BE OKAY AS A HEADING BUT AT FOUR OR FIVE LINES THE EFFORT MAY BECOME MORE APPARENT. DOES ALSO DEPEND ON THE FONT USED. MY EYES END UP FEELING A BIT PHYSICALLY SORE THESE DAYS WHEN I ENCOUNTER THIS. HOW ABOUT YOURS?
Likewise long blocks of text without paragraphs, or excessive use of ellipses (both are almost a guarantee for me not to read a comment).
I used to use italics a fair bit, as it seems to convey quoting better than " " for longer quotes. Now I tend to use the blockquote, although it's a bit idiosyncratic (on my browser at least).
All bold irks me because it messes with my brain over moderation bold.
current bugbear is the gaps that the editor leaves in at the bottom of comments (or between cut and pastes).
Not so long ago, I think it was after one of the iterations of the Text Editor, I embarked on a personal crusade to improve readability here and enhance readers’ experience (scrolling!). Nobody ever commented on it but I became zealously obsessed and deleted almost every non-breaking space that had no clear stylistic function other than to add unnecessary ‘whitecaps’ to each comment, big or small, and even created large deserts of white space.
Suffice to say, it was an exercise in futility and like carrying water to the sea using a bucket with holes in it.
haha, I've been totally tempted. I edit my own, and other people's if I'm moderating. Hopefully Lynn will find a fix.
I do feel for you as moderators having to read all this. The new editor adding easy formatting buttons is not necessarily a good thing. 🙂
I really like the twitter embeds though, that might be my favourite change.
"I really like the twitter embeds though, that might be my favourite change."
you do understand that these (twitter embeds) prompt each readers browser to collect a twitter cookie?
what's your point there xanthe?
not really making a point but rather referencing a previous discussion here about why do we pick up so many cookies when accessing TS
embedded stuff is great but there is a cost in personal data leakage
"why do we pick up so many cookies when accessing TS"
I think most people, myself included, won't understand the implications of what you are pointing to.
True but I do trust Twitr a lot more than Bookface on that front. Have not managed to monetise our attention very well by comparison.
Results from free tracking cookie manager from the EFF:
Yeah, I know. I’ve looked at this a number of times over the years.
We use google analytics (keep track of usage – nothing else is remotely accurate), google fonts (the fonts used on the site are from there – which is why it looks familiar across many platforms), gravatar (those personalised icons), QR (the post barcode), twitter (the shout and count on twitter icon), facebook (the shout and count on facebook icon), and wordpress.org (including the wp) because we use wordpress jetpack.
Of those, the twitter and the QR aren’t critical. Basically twitter is the peanuts in terms of draw and the home to a noisy minority of wordy loons, QR is only used by a small number of new readers on mobiles.
However some of the other cookies (what you’re calling trackers) aren’t ‘on’ the standard. They are either on your client or attached to external videos.
Plus of course there is a load of javascript in various portions of the site – mostly jquery. Not that much because I limit its use in favour of site longevity.
Down below the level you can see, there are a pile of connections to other systems. The wordfence that prevents site attacks by looking at what everyone is asking for and from where. The AWS cloudfront (via w3 total cache) that looks at the calls for every image and document on the site and supplies it from locations around the world, the AWS route 53 that does the same for the DNS, the shunting through voyager….
If you choose to turn all them off – then that is your issue. The site won’t be that usable without them (especially the bits of javascript – which are far more dangerous than cookies).
No-one could pay me enough to provide the kind of site detailing that these systems provide. Which is why they are used.. One stacked on top of the other – and they are all potential monitoring systems.
Plus of course there is me.
Welcome to the net – built in a mound of monitoring systems where the basic anonymity is that really we don’t care enough to turn over the midden enough to clear out the problems.
It's a minimal set compared with commercial sites. Privacy Badger is an interesting tool.
On the pushback showing up in local politics: https://thespinoff.co.nz/local-elections/19-09-2019/the-two-loud-angry-campaigns-that-could-swing-the-auckland-local-elections/
Want some feel good?
"Be kind to one another"
https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/status/1175152974240157697
It seems to me that a more embracing guide for living than being kind is needed, though 'kind' helps. I believe 'kind' creates the feeling of a hippy-sounding mantra. It doesn't stand against the hard-nosed approach of the majority mired in the capitalist system, which I notice comes with a kevlar (more modern than armour) protection from receipt and acceptance of compassionate thoughts and understanding.
What about being kind and practical in balance in everything. I think that would help us to face off the dismissal of the human condition that is prevalent in neolib economics, and Randian 'The Virtue of Selfishness'.*
Stephen Fry discusses Ayn Rand and her works 2minsapprox
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbfy6_fMBiw
Incidentally that is shown as coming from Radio 4. If a country has only private radio, they would not hear or see any of this sort of discussion. Instead it would be full of capitalist jargon very focussed on what were seen to be profitable subjects, ventures and discussions that would be influential in maintaining the wall against expansion of understanding and help.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Virtue_of_Selfishness
Synchronicity at work? There seems to be more attention being paid to the use of language and rhetoric.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/115935261/politicians-treating-labour-party-sexual-assault-allegations-as-a-game-when-it-deserves-gravitis
I think what we have seen being played out in the NZ Media recently is a classic example of a ternary (triangular) structure similar to the Karpman drama triangle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karpman_drama_triangle) involving the Victim, the Rescuer, and the Persecutor (sometimes called the Perpetrator). These roles can interchange. This model describes “a type of destructive interaction that can occur between people in conflict”.
I’m not going to assign names/entities to the three roles in this drama but like to emphasise that binary descriptions, concepts, and ‘explanations’ can be useful but can also be extremely limiting and overly simplistic depending on the context and their use or aim.
Our need to think – and toss ideas round outside the envelope (is writing letters and NZ Post really a thing of the past, should we be happy to see it disappear?). Random thoughts, like the above, are they useful and valuable or just inefficient?
The more we rely on technology to make us efficient, the fewer skills we have to confront the unexpected, says writer and entrepreneur Margaret Heffernan. She shares why we need less tech and more messy human skills — imagination, humility, bravery — to solve problems in business, government and life in an unpredictable age. "We are brave enough to invent things we've never seen before," she says. "We can make any future we choose."
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4OPtFCs_fw
Fucking unbelievable. That they were cavalier with evidence collection, destroyed evidence, and we don't know who or why. Can't believe the Pike River families are still having to g through this kind of thing.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/09/items-found-around-pike-river-mine-destroyed-by-police-revealed.html
Police will not say who exactly ordered the items be destroyed.
Naturally.
Wag the dog and they're off. Iraq 2.0
https://twitter.com/CharlesMBlow/status/1175179334933520384
I wonder how many golliwogs that odious Trudeau had when growing up. The mind boggles… My guess would be that he had whole "families" of them…
How do you 'guess' that? Seems a bit ott to me.
The Nation: Simon Shepherd Interviews James Shaw.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1909/S00285/the-nation-simon-shepherd-interviews-james-shaw.htm
Nicely balanced middle of the road kind of interview.
Espots – gaming – not gambling. A shared space for the young brought up on the computer and games since they paid pacman at age 6 probably. Good idea to bring them together for simple friendship even proximity. A guided space where you can hang out with no stress.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/lately/audio/2018713717/game-theory-tom-featonby-on-the-omen-esports-arena
..."We also have events during night-time as well where we tend to fill the arena with people, so Tuesday nights – I'm actually at the arena tonight and the boys here are being very quiet … we’ve got them in here playing Formula 1 2019 together, so it’s a racing car game."
The arena is packed during these weekly events, Featonby says.
"We’ve got a big group from one of the hostels that come in every Tuesday night without fail and fill the arena for me, which is quite nice. One of the main parts I like about being the esports coordinator is the relationship-building – getting to know them and sharing their passion for gaming."
.
…"What we don’t support are realistic first-person shooters, so being the first university to have an esports presence we’re very wary that we need to be above board with everything we do and especially after Christchurch."
Games that feature realistic-looking guns, blood and gore – like the popular Counter-Strike – are not available at the arena, a move which was unpopular with some, but some of the more cartoon-style shooting games are allowed.
Labour conference at Brighton coming up.
Labour conference: Five things to look out for in Brighton
By Gavin Stamp Political reporter, BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49767667
Jonathan Pie in full flow dissing everything in Boorish's Cabnt. Take note – not for sensitive ears – has a go at every bit of virtue signalling from the Conservatives.
https://www.supernewsworld.com/Jonathan-Pie-Boriss-Britain-9526714.html
Media coverage of the economy is drifting into the territory of predicting a recession and then when this does not come explaining that there was little growth but for that via migration.
This without placing this in perspective – past growth was slightly higher and so was immigration.
Given continuing demand from employers for more migrants … and the path to a higher MW ($20 in April 2021), those predicting recession connected to local economic factors alone have no credibility.
Govt pissing around on making things fairer for renters: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/115955602/governments-rental-law-changes-missing-in-action
This was a good story of community working together for an outcome good for them all. Might have been put up before but worth another go.
Commenter says: Mike O'Donnell: " If you fail to treat people as the humans they are, at some point it's going to come back and bite you on the bum."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/115591856/a-closing-school-taught-its-community-some-new-skills
Public funded election broadcasting should be turned on head – Social Credit
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2019/09/21/public-funded-election-broadcasting-should-be-turned-on-head-social-credit
Is "social credit" an organisation, an author, or just a generic category of story? Can't seem to find it on the site. Might just be a category from Bradbury – I was wondering if the actual social credit movement was getting more active again.
Here you go Mc Flock
https://www.socialcredit.nz/
Cheers. Same symbol, must be the same crowd. And it looks like they're the old DSC from the 1990s-2000s.
Never really followed them, but I think it's a perspective to keep around.
Social Credit is New Zealand's oldest, surviving, smaller political party.
The following (below) is from mosa's initial link.
More of us from the left should be supporting them.
Yes we know, you think lefties and environmentalists should vote for a party that doesn't have a shit show chance of getting into Parliament rather than the one that is already there. All so boring.
Wrong.
I think we on the left require far better representation than what Labour and the Greens have provided thus far.
To me (and others) Labour and the Greens representation of the left has largely been disappointing.
Like sands through the hourglass, so are the concerns of our lives.
With Labour largely having the Greens onside, they know there is hardly anywhere for the left-wing voter to turn. Hence, we on the left need to show them otherwise.
The competition would be good for the left, forcing them both (Labour and the Greens) to up their game.
And that, IMO, would be a real concern for Labour. They would have to offer us more than merely being a National lite.
I think it is great that Labour is playing nice with the Greens these days. There are two things that are needed now for a more left and environmental government:
1. for the Greens to win back the vote they lost back to Labour last election and other stragglers they can pick up so that they are a bigger player in the government
2. for Labour to win more of the swing vote from National so that Winston First's support is not required to pass legislation.
More of us from the left should be supporting them.
You'd like to see more of the left vote directed to parties that won't make the threshold, so that their vote share gets re-distributed to, among others, right-wing parties? So not surprised to hear that…
No.
I'd like to see more of the left vote directed to them (SC) to not only make the threshold but to help them win.
But clearly, I can't do that alone.
The left have a choice. Continue to vote Labour and get National lite or force Labour to up their game. The Greens have shown they are ineffective. Shaw won't rock the boat. Hell, they were the ones that came up with the BRR all on their own. Largely robbing Labour of the funding to do little more than National. Therefore, it's time to give SC a go.
Less chance of them climbing to even get a score on the board in opinion polls than there is of you being taken seriously on this site claiming to be part of "we on the left".
You're fucking hilarious sometimes.
I didn't know Social Credit still existed!
I remember the days of Bruce Betham and Gary Knapp….whats Gary Knapp doing these days?
https://www.activistpost.com/2019/09/health-concerns-have-stopped-5g-rollout-in-australia.html
Good to hear! If only NZ would just wait for some kind of study so that we know it is safe or not. But no, why not experiment with our population first (because, rugby!)?
For fucks sake i am sick off feckin rugby !!!!!!!!
It is totally out of control and wayyyyyy over the top.
Imagine what it will be like when or if we loose or win for that matter.
If we loose then the NZRFU will hold an inquiry which will regrettably get more publicity than the current Burnham shambles.
If we win it will be like the second coming of christ and no one even those kiwis who DON'T watch this stupid 80 minutes of utter crap will not be safe.
Ditto, ditto, ditto.
I'm currently trying to figure out how I'm going to get through the next 3 weeks without going stark raving mad.
Each to their own I suppose. I like sitting down with a beer and watching a game of rugby. (or a few other sports come to that).
The media’s war with Bernie Sanders highlights the need to factcheck the factcheckers
An interesting read that does not mention rugby.
https://www.thecanary.co/us/us-analysis/2019/09/19/the-medias-war-with-bernie-sanders-highlights-the-need-to-factcheck-the-factcheckers
Who cares about frigging rugby! That is a subject that belongs to potatoes living on a couch and addicted to watching advertisements.
If they want to enjoy rugby they should get their arse moving and go and play some while they still can.
What annoys me is: we've got the police ballsing-up the Pike River Inquiry by destroying crucial evidence, and it now transpires senior Defence Force personnel were either total incompetents or downright liars.
But all we get to hear about is a bunch of macho-ridden boof-heads kicking a funny shaped ball around a field.
Ok got that off my chest. Back to normal.
Spoiler!
Ringo's still got it.
Jordan Peterson is checking himself into rehab.
All those gay couples getting married, casual hookups, and women being able to go on the pill are freaking him out.
'heh ''
https://twitter.com/Muellertime1000/status/1175048736965320706
You know things are dire when the arch capitalists start musing thus…
"Off the record, other senior people in the City tell me they find the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, who has been circulating among them busily in recent months, a serious and intriguing figure: a supposed Marxist who looks, and sometimes talks, a bit like a bank manager.
A similar thaw is under way in the more thoughtful parts of the business press. With western capitalism having a crisis of confidence, at the very least – this week the Financial Times announced “Capitalism: time for a reset” – Labour’s radical economic alternatives have begun to look more reasonable to some business journalists. The Economist, despite its longstanding support for the Thatcherite free-market reforms that McDonnell would like to reverse, has been covering the development of Labour’s new economic thinking with intense curiosity since 2017. This month, the more cautious, centrist FT has published a succession of long articles about “Labour’s new establishment” and its ambitions for Britain. While the pieces were still spiked with criticisms, the scale of the coverage has suggested a degree of respect – and that corporate Britain needs to understand Corbynism, and be prepared to make some accommodations with it."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/21/bankers-corbyn-tories-no-deal-capitalism-radical-government
Mmmm?
Spark have waved the white flag on their streaming and made the second half of the sportsball free to air on tvnz's Duke channel. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12269739
You above all seem to be committed to showing the last legs of human wealth. Worthwhile aim.
The other, is ridiculous after-all.