Open Mike 21/11/2018

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 5:59 am, November 21st, 2018 - 172 comments
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172 comments on “Open Mike 21/11/2018”

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Cinny 1
21 November 2018 at 7:08 am
Wtf, money over murder.
trump has just declared he stands with the saudi’s on the Khashoggi assassination.
I guess the USA is making too much money from the war in Yemen to worry about the saudi’s lying over murdering journalists.
Despite US intelligence reportedly linking the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, the US would continue to have a “steadfast” relationship with the kingdom.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/trump-steadfast-partnership-saudi-arabia-181120174403336.html
- Ed 1.1
  21 November 2018 at 7:40 am
  Without oil, the military industrial complex collapses.
  - Cinny 1.1.1
    21 November 2018 at 7:49 am
    True but the saudi’s are not the only ones who can supply oil.
    Re trumps Khashoggi decision, he was in a position to possibly put a halt to the war in Yemen, and he chose to sell weapons to the saudi’s to keep the war going instead. I’m really fucked off about it.
  - DJ Ward 1.1.2
    21 November 2018 at 10:40 am
    The US is a net energy exporter. The US Saudi relationship is a strategic one. Firstly to protect Israel and secondly as it’s an enemy of Iran. Was the enabler of the Iraq conflicts.
    People fought wars prior to oil. Your comment could be replaced by anything exploitable.
    The US has placed sanctions on people proven to be involved.
    Jacinda or Winston have sanctioned nobody.
    Saudi vs Yemen is a religous war that like Israel vs Palistinians has involved tit for tat events progressing into the dominate power applying complete oppression. The US was involved due to Yemens strong Al Qaeda links and attacks on shipping. They are now removing its enabling support to Saudi Arabias actions in Yemen.
    - bwaghorn 1.1.2.1
      21 November 2018 at 11:36 am
      The us has placed sanctions on the poor muppets the Saudi prince has thrown under the bus.
      - DJ Ward 1.1.2.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 11:58 am
        Well it’s actually based on the evidence gathered by Turkey. Confirmed by Saudi investigations. So you are probably correct about the Prince.
    - Draco T Bastard 1.1.2.2
      21 November 2018 at 2:22 pm
      The US is a net energy exporter.
      But not for long.
      The US Saudi relationship is a strategic one. Firstly to protect Israel and secondly as it’s an enemy of Iran.
      True and totally immoral.
    - McFlock 1.1.2.3
      21 November 2018 at 2:37 pm
      The US is a net energy exporter.
      net energy importer still, as of last year. And then there’s the fact that what’s holding it back is the importation of crude oil. I wonder where it gets that from?
      USDoE thinks you’re four years early in declaring mission accomplished.
      - DJ Ward 1.1.2.3.1
        21 November 2018 at 3:53 pm
        “The United States became a net exporter of petroleum products in 2011 and natural gas in 2017. In 2017, the United States was a net exporter of coal, coal coke, petroleum products, natural gas, and biomass, but a net importer of crude oil. Net electricity trade with Mexico and Canada was relatively minimal.”
        Once you count Trumps anti Russian gas exports to the EU which have just been signed, not accounted for in your link they become overal net exporters.
        McFlock 1.1.2.3.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 9:59 pm
        What the actual fuck does Russian exports to the EU have to do with your claim “The US is a net energy exporter”? And it doesn’t matter if the US is a net exporter of some types of energy, it’s dependence on importing crude oil makes it a net energy importer. Your statement “The US is a net energy exporter” was categorically wrong.
    - Cinny 1.1.2.4
      21 November 2018 at 10:53 pm
      Far out.
      Saudi’s keep breaking the cease fire.
      Re Al Qaeda in Yemen, crikey the USA+Saudi’s have been paying them money to leave, not fighting them, instead cashing them up and even recruiting them.
      ” Again and again over the past two years, a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and backed by the United States has claimed it won decisive victories that drove al Qaeda militants from their strongholds across Yemen and shattered their ability to attack the West.
      Here’s what the victors did not disclose: many of their conquests came without firing a shot.
      That’s because the Saudi/USA coalition cut secret deals with al Qaeda fighters, paying some to leave key cities and towns and letting others retreat with weapons, equipment and wads of looted cash, an investigation by The Associated Press has found. Hundreds more were recruited to join the coalition itself.”
- marty mars 1.2
  21 November 2018 at 9:06 am
  Yep he is an orange phlegm-cough. He shows his morals are non-existent – sad state of affairs.
  “In the extraordinary statement issued on Tuesday – which begins with the words “The world is a very dangerous place!” – Trump quotes Saudi officials as describing Khashoggi as an “enemy of the state”. ”
  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/20/trump-saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-crown-prince
  - DJ Ward 1.2.1
    21 November 2018 at 10:55 am
    As a staunch member of the Muslim Brotherhood, supporter of Osama Bin Laden with many Personel meetings and advocate for creating a global Islamic state. Yes.
    - marty mars 1.2.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 11:27 am
      Your opinions are worthless – I’m not interested in them at all.
      - DJ Ward 1.2.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 11:36 am
        You haven’t explained how Trump was in any way responsible for the murder or why you think he should be held to account for the murder. The only thing he can realistically do is punish those proven to be responsible. He has done that with sanctions.
        Or how you justify our governments inaction.
        Diagnosis TDS.
      - DJ Ward 1.2.1.1.2
        21 November 2018 at 11:51 am
        Keep up the MSM propaganda line Marty.
        If you read Wiki you will see what I said is true.
        That doesn’t justify the murder.
        Cinny 1.2.1.1.2.1
        21 November 2018 at 11:12 pm
        djward…. “If you read Wiki you will see what I said is true.”
        LMFAO !!!!!!!!!! ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
        Dude, anyone with an email addy can change wiki content. JS
        And which wiki page are you referring to djward, that we need to read?
        It wasn’t just a murder, it was a pre-planned execution. Right down to a forensic expert who taught the clean up crew how to remove all traces of dna. Khasoggi was dismembered, then placed into suitcases and disposed of. It was brutal, especially for a person of the muslim faith, but they knew that, tis why thy did it that way.
        Thou shalt not speak out in the media about the saudi’s or you’ll be next.
        But it sure was well planned, even down to the person who left the embassy dressed in Khashoggi’s clothes, neglected to put on his shoes, which was the giveaway on the CCTV.
        The saudi’s lied about it, denied it ever happened, then hello, the story from the saudi’s kept changing.
        The CIA report ….”blindingly obvious” that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing.
        And trump feel’s their trust worthy enough to sell weapons to? Wow.
        trump could have turned away from the saudi’s using Khashoggi (who is a dual US citizen) as an ‘excuse’, leading to hopefully the demise of the war in Yemen. But noooooo. What a fuckwit.
        DJ Ward …
        22 November 2018 at 1:38 am
        Did you read.
        The Saudis said.
        Not Trump.
        Nobody how much you hate them should be mocked for a comment that is not theirs. Especially when its not undeniable and has supporting facts.
        The victims Wiki page.
        I’m perfectly aware of the events just as much as you are. But thanks for your recap.
        How exactly do you suggest Trump exercises his powers as a dictator to stop this war. Oh wait, the senate.
        Cinny …
        22 November 2018 at 7:38 am
        The saudi’s said what djward, so many comments am not sure which one you are referring to.
- Ad 1.3
  21 November 2018 at 9:49 am
  With all remaining large powers except the EU accelerrating their retreat from diplomatic norms that respect human rights, this statement is the official signpost to hell.
- SaveNZ 1.4
  21 November 2018 at 10:51 am
  Yep and Khashoggi was a US citizen too. So Trump takes the money over his own citizens. Well not really surprising for a right winger. (and increasingly these days a left wing government).
- bwaghorn 1.5
  21 November 2018 at 11:35 am
  Hardly surprising the Usa is always offing people .
  - DJ Ward 1.5.1
    21 November 2018 at 11:48 am
    The US had nothing to do with the events.
    Trump and the US have no responsibility to the events.
    While its appears obvious the Prince was involved, evidential links are scant.
    As the murder victim had US citizenship the US can bring the offenders to the US for trial. However they can’t get their hands on them for that to happen.
    Behind the scenes Trump has confronted this issue. He has said he has asked the Saudi leadership, and directly the Prince if the Prince ordered the killing on at least 5 occasions. The Saudi leadership deny the involvement of the Prince.
    While obviously bullshit what is Trump to do?
    Invade Saudi Arabia to get the Prince?
    Killing millions, and causing a global economic crash.
    - bwaghorn 1.5.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 12:00 pm
      Did I say they were involved in this one ? My point is the us is a murderous state so they are hardly going to get to all upset when their friends do a bit of killing.
      - DJ Ward 1.5.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 12:14 pm
        I don’t think the French care, or Germans, or Russians.
        So why put responsibility only on Trump.
        Barfly 1.5.1.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 12:20 pm
        $110 billion $US in arms sales – money or morals?
        Mind you, didn’t NZ hand over the French killers for the sake of selling sheep brains to the EU?
        DJ Ward …
        21 November 2018 at 1:03 pm
        It’s not Trumps arm sales.
        It’s private companies doing the trade.
        He needs the House (Dems) and Senate (Reps) to act to restrict the economic activity of private Buisiness.
        If he just waved a wand saying you can’t do Buisiness then he truly would be a dictator. Plus he could be sued by the manufacturer.
        The Senate drives sanctions on North Korea, Iran, Russia. Not the President. It is the Senate that oversees arm sales.
        Many of these contracts are Obama era deals. He openly traded with this mysoginistic dictatorship as well. This ‘high profile’ murder is just one of hundreds of political killings over decades. The rational for attacking Trump is no different for Obamas actions.
        The US is far from Saudi Arabias only weaponry provider.
        Gabby …
        21 November 2018 at 4:27 pm
        Come off it dud4, it’s private companies running the government.
        McFlock …
        21 November 2018 at 5:10 pm
        He needs the House (Dems) and Senate (Reps) to act to restrict the economic activity of private Buisiness.
        I do like how you pull bullshit out of your arse. It makes me research new and interesting things.
        For example, International Emergency Economic Powers Act:
        “SITUATIONS IN WHICH AUTHORITIES MAY BE EXERCISED
        SEC. 202. (a) Any authority granted to the President by section
        203 may be exercised to deal with any unusual and extraordinary
        threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the
        United States, to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of
        the United States, if the President declares a national emergency with
        respect to such threat.
        (b) The authorities granted to the President by section 203 may
        only be exercised to deal with an unusual and extraordinary threat
        with respect to which a national emergency has been declared for purposes
        of this title and may not be exercised for any other purpose.
        Any exercise of such authorities to deal with any new threat shall be
        based on a new declaration of national emergency which must be with
        respect to such threat.
        GRANT OF AUTHORITIES
        SEC. 203. (a) (1) At the times and to the extent specified in section
        202, the President may, under such regulations as he may prescribe,
        by means of instructions, licenses, or otherwise—
        (A) investigate, regulate, or prohibit—
        (i) any transactions in foreign exchange,
        (ii) transfers of credit or payments between, by, through,
        or to any banking institution, to the extent that such transfers
        or payments involve any interest of any foreign country or
        a national thereof,
        (iii) the importing or exporting of currency or securities;
        and
        (B) investigate, regulate, direct and compel, nullify, void,
        prevent or prohibit, any acquisition, holding, withholding, use,
        transfer, withdrawal, transportation, importation or exportation
        of, or dealing in, or exercising any right, power, or privilege with
        respect to, or transactions involving, any property in which any
        foreign country or a national thereof has any interest;
        by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction
        of the United States.
        Basically, the pres declares something to be an emergency, then declares the related sanctions.
        Gabby 1.5.1.1.1.2
        21 November 2018 at 6:28 pm
        Watchoo talkin bout dud4?
        Are the germans still selling arms to the saddies?
    - Gabby 1.5.1.2
      21 November 2018 at 6:29 pm
      Residency surely dud4.
- joe90 1.6
  21 November 2018 at 2:21 pm
  MSB owns Javanka, so of course the orange turd is going to roll over and let him do WTF he wants to.
  One of the people MBS told about the discussion with Kushner was UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, according to a source who talks frequently to confidants of the Saudi and Emirati rulers. MBS bragged to the Emirati crown prince and others that Kushner was “in his pocket,” the source told The Intercept.
  https://theintercept.com/2018/03/21/jared-kushner-saudi-crown-prince-mohammed-bin-salman/
  https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudis-using-pompeos-plan-shield-leadership-khashoggi-fallout-says-source-1684431379
  - Cinny 1.6.1
    21 November 2018 at 11:14 pm
    Good links Joe, thanks for that.
cleangreen 2
21 November 2018 at 7:43 am
Is anyone really noticed that “climate change” is now upon us now????
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/108716716/wintry-conditions-set-to-continue-as-heavy-snow-and-rain-forecast-for-south-island
Is anyone feeling that climate change is really impacting on our lives fully now with massive rainfall amounts all over the country now and is flooding us all, and snow and hail is arriving in summer??????
Good article is here to illustrate that climate change is real and now present, so where is Jacinda Ardern on this demise of our planet now” after she was ‘preaching to us
“climate change is our generation’s ‘nuclear moment”!!!!!!!’
“So why is she not reducing truck freight for more less carbon emission transport such as rail which emits 5 to 8 times less carbon emissions than trucks per km of tonne carried each km??????.
Regional rail is not being increased under her “transformative” Government and sadly her government is one third into it’s “first term” so they had better get moving else they will be out in 2020.
Chris Trotter on TDB remarked on https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/11/20/making-it-through/ what Christine Rose was quoted correctly saying what is now present’;
“our chances of surviving global warming are slim indeed. And yet, if we put our faith in science, then Christine Rose’s bitter-sweet resignation; her “ecological grief” at the inevitable demise of so many living things”
- DJ Ward 2.1
  21 November 2018 at 1:13 pm
  Nope. Haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.
  So you propose building Rail to everybody’s front door?
  You should advocate for EV trucking. Rail is useful for large quantity, long distance enterprise but generally its geographically handicapped. Inevitably a truck is needed to deliver to the door.
  Make it a EV truck and you will need something else to complian about.
  - mauī 2.1.1
    21 November 2018 at 1:33 pm
    New Zealand was built using rail and most towns and cities have some connection to it and depended on it. What country has it going to front doors? Are you actually serious?
    EV trucks? lol seriously? You know diesel engines are irreplaceable right in terms of power output?
    - DJ Ward 2.1.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 1:52 pm
      Rubish.
      EV can easily match the output of diesel plus it has a huge advantage in power at no speed. In short runs from Rail hubs and the near instant charging of Ali ion batteries its presently viable.
      - cleangreen 2.1.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 3:58 pm
        DJ WARD
        You are so such an ignorant rant aren’t you?
        Who said rail to every door?
        Secondly you don’t know that trucks have up to 32 tyres now as tyres are made from very nasty monomers/ polymers and toxic chemicals like 1.3.butadiene and styrene, all are cancer causing that the EU is now banning fro use in cities and populated areas because of the toxic poisons Tyre dust is causing to humans.
        Go away we don’t need your rubbish, we have covered this stuff before so don’t waste our time here.
        https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/04/fewer-cars-not-electric-cars-beat-air-pollution-says-top-uk-adviser-prof-frank-kelly
        Electric vehicles emit no NO2 but do produce small particle pollution from the wear on brake discs and tyres and by throwing up dust from roads. A recent European commission research paper found that about half of all particulate matter comes from these sources.
        http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC89231/jrc89231-online%20final%20version%202.pdf
        Abstract
        Traffic related sources are a significant contributor of particulate matter, particularly in urban environments and
        major cities. Traffic related particles can be distinguished into: exhaust traffic related particles, which are emitted
        as a result of incomplete fuel combustion and lubricant volatilization during the combustion procedure, and nonexhaust
        traffic related particles, which are either generated from non-exhaust traffic related sources such as brake,
        tyre, clutch and road surface wear or already exist in the environment as deposited material and become
        resuspended due to traffic induced turbulence. It is estimated that exhaust and non-exhaust sources contribute
        almost equally to total traffic-related PM10 emissions. However, as exhaust emissions control become stricter,
        relative contributions of non-exhaust sources to traffic related emissions will increasingly become more significant.
        The aim of the present literature review study is to present the state-of-the-art of the different aspects regarding
        particulate emissions resulting from non-exhaust sources and particularly from brake and tyre wear. For this
        reason several different literature sources such as peer reviewed papers, research project reports, technical
        publications, as well as licentiate and doctoral theses were examined and the most significant findings in terms of
        importance, physicochemical characteristics, EFs and possible adverse health effects are discussed.
        cleangreen 2.1.1.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 4:01 pm
        DJ ward
        Just remember that rail has ‘steel wheels’ not any of those toxic black ‘plastic’ tyres that are poisoning our human health and environment.
        DJ Ward …
        21 November 2018 at 7:26 pm
        Since you want cars and trucks banned your solution is returning to the horse and cart?
        You miss the point.
        EV vehicles reduce pollution significantly from what we presently have. People are not going to give up Moter vehicles. Next you will be complaining about push bikes with rubber tyres and brakes.
        The solution is not eradication and the reformation of society to suit your irrational idealism of paradise.
        It’s identifying pollution and finding engineering solutions that eliminate or neutralise those pollutants.
        Anybody would think I’ve got no green credentials based on the bullcrap I’m getting. I’ve done more in my life and achieved more in that regard to anybody on this site.
      - mauī 2.1.1.1.2
        21 November 2018 at 6:52 pm
        Nope, nothing can match the power generated by burning fossil fuels that’s why diesel engines have been used in heavy transport for more than 100 years. Having thousands of electric vehicles ferrying stuff around is also completely unsustainable.
        DJ Ward 2.1.1.1.2.1
        21 November 2018 at 8:42 pm
        Absolute rubbish.
        Electric motors can deliver any power you design it to deliver.
        That’s not the reason it’s used at all.
        Extremely large mining machines are electric powered. Not diesel.
        Compared to electricity diesel is more expensive. It’s cheaper to generate electricity in high efficiency multi stage generators with diesel for EV use than in inefficient in vehicle engines by a factor of nearly 3:1.
        Mankind advanced so fast the EV vehicles couldn’t keep up with ICE vehicle developement. ICE vehicles are not tied to infastructure like EV is. EV was handicapped by battery developement stalling with lead acid batteries.
        Once the invention of Lithuim ion and graphine occured ICE vehicles in mainstream use will inevitably become redundant technology.
        Ali ion batteries, a secondary invention to Lithuim ion batteries have a theoretical storage by mass limit 250% greater than the Lithuim theoretical limit. This is due to Lithuim having 1 free electron vs Aluminium having 3 per atom.
        Profound change is going to occur in the near future.
        Incognito …
        21 November 2018 at 9:01 pm
        Extremely large mining machines are electric powered. Not diesel.
        Some very large nuclear subs are propelled by electric motors. Not diesel.
        mauī …
        21 November 2018 at 11:51 pm
        “Electric motors can deliver any power you design it to deliver.”
        No, the example you’ve given is mining trucks which travel at slow speeds and stop and start, more suitable for batteries. Electric is unfeasible for long haul and higher speeds – the core of the entire industry. Hence why electric truck and trailer units don’t seem to exist? Electric trucking will probably only fill niche roles like rubbish collection, mining, where they work.
        New electric trucks are about 3 times more expensive to buy than standard trucks, so that rules them out for a lot of businesses. But I take your point that running costs are cheaper.
        Lithium is a very limited resource, no idea how much production can be scaled up so we can replace our car and trucking fleet.
        DJ Ward …
        22 November 2018 at 1:11 am
        Wrong. The giant diggers etc are electric, cable connected.
        EV is feasible today for long haul and high speed.
        EV can easily outperform ICE for speed, and acceleration, and torque.
        Ali ion batteries, not Lithuim. Aluminium is abundant.
        They can fully charge from flat in less than a minute. Faster than filling up with fuel.
        One Verizon tested 750,000 full charges, full discharges in just over a second to charge and a second to discharge.
        Presently it’s Lithuim but Aluminium batteries will surpass due to characteristics.
        mauī …
        22 November 2018 at 8:43 am
        Well you’ve thrown up a large digger and trucks running off coke cans as the only examples to back up your claims. An electrified trucking industry is just around the corner lol.
      - Graeme 2.1.1.1.3
        21 November 2018 at 9:03 pm
        This sounds like the Mainfreight vision of the transport industry, which will end up looking rather like the good old NZR with the road limits. Only this will be the most efficient and profitable for the carrier.
        There might be an intermediate hybrid step, but battery and motor tech might leapfrog that.
        Evidently Mainfreight is very close to not buying any more pure diesel trucks, at least for the depot – customer part of the business
    - Macro 2.1.1.2
      21 November 2018 at 1:55 pm
      http://etrucks.co.nz/
    - Molly 2.1.1.3
      21 November 2018 at 8:44 pm
      My partner works in the transport industry, and his firm is looking to replace the fleet with EV over the next few years. There are trucks on the road in Europe with good range and tare. The lack of infrastructure here for refuelling means that the first vehicles they will import will have to be hybrids.
      - Macro 2.1.1.3.1
        21 November 2018 at 9:42 pm
        Molly – if you look at my link above – you will see that for short haul trucks they are already here.
        Yes the problem in NZ for long haul trucks is that they would need massive batteries (and reducing their carrying capacity) to have sufficient range to be viable. Living in a semi-rural area I face the same problem with a car, and I find the optimum solution at the moment is a hybrid. An EV is planned for town use with the hybrid for the necessary task of a 200 km drive every 2 – 3 weeks. A Leaf, with a range of around 240 km, is just not practical. (No fast charger where I have to drive to). 🙁
- Adrian 2.2
  21 November 2018 at 3:25 pm
  You mean just like a normal spring, Marlborough has been having November snowfalls and frosts since before time began. They are even called ” A Doctor Muller frost ” after the holder and chronicler of a big sheep station in the 1800s, incidently he was the husband of Mary Ann Muller the great international suffragist writer and phampleteer.
  Nothing new here.
- KJT 2.3
  21 November 2018 at 7:33 pm
  Shipping. 34 times less.
  - greywarshark 2.3.1
    21 November 2018 at 7:51 pm
    Barges – is that the idea? Or won’t they stand up to the high seas.
    - KJT 2.3.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 9:33 pm
      Ships. Small for Auckland Whangarei, or Gisbourne Napier. Larger for N Island, S Island.
      And keep employment, taxes and profit in New Zealand, by requiring New Zealand flag.
Nick 3
21 November 2018 at 7:47 am
Why are you surprised Cinny? Trump gonna Trump on everything, the topic is irrelevant. Money, power and himself, full stop.
Cinny 4
21 November 2018 at 7:53 am
Money power and himself…… I’m going to add hypocrisy to that list.
Sad thing is the average American know’s little or nada about what is going on Yemen.
- garibaldi 4.1
  21 November 2018 at 8:43 am
  Cinny the Americans traditionally learn geography when they invade a country. Now that the cowardly bastards are doing it by drones the general population miss out on their geography lesson.
  - Cinny 4.1.1
    21 November 2018 at 10:13 am
    Unreals.
Dennis Frank 5
21 November 2018 at 8:01 am
“The leader of a media watchdog is urging Pacific leaders to “speak out” over Chinese attacks on the press. At the APEC summit in Papua New Guinea, only journalists from China’s state-run agencies were allowed to attend Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with Pacific leaders.” https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/11/china-dragging-pacific-back-to-colonial-days-expert.html
“Pacific Freedom Forum chair Monica Miller says the situation is “appalling” and a “slap in the face” to journalists. “China is trying to exercise what it is allowed to do back in its own backyard here in our part of the world, where we have open and free media,” she says. “It seems as if we are going back to the colonial days and we have China trying to muscle the press.”
“Pita Ligaiula, a journalist with the Pacific Island News Association based in Fiji, said Chinese influence was among the big issues affecting the region – and it was important to be able to inform the public about its intentions.”
Money talks. Pacific islands are keen to listen to it. China says, you can, on our terms. Pacific islands say okay then, let’s do this. Pacific media have marginal relevance. Pacific governments will take the money on offer, tell their media they can comment from their margins all they like, they don’t need to be present at meetings. Neocolonialism. Offending the powers that be is never a good idea…
cleangreen 6
21 November 2018 at 8:31 am
Jacinda now read what your previous Ministers actually promised the Gisborne People when in 2016 you was in opposition.
In 2016 Labour/NZ First promised to fix Gisborne rail.
http://gisborneherald.co.nz/localnews/2535803-135/three-parties-say-fix-rail.
Quote;
“Leaders of two political parties — including the Government’s coalition partner — along with Labour’s shadow transport minister will be in Gisborne next week to speak about the benefits to East Coast Maori of reopening the Gisborne to Wairoa railway line.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox and Labour Party transport spokeswoman Sue Moroney will address a rail forum to discuss progress towards the repair and reopening of the Gisborne-Wairoa section of the line.
Forum co-organiser Ken Crispin said supporters are encouraged by positive statements from KiwiRail’s annual meeting last week.
“It was reported that freight carried by rail in this last financial year represented a reduced heavy vehicle impact of 1.1 million road trips, with a reduced fuel input of 77 million litres. This has to be good for the economy as well as for the environment”, he said.
Rail Action Group chairwoman Mary Manuel said the action group was furthering the campaign to reopen the line “on behalf of our iwi and the generations to come”.
The forum will be on Monday at Te Tini o Porou Conference Centre, Kaiti from 9am to 5pm.”
http://gisborneherald.co.nz/business/2454149-135/labour-vows-to-improve-regions-government
ECONOMIC growth on the East Coast is being constrained by its poor infrastructure and lack of strategy from central Government, say members of Labour’s environment and infrastructure caucus committee.
The committee was in Gisborne yesterday for meetings with Eastland Port, Gisborne District Council’s regional transport committee, Wi Pere Trust and LeaderBrand.
“We are hearing from people that the region is being forgotten by the government, left out and issues not being addressed,” said Labour transport spokesperson Sue Moroney.
“Transport is a major issue in Tairawhiti, and it is going to become an even greater issue, because of a ‘good problem’, an increase in export opportunity.
“The volume of logs is expected to double, but there are concerns about how this volume of freight will impact on the way people live, and maintenance costs for roads.”
She reiterated Labour’s support for reinstating the rail line saying although they have not announced their new transport policy it was their policy at the last election and she sees “no reason to change that”.
“In fact the business case for it is building. The overwhelming view is supporting a long-term vision of what regional economic development could take place if there is the infrastructure to support it.
“If you were able to work anywhere and continue to do what you love doing, why wouldn’t you choose Gisborne.”
In line with this Labour would help businesses add value to products.
http://gisborneherald.co.nz/localnews/2437884-135/labour-greens-united-on-rail
Again in the Gisborne Herald in August 2016 again both Labour and Green Party again also promised to re-instate Gisborne rail.
Quote – “Ms Moroney added that a policy was needed that ensured rail, road and sea were all used when fit-for-purpose and reinstating the Gisborne line was a “no-brainer”.
“NZ is pretty damn perfect for rail, yet other countries use rail to much better effect than we do. We move a lot of big stuff, often.”
However, the National Government was “ideologically opposed” to rail and their “complete and utter bias” towards road haulage in particular defied facts, information and practicalities.
She encouraged Gisborne’s vociferous rail lobby to “keep fighting” for rail.
“I just want to congratulate you on a fantastic campaign that is run here from Gisborne and Napier about getting that important railway re-established again. Keep fighting that fight, I know sometimes it seems like no one is listening but it is clear what the problem is — you simply have the wrong government in place to make it a reality.
“It’s going to feel like banging your head against a brick wall but it’s incredibly important that people don’t lose sight.”
Ms Moroney said it was not an issue that should be left to local government; it was a central government issue.
Labour’s last election manifesto had included the reinstatement of the line, and there was no reason why that would change.
So now Jacinda; – in Gisborne and HB we are waiting for your Government to honour your promises made to re-instate the Gisborne to Napier rail service now please. You are looking after other pacific counties “infrastructure, so now we want you to look after our county too please.
- Gabby 6.1
  21 November 2018 at 9:57 am
  Get away from the coast cleany, it’s a goneburger. It’s going under. Trains don’t work under water. Head for the hills cleany.
  - cleangreen 6.1.1
    21 November 2018 at 4:07 pm
    Gabby,
    We have the Government plans for placing the rail systems in areas that are secure from coastal flooding, and they were set up by Julius Vogel in 1880.
    So they knew then it was foolish if we would be placing roads and rail near any beach areas, and we need to plan for this so you are right again 100%
    The roads are to close to beaches now and will suffer badly too.
    - DJ Ward 6.1.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 9:49 pm
      Interesting.
      Are you aware that sea rise is measured.
      Are you aware that measured sea rise is very small.
      In theory it could be very large wiping out cities like Napier, parts of South Auckland.
      Are you aware that tectonic plate movement causes rises and drops in altitude faster than the measured change by a profound amount. Generally not noticed until large earthquakes. Julia’s Vogels generation witnessed the Wellington event.
      The risk of global warming sea level rise is real but the world won’t end even if the worst case occured. Surprisingly it will continue to orbit the sun.
      The sea didn’t exist once, it was all frozen.
      Not long ago the sea was 100m lower than today.
      Life was also just as prolific when temperatures were hotter, CO2 was higher, the day was shorter, and had a significantly more dense atmosphere.
      73,000 years ago earths temperature dropped dramatically. The average sea temperature dropped by 2 degrees for 1,000 years. The result of a super volcano.
      All the animals alive today including us are descendants of those events.
      Climate change needs to be taken seriously, with realism.
      Paranoia needs good medication.
Observer Tokoroa 7
21 November 2018 at 8:36 am
Clean Air – Clean Water
Unfortunately we New Zealanders have no idea that we need clean air – and clean water.
Simon Bridges is a thorough devotee of Pollution. As a Minister he banned visual protest against the Oil Industry and laid severe legal punishments on any persons who tried to bring attention to the critical dangers of Oil.
Kiwis simply do not know that Oil, processed as Diesel and Petroleum is highly Carcinogenic. Your Truck and your Car is causing deadly cancer – night and day.
Simon Bridges does not tell you that. Labour does – and gets trolled for it endlessly by National and their ignorant caucus and Corporate idiots. As such, National is a prime purveyor of Pollution.
In the meantime, our Farmers whether Corporate or Family, are permitted to shunt millions of tons of Cow Shit and Lamb Shit into all our Rivers And streams. Simon Bridges pretends not to know this.
National 24 hrs a day, willingly Pollutes our water. You have to wonder why people don’t just rub the National noses into their own Shit.
- Morrissey 7.1
  21 November 2018 at 8:56 am
  National’s disgusting water policy….
  https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/l/f/i/z/s/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620×349.1lfi0o.png/1504501119377.jpg
Sam C 8
21 November 2018 at 8:38 am
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12163270
It looks like Hagar and Stephenson are about to be shown up for the serial, brazen bullshitters that they really are.
- Morrissey 8.1
  21 November 2018 at 8:44 am
  It looks like Hagar [sic] and Stephenson are about to be shown up for the serial, brazen bullshitters that they really are.
  Really? When has either Hager or Stephenson been proved wrong on any of their investigations into the activities of the New Zealand “Defence” Forces in Afghanistan?
  And the NZ “Defence” Force is an organization that is credible is it? Then why has that coward Lt. Gen. Tim Keating refused to front up to Paula Penfold?
  https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-disturbing-story-behind-willie.html
  - Sam C 8.1.1
    21 November 2018 at 8:49 am
    Looks like they’re about to be proved wrong. 105 times.
    - Morrissey 8.1.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 8:52 am
      As I suspected, you’re not serious.
      - Sam C 8.1.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 9:11 am
        Didn’t you read the link? I am serious. Hager even admits in the article that “some of them are probably true” in ref the 105 errors.
        Hardly the work of a credible investigative journalist. What will you say when Palmer and Arnold dispel Hager’s theories? That they’re in on it too?
        Morrissey 8.1.1.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 9:18 am
        Palmer? Geoffrey Palmer?
        If you believe a word that old lapdog says then you are even more of a fool than you appear so far.
        AB 8.1.1.1.1.2
        21 November 2018 at 9:39 am
        Hager will be right. Every historical work contains errors, plus things that might be errors. In the latter case, there is not enough evidence to be certain either way.
        All that matters is whether these errors are peripheral/incidental, or central enough to undermine the main thesis.
        If you don’t know this you are a fool. If you do know it, but are pretending not to, you’re a propagandist.
        Anne …
        21 November 2018 at 10:55 am
        I understand that the majority of the so-called “errors” quoted by the Defence Force revolve around the one relatively minor mistake that Hager and Stephenson admitted to a long time ago. I refer to the incorrect coordinates in the book re-the position of the village that was invaded. In other words, they inadvertently placed it on a small hill not far from the actual hill. It transpired the error was caused by a faulty translation.
        If that’s all the DF can come up with, I don’t fancy their chances of success. Unless of course the hearing turns out to be an establishment whitewash, which is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility.
        Morrissey …
        21 November 2018 at 11:28 am
        Seeing one of the two people at the “hearing” is Geoffrey Palmer, that creature of Alvaro Uribe, an establishment whitewash is guaranteed.
        https://www.democracynow.org/2011/9/2/as_turkey_freezes_israel_ties_critics
        https://www.insightturkey.com/commentary/torpedoing-the-law-how-the-palmer-report-justified-israels-naval-blockade-of-gaza
        crashcart …
        21 November 2018 at 2:00 pm
        My understanding is that NZDF have video evidence recorded from the helicopters of all three raids. They sounds very confident that it backs their version of events.
        Also they seem very certain about the number of shots fired by NZDF personnel. There will be documentation on this as every round is tracked and every time a weapon is discharged it is recorded.
        Whilst I wouldn’t expect people to just take the word of the NZDF I would hope that they wouldn’t undermine the findings of the enquiry before it is even conducted. That is a very Trump thing to do.
        Anne …
        21 November 2018 at 3:49 pm
        In the mid to late 1960s, I spent four and a bit years working for the old AKTV2 as an audio technician. I’m not saying it has happened in this instance (we will never know) but I know how simple it is to edit a video in such a way as to present a different picture of an event than actually occurred. They did it to me once at a party. The result was hilarious if rather embarrassing.
        Given today’s advanced technical knowledge I doubt anyone would be able to detect if such a scenario existed, with the exception of those who were there. And that is where the bulk of Stephenson’s and Hager’s information came from – soldiers who were physically there and saw what happened.
        I have also worked on a Defence Force base as a civilian, and whilst I had no quarrel with the rank and file who were generally a good bunch of people, I would not have always said the same about some of the D.F. brass.
        Sam C …
        21 November 2018 at 4:35 pm
        Aha – they’ve doctored the video! This in spite of you not having seen it Anne. Of course they have!
        And Palmer is a corrupt puppet of the Establishment! Of course he is!
        And, and and…
        I’m having trouble keeping up.
        Anne …
        21 November 2018 at 4:57 pm
        Liar. Never said a word against Palmer in my life. If you represent the “Establishment” then God help New Zealand.
        lprent []
        21 November 2018 at 7:01 pm
        Yeah.Sam C appeals to have an intelligence issue. He is a bit short of it.
        Thick as a plank in my expert troll sniffing opinion.
        Crashcart …
        22 November 2018 at 11:33 am
        Yes video can be edited. This is not video owned or controlled by the NZDF. It is US military video. It would also not be the only evidence I would rely on. As I said simple things like rounds expended is closely tracked. There will be actual documentation from the day that will record how many rounds were issued and how many were returned. The NZDF have literally thousands of pieces of evidence. I am not saying they will all be relevant but they will build a picture.
        There is a reason why eye witness testimony is considered one of the weakest forms of evidence. It is distorted over time. Especially when the witnessing happened in a high stress situation such as combat. I am not dismissing the eye witness testimony as it is an important part of building the picture. It is not however the most defining or most robust form of evidence. All evidence needs to be weighed and considered.
        This is what the enquiry should do. The way that Morrisey has been attacking the validity of the enquiry before it has even started is what concerns me. I am pretty sure that is what Sam C is referring to with his comment about accusations of Palmer being a corrupt puppet.
        SaveNZ 8.1.1.1.1.3
        21 November 2018 at 10:54 am
        Modern litigation and distraction used successfully by tobacco and climate change deniers. You distract the entire argument around some semantic or little point rather than the overwhelming evidence against the guilty party.
- Chris T 8.2
  21 November 2018 at 8:48 am
  Always found it a bit odd that people take Nicky Hager seriously.
  - Morrissey 8.2.1
    21 November 2018 at 8:55 am
    ????
    You should read his books. At least one of them, anyway.
    What credentials do you have to make such a criticism of Nicky Hager?
    - Michelle 8.2.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 12:38 pm
      Well they raided his home so someone took him seriously and we paid for the cops balls up another one of many over the years
      - Morrissey 8.2.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 4:23 pm
        It wasn’t a “balls up”, it was systematic harassment and intimidation. They were perfectly aware it was illegal, but they went on with it anyway.
    - cleangreen 8.2.1.2
      21 November 2018 at 1:07 pm
      Morrisey
      Chris cant read that’s why he wants to be in “politics” as they preach ‘fiction’
  - AB 8.2.2
    21 November 2018 at 8:58 am
    We take him seriously because the powerful are so desperate to smear him.
    You don’t take him seriously because you want to keep your authoritarian fantasies intact.
  - Molly 8.2.3
    21 November 2018 at 9:45 am
    As Morrissey says, read his books. Randomly check his sources – and he provides them all at the back of his books. If you have the chance to listen to him in person, watch how carefully he chooses his words, and how he refuses to exaggerate, even when the interviewer is persistent in prompting.
    Then perhaps you will get some idea of why people take him seriously.
    - Anne 8.2.3.1
      21 November 2018 at 4:04 pm
      Yes, I can vouch for that.
      I have been to a couple of functions where he was the guest speaker. He is strictly fair in his presentations. If a particular matter does not necessarily equate to any wrong doing on the part of whichever part of the establishment he is talking about (in this case the Defence Force) he will go to extraordinary lengths to ensure the audience recognises as much.
  - Gabby 8.2.4
    21 November 2018 at 9:53 am
    He’s got a bit of money christy. Surely you take that seriously.
    - Chris T 8.2.4.1
      21 November 2018 at 10:07 am
      Odd statement
      Why would how much money someone has make their views any more relevant?
      - Gabby 8.2.4.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 4:20 pm
        You worship the wealthy don’t you christy?
        Chris T 8.2.4.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 6:54 pm
        I have no idea
        Ask me when I have some
    - ianmac 8.2.4.2
      21 November 2018 at 12:43 pm
      Not true Gabby. Nicky lives on the barest of income. His tastes are very simple in his home-built house.
      - cleangreen 8.2.4.2.1
        21 November 2018 at 1:09 pm
        True that is ianmac.
        Nicky lives very ”frugal’.
        Robert Guyton 8.2.4.2.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 1:29 pm
        Gabby’s referring to the payout from the police; come on guys, sharpen up 🙂
        Her teasing of Chris T also (all Righties automatically respect people with money) is elegantly done also. I’m with Gabby.
        Anne …
        21 November 2018 at 3:55 pm
        Gabby is a breath of fresh air even though I have copped one or two of her witty barbs.
  - SaveNZ 8.2.5
    21 November 2018 at 10:57 am
    I take him more seriously that the establishment fear him so much that they have to make illegal cases agains him and steal his computers.
    Searching questions after Hager apology
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104682529/searching-questions-after-hager-apology
  - greywarshark 8.2.6
    21 November 2018 at 11:32 am
    You think a lot of odd things too, Chris T, so perhaps you are in a regular confused state.
    - cleangreen 8.2.6.1
      21 November 2018 at 1:12 pm
      Yes to that greywarshark. 100% Chris T is always confused like all his mates in National Party are.
- Gabby 8.3
  21 November 2018 at 9:52 am
  Are the kids alive and well sammie?
- greywarshark 8.4
  21 November 2018 at 1:11 pm
  8
  /sarc
Morrissey 9
21 November 2018 at 8:53 am
Free Speech continues to come under grave attack in Britain
https://azvsas.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-ihra-definition-of-anti-semitism.html
SaveNZ 10
21 November 2018 at 11:15 am
“The end of London’s ‘mega mansions’
Super-sized “mega homes” are to be banned in central London as Westminster City Council draws up new plans to ensure “real people” can buy properties.
The council, which oversees some of London’s most expensive postcodes including Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Belgravia, said it will restrict new builds over 150 square meters (1,615 sq ft), in order to preserve homes for “real people” instead of oligarchs and members of the global elite.
Westminster council argued that 150 square meters is “generous”, as it is 50 per cent larger than the average family home in the area.”
https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/35651/?ref=nzhhome
Pity NZ did not implement something similar in the unitary plan. Yeah, nah, that’s right unitary plan was for the super rich to shaft the rest of Auckland with the woke lefties braying approval because they couldn’t join the dots and still thing ‘trickle down’ is a thing too.
DJ Ward 11
21 November 2018 at 11:22 am
Cinny asked a question yesterday, in regards to the abortion, women lying about being on the pill issue, along the lines of, go on prove it. So thank you Cinny. Your statement is far better than the victim blaming and minimise approach of others.
Others were equally dismissive of the argument, or that lying about being on the pill is a crime.
I suggest people read this. With both eyes please.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/man-put-holes-condoms-sex-girlfriend-loses-appeal-article-1.1714830
- McFlock 11.1
  21 November 2018 at 1:36 pm
  lol
  “We conclude that where a complainant has chosen not to become pregnant, deceptions that deprive her of the benefit of that choice by making her pregnant, or exposing her to an increased risk of becoming pregnant by removing effective birth control, may constitute a sufficiently serious deprivation for the purposes of fraud vitiating consent,” the justices wrote.
  Now you just need to demonstrate that getting pregnant is substantively the same as being made pregnant without consent.
  - DJ Ward 11.1.1
    21 November 2018 at 1:41 pm
    “We conclude that where a complainant has chosen not to become pregnant, deceptions that deprive him of the benefit of that choice by making her pregnant, or exposing him to an increased risk of her becoming pregnant by removing effective birth control, may constitute a sufficiently serious deprivation for the purposes of fraud vitiating consent,” the justices wrote.
    There fixed it for you.
    - McFlock 11.1.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 1:58 pm
      Ah. So if you rewrite the judges’ decision to suit your position, it says what you want it to say.
      - DJ Ward 11.1.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 4:14 pm
        No. It says the same thing. The gender has changed. The judges comment has not changed.
        You are implying a law only applies to men, women are exempt. Theres a word for people that think like that.
        Women are free to abuse men. Which is current policy in pretty much every legal domain.
        Not that you care McFlock but this subject is actually ultimately about children.
        The more consential conception is the better the outcomes for children. Outcomes for planed, consential pregnancies are far better than outcomes for unwanted children.
        McFlock 11.1.1.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 4:24 pm
        No, I’m implying nothing.
        I’m explicitly stating that there is a fundamental difference between making someone else get pregnant and making yourself get pregnant.
        That difference might be enough to make your claims about “abuse” legally arguable. Please provide a link to a case where a woman has been convicted of sexual assault for getting pregnant.
        DJ Ward …
        21 November 2018 at 5:59 pm
        You never will have such a case. Prosecutions for any female on male sex crime is vertualy non existent. Police laugh at males who make historic sex abuse cliams with female offenders. Police also arrest males who make this particular sex abuse cliam of non consential conception because domestic violence at relationship breakdown is common. So is male suicide. This was first highlighted in the midwife initiated teenage father study decades ago. The slaughter of our boys continues.
        Women don’t even get prosecuted for having sex with drunk males when they want to get pregnant without the males consent.
        As you are aware men get sent to prison for having sex with drunk females. Despite thousands of events the investigation rate is 0%.
        I’m not interested in prosecuting women.
        That’s a fear in your mind (don’t know why).
        I asked about what is a human rights violation. The crown provides multiple opt out options for unwanted pregnancy for women. Men have no options even when technically sex abuse victims.
        The IRD makes 15 year old boys pay child support. Was it legal to have sex with them?
        Legalise the male pill!
        Incognito …
        21 November 2018 at 9:08 pm
        Legalise the male pill!
        FFS [pun intended]. Tie a knot in it or give it an ice-bath. You know, it’s mind over …. never mind.
        McFlock …
        21 November 2018 at 9:50 pm
        I asked about what is a human rights violation.
        So take it up with the Human rights Commissioner.
        The crown provides multiple opt out options for unwanted pregnancy for women. Men have no options even when technically sex abuse victims.
        “Technically” show me where, in NZ law, that is the case. With links.
        Legalise the male pill!
        Please link to the male pill that you believe is illegal in NZ even though it has been thoroughly tested and is completely safe and almost 100% effective.
        That having been said, yes, there is an issue in recognising and prosecuting sexual assault against males. I’m just not sure that your hypothetical case of women lying about being on the pill would count. It might, if one squinted a bit when interpreting the words “nature or quality”. But I’ve argued your corner for you more than you have.
- Cinny 11.2
  21 November 2018 at 10:39 pm
  That example is a four year old story from Canada, JS, but fair enough it is an example.
  As I said before one can get pregnant on the pill, doesn’t make them a liar.
  Does anyone warn the teens that drunk sex is awkward and not satisfying. Breathe in the boozy breath mhmmm I want that beer coated tongue in my mouth, why isn’t your cock working, whoops, sorry I just passed out for a bit, ewwww don’t spew up there, ffs that’s my wardrobe not a urinal.
  Re the male pill, honestly am not sure I could trust a man to take it regularly.
  Being pregnant and giving birth is no picnic, neither is an abortion or a miscarriage, leaving those decisions up to a man’s reliability on taking a pill…. yeah nah.
  But in saying that, why do men so easily trust a women when she say’s she’s on the pill? Maybe because either way there is no possibility the man will get pregnant, so no worries mate, it’s all on her.
  A word of advice, djward, you come across as a woman hater, might not be your intention, but the subjects you raise, sheez.
  Either that or you are flat out trolling. Maybe it’s both.
  I do read kb, have never commented there, the language, abuse, name calling, bullying is freaking vile as. As well the moderation is pathetic. But I noticed you are a regular visitor. JS.
SaveNZ 12
21 November 2018 at 11:36 am
Should migrants who might have worked overseas for significant periods of time qualify for NZ super when they also have overseas super or private pensions that they are entitled too?
Likewise people born overseas who somehow live the high life but appear to have no income generated here to justify that lifestyle but also qualify for super having not worked in NZ much, or paid taxes here only a fraction of their life.
It does not seem fair that Kiwis who live and work in NZ most of their lives get less than those who live in other countries and thus can get 2 pensions or just never lived here at all most of their lives and somehow get a pension and free health care and rest home care that NZ taxpayers pay for .
I don’t think the pension should be means tested but if you were born overseas and have contributed little in your working life into NZ you should not qualify for a NZ pension at all nor free health care nor free rest home care.
Private insurance should be paying for those who are born overseas or who spend most of their working life out of NZ apart from refugees. so that it is fairer to people who choose to live here on often lower wages who then somehow are expected to pay for the world’s wealthy retirees who apparently come just come here and get residency after 11 days or through marrying someone after a few weeks after meeting them online.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/indepth/commercial/britannia-financial-services-pension-transfer-UK/
- bwaghorn 12.1
  21 November 2018 at 11:46 am
  Maybe part of the residency application should include the handling over of their pension to nz super
  - SaveNZ 12.1.1
    21 November 2018 at 12:00 pm
    Yes bwaghorn that is a start. And I’m not against people who can support themselves and have the morality to retire here. But there needs to be more protection to Kiwis who live and work here not to support the world’s (often wealthy) retirees and a plan if they renege on paying for their own care and how they need to guarantee their care up front before being allowed to come here in case something goes wrong once they come here and NZ taxpayers end up having to support them.
    Look at then estimated costs of retirement or aged care…
    Rest home care costs at least $1000 p/w
    Plus surgical care, hip replacements, heart surgery, eye surgery, lets say $10k per year which I think is around the cost of private cover for elderly people.
    Prescriptions $40 p/w
    Free travel with Gold card $40 p/w
    Winter payment $450 – $750
    Pension $24k per annum single or $15,600 if you are in a rest home.
    It seem very strange looking at the costs just to keep one retired person here in NZ that we are allowing so many migrants to come here to retire who can then “lose’ their money somehow or even keep it, and NZ ends up paying significant amounts for their care and even a pension somehow.
    Then there are the recent migrant prison criminals at $100,000 per annum aka Czech Smuggler.
    We are paying for this by government borrowing and assets sell offs or decreased services or low wages for teachers or doctors else where.
    NZ has to get it’s shit in order, because our government policy is making a mockery of the future of NZ in the next decade when there will be so many liabilities that our government should have prevented NOW by policy that is fair and makes sense.
greywarshark 13
21 November 2018 at 11:38 am
Good news on how we are trying to deal with plastics (soft type).
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018672146/local-processing-of-soft-plastic-starts
business environment
Local processing of soft plastic starts
From Nine To Noon, 9:38 am today
9.05 mins
The soft plastic recycling scheme, run by the Packaging Forum, has been operating since 2015 and now covers about 70 percent of the country.
Photo: Facebook / Love NZ Soft Plastics Recycling
For the first time, soft plastic collected for recycling is being processed in New Zealand, and turned into fence posts and ducting for cables.
Earlier this year, soft plastic such as bread bags, chip packets and confectionery wrappers was being stockpiled here, as the Australian plant which had been contracted to recycle it, refused to take any more.
Lyn Mayes from the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme, run by the Packaging Forum, says there are now local processors. She says the packaging industry is trying to find alternatives to plastic.
- WeTheBleeple 13.1
  21 November 2018 at 12:20 pm
  That is good news. With viable products this type of industry might reach a point where it’s feasible to start ‘tapping’ the Pacific gyre.
  I’m dubious of any plastics left out in the sun however, like fence posts.
  What we need now is someone imaginative to come up with things they can make.
  Engineers – to your stations!
  - greywarshark 13.1.1
    21 November 2018 at 1:14 pm
    Hey wood deteriorates too. Certainly as a short term measure to deal with a present problem plastic fence posts would be appropriate especially for town use where they would give a nice clean grey or white appearance for a good many years.
    - WeTheBleeple 13.1.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 6:48 pm
      Wood biodegrades. Plastic breaks down to enter the food chain. It would be a shame to remove plastics from the ocean only to redistribute them over land.
      Just a wee touch of imagination, they’ll do just fine. Or is it all simply more green washing where Australia forced our hand to participate?
      Ducting is typically used beneath floors and above ceilings. These are places out of sunlight in which plastics might last indefinitely. A suitable product. There are many underground applications for which such materials might be suited. It is lightweight, waterproof, insulative and persistent.
  - greywarshark 13.1.2
    21 November 2018 at 1:22 pm
    Plastic –
    
    Jeremy Irons voices a mockumentary on the journey of a plastic bag to its home in the sea.
    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLgh9h2ePYw
- marty mars 13.2
  21 November 2018 at 12:35 pm
  I can’t wait until we turn our back on plastic and go back to the old ways of doing stuff. Recycling plastic is like asking for ice cubes for your martini on the titanic imo.
  - mauī 13.2.1
    21 November 2018 at 1:11 pm
    Yep, what was wrong with paper bags! I now don’t use any bag at all – I carry items out of the supermarket in my arms in protest.
    - greywarshark 13.2.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 1:14 pm
      I hang my bags off my ears. Use what you’ve got I say.
    - joe90 13.2.1.2
      21 November 2018 at 2:04 pm
      Yep, what was wrong with paper bags!
      Been thinking about paper v plastic bags, so I asked google.
      http://www.allaboutbags.ca/papervplastic.html
      https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/paper-plastic1.htm
      - Andre 13.2.1.2.1
        21 November 2018 at 6:18 pm
        Those two pieces are pretty light on my biggest objection to plastic bags (and plastics in general) – the littering and harm to wildlife aspects. It really hit home for me watching a sea turtle munching a jellyfish, then start in on a plastic grocery bag floating past. And seeing exposed coral covered so thick in bags and other plastic caught on it that you could barely see it was coral underneath.
        But yeah, the extra resource usage to make paper packaging complicates the issue quite a bit. In the end though, the paper vs plastic argument obscures the bigger problem – why so fkn much packaging to begin with?
        Macro 13.2.1.2.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 6:33 pm
        Totally agree
        As for the use of paper bags – like my two (reused many times) plastic bags I carry in my hessian carry bag, I have several paper bags for reuse as well.
        My butcher understands my objection to plastic trays and bags, and is happy for me to reuse the tinfoil containers with lids which I bring to carry my purchases home.
  - cleangreen 13.2.2
    21 November 2018 at 1:44 pm
    Yep Martymars, 100%
    I was astonished yesterday when someone turned up with a plastic bubble of six muffins from Pac’n’save what a overuse of plastic that was.
    Why cant they place them in a paper bag?????
    Pac ‘n’ save need to get real here too!!!!!!
    We also have all our liquids in plastic now and even most medicines too!!!
    Haven’t the medical or the helpless NZ Health Department heard of the dangers of keeping food stuffs inside plastics???? BPA hazards; -look that up
    https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/bpa-declared-toxic-by-canada-1.873250
    In August, Statistics Canada reported that measurable levels of BPA were found in the urine of 91 per cent of Canadians aged six to 79.
    “Health Canada considers that sufficient evidence relating to human health has been presented to justify the conclusion that bisphenol A is harmful to human life and should be added to Schedule 1 of [the Canadian Environmental Protection Act],” the federal government reported in the Canada Gazette.
    I trust Canadian authorities more than corporate US companies.
    - Puckish Rogue 13.2.2.1
      21 November 2018 at 3:00 pm
      Thats what bugs me, plastic bags are useful, very useful. I won’t go into all the uses a plastic bag has because there are many and I’m sure others have their own uses for them.
      So Countdown does the virtue signalling thing and stops using plastic bags (which is a pain in the butt) but yet still has has so much plastic packaging that can’t really be used for anything, especially around fruit and vegetables. I mean why not look at using biodegradable bags instead
      - ianmac 13.2.2.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 3:16 pm
        My kiwifruit and bananas tomatoes and potatoes have their own baggage, so guess how they get to my home.
      - cleangreen 13.2.2.1.2
        21 November 2018 at 4:17 pm
        Pucky;
        Well the science was already done on “bio-degradable bags” and say that the remains of the bags when they shed into little pieces then get digested by other forms of life in our food chain and poison our food through the transfer of the BPA components in the plastic remains, so we get poisoned this way sadly so they say don’t rely on bio-degradable plastic bags.
      - marty mars 13.2.2.1.3
        21 November 2018 at 7:35 pm
        A plastic bag doesn’t have many uses – it holds stuff – a wide variety of stuff and that is it. Other uses are just contrived.
      - Ed 13.2.2.1.4
        21 November 2018 at 10:03 pm
        Don’t buy their packaged food wherever possible.
        Use farmers markets and fruit and vegetable shops.
        Take your own bags.
SaveNZ 14
21 November 2018 at 2:33 pm
ATEED who is a COO funded by RATEPAYERS is a scrooge.
Auckland Santa Parade funding drops in favour of Pride Parade, Diwali
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/11/auckland-santa-parade-funding-drops-in-favour-of-pride-parade-diwali.html
- greywarshark 14.1
  21 November 2018 at 7:42 pm
  Huh gay pride don’t have as many kids as everyday people do so they don’t really have a personal drive of making a future for their children, and getting them socialised and mixing and enjoying with the community. For the gays It’s more like being a flock of male peacocks admiring each other, and the same with females who also want to enjoy the colour and drama of the male feathers. But it isn’t aimed at children.
  And Diwali can have their own day, and Chinese can have their New Year Dragon and fireworks. That just shows how multi-ethnic and open we are, and it is all beautiful and colourful. And Maori have Matariki; we have to be able to celebrate things we hold as important. But the stylish young things who are up with the play and so sophisticated are looking at creating events for visitors and overseas tourists and not focussed on the citizens – we’re still out there you know.
  We love our Santa Parades and the people who don’t like Christmas being celebrated and commercialised are nit pickers and full of cold pious budgetary efficiency. And those who object to Christmas having Christian background can just enjoy the enjoyment of others, the colour, the costumes, the decorations, the bands, the fun which is Christmas for most children and the major group of adults.
UncookedSelachimorpha 15
21 November 2018 at 3:09 pm
A good suggestion from Tim Hazledine – use Kiwibank to rein in the extreme profits extracted by the four main commercial banks:
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018671704/tim-hazledine-time-to-give-kiwibank-teeth
ianmac 16
21 November 2018 at 3:19 pm
Mike Joy has a simple solution to a complex problem aided by Norightturn.
Could it be that simple??? Reckon yes!
http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2018/11/we-need-fewer-cows.html
- JC 16.1
  21 November 2018 at 3:44 pm
  “It strikes me with great clarity that if you look at the problems in isolation they each seem intractable; but when you grasp that there could be one single solution, then suddenly there is a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.”
  https://www.bwb.co.nz/books/mountains-sea
  Solving New Zealand’s Freshwater Crisis
  Mike Joy (ed)
- Andre 16.2
  21 November 2018 at 6:29 pm
  As NRT notes, a less intensive mode of farming still appears to be profitable. Of my farming acquaintances, most that have tried intensive and not-so-intensive seem to have settled on the not-so-intensive model. It seems more resilient, and the up-and-down swings in the returns aren’t as dramatic. To be sure, a good year doesn’t peak quite as high, but then a bad year doesn’t bite nearly as hard, and over the long term the average return seems a bit better. With a lot less stress, although probably not any less work.
  - Macro 16.2.1
    21 November 2018 at 6:42 pm
    Not only is there less effluent being discharged and polluting waterways and damaging soils but a return to a more natural grazing cycle can have substantial benefits wrt carbon sequestration as well as increased animal health.
    “The Potential of Restorative Grazing to Mitigate Global Warming by Increasing Carbon Capture on Grasslands”
    Summary: This white paper reviews the literature on soil organic carbon losses and potential gains through regenerative management. It finds that most literature is limited to areas considered in “agriculture” and that rangelands may be largely under represented both in terms of of losses and drawdown potential. It argues that with regenerative rangeland practices, such as Holistic Planned Grazing, the total capture of atmospheric carbon may be much higher than previously considered. An upward estimate of 88 to 210 gigatons (billions of tons) of carbon (88-210 GtC) representing a total drawdown of 25 to 60 tons per hectare on 3500 million hectares of grasslands worldwide is postulated as achievable through proper rangeland/grassland management. This represents a CO2 reduction equivalency of 41 to 99 ppm, enough to return us to the 350 ppm level mandated by the Paris Climate Accords.
    Itzkan, Seth. 2014. Upside Drawdown – The Potential of Restorative Grazing to Mitigate Global Warming by Increasing Carbon Capture on Grasslands. Draft for comment v0.9.5. Somerville, Massachusetts: Planet-TECH Associates.
    - WeTheBleeple 16.2.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 6:56 pm
      Thank you.
      Bill, you rubbished me when I stated soil carbon could make a significant difference, and then LPrent joined in for a good ol’ group kicking in which you both laughed at me and called me all kinds of stupid and ill informed.
      I got so pissed off I banned myself for months.
      Apologise.
      - Robert Guyton 16.2.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 7:10 pm
        I’m a supporter of the idea that the soil is the best repository for carbon that’s presently drifting about the atmosphere. There are clever combinations of plants and methods that can do this very quickly, with the farmers doing the biz – they can become, I reckon, the New Heroes who Save the Planet, but whether they do or not, is yet to be seen. Progress to date has been glacial, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. It could. In my view.
        Macro 16.2.1.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 9:28 pm
        A more expansive explanation of the research and science behind the above abstract is given here:
        http://www.planet-tech.com/upsidedrawdown
        eg.
        Even small percentage increases in soil carbon worldwide can dramatically reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
        Entering this conversation is the practice of Holistic Planned Grazing (HPG), in which livestock are herded in a fashion that replicates the beneficial grazing, trampling, dunging, and nutrient recycling dynamics with which wild herding ruminants coevolved with perennial grassland plants and carbon-rich soils (Savory & Butterfield, 1999). Decades of anecdotal evidence and recent studies suggest this practice has great promise, both for ecological functioning, including plant growth and hydrology, and for increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) (Dagget, 2005; Earl & Jones, 1996; Gill, 2009; Howell, 2009; Norton, 1998; Stinner, Stinner, & Martsolf, 1997; Teague et al., 2011; K. T. Weber & Gokhale, 2011). For example, Teague (2011) showed that land managed under a restorative grazing regimen (multi-paddock with ecological goals) had a far higher SOC value than land on a similar site managed with traditional (heavy continuous) grazing. When factoring across all soil profile depths measured, this added carbon equated to a 30 t C/ha. Additionally, Weber (2011) showed that land under a restorative grazing regimen (simulated Holistic Planned Grazing, SHGP), had significantly improved water holding capacity, measured as percent volumetric-water content, %VWC, when compared with traditionally grazed lands. Hydrological functioning is correlated with soil carbon (Feger & Hawtree, 2013; Franzluebbers, 2002).
- DJ Ward 16.3
  21 November 2018 at 8:59 pm
  Farmers don’t put fertilisers on with the intent of loosing money. What a stupid thing to say. This guy is clearly still running with concepts of what’s happening from 20 years ago. Time for Mike Joy to at least learn what he is talking about.
  - Robert Guyton 16.3.1
    21 November 2018 at 9:10 pm
    DJ Ward – your commenting manner is … unsophisticated, in a not-very-admirable way – just sayin’
    Mike Joy, otoh, expresses himself with clarity and honesty. He’s very well researched and dedicated to his topic. Let’s have a look at what he says:
    “The problems faced by New Zealand’s environment, particularly freshwaters and soils are wicked, complex and intertwined. After struggling with these issues for a half a lifetime, it strikes me with great clarity that if you look at each in isolation they seem intractable; but when you grasp that there could be one single solution that addresses them all, then suddenly there is a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.
    Take, for example, a subset of the many environmental issues facing New Zealand, such as bacterial and pathogen contamination of water and soil, excess nutrients in waters, excess sediment in waterways, freshwater habitat loss, groundwater contaminated with pesticides and nutrients, and the huge loss of the mauri of waterways. Any of these issues appear impossibly hard and/or expensive if evaluated in isolation for costs, or for the difficulty or value of resolution.
    But if there was one action available that substantially addressed all of the issues listed above, then the decision would be simple – take that action. When multiple gains can be made for the cost of a single action, and the combined gains far outweigh the single cost of that one action, the next move is obvious. When it comes to the freshwater crisis, a single solution does exist – simply, reducing farming intensity: less cows.”
    - DJ Ward 16.3.1.1
      22 November 2018 at 12:59 am
      Yes I made a mistake in my comment. I responded to the repost comment. Not Mike Joys comment.
      ” It also looks to be profitable for farmers, because they don’t have to waste money on fertiliser to support overstocking.”
      Which is clearly irrational.
      I however don’t agree with Mike Joys comment for a number of reasons. As pointed out.
WeTheBleeple 17
21 November 2018 at 7:27 pm
A few years back I had a plumbing issue and the contractors cleaned up after themselves with a bulldozer blade. They left me with podzol looking soil, white chalk and clay. Two years later that strip is topsoil again, through the use of cover crops and mulch.
The large April storm revealed heart rot fungi in a big tree here which then had to come down. The mulch and cuttings of this tree have become surrounds for many more trees and garden beds, and mulch to support them.
The privet the council has failed to kill for decades is my bitch. I kill this stuff by chainsaw then hand. This becomes fuel wood, landscaping materials, poles, mulch, compost and hugelkultur. All manner of trees get planted on the privets graves.
The problems are the solutions. And often they’re f’n simple. But turning round agriculture isn’t simple. The farmers here are still convinced the world will go into starvation mode if they wean themselves off urea. Meanwhile the waterways are full of excess. But they all go on and on about their sparing use of these products, how they’ve ‘changed’.
Regenerative agriculture is absolutely the way to go. Mind your step for the vegans though.
- Robert Guyton 17.1
  21 November 2018 at 7:41 pm
  And so, WTB, have you read Daniel Quinn’s “Ishmael”?
  🙂
  - WeTheBleeple 17.1.1
    21 November 2018 at 8:12 pm
    Not read that book either. I’m gonna start asking if you’ve read the hardcore textbooks i have soon to restore my ‘well read’ ego. Just read a brief synopsis it looks good. I’ve thought the notion of human supremacy a bit far fetched in light of our overall actions; though we do have potential…
    Just trawling permie stuff and came across a very good clip on swales. Due to the paucity of clear and concise information I’ll share it here for you, your clients, farmers, the planet…
    - Robert Guyton 17.1.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 8:38 pm
      A simple explanation of the net.
      - WeTheBleeple 17.1.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 8:42 pm
        That’s the sort of material that got me to university. Been obsessed with fungi for 40 years. Just get me started, I dare ya! 😉
        Robert Guyton 17.1.1.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 8:48 pm
        Me too. Must be connected by some mysterious subterranean filamentous net…
        Robert Guyton 17.1.1.1.1.2
        21 November 2018 at 8:50 pm
        And don’t ya just hate fungicides !!!
        If ever there was a product that screams “stupid humans”, it’s fungicides!
        WeTheBleeple …
        21 November 2018 at 9:41 pm
        Trichoderma is my fungicide 😀
        Robert Guyton …
        21 November 2018 at 9:55 pm
        Those turncoats!
- greywarshark 17.2
  21 November 2018 at 7:58 pm
  Don’t get down about the farmers changing WtB. We don’t believe in a flat earth any more do we? So they will catch on one day. Trouble is nobody gets old and dies now. Ninety is the new 75, so it takes longer for the churn of young people who can change to get to the top. I don’t think we have time to plod along and wait for the old to pass. And so many of all ages are wedded to the idea that having ideas is a mental disease – look at all the plonkers and noxious weeds we get here. A little bit of bare screen and up pops another stinking bindweed.
  - WeTheBleeple 17.2.1
    21 November 2018 at 8:39 pm
    Yeah. It’s that frustration that change is too slow rearing it’s head again. Must soldier on. Lumping farmers all together is a bit rough as well. Sorry Folks.
    Dairy farmers are largely responsible for cheese. So really, they’re almost Gods.
    The fact it is possible to still make significant change and mitigation to, well, mitigate… it drives me a bit nuts.
    And the onus is not simply on agriculture. We all need to be on board together.
    Section owners can sequester carbon, save money, get exercise, reduce health bills, reduce food bills, reduce food miles, reduce landscaping costs and petroleum use, provide bbq fuel, meet neighbors, get fresh air, smell the roses…
    Just by gardening with permaculture principles. They can do a course, buy books, phone a friend or youtube how to get there. The benefits listed are significant. These also include mitigating climate related stress.
    It would help tremendously. We could restore concept’s like wartime’s Victory Gardens. War on Climate Change Victory Gardens, for all!
    The more sustainable systems within the environment, the more resilience we will have, the more chance we all get.
    Preaching to the converted a bit – always with the awareness other readers read our conversations.
    - Robert Guyton 17.2.1.1
      21 November 2018 at 8:45 pm
      We need a dedicate,d well “baited” post that’s put up first thing in the day on a day when there are lots of readers. Then we’d get some great discussions and perhaps turn the blog in a positive, practical, shared-experience direction. There are a number of posters here with lively, useful, creative and inspirational ideas on this topic. Can we do that? Yes, we can!
      - WeTheBleeple 17.2.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 8:57 pm
        I’ve thought about this, but don’t want to be seen to be trying to dominate the board or indulging in repetitive bashing over heads which turns folks away. A few of us working on solutions and positive news of people implementing ideas could work however, as variety of thoughts and styles really helps communicate ideas anyway. I’m more than willing to pitch in.
        Yep. I’m in.
        It’s a highly politicised topic, I don’t think The Standard would mind us steering more conversation to this area. I’m sure they’ll chime in if they do mind.
        Robert Guyton 17.2.1.1.1.1
        21 November 2018 at 9:02 pm
        Let’s try one and see how it goes. Perhaps tomorrow, on Open Mike we could put the idea up, gather supporters, attract the attention of a mod and set the day. Whaddayareckon?
        Robert Guyton …
        21 November 2018 at 9:07 pm
        Or, maybe an author could simply post this quote from Mike Joy 🙂
        “The problems faced by New Zealand’s environment, particularly freshwaters and soils are wicked, complex and intertwined. After struggling with these issues for a half a lifetime, it strikes me with great clarity that if you look at each in isolation they seem intractable; but when you grasp that there could be one single solution that addresses them all, then suddenly there is a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.
        Take, for example, a subset of the many environmental issues facing New Zealand, such as bacterial and pathogen contamination of water and soil, excess nutrients in waters, excess sediment in waterways, freshwater habitat loss, groundwater contaminated with pesticides and nutrients, and the huge loss of the mauri of waterways. Any of these issues appear impossibly hard and/or expensive if evaluated in isolation for costs, or for the difficulty or value of resolution.
        But if there was one action available that substantially addressed all of the issues listed above, then the decision would be simple – take that action. When multiple gains can be made for the cost of a single action, and the combined gains far outweigh the single cost of that one action, the next move is obvious. When it comes to the freshwater crisis, a single solution does exist – simply, reducing farming intensity: less cows.”
        WeTheBleeple …
        21 November 2018 at 9:34 pm
        Yes. Gathering helpers/support is a great first step. Possibly form a core group on the topic and see if the Standard might let us write regular articles. We might concentrate on mitigation and solutions rather than climate change itself – the very nature of our posts would spell that out anyway. It might set a better tone than ‘more climate browbeating’ as the audience is relatively receptive.
        I guess put the idea, or the idea to develop the idea, out there; and see who is interested and what ideas spring forth in the discussion.
        On climate browbeating, the debate is over on climate changes existence. Deniers are trolls, professional or Trumped up.
        Should we be engaging them anymore? I guess those in positions of power need to be challenged; but the mindless troll wants us to engage them, not ideas for solutions.
        I met Mike Joy was a meet and greet for him when Generation Zero brought him to UoA. Went to the lecture and thoroughly enjoyed it. Learned a bit about stream make-up I didn’t know, the existence (loss) of significant interstitial spaces (from siltation) between the rocks. That stuff bothered me.
        The interstitial spaces were how, back in the day when living in the bush, a small creek I camped beside had an astounding abundance of life. That which I could see was merely the surface. And those layers of rocks beneath the surface, coated in biofilm, were a large part of the systems food chain where nutrient loads were captured and converted up the food chain, rather than overwhelming and filling the gaps with crud.
        Robert Guyton …
        21 November 2018 at 9:43 pm
        I reckon, don’t mention “climate change” at all – take it as a given and bypass the naysayers. The techno-solution folk as well, could do as we are proposing and raise a post to keep our “earthy” topic clear of junk 🙂 There have, of course, been plenty of very good posts by a range of authors here before, all hail those people, but we, I think, are yearning for something a bit more organic, less confrontational, more collective and …fun? I am, anyway.
        WeTheBleeple …
        21 November 2018 at 9:53 pm
        Yes. For me the important part is to be more solutions oriented. And I do appreciate the efforts of all, whether I like the approach or not. I feed into confrontational stuff too easily, but it’s not good for my, or anyone’s, mental health.
        Fun! Don’t you know we ARE ALL DOOMED!
        Working on a comedy project last night with a mate. We were in tears.
        “Pandas are wife beaters. That’s why they’re not breeding. Give them a bamboo buffet, running water, ambient music, candles, and years to figure it out. Whadda ya get?
        Two black eyes, no babies.”
        greywarshark …
        21 November 2018 at 9:50 pm
        I want to achieve something here not just say why dont they…..?
        I wrote to shane jones and stuart nash – got confirmation email but feel they will never get back to me. Tried to discuss small is beautiful but everyone else was too busy,
        but if we had a regular thread that contained an archive and we could put up useful stuff to build a data base – not quite sure how to do it however.
        Robert Guyton …
        21 November 2018 at 9:58 pm
        Something along the lines of Dark Mountain (only not dark 🙂
        There have to be poems.
        WeTheBleeple …
        21 November 2018 at 10:16 pm
        ‘but if we had a regular thread that contained an archive and we could put up useful stuff to build a data base”
        I’m not sure how to do it either, but I’m sure some folks here do.
        Absolutely we need more poetry.
        You can be the first to view this wee gem. I’m biased…
        This is Westmere.
        The ladies are out walking their goat
        With a hint of patchouli and strong smell of dope
        There’s a man in a dress eating salmon on toast
        This is Westmere
        A once was an actor with pot belly gut
        Working on ads for community stuff
        But never a nod cos he’s too cool for us
        This is Westmere
        The kids from the state houses scream with delight
        As chickens tear past them in panic and fright
        The rich kids look on through windows sealed tight
        This is Westmere
        Trophy wives training in makeup and perms
        Jogging cos fatties get kicked to the kerb
        It’s all about looks and they do look superb
        This is Westmere
        A crazy hotch potch of classes and race
        A magical marvelous mystery place
        But gentrification moves at some pace
        This was Westmere.
        Robert Guyton …
        22 November 2018 at 12:47 pm
        Is “Westmere” your own work,WTB?
        If so, congratulations; it’s very good indeed.
        te reo putake …
        21 November 2018 at 11:15 pm
        Great idea, Robert, WTB. Open Mike and Daily Review throw up some terrific discussions but dedicated posts definitely work better for engagement. There’s always the guest post option and we are always looking for new authors.
        There are serious time/work/life demands that impact on the regular authors’ ability to post, so TS does often rely on OM to cover issues that really deserve a post of their own. Anything you guys can come up with that enhances the way the site operates would be most welcome.
        Robert Guyton …
        22 November 2018 at 2:08 pm
        Hi te reo putake
        Thanks for responding to our discussion (of last night).
        I get the demand-on-authors thing and wonder if the idea that follows might alleviate that pressure. It seems (to me) that we don’t need an authored intro or topic for what we propose; we’re just looking for one step up from Open Mike, which invites comment on everything under the sun, to a thread where “the way forward” can be discussed, within parameters such as doable suggestions, successful examples, contributions from readers who support the concept (of the thread), new “takes” on the future etc. There’s no need to set a topic or change the look of the thread; we’ll know where we can go to talk in this way about these things. I have a suggestion: put up, at your or other authors discretion, a “standard” post, titled “How to get there” – it’s also the title of a wonderful Michael Leunig poem/cartoon, and illustrate the post with that very image to make it immediately recognisable and set the tone for discussions that might/will follow. Here’s the link to Leunig’s poem. I’m certain he won’t mind us using it; I’ve met him and he’s delightful 🙂
        Hi te reo putake
        Thanks for responding to our discussion (of last night).
        I get the demand-on-authors thing and wonder if the idea that follows might alleviate that pressure. It seems (to me) that we don’t need an authored intro or topic for what we propose; we’re just looking for one step up from Open Mike, which invites comment on everything under the sun, to a thread where “the way forward” can be discussed, within parameters such as doable suggestions, successful examples, contributions from readers who support the concept (of the thread), new “takes” on the future etc. There’s no need to set a topic or change the look of the thread; we’ll know where we can go to talk in this way about these things. I have a suggestion: put up, at your or other authors discretion, a “standard” post, titled “How to get there” – it’s also the title of a wonderful Michael Leunig poem/cartoon, and illustrate the post with that very image to make it immediately recognisable and set the tone for discussions that might/will follow. Here’s the link to Leunig’s poem. I’m certain he won’t mind us using it; I’ve met him and he’s delightful 🙂
        http://develop.curlyflat.net.au/images/galleries/cartoons/how-to-get-there.jpg
        HOW TO GET THERE
        Go to the end of the path until you get to the gate.
        Go through the gate and head straight out towards the horizon.
        Keep going towards the horizon.
        Sit down and have a rest every now and again,
        But keep on going, just keep on with it.
        Keep on going as far as you can.
        That’s how you get there.
        As far as moderation is concerned, I suspect those taking part will manage their own, given the tenor of the thread and its intention; could be wrong, of course, but a trial will soon test that.
        Whaddayareckon?
        I’ll post this on today’s (Thursday’s) Open Mike, in case this thread has been lost into the mists of time or you are off-duty 🙂
        All criticisms, suggestions welcomed, naturally.
        Robert
Morrissey 18
21 November 2018 at 8:09 pm
Utter morons declare their admiration for Seal Team 6
The disturbing enforcement of praise for those murderers starts at about the 2:00 mark…

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Whadaryah? It is hard to believe that Health Minister, David Clark, could have gratuitously refrained from speaking out against the latest decision of the Waikato DHB. So egregious has been the Board’s treatment of Dave Macpherson, Jane Stevens and their ...
Bowalley Road
2 days ago

2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #7
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Feb 10 through Sat, Feb 16, 2019 Editor's Pick What we can learn about climate change from the Titanic Kate ...
Skeptical Science
2 days ago

A new ‘centrist’ party?
It's a day ending in 'Y' so that means there must be some new feverish speculation about the British Labour Party splitting.Today it comes courtesy of The Guardian, a paper with a proud record of taking any possible negative story ...
Left hand palmBy lurgee
2 days ago

Flashback Saturday: The Victoria St Linear Park: Why it is vital, but not really a park.
Every weekend we dig into the archives. This post by Patrick was originally published in October 2016. This is one of a series of posts I intend to do about about the city streetscape we ought to be able to expect as a ...
Transport BlogBy Greater Auckland
3 days ago

Nikki Kaye – playing politics with children’s health
. . It is a given that most politicians will do whatever it takes to win voters to get elected. It’s pretty much why their reputation is often at the same level as telemarketers and sex-workers (which, fair to say, ...
Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
3 days ago

“How many are coming from your job?”: notes on the Wellington Trades Council
by Don Franks The Vietnam war continued. Muldoon was yet to dominate New Zealand’s parliament, there was no internet and the Waitangi Tribunal did not exist. ...
RedlineBy Admin
3 days ago

Process Heat In New Zealand: CANA Submission Guide
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Agency (EECA) and MBIE are calling for submissions on their paper Process Heat in New Zealand: Opportunities and barriers to lowering emissions. We’d love you to make a submission, because 60% of process heat in ...
Coal ActionBy Rob Taylor
3 days ago

Why is Labour subsidising bad employers?
The government has declared a seasonal labour shortage for Hawke's Bay, effectively subsidising employers with cheap migrant labour. But why do they have a labour shortage? Perhaps those same employers' attitude to wages have something to do with it...Fruit may ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
3 days ago

Spare a thought for Anne-Marie.
Put yourself in the following position: You are a professor at a NZ university, a NZ citizen who although well-known in your academic sub-field is virtually unknown outside of academia. Your research interests focus on the foreign policy of an ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
4 days ago

New research, February 4-10, 2019
A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. Climate change mitigation Upscaling from the grassroots: potential aggregate carbon reduction from community-based initiatives in Europe Climate change communication An assessment of public perceptions of climate change risk in ...
Skeptical Science
4 days ago

Not one hectare more!
Yesterday the government announced that it was ending the farmer's rort of high country tenure review, under which over 350,000 hectares of public land has been corruptly privatised for next to nothing (and then frequently flicked on for 500 times ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
4 days ago

Mixed Messages.
Incoming Calls: While she’s contemplating the ever-widening ramifications of the United States’ and the United Kingdom’s increasingly reckless endangerment of so many of this country’s longstanding diplomatic, military and trade relationships, she might also consider asking herself how New Zealand’s ...
Bowalley Road
4 days ago

Commentary Is Free – But Facts Are Sacred.
Toeing The Party Line: On the subject of Venezuela, at least, right-wing commentators seem content to pack as much “fake news” around their ideological prejudices as possible, confident that their position on the crisis, by conforming to the “accepted” position ...
Bowalley Road
4 days ago

Mad dogs
Last night the police were asked to help a mentally ill person in Hawke's Bay. They were meant to help him. Instead, they killed him: A man - who police had been trying to locate because of fears for his ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
4 days ago

Wheelly good growth on the cycleways
February is bike month and often the busiest month time of the year for people riding bikes. As such it’s a good time to look at the numbers to see how we’re progressing. Are the bike lanes empty, like Mike ...
Transport BlogBy Matt L
4 days ago

Meditating on Nelson and Population Growth
In terms of ambience and style, Nelson City reminds me of the New Zealand I grew up in half a century and more ago. I do not mean that it is not a modern city. The shops reflect today’s customers ...
PunditBy Brian Easton
4 days ago

The law means nothing
Disposing of public records without authorisation is a crime. Destroying them to prevent their release under the OIA is an aggravating factor in that crime. But when push comes to shove, it seems that the Chief Archivist isn't actually interested ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
4 days ago

Trump thinks winter weather invalidates climate change…
The post Trump thinks winter weather invalidates climate change… appeared first on Coal Action Network Aotearoa. ...
Coal ActionBy Rob Taylor
5 days ago

“The most transparent government ever” – again
Remember when Labour promised to be "the most open, most transparent Government that New Zealand has ever had"? How's that working out?Like this:at present, there are 172 written questions that have not received a final reply. Many of the replies ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
5 days ago

The end of tenure review?
High country tenure review is organised corruption, which has seen the privatisation of huge swathes of our country. Hundreds of millions of dollars of public land has been effectively given to farmers for free, and then flicked on for enormous ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
5 days ago

China flexing it’s economic muscle again?
. . Reported in the NZ Herald today (10 February 2019), this curious incident; . . The story continued; Shortly after 11.30am this morning, Hundman was sent a txt from Air NZ saying “As you were advised onboard, the aircraft ...
Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
5 days ago

Victoria’s Secret
Victoria’s traffic fatalities dropped by 17.8% last year, to 213. This means their traffic authority, VicRoads, is on track for meeting its interim Vision Zero target of fewer than 200 lives lost in 2020. Each one of the lives lost ...
Transport BlogBy Heidi O'Callahan
5 days ago

Politically expedient “moderation!” has simply allowed far bigger storms to gather power
As we look around the world, we see movements for change (and often the individuals that spur them by extension) that are often called out as wanting to go “too fast, too soon!”. We’re at the point however where that ...
exhALANtBy exhalantblog
5 days ago

Climate Damages: Uncertain but Ominous, or $51 per Ton?
This is a re-post from Triple Crisis by Frank Ackerman. Second in a series of posts on climate policy. Find Part 1 here. According to scientists, climate damages are deeply uncertain, but could be ominously large (see the previous post). Alternatively, according to ...
Skeptical Science
5 days ago

It is not contrary to reason to prefer the destruction of the whole world to the scratching of my fi...
On Wednesday something happened in Parliament that was on its face a clever but petty political move designed to capture headlines, yet at a deeper level ought to concern anybody interested in how New Zealand governs itself. Forgive me while ...
PunditBy Andrew Geddis
5 days ago

New Fisk
We’ve seen the west’s approach to Venezuela before – in Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, need I go on? ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
5 days ago

More censorship with Speak Up For Women’s posters taken down
On February 11 the campaign group Speak Up for Women received notification from Phantom Billstickers that their poster campaign calling for public consultation on the controversial Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Bill would be removed from over 60 sites ...
RedlineBy daphna
6 days ago

Bold proposal puts people at the heart of vocational education
Staff can turn their attention to opening doors for students and communities with creative teaching, learning, and research under bold changes proposed today for vocational education says the Tertiary Education Union. ...
Tertiary Education UnionBy TEU
6 days ago

A good question
The government is currently waiting to formally consider and release the advice from its Tax Working Group, which is widely expected to recommend a capital gains tax. But Green co-leader James Shaw has pre-empted it by asking whether they deserve ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
6 days ago

VET reform – our voice matters
Together we have made sure that students, iwi, communities, and staff are at the heart of bold changes proposed for the vocational education sector. And we need to keep working together to ensure life-long learning is accessible to New Zealanders ...
Tertiary Education UnionBy TEU
6 days ago

Basic humanity in Australia?
Australia's anti-refugee policy is based on cruelty. According to the Australian government, refugees claiming their rights under international law are a "threat", which can only be deterred by imprisoning them without trial forever in concentration camps, neglecting them, allowing them ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
6 days ago

Is Israel Democratic?
An interesting thing happened after I wrote last week’s first blog post about Venezuela ( http://www.kiwipolitico.com/2019/02/on-the-venezuelan-mess/). A gentleman from the Israel Institute of New Zealand wrote me at my business email address to request a correction or retraction for something ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
6 days ago

A Duplicitous Minister?
In a ‘Breakfast’ interview with Fran Kelly on ABC Radio National, the Minister for Energy, Angus Taylor, made a number of statements which are either wrong or misleading. A record of the interview is available here. 1. The Minister claims that a ...
Skeptical Science
6 days ago

Queens Wharf to be closed to the public again
“Today, Queens Wharf becomes the public’s wharf,” said then Auckland Regional Council (ARC) Chairman Mike Lee in 2010 when the red gates were flung open, once again allowing the public to access the prime piece of Auckland’s waterfront, ending its ...
Transport BlogBy Matt L
6 days ago

Democracy on trial
Twelve Catalan political leaders went on trial in Madrid today. Their crime? Advocating peacefully for an independent Catalonia and organising a referendum on the issue. The Spanish government calls this "sedition" and "rebellion". But what it really is is democracy. ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
6 days ago

Open Government: Marginal
That's the verdict of the Open Government Partnership's Independent Reporting Mechanism on New Zealand's OGP progress for the last two years:Although this report reflects high commitment completion, change in government practice stood as marginal overall. Notably, the government’s early efforts ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
7 days ago

Intimations of Mortality
The last week has been a momentous one for my wife and me. I had a birthday at the beginning of the week; my reaction to turning 80 is one of restrained enthusiasm – it is at least better than ...
Bryan GouldBy Bryan Gould
7 days ago

Climate change: Our future is burning
Like many, I've spent the last week watching the Nelson fire in horrified fascination as the Australian-style spectacle of a huge long-lasting fire threatening an urban area played out. But while it looks like we were lucky this time, the ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
7 days ago

Good riddance
Murray McCully's sordid Saudi sheep bribe is finally over: The controversial Saudi sheep deal been shut down, which the Government says will save about $1 million. [...] But Trade Minister David Parker said the deal has now been axed. "We're ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
7 days ago

Feb-19 AT Board Meeting
Today the Auckland Transport board meet for their first formal meeting of the year. Here are some of the highlights from the papers going to the board. Closed Session The closed session is usually where most of the interesting items ...
Transport BlogBy Matt L
7 days ago

Newshub poll: If this is the winter of Bridge’s discontent, he can’t be too discontented
...
PunditBy Tim Watkin
1 week ago

Harrowing Statistics: The Left’s Supposed To Shrink The Social Hell Of Joblessness – Not Expand ...
The Politics Of Kindness? Such work as young workers are able to get tends to be indifferently rewarded and undertaken in conditions of considerable precariousness. Even those with impressive tertiary credentials struggle. Those without credentials find themselves consigned to social ...
Bowalley Road
1 week ago

Socialist Rhetoric No Substitute For Socialist Substance.
Wrong Sort Of Soldier: America has no real objections to military officers, like Hugo Chavez (above) meddling in politics. Indeed, if the history of the last 100 years teaches us anything it’s that the US rather prefers military to civilian ...
Bowalley Road
1 week ago

On Buying Insurance, and Ignoring Cost-Benefit Analysis
This is a re-post from TripleCrisis by economist Frank Ackerman First in a series of posts on climate policy. The damages expected from climate change seem to get worse with each new study. Reports from the IPCC and the U.S. Global Change Research Project, ...
Skeptical Science
1 week ago

What’s happening with light rail?
In recent months it has been immensely frustrating how little progress seems to have been made on the City Centre to Mangere project. Large and complicated projects always take time of course, but Auckland Transport had been working on it ...
Transport BlogBy Matt L
1 week ago

The slow killing of Fares Baroud
Palestinian prisoner Fares Baroud, 51, from al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza, died on Wednesday, 6 February only hours after being suddenly transferred to intensive care from Ramon prison. Baroud ...
RedlineBy Admin
1 week ago

2019 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #6
A chronological listing of news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Feb 3 through Sat, Feb 10, 2019 Editor's Pick Seven take-aways from the Green New Deal launch Sweeping in scope, an ...
Skeptical Science
1 week ago

The Brexit Party
Nigel Farage has set up a new political vehicle to drive his ego about in. With startling originality, he's called it The Brexit Party. Interesting timing. You'd have thought they would have waited until after Brexit to see if it was ...
Left hand palmBy lurgee
1 week ago

Flashback Saturday: Removing the RUB won’t necessarily work as planned
Every weekend we dig into the archives. This post by Matt was originally published in May 2016. Yesterday Phil Twyford announced that it would be Labour’s policy to abolish Auckland’s Rural Urban Boundary (RUB), as part of a policy to ...
Transport BlogBy Greater Auckland
1 week ago

An Advisory to the West Coast Regional Council
. . In July last year (2018), the West Council Regional Council announced in a submission to the Ministry for the Environment that they would not be supporting the Coalition Government’s proposed Zero Carbon Bill. The Council stated; The West ...
Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
1 week ago

New research, January 28 – February 3, 2019
A selection of new climate related research articles is shown below. Climate change impacts Mankind Historical Analysis of U.S. Tornado Fatalities (1808-2017): Population, Science and Technology (open access) Climate Change and Psychology: Effects of Rapid Global Warming on Violence and Aggression ...
Skeptical Science
1 week ago

Climate change: A step in the right direction
Some good news on climate change from Australia: for the first time, a court has refused permission for a new coal mine, explicitly on the basis of climate change:The controversial Rocky Hill coalmine in the Hunter Valley will not go ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
1 week ago

The Incredible Lightness of Being Green.
Putting The Blue Into Green: The party’s male co-leader, James Shaw, openly touts for the support of “green” capitalists: as if the profits to be extracted from re-branding corporate greed as an “ecologically sustainable business ethos” will somehow render its ...
Bowalley Road
2 weeks ago

Hands Off Venezuela!
People Power: The United States and its "assets" in the New Zealand news media, would like us to believe that all those protesting against Maduro’s inept handling of the unceasing political and economic crises by which he has been beset ...
Bowalley Road
2 weeks ago

Dec-18 Ridership
With public transport fares set to increase this weekend, it’s useful to look at how public transport use has been growing and with December’s ridership numbers now out, we can do just that. We’ve also been waiting to see the ...
Transport BlogBy Matt L
2 weeks ago

Reflections on a day at Waitangi and ‘the c word’
The chap waiting in the Mr Whippy queue with me wearing his grandfather's Maori Warden helmet used the 'c' word. So did one of the aunties on the waka stage, as she introduced her kapahaka group. It's a word that ...
PunditBy Tim Watkin
2 weeks ago

Staff are the foundation for the future of tertiary education
The TEU has launched its vision for the future of ITPs ahead of the Minister's announcement on proposed reforms next week. ...
Tertiary Education UnionBy TEU
2 weeks ago

Climate Change: Breaching the threshold
Last year the IPCC warned us that the Paris Agreement target of limiting climate change to no more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels was a line in the sand for our species and that if we miss it, we ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

Two-faced criminals
Last year, in a desperate attempt to regain social licence, the fishing industry ran an expensive series of TV ads assuring us that they had nothing to hide. Meanwhile, they were furiously lobbying the Minister to oppose video monitoring of ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

6,000 employed under Labour
The labour market statistics have been released, showing that unemployment has risen to 4.3%. All up there are 120,000 unemployed - only 6,000 fewer than when the government took office. But buried in that there's worse news: underemployment is up, ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

A constitution party?
New Zealand has a new political party - the New Zealand Constitution Party. Unfortunately, it seems like their reasons for wanting a codified constitution are a little dubious:Warren established his political party - the New Zealand Constitution Party - on ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
2 weeks ago

EV’s: Crucial to Reducing CO2 Emissions
In June 1988 a leading climate scientist, Dr James Hansen, presented the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources with data showing that by burning fossil fuels humans had created a greenhouse effect, evidenced by global warming. Unless carbon dioxide (CO2) ...
Skeptical Science
2 weeks ago

The Economics of Urbanisation – Summer School course in Amsterdam
Introduction: This is a guest post from former blogger, Stuart Donovan, who now spends much of his time caring for his warrior princess, Alexandra, and tending to his voracious worm farm. And doing his PhD. In this post, Stuart summarises a ...
Transport BlogBy Guest Post
2 weeks ago

Is the Invisible Hand Arthritic?
The headline ‘life insurance firms put sales and profits ahead of customers’ is a troubling one. It summarises a report by the Financial Management Authority (FMA) and the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) which concludes that some life offices have often been ...
PunditBy Brian Easton
2 weeks ago

The Venezuelan mess, again.
I continue to watch developments in Venezuela with interest, including the reaction of the international community to the crisis. Increasing numbers of democracies are lending their support to Juan Guaido’s presidential challenge, including 11 of 14 members of the Lima ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
2 weeks ago

Inequality Means Less Freedom
When I stepped down as Vice-Chancellor of Waikato University in 2004, I was fortunate enough to spend a few months in Oxford as a Visiting Fellow at Nuffield College whose Warden at that time was Professor A.B. (later Sir Tony) ...
Bryan GouldBy Bryan Gould
2 weeks ago

Standard & Poor’s just sabotaged Simon Bridges’ tax bribe announcement
. . Poor Simon Bridges. Since becoming Leader of the National Party, he has been dogged by embarrassing leaks (which appear to be ongoing even after Jami-Lee Ross’s departure from caucus); a once-trusted MP turned feral; another MP accused of ...
Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
2 weeks ago

Older posts

Fewer victims of crime during 2018
New data shows a significant drop in the number of people who were victims of crime in the past year. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the number of victimisations recorded by Police during 2018 fell by 2.7 per cent. “This ...
Labour
17 hours ago

Hearing victims/survivors of crime
A new survey is allowing victims/survivors of crime to be heard, in their own words, about how our broken criminal justice system can be fixed, says Justice Minister Andrew Little. ...
Labour
4 days ago

Joint effort on organised crime in the Pacific
New Zealand Police are to work more closely with their counterparts from Australia, Tonga and Fiji in a multinational effort to tackle organised crime. Police Minister Stuart Nash says an agreement signed today in Sydney by the New Zealand Commissioner ...
Labour
5 days ago

Next phase in fisheries management reform
Next phase in fisheries management reform The next phase of reform of the fisheries management system has been launched with a call for public input into new rules for the commercial industry. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash has released a ...
Labour
2 weeks ago

New Predator Free funds for regions and new technologies
Predator Free 2050 Limited has initiated a second funding round to support predator eradication in regional New Zealand and fast track the production of improved predator control tools and technologies. ...
Scoop politics
6 hours ago

Brash to explain how ‘partnership’ hijacked the Treaty
Maori and the Crown are not partners in any sense of the word yet an ideology of Treaty partnership has hijacked the Treaty of Waitangi, Don Brash will explain at a public lecture on Saturday. ...
Scoop politics
10 hours ago

Consultation opening on future management of kauri dieback
Further public consultation on a new national plan and options for the best type of agency to protect kauri into the future are being opened, as efforts to deal with kauri dieback disease are stepped up. “Kauri face a significant ...
Scoop politics
10 hours ago

New infrastructure body welcomed by local government
Local Government New Zealand welcomes plans to form The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission, Te Waihanga, and supports its aim to deliver long term strategy and coordination of infrastructure planning. “Unprecedented population growth and the need to adapt ...
Scoop politics
10 hours ago

Tax on internet giants must be revenue neutral
Responding to the Government’s stated intention to introduce a new tax on foreign internet companies , New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “Taxing foreign corporates will be popular with the public, but it’s also hugely ...
Scoop politics
10 hours ago

Asia Pacific region deadliest region for journalists
E tū, the union for journalists says it’s disturbing that the Asia Pacific region has once again been named as the deadliest region for journalists. ...
Scoop politics
11 hours ago

Letters published on OAG website
On 14 February 2019, we sent a letter to the Chancellors and Chairs of Tertiary Education Institution Councils/Te Mana Whakahaere. We also sent a copy of this letter to the Chief Executives/Te Taiurungi/Vice-chancellors of the Tertiary Education Institutions, ...
Scoop politics
12 hours ago

Trapping predators is not “Provincial Growth”
Responding to the announcement of $19.5 million in Provincial Growth Funding for predator control , New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: ...
Scoop politics
12 hours ago

Zero Hour for Climate Action
Youth Climate movements across the world are creating waves. Here in New Zealand, a crowd will march at Parliament to demand accelerated climate action, on Tuesday 19th Feb, at 12pm . ...
Scoop politics
13 hours ago

Job advertisements rise by 2.0 per cent in December quarter
Jobs Online figures released today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment show the number of job advertisements rose by 2.0 per cent in the December 2018 quarter. Dr Rose Ryan, Workforce and Workplace manager, in the Evidence and ...
Scoop politics
15 hours ago

National population estimated at 4.93 million
The estimated resident population as at 31 December 2018 is 4.93 million, up from 4.84 million in December 2017, Stats NZ said today. ...
Scoop politics
15 hours ago

Report about Maori Nationalist organisations a “crock”
The New Zealand Maori Council has called on the Department of Corrections to name names in a confidential internal report naming Maori Nationalist organisations as a threat. Council Executive Director Matthew Tukaki has called the comments “from ...
Scoop politics
17 hours ago

Report calls for action to address harassment online
A comprehensive new report from ActionStation launched Monday examines the harm that unmoderated and under-regulated online platforms are causing New Zealanders. ...
Scoop politics
17 hours ago

New And Unique Role Between Te Kāhui O Taranaki And DoC
Te Kāhui o Taranaki and the Department of Conservation (DOC) are pleased to announce the appointment of Wayne Capper into the unique and newly developed role of Kaitiaki Whenua Ranger. ...
Scoop politics
17 hours ago

EDS not convinced abandoning tenure review is a good thing
The Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has concerns about the decision to abandon tenure review, as described in the discussion paper released by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) today. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

Housing crisis intensifies under Labour government
New Zealand housing crisis intensifies under Labour government By John Braddock, Socialist Equality Group 15 February 2019, url https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/02/15/nzho-f15.html ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

Bill aiming to ban rodeo cruelty welcomed by SAFE
SAFE says a Member’s Bill, announced by Green Party MP Gareth Hughes, today, means some of the cruellest aspects of rodeo could be banned. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

High Court lifts suppression on Whale Oil defence
Today, the High Court lifted a suppression order on its 26 October 2018 judgment in my case against Cameron Slater. In that judgment, the High Court essentially struck-out all of Slater’s various defences against my claim of defamation. ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

ANZASW response to “State of the Nation” report
The Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) welcomes the release of the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report this week. We believe that the study contains findings and proposals that should be seriously considered ...
Scoop politics
3 days ago

Higher taxes for super rich gets voter tic
“Taxes, taxes, taxes, and all the rest is b******t.” That was the message that went viral at the Davos Economic Forum last month, and it’s the message our Government needs to hear if it wants to tackle inequality in New ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Taxpayers look to Winston Peters to balance James Shaw
FEBRUARY 15 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling on Winston Peters to take a critical view of the Tax Working Group’s proposals, as the Green Party doubles down on its capital-gains-tax-at-any-cost stance. Taxpayers’ ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Motor Industry Association Doesn’t Support Roll-up of ITOs
On Wednesday the Minister of Education Hon Chris Hipkins released wide-ranging proposals for vocational education in New Zealand, announcing three proposals for public consultation. The proposed reforms will: • Create one institution combining the 16 polytechnics, ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Seasonal Labour Shortage in Hawke’s Bay Declared
The Ministry of Social Development has declared a seasonal labour shortage across Hawke’s Bay. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Government is being stymied by bureaucrats
This week we saw salvation army releasing their “state of the nation” report “ that showed that Jacinda’s vision of a “Kinder gentler caring Government is not being nurtured by the bureaucrats who still have an iron grip on government ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Maori Council demands PM step into Cancer death debate
“No Government Agency should be a law unto itself and it is time for an accounting of PHARMAC – it is time that this recalcitrant Government body, funded by the taxpayer, and meant to have the best interests of all ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Time for Government to abandon Kiwibuild
The Reserve Bank’s analysis that Kiwibuild is crowding out private building , along with reports of minimal interest from buyers , shows yet again why Kiwibuild should be abandoned, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Taxpayers’ Union ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

‘Ban Rodeo’ protest at Waikato Rodeo
On Saturday, anti-rodeo protesters will demonstrate outside the Waikato Rodeo in Kihikihi holding tombstone shaped placards with “RIP” written on them. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Ombudsman’s investigations will ensure voices heard
The Ombudsman’s investigations into the oversight of facilities and services for people with learning disabilities is timely says Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

New victim statistics good news, but work remains to be done
Victim Support is welcoming statistics released today showing a 2.7 per cent decline in victimisations over the last year. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Fish and Game welcomes the halt to tenure reviews
Fish and Game is welcoming the government’s move to end tenure review of the South Island High Country, saying the controversial process has cost New Zealanders dearly. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Forest & Bird welcomes end to tenure review
An end to tenure review is a vital reprieve for some of New Zealand’s most endangered species, says Forest & Bird. “We’ve argued for many years that not only is tenure review a spectacularly bad deal for New Zealanders, it’s ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Mayors praise heritage building lifeline
A number of iconic heritage buildings will benefit from the Government’s announcement of a revamped Heritage EQUIP programme, helping to breathe life into regional town centres across New Zealand, says LGNZ President Dave Cull. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern receives giant Valentine card
Three of Jacinda Ardern’s constituents and SAFE delivered a giant Valentine’s card to the Prime Minister’s Mt Albert electorate office this morning. Inside were hundreds of messages and signatures from caring Kiwis, all calling for Ms Ardern ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Services for people with intellectual disabilities
The Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has launched investigations into the Ministry of Health’s oversight of facilities and services for intellectually disabled people with high and complex needs [1] . ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

EPA gives go-ahead to extended disposal operation
A Decision-making Committee appointed by the Environmental Protection Authority has granted dredging and disposal company Coastal Resources Limited, a 35-year marine consent to dispose of dredged sediment off Great Barrier Island. ...
Scoop politics
4 days ago

Auditor-General’s report
The Auditor-General’s report Matters arising from our audits of the 2018-28 long-term plans was presented to the House of Representatives today. ...
Scoop politics
5 days ago

Crown rush to sign before Tribunal hearings
Ngāti Paoa Iwi Trust says Ngāti Paoa is being put under pressure to rush to sign the Hauraki Collective Treaty settlement tomorrow, before an imminent urgent hearing is held by the Waitangi Tribunal and independent review of commercial structures ...
Scoop politics
5 days ago

Greens must retain budget rules, for taxpayers’ sake
The Green Party’s reconsideration of the Government’s Budget Responsibility Rules should concern taxpayers, says The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union . Taxpayers' Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “Labour will be looking for any excuse to ...
Scoop politics
5 days ago

Environmental-economic accounts: 2019 – tables
Environmental-economic accounts show how our environment contributes to our economy, the impacts of economic activity on our environment, and how we respond to environmental issues. ...
Scoop politics
5 days ago

Wellington Joins National Day of Action to Protect Ihumātao
Tomorrow Wellingtonians will join people around Aotearoa to demand Fletcher Construction respects Te Tiriti o Waitangi and stops plans to build at Ihumātao in Auckland. People will protest at Fletchers sites around the country tomorrow, February 15th, ...
Scoop politics
5 days ago

District Council’s $40,000 fashion collection locked away
Information released to the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union reveals that just 12 per cent of a $40,000 fashion collection owned by the Central Otago District Council has ever been on display, with the exhibited items only being displayed 14 per ...
Scoop politics
5 days ago

Dunne Speaks: Flushing out NZ First on Capital Gains Tax
Once, Greens co-leader James Shaw's comment when Parliament resumed this week that the current government does not deserve to be re-elected if it fails to introduce a capital gains tax would have been regarded as yet another reason why the ...
Scoop politics
5 days ago

Phantom Billstickers disregards free speech principles
The Free Speech Coalition suggests that companies supportive of free speech principles should consider refusing to advertise with Phantom Billstickers, in light of its discriminatory treatment of Speak Up for Women (a group campaigning for consultation ...
Scoop politics
5 days ago

2019 is the Year of Wellbeing. Here’s why.
This is the Year of Wellbeing. It will be a year in which cultural, environmental and social factors will be drawn on to measure success. It is recognition that people, and their communities, and their health, matter. The bottom line ...
Scoop politics
5 days ago

PSA women make the case for stronger equal pay
The PSA and the PSA Women's Network are excited to be making oral submissions today on a bill that will help ensure wāhine are paid what they're worth. ...
Scoop politics
5 days ago

Leadership for housing authority transition and Kiwibuild
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Chief Executive Andrew Crisp has announced new leadership roles to lead the transition to the Housing and Urban Development Authority and for KiwiBuild. ...
Scoop politics
5 days ago

Making a splash with 80 new frontline cops
Eighty new constables will join their friends and family in celebrating their graduation at The Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC) this week. ...
Scoop politics
5 days ago

Sea lion captures in the southern squid fishery
Five New Zealand sea lions have been captured so far this season in the squid fishery around the Auckland Islands. The season runs from the end of December to May-June. ...
Scoop politics
6 days ago

“Hands Off Venezuela” day of action March 16
Global Peace and Justice Auckland is asking for individuals and organisations to endorse the following appeal: ...
Scoop politics
6 days ago

Four endangered sea lions dead in nets in one week
Four endangered NZ sea lions have been killed in commercial fishing nets in one week, making this the third day in a row endangered animals have been confirmed dead at the hands of the commercial fishing industry. ...
Scoop politics
6 days ago

Older posts

A state actor has targeted Australian political parties – but that shouldn’t surprise us
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Sear, PhD Candidate, UNSW Canberra Cyber, Australian Defence Force Academy, UNSW The Australian political digital infrastructure is a target in an ongoing nation state cyber competition which falls just below the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 hour ago

Move to introduce digital tax for foreign companies profitting online
New Zealand is lining up to introduce a new tax on multinational companies that make money out of online goods and services in this country. ...
Radio NZ – political
5 hours ago

Move to introduce digital tax for foreign companies profiting online
New Zealand is lining up to introduce a new tax on multinational companies that make money out of online goods and services in this country. ...
Radio NZ – political
5 hours ago

Slowing Chinese visitor numbers could be costly
Arrivals of Chinese tourists to NZ are slowing, raising further questions about the two countries' trading relationship. ...
Newsroom
7 hours ago

‘Marginal’ open govt progress under National
Independent reviewer says last Government set modest goals for reform - can the current coalition do better? ...
Newsroom
7 hours ago

How climate change can make catastrophic weather systems linger for longer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia Many parts of Australia have suffered a run of severe and, in some cases, unprecedented weather events this summer. One common feature of ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
8 hours ago

Shares subdued as China trade tensions weigh
New Zealand shares edged lower in subdued trading as fears over the country's trade relations with China unnerved investors ...
Newsroom
8 hours ago

Toktok No 38 / Summer 2019
Pacific Media Centre ISBN/code: ISSN 1175-0472 Publication date: Monday, February 18, 2019 Publisher: Pacific Media Centre ‘BE COURAGEOUS IN YOUR QUEST FOR TRUTH,’ PMC DIRECTOR TELLS PACIFIC JOURNALISM GRADUATES Pacific journalism academic ...
Evening ReportBy Pacific Media Centre
9 hours ago

Asia Pacific Journalism projects and internships 2019
The Pacific Media Centre is running several Asia-Pacific projects again this year and along with Asia Pacific Journalism (Semester 2) we have a new special paper to match – International Journalism Project (JOUR810). The deadline for applications is Friday, March ...
Evening ReportBy Pacific Media Centre
9 hours ago

Political dead rat a win for 1080 protesters?
The dead rat Labour and the Greens may have to swallow as they welcome new predator-control funding is putting up with NZ First pitching it as a win for anti-1080 protesters. ...
Newsroom
10 hours ago

Steel & Tube recovery to include $5.6M of 2nd-half cost savings
Anybody wondering where Steel & Tube Holdings’ cost savings are coming from need look no further than the site rationalisation project currently underway, the company says. ...
Newsroom
10 hours ago

‘State actor’ makes cyber attack on Australian political parties
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra “A sophisticated state actor” has hacked the networks of the major political parties, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told Parliament. Recently the Parliament House network ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
10 hours ago

Health check: will eating nuts make you gain weight?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Neale, Career Development Fellow (Lecturer), University of Wollongong The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend we eat 30g of nuts – a small handful – each day. But many of us know nuts ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
11 hours ago

Some of the thousands of people you should interview before Jordan Peterson
With screeds of media coverage of self-help strange tie fan Jordan Peterson, Emily Writes ponders if there possibly might be anyone more interesting to get on your podcast.Noted beef eater Jonathan Peitersen is almost literally covered in the excited juices ...
The SpinoffBy Emily Writes
11 hours ago

Open Country challenges validity of Fonterra’s 2018 milk price
Open Country Dairy is seeking a judicial review of the way Fonterra Cooperative Group set its milk price in the 2018 season, despite the Commerce Commission giving the price-setting process a pass mark. ...
Newsroom
12 hours ago

Curious Kids: what makes a shooting star fall?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Harvey-Smith, Professor and Australian Government’s Women in STEM Ambassador, UNSW Curious Kids is a series for children. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
12 hours ago

Hey renters – don’t fall for the capital gains tax fantasy
Property owners learn their fate on Thursday with the Tax Working Group‘s big reveal on capital capital gains tax. But whatever happens, it won’t be the housing panacea Generation Rent is hoping for, warns TOP’s Geoff Simmons.Here’s a message for ...
The SpinoffBy Geoff Simmons
13 hours ago

Pike River: Door likely stashed somewhere safe – Little
The Minister for Pike River Re-entry says he would be surprised if a missing cabinet door from the explosion isn't stored away safely somewhere. ...
Radio NZ – political
13 hours ago

Review: Marlon Williams with the APO at Villa Maria Estate
Waveney Russ is impressed by an outstanding performance from Marlon Williams and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at Villa Maria in Auckland.This review was first published on RNZ Music.I’ve always wanted to have the patience, depth of character and intellect to ...
The SpinoffBy Waveney Russ
13 hours ago

Poll wrap: Labor’s lead narrows to just 51-49 in Ipsos, but is it an outlier?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne An Ipsos poll conducted for Nine newspapers – previously Fairfax papers – gave Labor just a 51-49 lead, a three-point ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
13 hours ago

Guest night growth slows
Growth in tourist accommodation slowed in December as international guests spent fewer nights in the North Island, according to Stats NZ. ...
Newsroom
13 hours ago

Customer satisfaction in NZ banks rises despite Australian scandals
The scandals exposed by Australia’s royal commission into financial services don’t appear to have dented New Zealanders’ trust in banks. ...
Newsroom
13 hours ago

Te Papa must decide if it still wants to be a natural history museum
The revelation that our national museum is on the brink of turfing out two world-class scientists casts grave doubt over its commitment to being a natural history museum, writes evolutionary biologist David WinterWhat is going on at Te Papa? As ...
The SpinoffBy David Winter
14 hours ago

The subtle art of not giving a fuck about Jordan B Peterson
Danyl Mclauchlan on the ‘ersatz enlightenment’ of Jordan Peterson, who opens his New Zealand speaking tour with tonight’s sold-out event in Auckland.“Oh people still buy his book,” a Wellington bookseller told me when I asked her if Jordan Peterson was ...
The SpinoffBy Danyl Mclauchlan
14 hours ago

Papuans plan to boycott Indonesian elections, say independence activists
Indonesian People’s Front for West Papua spokesperson Surya Anta (centre) speaking at LBH Jakarta last week. Image: CNN Indonesia Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk West Papuan people will not take part in Indonesia’s 2019 presidential and legislative elections, say the ...
Evening ReportBy Pacific Media Centre
14 hours ago

PFI doubles 2018 profit on valuation gains
Property For Industry more than doubled its calendar 2018 profit as its 94-property portfolio was revalued higher. However, a slightly lower occupancy rate and rising property costs dented underlying earnings, which missed expectations. ...
Newsroom
15 hours ago

Steel & Tube turnaround continues
Steel & Tube Holdings believes it is on the road to recovery, reporting a 48.7 percent jump in first-half net profit and delivering operating profit in line with previous guidance. ...
Newsroom
16 hours ago

Government announces $19.5m will be spent on predator control
The Provincial Growth fund is to spend $19.5 million on looking at new ways to expand predator control in regional New Zealand, the government says. ...
Radio NZ – political
16 hours ago

Port of Tauranga lifts 1H profit 4%
Port of Tauranga increased first-half net profit 4 percent, buoyed by ongoing container growth and increased log and fruit volumes. ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – February 18 2019
Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – February 18 2019 Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. The Beehive and Parliament Buildings.Today’s content China-NZ relationsSimon Collins ...
Evening ReportBy Bryce Edwards
17 hours ago

NZD starts the week with a tailwind
The New Zealand dollar started the week on the front foot as investors were buoyed by positive noises coming from the latest round of trade talks between the US and China. ...
Newsroom
17 hours ago

Tax Working Group’s capital gains proposal keenly awaited
New Zealand is probably going to get a capital gains tax and the likely outline of how that could play out will probably be the economic highlight this week. ...
Newsroom
18 hours ago

Just like HAL, your voice assistant isn’t working for you even if it feels like it is
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathalie Collins, Academic Director (National Programs), Edith Cowan University Of all the fictional virtual assistants we know from pop culture, few stand up to the original and perhaps most famous: the HAL ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

A peace agreement in Afghanistan won’t last if there are no women at the table
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Hutchinson, PhD Candidate, Australian National University Over the past weeks, the US government has been in peace negotiations with the Taliban. It has been 17 years since US and allied troops ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

It’s time to change our drug dog policies to catch dealers, not low-level users at public events
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlin Hughes, Senior Research Fellow – Criminologist and Drug Policy Researcher, UNSW In the early 2000s New South Wales became the first Australian state to introduce drug detection dogs for policing, with ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

The battle against bugs: it’s time to end chemical warfare
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lizzy Lowe, Postdoctoral researcher, Macquarie University Insects are important wildlife often overlooked in urban habitats. What we do notice are the cockroaches, ants and mosquitoes in and around our homes. All too ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

I Need to Know: ‘is it normal to get sore down there after sex?’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Melissa Kang, Associate professor, University of Technology Sydney I Need to Know is an ongoing series for teens in search of reliable, confidential advice about life’s tricky questions. If you’re a teen, ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

The decoy effect: how you are influenced to choose without really knowing it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Mortimer, Associate Professor in Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Queensland University of Technology Price is the most delicate element of the marketing mix, and much thought goes into setting prices to nudge ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

Sailors’ journals shed new light on Bennelong, a man misunderstood by history
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Goodin, Postdoctoral fellow in the Program in Early American Economy & Society, at the Library Company of Philadelphia.., Australian National University The natives of new Holland are perhaps the quickest ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
18 hours ago

Simon Bridges tight-lipped on Judith Collins’ leadership conversation
Judith Collins has overtaken Simon Bridges in the preferred prime minister stakes, but the leader of the opposition hasn't sought assurance that she will not run for the leadership. ...
Radio NZ – political
18 hours ago

The Bulletin: No clear solutions for Eden Park crisis
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: No good solutions for financial crisis at Eden Park, sharp response to NZ-China tourism stories, and Devonport fruit store owner faces heavy fruit fly costs.The biggest stadium in New Zealand is ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Braae
19 hours ago

Frustrated paramedics deface ambulances
St John Ambulance paramedics are scrawling messages over ambulances as part of industrial action over pay and conditions. ...
Newsroom
19 hours ago

Tiny black belt striking out for Olympic first
A wise decision at the age of four - choosing karate over ballet - has Andrea Anacan aiming for the 2020 Olympics. ...
Newsroom
20 hours ago

More people are killed by drink drivers under the limit than over it
Last year it was reported that deaths caused by drugged driving had overtaken the drink driving toll for the first time. As Roger Brooking writes, that was fake news. In 2017, 378 people died on New Zealand roads. In June last ...
The SpinoffBy Roger Brooking
21 hours ago

The internet is the new public square. And it’s flowing with raw sewage
The NZ government must take a much bolder stance on the tech giants who dominate our lives online, writes Leroy Beckett from Action Station, who today release The People’s Report on Online Hate, Harassment and Abuse.I spend most of the time I ...
The SpinoffBy Leroy Beckett
21 hours ago

The Health Star Ratings are set for a major shake-up, but how much is changing?
Five years since they were launched, a proposed overhaul of the Health Star Ratings could see one in five products have their ratings changed. But does it really go far enough? When the Health Star Ratings were launched back in 2014, ...
The SpinoffBy Jihee Junn
21 hours ago

Why Spotify wants to be the Netflix of audio
The radio industry may be in for a Netflix-style shake up. ...
Newsroom
1 day ago

The music we grew up with: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill tour review
Simon Day was at the last night of the tumultuous 20th anniversary tour of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.She was meant to be late. She was supposed to be sick. She’s meant to be a “diva”.Lauryn Hill’s relationship with her ...
The SpinoffBy Simon Day
1 day ago

Our shortlist of names for Art and Matilda’s royal reality baby
The Bachelor NZ royal couple Art and Matilda are having a baby. Here is Alex Casey’s unsolicited gift to them. I thought my days of crying at the dairy were over, but alas. As the man behind the counter grabbed his ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Casey
2 days ago

Indonesian smear campaigns target Jokowi ahead of presidential election
By Ainur Rohmah in Jakarta Fake news and hate speech are inundating Indonesia on and offline with the country’s general election just two months away and with presidential candidates Prabowo Subianto and incumbent Joko Widodo locked in a contest for ...
Evening ReportBy Pacific Media Centre
2 days ago