The past, James?
Key’s still an MP, isn’t he?
Or has he been spirited away, along with any memory of his parcle-tongued reign?
I suppose what you’re hoping, James, is that we’ll give English a clean “bill” of health and forget that he’s been polluted by Key’s behaviour for 6 years, trained by the same people Key was and complicit in the disgraceful things Key did, and that he’ll still have Key whispering in his ear now. But no, James, we’re not so easily bamboozled, especially by someone as shallow and obvious as you.
That’s a bit rich James – that’s all that National has done since it came into Government – it was all Labour’s fault until it was just ad nauseum listening to it. You are pathetic.
I asked, Pete, whether you’d commented on Key’s “performance” during his interview while overseas; you know, the one where he denied the parlous state of New Zealand’s environment and the views of Mike Joy. It was, by many accounts, a cringe-worthy interview and certainly the interviewer expressed his disbelief at the then Prime Minister’s slippery tongue. I wondered if you’d written a post on that, hoping to read your thoughts on that issue, given that you have commented on the present Prime Minister’s foreign visit here on a blog that has readers who like to think more deeply about such things. So, Pete, did you?
Key made many trips overseas and had quite a few interviews. I’ve criticised him for puerile behaviour. But you are diverting into history (with a lot of vagueness). Sharpen up.
The subject here was how English presented himself on his trip over the last week or so. Reports have generally been favourable. Do you disagree with them?
The polls show that.
National back up Labour down.
English just has to not fuck up.
Not likely.
Labour Greens need to get non voters out and unseat Dunne.
To stand any chance.
Poor Labour held prisoner by it’s own neo liberal economic ideology, unable to mount any kind of meaningful attacks or counter punches to National, who only have to hold their boat steady to probably win, yes even with English at the helm.
Watching Labour slowly drown in a pool of it’s own discredited ideology is really depressing stuff.
Adrian, if you’re so saddened by what you see as Labour’s depressing fate, how about you:
1) Get involved in the party and promote your vision of its problems and possible solutions – help rescue it from what you see as its slow demise, and/or
2) Stop stirring against the party that you claim some association with/ loyalty to (enough to be depressed on its behalf).
Sadly, I strongly suspect you won’t do either of these. (With friends like you, who needs enemies?)
BTW, you (and others) tend to throw the term “neoliberal” around pretty loosely. Labour isn’t big on transfer of assets from the public to private sector, and that’s a cornerstone of neoliberalism. Just saying…
Red blooded, fair comments, I will answer both as best I can.
I had been involved in the party ( long ago) but was left very disillusioned and gutted by the core ideology that was being pushed at the time.
1. I thought about becoming involved more directly again last election when Anna Lorck set up her office next door to my shop. However after becoming aware of her completely out of touch policies around seasonal labour (amongst other things) there was no way I could get behind her. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503459&objectid=11720136
…and sure as hell not Nash in Napier.
So that door was closed.
although that being said, I am still very active politically, just not through normal party structures.
2. ‘Stirring’ although I would use the word critiquing, the party is I feel my, and every labour supporters obligation and responsibility to critique the direction of the party should they feel it is being led astray.
I am a very loyal friend, so I have been told.
Labour since Douglas is responsible for major asset sales in New Zealand, and until it fully rejects that laissez faire centrist ideology, then that is what Labour will perceived to be, and to some extent stand for.
Labour have never apologized for selling our assets.
The reason I am so hard on Labour, is that they are so far removed from real working families now, that they, without the slightest hint of embarrassment suggested $5-600,000 homes in AKL as being ‘affordable’.
But I also believe that in the core of the Labour Party, is the structure that represents our only real hope of breaking the chains of neo liberalism, and working together as a country back toward a more equal, fair and caring society for all…but that will only happen, in my view, under a left Socialist Democratic Labour.
But unfortunately that is nothing like our Labour Party today.
From their own website,
Fixing the Housing Crisis…
‘They are too focused on looking after those at the top rather than families in the middle.’
Not ‘looking after’ working families..no just the middle class,
yes that’s Labour in their own words on their own site!
Adrian, the current Labour party is not the same Labour government of the 1980’s. And aren’t you being rather skewered with cherry picking Labour’s website by misquoting there?
We are all neo-liberal in that we live in a neo-liberal system and do neo-liberal things. Certainly some more than others, like choosing the cheapest power or phone company for instance. I think we need to look at the neo-liberal aspects of our lives and try and change them. Then there could be real change.
Leftie, Well I wouldn’t say I prefer National to remain in power, however I am in the same camp as Slavoj Zizek, I believe neo liberalism, and especially center left neo liberalism to be a political disease, and radical action needs to be taken to avert disaster… I will leave Zizek to explain better than I…..
I know this is a quite unpopular position, and I am fully prepared to debate my own stance on it and could be persuaded otherwise, if arguments to the contrary offered another way to turn Labour back to a Socialist Democratic Left platform…still, as I have also said, Labour was radically changed ideologically by an internal revolution in 1984, and I believe that consequently an internal revolution within the party will be needed to remove the ‘new labour neoliberal’ ideology from the party.
BTW as to your comment that I…”skewered with cherry picking Labour’s website by misquoting”
I have done nothing of the sort, my quote was taken directly from the official Labour site. This was their wording, and as I am sure you well know, wording, and word placement in politics is very very important, so don’t come at me with that rubbish.
Adrian, pretty sure that’s what you said on TDB when you were asked if you wanted National to stay in power. And as for “They are too focused on looking after those at the top rather than families in the middle.” Sounds like Labour were talking about National. Best you put up a citation, so your quote can be read in context.
BTW, has National ever apologized for selling off our assets, past and present? Will John Key apologize for what he has done?
As Andrew Little said “I don’t see how I can be personally held responsible for the actions of predecessors.”
“Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.
We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.
Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come.
We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.
Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.
Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.
For too long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.
Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth.
Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed.
The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.
Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s Capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.
That all changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you.”
Read the rest of President Trump’s great, great speech here:
He basically criticised every politician sharing the stage with him for their betrayal of America’s working class.
‘Today’s ceremony however, has very special meaning, because today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, DC. And giving it back to you, the people.
For too long, have reaped the rewards of government while people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered period, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs and while they celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.
That all changes starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you. It be longs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country.’
‘Today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.’
You have every right to be skeptical, Paul. If Andrew Little gave the same speech I’d be critical too. But if just for a moment you can imagine Donald Trump, President of the USA, delivering on his promises, wouldn’t that make America great again?
I vote fot that. Would actually be a considerable improvement IMHO
And yes thats my genuine opinion. The moderation here sucks! . Often used to win the argument rather than foster dialogue
Um, because authors put a lot of energy, thought, and effort in writing threads and somebody may come only with perfectly legitimate on-topic criticism that doesn’t fall within the moderation rules but still get moderated because in the author’s eyes his or her work is being unfairly attacked.
Or if you want the short version some authors can get rather touchy about people saying bad things about what they’ve written. Especially if they’ve put a lot of work into it.
Can you please provide three examples that demonstrate what you are suggesting? That’s links to specific moderation, plus an explanation from you of which bit you think is the moderator objecting to someone saying bad things about what they’ve written. Thanks.
Moderation on TS isn’t to foster dialogue (that’s up to the authors and commenters). It’s to prevent the worst of the trolling and derailments from wrecking the place and putting people off esp authors (and to protect the site from legal issues).
And speaking of Colonel Viper where is my BFF? I thought his latest ban would be over by now. Surely he’d be in here or over on the other thread celebrating President Trump’s inauguration.
HDCAFriendlyTroll
History will be the judge on that.
Even best intentions will not be able to restore the jobs in any country as robotics will have the greatest impact since the industrial revolution.
He will be faced with a choice between finding a peaceful way of transition that includes education, income and poverty, health and elder care, institutionalized racism, civil rights, personal responsibility … shall I go on? Or using force, at home or abroad. As the nature of work and income is about to change in very profound ways neither Trump nor any other leader will escape the fact that new ways of society structures need to be found.
With the speech Trump gave and the absolute alignment with the military (its called having a buck each way), my prediction at this stage is not as rosy as yours. History has shown that it is the lazy mans walk and what more – talk – that always has mapped the future (may I stretch at this junction “man as “men”) and aggression, stand over tactics, oppression are hailed as virtues. And to make it really scary, using “above all god” in the parting sentence is concerning. There are parallels to a speech some 80 odd years ago.
So again, the jury is out and history will tell.
The bad news.
1. The beating of war drums with China.
2. His focus on a law and order society.
Chris Hedges describes the speech as exhibiting the feeling of a crisis cult. It highlighted the worst aspects of American exceptionalism and imperialism.
He says the promises won’t be delivered and then the state will be used against the vulnerable.
Yeah…….it is what he said. He also sought to paint patriotism and prejudice mutually exclusive. Is that the predominant lesson of history ? Don’t think so.
It seems that Dame Paula Bennett of Waitakere, whose idea of job creation was permanent multiple security guards at WINZ offices, will be visiting Kaikoura to reassure shaken locals.
She may have to bring her new labour market program with her.
[your comments should come through now.] – Bill
I notice your canard re what he said being “left wing” is no longer up Paul. How come ? You deferring to Archie CV Bunker are you ?…….editing, leaving it to ACVB to deliver the “tremendous” left wing news are you ?
No I was editing my words.
Trump is making a faux appeal to working class interests and it will work because there is no real left wing option in the US.
Therersa May – warning corporations about shirking their tax-paying responsibilities (another rightee stealing lines from the left, while promoting so-called “free trade” and “globalisation”. In this NY Times article, it talks about NZ as being one of the countries the UK is aiming to make free trade deals.
Her defense of free trade was slightly jarring coming after Britain’s decision to quit the largest free-trade grouping on earth, the European Union, judging that control over immigration and complete sovereignty mattered more.
She also spoke at a time when free-trade deals are increasingly unpopular, particularly among the people she was accusing the crowd in Davos of ignoring, and with President-elect Donald J. Trump talking of protectionism and criticizing free-trade pacts.
But with big multinational banks and companies already announcing that they will reduce their staffing in London because of the vote to leave the European Union, known as Brexit, Mrs. May was eager to reassure them that Britain would emerge bigger and better from the divorce.
…
Britain wants to negotiate trade deals with “old friends” and “new allies,” she said, adding that tentative discussions have begun with Australia, India and New Zealand, and that China, Brazil and the Persian Gulf states have expressed interest in striking trade deals.
Britain is especially keen to do a deal with Washington, and Mr. Trump has said he is eager to start. But until Britain formally leaves the European Union, deemed unlikely before March 2019, it can only discuss such deals, not sign them.
Hmmm… isn’t Trump talking out against any trade deals that don’t strongly benefit the US? A trade deal between the US and UK that strongly benefits both, and previously overlooked middle and low income people? I’ll be interested to see how that goes down.
“Strongly benefit” are your words. What Trump has said is that America will no longer act where there is no benefit and that they recognise the right of other nations to act in that nation’s best interest.
It seems that Dame Paula Bennett of Waitakere, whose idea of job creation was permanent multiple security guards at WINZ offices, will be visiting Kaikoura to reassure shaken locals.
She may have to bring her new labour market program with her
Was expecting to see a bit of a drop (just a small one) in the last poll (Roy Morgan – but yeah) for national post keys departure.
But very happy to see a small rise for English and national and a drop to labour. A good way to start an election year. Will be interesting to track the rest of the polls coming up.
It was also a negligible change for Labour, down 1.5, but now people are insisting that Labour+Greens matter a combined drop of 3.5% must be a bit worrying for those who thought the MoU was a game changer, and those who thought Key’s self demotion was a game changer.
Labour’s start to the year has been very disappointing. Picking a fight with Peters and pledging a bill to circumvent workplace safety that one had previously lobbied for is an odd stance.
Little’s delay in announcing he wouldn’t stand in Rongotai was also odd, he should have dealt with that immediately King announced she was standing down, he knew it was coming. Instead of putting it to bed last year he has put his indecision on show at a time he needed to be making a strong start to the year.
Relying on Mt Albert to kick off their campaign proper is very risky. Labour (and Greens) cannot make it look like a cosy campaign jack up, unless they are seen to compete seriously it could easily backfire.
Ardern standing looks a bit like rearranging the deck chairs. It would have been better to have new talent on show, someone like Deborah Russell would have looked much better.
Little conceded that polls were bad – “I have to lead a party that starts from 2014 at a 25 per cent vote, polling at the moment at late 20s, 30 per cent sort of mark. So we have a lot of work to do, and I don’t underestimate that.”
That hard work should have been evident from January 1 in election year. Labour need to be careful they don’t sleep walk to an election nightmare.
They didnt think!
“Conventional wisdom” is that MMP parties have to declare who they are with before the election. Its crap but has become a “fact” . Its because they believe the public are too dumb to understand MMP. Winston has never bought into this doctrine and he gets along ok.
Before that he was rejected by the voters of Tauranga.
He hasn’t been in any governing arrangement since 2005-2008, so his success rate hasn’t been great, despite media talking him up as ‘king maker’ at every opportunity – I saw this again somewhere today.
John key running away after National’s whopping defeat in the Mt. Roskill by election, and with a general election just around the corner, sent out signals that he thinks National isn’t going to win. John key did say if National lost he would quit politics.
Good post. Labour ought to win the election given how popular they are. Opinion polls show we are heading in the wrong direction. English cannot debate and is a loser. Yeah Right.
Fisiani. National lost the flag referendum, the Northland and Roskill by elections, and failed badly in the local elections, all in a row, so much for that “popularity” and “opinion polling.”
Also interesting to note that most of the polling was done before English made his comment about many Kiwis cringing at Waitangi.
Next time the Nats will be further ahead.
Dame Paula Bennett of Waitakere, whose idea of job creation was permanent multiple security guards at WINZ offices, will soon be visiting Kaikoura to reassure shaken locals.
She may have to bring her new labour market program with her ..
‘Bob Jones can now descend back down into the abyss whence he came.
This isn’t surprising. Jones is a corpse compelled by witchcraft to say the most obviously racist thing in any given situation. The only joy he can extract from this mortal plane comes when he’s raining blows on those he believes are beneath him, be they beggars, flight attendants, reporter Rob Vaughn, or victims of indecent assault who he believes have themselves to blame for making the “silly” mistake of walking in a park.
“If I’m a rich old white man. Everyone else should be a rich old white man,” he whines with each rattling breath. “And if they’re not, they’re lazy or criminals or even Māoris.”
Now now Paulsky, breath, the alternate view is that jones just believes the purpose of government is to protect liberty and property rights and equal oppportunity and let people get on and be responsible for their lives, in contrast to nanny state from cradle to grave and assume every necessity for life is and entitlement Now I agree sir bob may have expressed his opinion in a provocative way but no need for your support of hate speeach, agism and bigotry against elderly white folk
A couple of years ago, Jones had a piece in the Herald’ bitterly complaining about how NZ has now become the biggest “nanny state” in the world, probably one of the few things that I could find to agree with him.
Dame Paula Bennett of Waitakere, whose idea of job creation was permanent multiple security guards at WINZ offices, will soon be visiting Kaikoura to reassure shaken locals.
She may have to bring her new labour market program with her.
It is interesting that ex PM had an army of protectors around him at all times, weird for a little country like NZ, when you compare the PM’s of, say the UK and Australia, where they’re ability to mix with general without the need for “men in dark glasses”, it really does say a lot about the divisiveness of the man, that is if you can call him a “man”.
Neoliberals Know The Price Of Everything And The Value Of Nothing
My father likes to say that some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. The same could be said of the neoliberals of the world, who–in case you missed my previous piece–are now transcendent in most policy circles across the world.
To review, the neoliberal agenda is one of deregulation, unfettered trade, fiscal austerity (with the attendant reduction in social programs), privatization and tax reduction. Fundamental to the neoliberal ideology is that government regulation and planning of economic activity are inherently flawed and cannot bring about the desired ends of efficiency, prosperity and social harmony.
Instead, price is the great and sufficient transmitter of information across the economy and across society at large. Price is the best barometer for all decisions. Hence, the emphasis on privatizing almost everything in society including education and health care.
Neoliberals believe that voting with your money is at least, if not more important, than voting in elections in a free society. The freer the market, the more choices consumers will have, and the more competitive the market, the better the quality will be.
There are several problems, of course, with the price mechanism. First, it only takes into account costs which are directly borne by the provider of a product or service. So-called externalities such as pollution and climate change are not tallied in the price. In order for those costs to be included, say, by the imposition of a carbon tax, the government would have to intervene, something not consistent with neoliberal ideas.
Second, such a monomaniacal focus on price alone pre-empts a broader view of social goals, reducing them merely to price signals. But not every social good can be reduced to a price signal in a nominally “free” market.
“The Finance and Expenditure Committee has considered Petition 2011/101 of Penelope Mary Bright and 13 others, requesting
That the House conduct an urgent inquiry into why New Zealand Auditor-General Lyn Provost did not disclose that she was a shareholder in Sky City Entertainment Group Ltd at the time she declined to conduct an urgent investigation into the failure of the Organised and Financial Crime Agency of New Zealand to carry out “due diligence” on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the New Zealand International Convention Centre (Bill) 2013.
We have no matters to bring to the attention of the House. ”
Time for the House to include the proven ‘anti-corruption campaigner?
That’s pretty disgusting. It has been know for a long time that if you want to launder money you go to Sky City. There’s some roulette type game that you can bet your money on black and red and only if it goes to one number on the board you lose. That way you can bet your money, have a huge chance of winning and then ask for your winnings in a cheque. That way if IRD, social welfare or anyone else asks where you got your house/Mercedes etc when you earn zero income you say ‘I won it at Sky City and here is my cheque to prove it.
Now that Trump has shown that just spewing out a firehose of bullshit can be a successful electoral technique, we need to more on guard than ever. Unfortunately, when processing a lie, the mind first admits the possibility that it might be true – and then many minds never take the next step of rejecting it.
I went on the Auckland women’s march. RNZ says over 1000 attended – I’d say a few thousand – was quite a big, peaceful and good humoured march.
There was no real police presence. I think we were meant to walk on the footpath. But people just started walking in the road – and that’s how it proceeded.
I didn’t realise there was also an anti-Trump march planned for 1pm at Aotea Square, Auckland. I had left by then. TV1 on the two planned marches
And it says:
One American man told 1 NEWS he had turned up and out to march in Auckland “for equality, against greed and power”.
Green MP Julie Anne Genter, investigative journalist Nicky Hager and climate change activist Aaron Packard will be speaking at the Love Trumps Hate event in Wellington.
Speakers from the trans community, the union movement, the Mexican community, the Palestine solidarity movement, the feminist movement and the climate justice movement will be appearing at the Aotearoa Against Trump event in Auckland.
Just back from the Dunedin Women’s Rally (one of more than 650 events throughout the world linked to the March on Washington). While it was sparked by the dreadfulness of Trump’s views and actions towards women, the focus was very much on lifting up and affirming women’s worth and power here in Aotearoa and supporting others in their struggles internationally. I hope other rallies were equally uplifting and strengthening.
The NZ demonstrations were organised by some US women living in NZ.
We need a whole big, broad movement – for a fairer, more sustainable, and collaborative society, where everyone has a living income and access to affordable health care, education, etc.
[don’t tell lies about my views or comments. You are the one in that thread who said, and I quote, “Obviously the march is against Trump’s *inauguration*, not Trump himself.”. You obviously missed the point of the moderation, which is to reduce the amount of time moderators have to spend on these kinds of derailments. You are now banned from the Pike River thread, and this is also a warning to not misrepresent my views or comments or risk a site wide ban. – weka]
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That was clearly a huge explosion. Just after the explosion, we see a cloud of ‘fog’ moving outwards at high speed. This is a shockwave, rather similar to that which causes a sonic boom. The ‘fog’ is caused by water condensing from the atmosphere in areas of intense low pressure ...
Can we postpone this year’s election? Quite frankly, the political parties don’t seem ready for it, and aren’t about to offer voters the necessary policy choices for the unprecedented times we’re in. We’ve ended up with a campaign focused on scandal, personality and leadership, with a policy void that’s worse ...
It is the last sitting day of Parliament, and the last question time before the House is dissolved. So, are there any questions about the damning findings of the Hit and Run inquiry, and how the government plans to bring the military back under democratic control? Of course not. ...
Property speculator - John KeyThe National Party must be in dire straits to have to rely on John Key to campaign on their behalf. Not only has the former PM been in the news claiming the recently released unemployment figures aren’t accurate, the fool has also been promoting the opening ...
Nothing Too Drastic: Few would dispute that the Left, today, are few in number. Is their failure to make the public aware of and act upon the manifest failures of the present system attributable to their lack of active energy and intelligence? Or, is it simply because the Left’s ideas ...
by Don Franks This talk was given to the Wellington Anti Capitalist Alliance, fifteen years ago. The ultimate weapons of mass destruction so far seen on this planet have been used just twice, 60 years ago this month. August 6 and August 9 1945 witnessed the US atomic bombing ...
After I noticed that my name had been taken yet again in vain by my friendly antagonist Tom Hunter over at No Minister, I went over to see what the fuss was about. Nothing much, but then I discovered a post about the Operation Burnham Inquiry by Psycho Milt. I ...
The COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 was extended today, until December 1st or the tenth sitting day following the resumption of Parliament after the election. It seems like a necessary extension. While we currently have eradicated the virus in New Zealand, it is still banging at the door, and ...
One of the government's key policies - extracted by NZ First as part of its coalition agreement - is the "Provincial Growth Fund": $1 billion a year spent on creating jobs in rural New Zealand. Yesterday the Auditor-General issued a report on the fund, finding that it lacks transparency, and ...
The Warehouse, one of New Zealand's biggest retailers, has decided to stop selling coal. Good. Coal is a dirty, polluting fossil fuel, and the less of it we have out there, the better. Retailers choosing not to sell it sends a clear message that this is not a fuel we ...
The labour market statistics have been released, and they show that unemployment actually dropped last quarter. All told, there are 111,000 unemployed - 15,000 fewer than when the government took office. But before anyone thinks that the pandemic hasn't put people out of work, remember that this is for ...
Judy KavanaghI’m OK with wearing a CovidCard. But are you? There’s no point me doing it alone.The author modelling a (fake) CovidCard. I didn’t know much about the CovidCard proposal until I read Dave’s latest blog post. You would wear the card visibly on your person. It ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzWhy can’t I use the battery from my electric car ...
As many good things come in threes (as the saying goes), we are happy to announce a third partnership between Skeptical Science and other websites. Fakebook.eco in Brazil is joining Klimafakten.de in Germany and Nauka o Klimacie in Poland to leverage translated rebuttal material and to make the information readily available in other ...
This interview on RNZ with Ross Tucker, the scientist who headed a review of transgender athletes playing in women’s rugby, discusses the findings of the review and what it means for women in sports. The review that World Rugby undertook had a broad range of independent experts and included a ...
Siouxsie WilesThe restrictions in place for metropolitan Melbourne now are in some ways stricter than those that were in force during New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdown. A curfew is in place and most people have to wear masks when they leave their home – neither of which happened in New ...
On Friday the Hit and Run inquiry delivered a devastating report which found that NZDF had systematically misled Ministers over civilian deaths. The report called into question civilian control of the military (and indeed, military control of the military), a fundamental principle of our democracy. So you'd expect our politicians ...
Let's Do This Again: What else can Jacinda do in a political environment so bereft of imagination and courage but seek a continuance? If she trades upon the extraordinary personal qualities that she has, miraculously, carried with her into the office of Prime Minister, then I, for one, will offer ...
How corrupt are the New Zealand Police? This corrupt: On 10 February 2019, Police attended a family harm incident. The suspect attempted to run the attending officers over in a driveway with his car, narrowly missing them, before fleeing the scene. A short pursuit followed, ending when the suspect stopped ...
Parliament's triennial Review of Standing Orders was released today, and it contains a number of welcome, if minor, improvements. The ones that caught my are: A move to encourage "pre-legislative engagement" - the government consulting widely on legislation before it is introduced - by promising easier passage (e.g. with ...
Lauren Vargo, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of WellingtonGlaciers around the world are melting — and for the first time, we can now directly attribute annual ice loss to climate change. We analysed two years in which glaciers in New Zealand melted the most in at least four ...
Caroline Shaw, Anja MizdrakE-bikes are everywhere. Sales are booming and predicted to overtake sales of new cars in a few years. There were three times as many e-bikes and e-scooters imported into NZ in 2019 alone as there are e-cars in the entire country. You can’t go out in ...
New Zealand First is facing a difficult struggle to get re-elected, but Josh Van Veen, who was once a researcher for Winston Peters, argues that there is still a very significant section of cultural conservatives who oppose mass immigration and political correctness and might yet be won back over to ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Many Americans these days seem unable to avoid controversy on practically any topic, so why not embrace the discord and wade into the especially volatile arena of nuclear energy? Advocates claim it’s the only way to meet global climate goals, ...
Can we trust New Zealand’s military? There must now be serious doubt, given the landmark report released on Friday concluding the investigation into allegations made in the book Hit and Run by Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson about a 2010 SAS killing raid in Afghanistan. The most recent Colmar Brunton ...
In New Zealand, we've just had the report of the Hit and Run inquiry, which found that a New Zealand led raid had accidentally killed civilians, including a child. meanwhile, around the same time, the British SAS was conducting its own raids in Afghanistan, and theirs were a hell of ...
In addition to establishing a process for setting emissions reductions plans, the Zero Carbon Act established a process for managing the risks of climate change. The first part of this is the preparation of regular risk assessments, looking at the risks to our economy, society, environment, and ecology. The first ...
Over on The spinoff, Amnesty International's Meg de Ronde has a response to Friday's release of the Hit and Run report. And in response to Attorney-General David Parker's claim that the government was being "transparent" by releasing the report, its titled "we shouldn’t have to work this hard to get ...
Story of the Week... Opinion of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review... Story of the Week... Rising Seas Could Menace Millions Beyond Shorelines, Study FindsAs climate change raises sea levels, storm surges and high tides will ...
There's an election next month, so you'd be expecting political parties to be telling us what they stand for and what they'd do if they'd win. But while the Greens have given us a detailed policy platform, and National has talked about roads and austerity, Labour, currently leading the polls ...
"Who's youse accusin' of innference?" Without the timely intervention of a team of top American political consultants and campaign experts, Boris Yeltsin would never have won his second term as President of the Russian Federation. The Russians waited 20 years to return the favour.WHEN IT COMES to the disinformation game, ...
As polling day in the American presidential election draws closer, things are looking bad for Donald Trump. The polls show that he is tracking well behind his Democrat rival. Most people assume that the President will be striving might and main to avoid what looks increasingly likely to be a ...
Our health professionals do an amazing job. Image credit: Wikipedia – Cardiac surgery. Finally, I have got back to these rankings. A long period in hospital and computer problems meant the June 2020 rankings were abandoned. Now, with a new personal defibrillator implanted in my chest and a new hard ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, July 26 through Sat, Aug 1, 2020Editor's ChoiceThe four types of climate denier, and why you should ignore them allThe shill, the grifter, the egomaniac and the ideological ...
Over the last few days, reports have emerged of people travelling from New Zealand and testing positive for Covid-19 upon arrival at their destination. First in South Korea and now in Australia. What might these positive tests mean?They’re false-positives As Toby Morris and I have explained before, there are ...
Former National Minister - Wayne MappYou could tell that the Hit and Run book by investigative journalists Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson was right on the money by the way former National Party Minister of Defence, Wayne Mapp, reacted to its now largely vindicated claims.Even though the recent inquiry into ...
So, the Hit and Run inquiry has reported back, and found some appalling shit at NZDF and NZSIS. And while they quibble a few of the details - the name of a dead child - they basicly uphold Hager and Stephenson's version of events. The SAS went to those villages. ...
We are failing to think though the interdependencies in an economy. We miss economist Bryan Philpott (1921-2000). I miss him personally – we used to have such great discussions – but this column is about how the nation misses his economic experience and wisdom. We tend to ...
Michelle Boag - LeakerThe Heron report (PDF) was released yesterday, and it was a bit disappointing to say the least. It correctly found that former National Party president Michelle Boag and National Party MP Hamish Walker were politically motivated in leaking peoples private medical information, but didn’t look further into ...
Adam Smith, Massey UniversityA recent global assessment of shark populations at 371 coral reefs in 58 countries found no sharks at almost 20% of reefs and alarmingly low numbers at many others. The study, which involved over 100 scientists under the Global FinPrint project, gave New Zealand a good ...
On different trajectories and from different ends of the political spectrum, last night’s One News/Colmar Brunton poll has the Green Party and ACT converging around the five percent mark. And, as odd as it may sound, they head into the election campaign with a lot in common.Putting the Greens and ...
Janet Stephenson, University of OtagoA proposed multibillion-dollar project to build a pumped hydro storage plant could make New Zealand’s electricity grid 100% renewable, but expensive new infrastructure may not be the best way to achieve this. New Zealand’s electricity generation is already around 80% renewable, with just over half ...
It's campaign time! The official countdown to Election Day is underway, with Labour supporters crowding into Auckland's Town Hall for our 2020 Campaign Launch. We recap some of the highlights below ...
It's campaign time! The official countdown to Election Day is underway, with Labour supporters crowding into Auckland's Town Hall for our 2020 Campaign Launch. We recap some of the highlights below ...
We've announced that we will expand the Flexi-wage programme to support up to 40,000 more people into work, or to help them start their own business. It's yet another way we're helping keep our economy moving by getting people into work and training. Read on to find out more ...
Business subsidy of on average $7500, and up to $22,000, to hire unemployed New ZealandersUp to 40,000 jobs to be supported by $311 million investment in keeping New Zealanders off the unemployment benefitRing-fenced fund to help unemployed start their own business ...
This week was the last of the 52nd Parliament: a major milestone for our Government and a great opportunity to look back at all the progress we've made for New Zealanders. This week, we increased support for businesses to take on apprentices, improved access to hospital care in Northland, and ...
Kia orana and kia ora koutou katoa. It is a privilege to be able to speak in this adjournment debate and to mark and acknowledge the fact that we are now two years and 10 months into the conclusion of a parliamentary term that has been extraordinary in so many ...
On 1 August, we marked the anniversary of Jacinda Ardern becoming the Leader of the Labour Party. On that day in 2017, Leader Andrew Little nominated Jacinda Ardern to succeed him and lead the party to victory.Now, three years on, we look back at some of the key moments ...
With the June 2020 quarter showing underemployment increasing, the Green Party is calling for a Guaranteed Minimum Income and an increase to the abatement threshold to ensure everyone has a dignified income. ...
We went hard and we went early in our health response to COVID-19, and we did everything we could to cushion the economic impact too. In fact, we can fill every letter of the alphabet with the steps we took to fight COVID-19 and ensure we were in a position ...
Investing in our people, backing businesses, and upgrading infrastructure and housing throughout the country - it's been another week of progress for New Zealanders as we deliver our plan to recover and rebuild. ...
July was another busy month, packed with key investments aimed at progressing our economic recovery as we rebuild New Zealand. We extended support for businesses, helped create jobs through local infrastructure projects, and kept working to clean up our waterways so Kiwis can access safe clean water. Check out the ...
The Green Party is calling for the Defence Force Chiefs in place between 2010-2017 to front up and explain how dishonesty, process and policy failures within the Defence Force led to ‘a series of incorrect statements in briefings to ministers and public releases’ regarding alleged breaches of international torture prevention ...
Thanks to our strong health response, New Zealand’s economy is more open than many other countries. But as COVID continues to surge around the world, the economic consequences of the virus will continue to be a challenge, which is why we have a detailed plan to help New Zealand bounce ...
Thanks to our strong health response, New Zealand’s economy is more open than many other countries. But as COVID continues to surge around the world, the economic consequences of the virus will continue to be a challenge, which is why we have a detailed plan to help New Zealand bounce ...
The Government is stepping up action to deal with environmentally harmful products – including plastic packaging, tyres and e-waste – before they become waste. ...
The Green Party are ensuring that New Zealanders who were overseas when COVID-19 hit will not be charged for the cost of isolation or quarantine if they return home to live. ...
It's been another week of creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and investing in infrastructure up and down the country - all of which are helping to keep our economy moving post-COVID-19. ...
Law changes to end tenure review and provide for better management of Crown pastoral lands in the South Island high country were considered by Parliament today with the first reading of the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill says Minister for Land Information, Eugenie Sage. ...
The Green Party have secured legislative amendments in a bill expected to pass third reading this week, to ensure better rules for school teachers and staff, so they can de-escalate children with diverse needs and cognitive differences, such as autism, rather than using unnecessary and often traumatising force. ...
An iwi-Crown approach programme to restore the Raukūmara forest on the East Coast of the North Island and boost employment opportunities for whānau, particularly rangatahi/young people, will receive $34 million funding, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has announced. “Raukūmara Pae Maunga is a partnership with Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou, and ...
Government agencies and partners are working closer together to provide more Māori Housing through the Te MAIHI o te Whare Māori – the Māori and Iwi Housing Innovation Framework for Action (MAIHI). MAIHI is a kaupapa Māori approach that drives a system change to give effect and impact on Māori ...
The Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) begins today and will focus on the major economic and social impacts of COVID-19 on the Pacific. FEMM is an important congregation of Economic Ministers and senior officials from around the region, and for the first time, the annual meeting will be ...
A report undertaken by Ministerial Services into Iain Lees-Galloway’s ministerial expenditure has found no evidence of any inappropriate transactions or spending. Ministerial Services undertook a line by line review of all his expenditure, including staff and spouse expenses for the period 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2020. “I commissioned ...
Managed isolation charges for returnees will come into force from 12.01am Tuesday 11th August, after they passed their last cabinet milestone today, Housing Minister Megan Woods said. “The new charging system balances the rights of New Zealanders to return home and helps reduce pressure on the managed isolation and quarantine ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Henry Puna have welcomed the completion of phase one in the establishment of a travel bubble between New Zealand and the Cook Island. Negotiations on the text of an ‘Arrangement to Facilitate Quarantine-Free Travel ...
The Government has launched a new online, phone and onsite service to help New Zealanders connect to a range of employment support and products for workers and businesses affected by COVID-19, announced Minister of Education Chris Hipkins and Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni. Connected.govt.nz is a one-stop-shop for jobseekers, ...
Security guards contracted to the Ministry of Social Development will be paid at least the Living Wage from next month supporting the Government’s commitment towards fair pay and employment conditions, announced Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni. “MSD was among the first government agencies to pay its employees the living ...
The Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage today launched Te Mana o te Taiao, the Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy - a way forward that envisions Aotearoa New Zealand as a place where ecosystems are healthy and resilient, and people embrace the natural world. “Many of New Zealand’s plants and wildlife species ...
“Pacific languages, cultures and identity are essential to the health, wellbeing and lifetime success of our Pacific peoples and their communities in Aotearoa. The strength and resilience of Pacific Aotearoa is not only vital to their own prosperity but integral to the prosperity of all New Zealanders, and is particularly ...
· $38 million to help schools cover unexpected costs related to COVID-19 · $69 million upgrade for online learning · $107 million contingency funding to support school construction suppliers facing additional costs due to the lockdown. The Government is releasing $214 million from the COVID-19 response and recovery fund to ...
Despite the Government installing safety upgrades around the country, people should still take care around rail crossings, said Transport Minister Phil Twyford launching Rail Safety Week. Phil Twyford said installing safety infrastructure is crucial, but we are encouraging people to be more careful around trains too. “We’re making good progress ...
The Government is providing a cash injection to help Palmerston North City Council complete a programme to provide 78 social housing units for vulnerable tenants. The $4.7 million to build 28 units in the Papaioea Place redevelopment comes from the $3 billion set aside for infrastructure in the Government’s COVID-19 ...
A pest free Banks Peninsula/Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū is one step closer with a $5.11 million boost to accelerate this project and create jobs, announced Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage in Canterbury today. “This is a game changer for this ambitious project to restore the native wildlife and plants on Ōtautahi/Christchurch’s doorstep ...
A Government grant of $6.4 million will expand the Pettigrew Arena in Taradale with new indoor courts of national standard. “The project is likely to take 18 months with approximately 300 people employed through the process,” Grant Robertson said. “The expansion will increase the indoor court space up to 11 ...
The Far North tourist destination of Mangonui is to receive Government funding to improve waterfront infrastructure, open up access to the harbour and improve water quality, Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones has announced. A total of $6.5 million from the $3 billion set aside in the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund ...
The Government has re-affirmed its commitment to supporting the hosting of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, which the ICC has delayed from 2021 to 2022. “This is obviously a disappointing decision for cricket players and fans around the world and for the White Ferns and their supporters here at ...
Cyclists and walkers will now have a safer way to get around Taupō, Tūrangi, and between Hamilton and Cambridge, with funding for shared paths and Te Awa River Ride, Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter announced today. “The Te Awa River Ride is the latest part of massive growth ...
Six major cycle routes will be completed in Christchurch thanks to funding from the Government’s investment in shovel-ready infrastructure as part of the COVID-19 recovery Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter announced today. $125 million will be invested to kick-start construction and fund the completion of the following cycleway ...
Plans are underway for a brand new state-of-the-art hub for Whanganui’s justice and social agencies, following confirmation the ageing Whanganui Central Police Station is to be replaced. Police Minister Stuart Nash has announced $25 million in new infrastructure spending to improve facilities for the wider community, and for staff who ...
An adjustment payment has been made to Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu under the relativity mechanisms in their 1995 and 1997 Treaty of Waitangi settlements, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little announced today. The latest payments to Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu are $2,700,000 and $2,600,000 respectively to ensure the ...
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters and Transport Minister Phil Twyford today kicked off the start of the Auckland NZ Upgrade Programme rail projects which will support over 400 jobs and help unlock our biggest city. Both ministers marked the start of enabling works on the third main rail line project ...
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) investment of $3.78 million in Wairoa will create much needed economic stimulus and jobs, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. PGF projects announced today include: $200,000 loan to Nuhaka Kiwifruit Holdings Ltd (operated by Pine Valley Orchard Ltd) to increase the productivity ...
Tenants in public and Māori housing may be benefiting from their own affordable renewable energy in future – a fund to trial renewable energy technology for public and Māori housing has today been announced by Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods and Associate Minister for Housing (Māori Housing) Nanaia Mahuta. ...
Hokianga will receive $2.7 million to redevelop four of its wharves and upgrade its water supply, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has announced. Far North District Council will receive $1.8 million from the Provincial Growth Fund for the work on the wharves. “The work will include the construction of ...
A $350 million Residential Development Response Fund is being established to support the residential construction sector and to minimise the economic impact from COVID-19, the Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods has announced. “The Residential Development Response Fund will help to progress stalled or at-risk developments that support our broader housing ...
As part of a broader plan to divert waste from landfill, the Government today announced $10.67 million for new infrastructure as part of the Resource Recovery Network across the Auckland region. “This key investment in Auckland’s community recycling network is part of the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group ‘shovel ready’ projects ...
The Government is investing $45 million in the first stage of an ambitious urban development project for Tauranga that will employ up to 250 people and help the region grow, Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford announced today. Phil Twyford says the funding has been allocated out of the $3 billion ...
Getting low-emission trucks on the road is a step closer with investment in infrastructure to support hydrogen vehicles, the Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods has announced. The Infrastructure Reference Group has provisionally approved $20 million for New Plymouth company Hiringa Energy to establish a nationwide network of hydrogen-fuelling stations. ...
A new trades training centre to upskill the local workforce will be built in the South Waikato town of Tokoroa through funding from the Government’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones have announced. The Government will contribute $10.84 million from ...
The Government has agreed to repeal part of the Oranga Tamariki Act subsequent children provisions, Minister for Children Tracey Martin announced today. “There are times when children need to go into care for their safety – the safety and care of children must always be paramount,” Minister Martin said. “But ...
A $1.5 million boost to grow primary mental health and addiction services for Pacific peoples in Auckland, Hamilton and Canterbury will lead to better outcomes for Pacific communities, Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa says. Pasifika Futures has received funding to expand services through The Fono, Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest by ...
Twenty-two projects to boost the sustainability and climate resilience of New Zealand’s food and fibres sector have been announced today by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. The $18m funding will deliver practical knowledge to help farmers and growers use their land more sustainably, meet environmental targets, remain prosperous, and better understand ...
Employment Minister Willie Jackson welcomes an initiative that assists employers to get mature workers into New Zealand small businesses. The disadvantages that older people face in the workplace was highlighted in the whole of Government Employment Strategy. In order to address this, a Mature Workers Toolkit has been developed and ...
New Zealand and Australia reaffirmed today the need for the closest possible collaboration as they tackle a global environment shaped by COVID-19, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said. “In these challenging times, our close collaboration with Australia is more vital than ever,” said Mr Peters. Mr Peters and his Australian ...
The recovery and forensic examination of the loader driven by survivor Russell Smith means the underground team are now moving into an area of the Pike River Mine that has not been seen since the explosion, Minister Responsible for Pike River Re-entry Andrew Little said. “The fifth and last robot ...
The Government has confirmed a community-wide trial of CovidCard technology as it explores options for COVID-19 contact tracing. “Effective contact tracing is a vital part of the COVID-19 response,” Minister of Health Chris Hipkins said. “While manual processes remain the critical component for contact tracing, we know digital solutions can ...
The government is proposing changes to aquaculture legislation to improve the process for allocating and transferring aquaculture assets to iwi. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash has introduced the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Amendment Bill to Parliament. It proposes a limited new discretionary power for Te Ohu Kaimoana Trustee Limited (ToKM). ...
The Minister of Justice has today introduced the Family Court (Supporting Children in Court) Legislation Bill – the next step in the ongoing programme of work to fix the failed 2014 Family Court reforms led by then Justice Minister Judith Collins. The Bill arises from the report of the Independent ...
A new Department of Conservation (DOC) action plan tackles the impacts of climate change on New Zealand’s biodiversity and DOC managed infrastructure including tracks, huts and cultural heritage. Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage says extreme weather events around the country have really brought home our vulnerability to changing weather patterns. ...
The first episode of the all new Alice Snedden’s Bad News asks why migrant sex workers aren’t legally allowed to operate in New Zealand.Sex work was made legal in New Zealand in 2003, but not for everyone – it remains one of the only jobs migrants aren’t allowed to do. ...
$100m in government funding for climate change protections and infrastructure comes at a welcome time where shovel-ready projects are needed to help New Zealand bounce back against Covid-19 and create sustainable jobs for Kiwis in the quarrying sector, ...
National wants to establish a police unit to disrupt gangs, tighten border controls to prevent drugs entering the country and expand the use of alcohol and drug courts. ...
A recent survey of 830 Kiwi workers by leading recruitment agency Frog Recruitment showed that the lessons from the first lockdown have been well learned, with more than 77 percent feeling better equipped to manage their own wellbeing at work should ...
Sales and discounts hook people in, but do they really live up to the hype? A recent survey found some supermarket products were on promotion so often that shoppers risked being misled about the savings they were really getting. Consumer NZ’s Belinda Castles explains what they found and why it’s ...
Traditional 'tough on crime' policies are mixed with rehabilitation initiatives in National's newly revealed law and order plans for the upcoming election The National Party has announced it would scrap the Government’s target to reduce the prison population, instead reviving its “social investment” approach across the justice system in a bid ...
Students in Wellington are gearing up to strike from school this September 4th, to protest inaction on climate change. Their demands? That Government invests in a green COVID-19 response; that there is a just transition provided for workers in ...
The New Zealand Game Animal Council welcomes the inclusion of valued introduced species into Te Mana o Te Taiao - Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy 2020 . “Valued introduced species like deer, tahr, chamois and wild pigs have been here ...
A group of Kāpiti Coast business owners are at odds with the district council over a project that they say could harm rather than improve local business. ...
Linda Burgess reviews Curtis Sittenfeld’s much-anticipated novel, Rodham. I read Rodham a while ago now but I put off writing about it. I was waiting. Waiting for what exactly? Well, waiting to see if they do what Trump kept insisting they do, back then, when the world seemed what we nostalgically ...
The 52nd Parliament will be dissolved this week, formally marking the first step towards holding the general election. The public is invited to witness this significant, triennial event which will take place on the Parliament forecourt on Wednesday 12 ...
The Public Service Association welcomes the decision by FIRST Union to join the campaign for an Aotearoa Wellbeing Commitment, a policy proposal that all New Zealanders should receive services like healthcare, education, public transport and broadband ...
An increased focus on ‘talking about it’ will only help if we’re honest with ourselves and each other about what is driving self-inflicted deaths in this country, writes Carla na Nagara.There has always been debate about whether talking about suicide is responsible or constructive. And since the Covid-19 alert level ...
“The racing industry continues to get special treatment as the Government makes ad hoc decisions at the border,” according to ACT Leader David Seymour. “Racing has been given significant taxpayer funds through NZ First’s slush fund and now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Bradfield, Research Fellow in Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Technology Sydney As COVID-19 lockdowns were introduced, we all suddenly had to find new ways of doing things. Schooling shifted online, meetings moved to Zoom, workplaces brought in new measures and even social ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne Media coverage of disasters follows a broadly similar trajectory, even though the disasters themselves might take very different forms. The COVID-19 crisis in Victoria is no exception. Although it is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeline Taylor, Lecturer, University of Sydney New South Wales planning authorities relied on flawed evidence when backing a highly controversial coal seam gas project that may endanger critical water supplies, farmland and threatened species, our analysis has found. Early next month, the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Noetel, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Australian Catholic University In response to COVID-19, almost every university has scrambled to move its teaching online. To do this, academics have been choosing between two approaches: live videoconferencing using tools such as Zoom, or pre-recording ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Doran, Associate professor/Deputy head of school, UNSW The stock market is not the economy. This old and playful maxim is typically not true: often the stock market is a good proxy for the economy and a very good indication of what ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Isaac Gross, Lecturer in Economics, Monash University The government has widely touted its support for small businesses – most notably the provision of loans subsidised by the Reserve Bank. In its economic update on Friday the Reserve Bank talked up its low-cost ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marie Hadley, Associate Lecturer in Law, University of Newcastle The Australian Copyright Agency has licensed an Indigenous artwork for a custom tattoo. It is the first instance of tattoo licensing for the agency, and perhaps Australia at large. The agency granted a ...
Welcome to Election Live for August 11, bringing you the latest on election 2020 and other breaking news. For key dates in the election seasonclick here. For all you need to know about the cannabis referendum click here. For the assisted dying referendum click here. Policy launches soon. Get ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Concern from the Cook Islands over travel bubble, inquiry clears Iain Lees-Galloway of any spending impropriety, and Oranga Tamariki facing further damaging report findings.A draft agreement on a travel bubble with the Cook Islands is close to being finalised, the ...
A mining company director demands Newsroom take down a story on rehabilitation conditions agreed with DoC for a former site on conservation land National leader Judith Collins' husband is threatening defamation action against Newsroom over a story about a West Coast mine site that the conservation department allowed to be left ...
A bizarre allegation on the TV news and a scolding of party members by a top official set the scene for a highly charged National Party candidate selection The National Party has chosen Emma Mellow as its candidate for the Auckland Central seat with less than four weeks until early voting begins, ...
Those most impacted by Covid-19 are those who can least afford to weather it, write Professor Merryn Gott and Dr Jackie Robinson Emerging evidence from overseas regarding the clear link between poverty and Covid-19 is as predictable as it is heartbreaking. People living in the most deprived areas of England and Wales ...
An essay, and memoir, by Dunedin writer Talia Marshall on fighting the White Power bitches at school Sophia turns up at my new place by happy accident. We haven’t seen each other properly for over 20 years but we’re friends on Facebook. One of the reasons I like Facebook, apart ...
A lack of central government policy on climate change adaptation has left councils treading water as they attempt to engage with threatened communities. ...
Since a nationwide amalgamation in 2017 there have been mass resignations at the SPCA, claims of bullying and employment dispute payouts. Now an online petition calling for a government inquiry has gained nearly 1000 signatures in five days A petition for a government inquiry to be launched into the transparency and accountability ...
A bizarre allegation on the TV news and a scolding of party members by a top official set the scene for a highly charged National Party candidate selection The National Party has chosen Emma Mellow as its candidate for the Auckland Central seat with less than four weeks until early voting begins, ...
In announcing the company's full-year results on Monday, Contact Energy CEO Mike Fuge warned of a "turbulent time" for the electricity market amid the exit of Tiwai Point. ...
After struggling with depression while recovering from a devastating knee injury, Tactix midcourter Erikana Pedersen wants to take her career in a new direction to help others. Last year was the “crappiest" of Erikana Pedersen’s 26 revolutions around the sun. But this year may turn out to be the best. Pedersen's year of ...
The polls and pundits are predicting the demise of NZ First leader Winston Peters and his party, but he has no plans to surrender or retire from politics, Dileepa Fonseka writes. ...
Those most impacted by Covid-19 are those who can least afford to weather it, write Professor Merryn Gott and Dr Jackie Robinson Emerging evidence from overseas regarding the clear link between poverty and Covid-19 is as predictable as it is heartbreaking. People living in the most deprived areas of England and Wales ...
Te Arawhiti is bypassing Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Hikairo to try and get Ngāti Hikairo claims included in the Ngāti Maniapoto Settlement. Ngāti Maniapoto have set up two meetings in Kāwhia ‘with Ngāti Hikairo’ to consult on their Treaty settlements. ...
Welcome to the third edition of Memebers of parliament, a politics column for people who just want the memes.Let’s just get to it, shall we?Buses – YESBuses. They’re back. Winston Peters has had his giant face on a big ol’ bus for a while now, but he surely won’t be ...
The New Zealand government’s aid in developing countries is not going to projects where it is needed most, says Oxfam, according to a new report published by agency today. Less than two percent of aid spending went to activities focused solely on ...
The Provincial Growth Fund is meant to fund… growth… in the provinces. So why is it building a huge new racetrack in one of New Zealand’s biggest cities? Because the racing industry seems to get whatever it wants, argues Duncan Greive. Yesterday morning saw a blazing RNZ report that the Provincial ...
Long awaited changes to tenancy law have been made - are they really the landlord-killers that some make them out to be? Last week the Government passed under urgency a series of big changes to New Zealand's tenancy laws. The reforms of the 1986 Residential Tenancies Act have been in ...
Tonight the National Party has selected Emma Mellow to stand in the Auckland Central electorate for the 2020 General Election. Emma Mellow replaces retiring MP Nikki Kaye who first won the seat from Labour in 2008. Emma leads a team of communications ...
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk Radio 95bFM The Wire’s Zoë Larsen Cumming and Justin Wong talked to Pacific Media Centre director Professor David Robie today about a resurgence of coronavirus cases in Papua New Guinea and the impact of other Pacific cases on two very important upcoming votes in Bougainville and ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Maylea, Senior Lecturer, Law and Social Work, RMIT University The second wave of the coronavirus and the resulting restrictions have impacted all Victorians. Many are struggling, but some are struggling more than others. In response to the increasing number of people ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Stone, General practitioner; Clinical Associate Professor, ANU Medical School, Australian National University Last week, the Australian government announced it will provide ten extra Medicare-subsidised psychological therapy sessions for Australians in lockdown areas due to COVID-19. In such a stressful time, many ...
It looks like science has come off second best in government considerations during the development of Te Mana o te Taiao, the Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, which envisions New Zealand as a place where ecosystems are healthy and resilient, and people embrace the natural world. The press statement announcing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wanning Sun, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, University of Technology Sydney US President Donald Trump’s recent moves against Tiktok, the popular video-sharing platform, have been widely seen as part of a new “tech Cold War” between the US and China. Trump ...
National leader Judith Collins has endorsed David Seymour in the Epsom seat and recent polls have put support for ACT anywhere between 3 and 5 percent - giving it up to six MPs. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lily O’Neill, Research Fellow, Australian National University Huge clean energy projects, such as the Asian Renewable Energy Hub in the Pilbara, Western Australia, are set to produce gigawatts of electricity over vast expanses of land in the near future. The Asian Renewable ...
Remarks by new coach Nathan Brown and the closed-door discussions by the club around recruiting a man facing sexual assault charges undermines the rugby league club’s values, writes Tiffany Salmond.It’s been a hot topic in rugby league circles for well over a year – but not for the right reasons.Former ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Uri Gal, Associate Professor in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney The recent questioning of the heads of Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple in the US Congress has highlighted the threat their practices pose to our privacy and democracy. However these big ...
Good habits start young, and with Money Week this week, now is a great time to look at how we can support and nourish our kids’ financial journeys writes Banqer’s Simon Brown. For some reason, a lot of people see money as a boring topic. But the fact is, it’s a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne This week’s federal Newspoll, conducted August 5-8 from a sample of 1,509, gave the Coalition a 52-48 lead, a one-point gain for Labor since the last Newspoll, three weeks ago. ...
A tender for underwater inspection services at the abandoned oil field off the coast of Taranaki has shed light on the dubious state of its subsea infrastructure. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Plank, Professor in Mathematics, University of Canterbury Our latest modelling shows New Zealanders need to redouble their efforts to keep track of people they meet, if we are to have a chance of controlling any re-emergence of COVID-19. The director general ...
Local Government New Zealand’s (LGNZ) Regional Sector has today welcomed the launch of Te Mana o te Taiao, the Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, citing robust collaboration with iwi, regional councils and private landowners and leadership from ...
The High Court has ruled today that Greenpeace is entitled to register as a charity and that the Charities Registration Board was in error for declining the environmental campaigning organisation’s application. In a summary of the judgement posted online ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Dobson, Professor and Dean of Education, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington The English language in education today is all-pervasive. “Hear more English, speak more English and become more successful” has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Some say it’s already ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stuart Richards, Lecturer in Screen Studies, University of South Australia Review: Welcome to Chechnya, screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival Welcome to Chechnya, screening online as part of MIFF 68½, is a bracing documentary. This film is part of a queer ...
It’s become fashionable among some political circles to advocate for a laissez-faire approach to debt, on the basis that the government can issue as much debt as it likes – for as long as it likes. But there’s one big drawback to ‘just print more money’ argument, writes Pattrick Smellie ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australia’s aged care sector was “underprepared” to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak and federal authorities had no specific plan for it, according to a stinging indictment from Peter Rozen QC, senior counsel assisting the royal ...
A Productivity Commission report finding was based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of disease transmission dynamics, and now that error has itself been transmitted in the media and into the election campaign, write Nic Steyn, Mike Plank, Alex James, Rachelle Binny, Audrey Lustig and Shaun Hendy of Te ...
Latest from the Beehive Here’s hoping the hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into Northland from the Provincial Growth Fund and other government programmes do much more to promote the region’s economic and social wellbeing than they are doing to enhance Shane Jones’ election prospects. He is bound to be ...
Open Mike 21/01/2017 
So our Joel Hernandez has completed some more work on what’s all going on in New Zealand’s school system and an Auckland Uni education prof is mad about it. Oh well. Joel’s long term project has been to look at differences in outcomes across students and schools, using the administrative ...48 mins ago
2 hours ago
What to do to improve the public perception of the newly elected National party leader, when her performance so far has no doubt disappointed the expectations of her supporters? The answer is to get a National-supporting newspaper (the Herald) to organise a poll that could be guaranteed to provide an ...3 hours ago
Today’s content Auckland Central Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Senior National Party figure accused of using secret alter ego ‘Merv’ to derail Auckland Central candidate RIchard Harman (Politik): “Merv” upsets Nats’ Auckland Central selection Luke Kirkness (Herald): National Party’s Roger Bridge accused of using ‘Merv’ alter ego to derail candidate Nuwanthie Samarakone Tim Murphy (Newsroom): Out ...4 hours ago
Campaigns. Culture. Character. And perhaps most of all, Covid. Now the House has risen and politicians are hitting the road to pitch their woo to voters, those will be front of mind for the candidates.They were also where the new season of politics podcast Caucus began on Thursday. This year ...14 hours ago
There are only a few days left to make a submission on Statistics New Zealand's consultation on sex and gender identity statistical standards. This represents a really important step for recognising the very real diversity of gender, including people with no gender, and ensuring everyone has the option to see ...15 hours ago
Since finishing the Cranky Uncle vs. Climate Change book, I’ve frequently dipped into that 176-page clip-art library, reshaping the cartoons to fit the 1920 x 1080 pixel format for Powerpoint presentations. I’ve also adapted many of the cartoons for the Cranky Uncle video series. Over the last few weeks, a few people ...18 hours ago
NewsHub Nation has launched a new podcast, "Supplementary Question". Their inaugural episode is about the OIA, and asks "is our most important transparency law fit for purpose?" While they interviewed Justice Minister Andrew Little and Ombudsman Peter Boshier for this, there's not actually a lot of them in there, and ...20 hours ago
...3 days ago
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From some quarters, incessant scaremongering. From others, it’s a full-on tilt into touching the alarmist buttons a little too readily (uncertain times make for very captive audiences with this angle of attack). The (so-called) Opposition (and merely regarding them as that seems to be a far looser term now ...3 days ago
The attempts to sabotage Corbyn's leadership seems likely to do more damage than Corbyn supposedly ever could have done, even if all the stories about him were true: I was reluctant to say anything but this is too important, the full story needs to be told.Don’t let anyone ever tell ...3 days ago
Good day to everyone. I’ve been asked by Mr Thinks to come here and talk to you all about my concerns regarding the government response to Covid-19. We’ve been living through this pandemic for, what seems like, years. Years and years and years. Why else would the National Party have ...3 days ago
5 days ago
by Don Franks This talk was given to the Wellington Anti Capitalist Alliance, fifteen years ago. The ultimate weapons of mass destruction so far seen on this planet have been used just twice, 60 years ago this month. August 6 and August 9 1945 witnessed the US atomic bombing ...5 days ago
Our health professionals do an amazing job. Image credit: Wikipedia – Cardiac surgery. Finally, I have got back to these rankings. A long period in hospital and computer problems meant the June 2020 rankings were abandoned. Now, with a new personal defibrillator implanted in my chest and a new hard ...1 week ago
It's campaign time! The official countdown to Election Day is underway, with Labour supporters crowding into Auckland's Town Hall for our 2020 Campaign Launch. We recap some of the highlights below ...16 hours ago
The Green Party has revealed its Homes for All Plan, which lays the foundation for an Aotearoa where everyone has a warm, dry and affordable home. ...2 days ago
An iwi-Crown approach programme to restore the Raukūmara forest on the East Coast of the North Island and boost employment opportunities for whānau, particularly rangatahi/young people, will receive $34 million funding, Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has announced. “Raukūmara Pae Maunga is a partnership with Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Ngāti Porou, and ...33 mins ago
The first episode of the all new Alice Snedden’s Bad News asks why migrant sex workers aren’t legally allowed to operate in New Zealand.Sex work was made legal in New Zealand in 2003, but not for everyone – it remains one of the only jobs migrants aren’t allowed to do. ...18 mins ago
$100m in government funding for climate change protections and infrastructure comes at a welcome time where shovel-ready projects are needed to help New Zealand bounce back against Covid-19 and create sustainable jobs for Kiwis in the quarrying sector, ...23 mins ago
National wants to establish a police unit to disrupt gangs, tighten border controls to prevent drugs entering the country and expand the use of alcohol and drug courts. ...25 mins ago
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Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. Today’s content Auckland Central Tova O’Brien (Newshub): Senior National Party figure accused of using secret alter ego ‘Merv’ to derail Auckland Central candidate RIchard Harman (Politik): “Merv” upsets Nats’ Auckland ...3 hours ago
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A lack of central government policy on climate change adaptation has left councils treading water as they attempt to engage with threatened communities. ...7 hours ago
Since a nationwide amalgamation in 2017 there have been mass resignations at the SPCA, claims of bullying and employment dispute payouts. Now an online petition calling for a government inquiry has gained nearly 1000 signatures in five days A petition for a government inquiry to be launched into the transparency and accountability ...7 hours ago
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After struggling with depression while recovering from a devastating knee injury, Tactix midcourter Erikana Pedersen wants to take her career in a new direction to help others. Last year was the “crappiest" of Erikana Pedersen’s 26 revolutions around the sun. But this year may turn out to be the best. Pedersen's year of ...7 hours ago
The polls and pundits are predicting the demise of NZ First leader Winston Peters and his party, but he has no plans to surrender or retire from politics, Dileepa Fonseka writes. ...7 hours ago
Long awaited changes to tenancy law have been made - are they really the landlord-killers that some make them out to be? Last week the Government passed under urgency a series of big changes to New Zealand's tenancy laws. The reforms of the 1986 Residential Tenancies Act have been in ...8 hours ago
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Latest from the Beehive Here’s hoping the hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into Northland from the Provincial Growth Fund and other government programmes do much more to promote the region’s economic and social wellbeing than they are doing to enhance Shane Jones’ election prospects. He is bound to be ...23 hours ago
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11785966
Poor Audrey. Having trouble letting go.
Bill English had a good international trip by most accounts. He represented New Zealand well as Prime Minister.
Didn’t appear on any foreign television shows saying puerile things then?
Did you comment on Key’s idiotic interview at the time, Pete?
Gee you live in the past. Move on man.
You will still be blaming Key when English wins the election.
The past, James?
Key’s still an MP, isn’t he?
Or has he been spirited away, along with any memory of his parcle-tongued reign?
I suppose what you’re hoping, James, is that we’ll give English a clean “bill” of health and forget that he’s been polluted by Key’s behaviour for 6 years, trained by the same people Key was and complicit in the disgraceful things Key did, and that he’ll still have Key whispering in his ear now. But no, James, we’re not so easily bamboozled, especially by someone as shallow and obvious as you.
“Gee you live in the past. Move on man.”
Good advice. Will English et al finally stop blaming Clark for all NZ’s ills?
Good point.
When will National stop blaming Labour?
They’ve been in power for 8 years and still we hear it was Labour’s fault.
A Labour government puts NZ back a decade so National will take full responsibility in 2018.
That’s a bit rich James – that’s all that National has done since it came into Government – it was all Labour’s fault until it was just ad nauseum listening to it. You are pathetic.
I’ve criticised Key a number of times in the past, but I don’t know what relevance that has now. How much have you criticised Turei and Shaw?
From what I’ve seen English represented New Zealand well in Europe, especially for a rooky PM. Did you see it differently?
I asked, Pete, whether you’d commented on Key’s “performance” during his interview while overseas; you know, the one where he denied the parlous state of New Zealand’s environment and the views of Mike Joy. It was, by many accounts, a cringe-worthy interview and certainly the interviewer expressed his disbelief at the then Prime Minister’s slippery tongue. I wondered if you’d written a post on that, hoping to read your thoughts on that issue, given that you have commented on the present Prime Minister’s foreign visit here on a blog that has readers who like to think more deeply about such things. So, Pete, did you?
Key made many trips overseas and had quite a few interviews. I’ve criticised him for puerile behaviour. But you are diverting into history (with a lot of vagueness). Sharpen up.
The subject here was how English presented himself on his trip over the last week or so. Reports have generally been favourable. Do you disagree with them?
“The subject here was…”
Thanks, Pete. Gotta go now.
Thanks for your attempted hit and run, shows that you haven’t changed much.
Have you Pete?
Successful hit, Pete, but no running, mate. I had a forest garden workshop to run and fixing up your nonsense before it began was pretty simple.
The polls show that.
National back up Labour down.
English just has to not fuck up.
Not likely.
Labour Greens need to get non voters out and unseat Dunne.
To stand any chance.
Unless those non voters vote for national. And some of them will.
And some of them won’t.
But when you are sooooo far behind you need the ratio to be waaaay in the lefts favour. And stats say they won’t be.
You forget Mt. Roskill and that’s just wishful thinking on your part.
Poor Labour held prisoner by it’s own neo liberal economic ideology, unable to mount any kind of meaningful attacks or counter punches to National, who only have to hold their boat steady to probably win, yes even with English at the helm.
Watching Labour slowly drown in a pool of it’s own discredited ideology is really depressing stuff.
Adrian, if you’re so saddened by what you see as Labour’s depressing fate, how about you:
1) Get involved in the party and promote your vision of its problems and possible solutions – help rescue it from what you see as its slow demise, and/or
2) Stop stirring against the party that you claim some association with/ loyalty to (enough to be depressed on its behalf).
Sadly, I strongly suspect you won’t do either of these. (With friends like you, who needs enemies?)
BTW, you (and others) tend to throw the term “neoliberal” around pretty loosely. Labour isn’t big on transfer of assets from the public to private sector, and that’s a cornerstone of neoliberalism. Just saying…
Red blooded, fair comments, I will answer both as best I can.
I had been involved in the party ( long ago) but was left very disillusioned and gutted by the core ideology that was being pushed at the time.
1. I thought about becoming involved more directly again last election when Anna Lorck set up her office next door to my shop. However after becoming aware of her completely out of touch policies around seasonal labour (amongst other things) there was no way I could get behind her.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503459&objectid=11720136
…and sure as hell not Nash in Napier.
So that door was closed.
although that being said, I am still very active politically, just not through normal party structures.
2. ‘Stirring’ although I would use the word critiquing, the party is I feel my, and every labour supporters obligation and responsibility to critique the direction of the party should they feel it is being led astray.
I am a very loyal friend, so I have been told.
Labour since Douglas is responsible for major asset sales in New Zealand, and until it fully rejects that laissez faire centrist ideology, then that is what Labour will perceived to be, and to some extent stand for.
Labour have never apologized for selling our assets.
The reason I am so hard on Labour, is that they are so far removed from real working families now, that they, without the slightest hint of embarrassment suggested $5-600,000 homes in AKL as being ‘affordable’.
But I also believe that in the core of the Labour Party, is the structure that represents our only real hope of breaking the chains of neo liberalism, and working together as a country back toward a more equal, fair and caring society for all…but that will only happen, in my view, under a left Socialist Democratic Labour.
But unfortunately that is nothing like our Labour Party today.
From their own website,
Fixing the Housing Crisis…
‘They are too focused on looking after those at the top rather than families in the middle.’
Not ‘looking after’ working families..no just the middle class,
yes that’s Labour in their own words on their own site!
Adrian, the current Labour party is not the same Labour government of the 1980’s. And aren’t you being rather skewered with cherry picking Labour’s website by misquoting there?
+100 Red-Blooded.
We are all neo-liberal in that we live in a neo-liberal system and do neo-liberal things. Certainly some more than others, like choosing the cheapest power or phone company for instance. I think we need to look at the neo-liberal aspects of our lives and try and change them. Then there could be real change.
that’s an interesting take TFG. Leaving aside those who have little choice, how many people opposed to neoliberalism live that out in their lives?
Choosing the best customer service or best price does not make someone a neoliberal. Just makes you different from a doormat.
Adrian. If memory serves, didn’t you say on TBD, sometime back, that you preferred the National government to remain in power?
Leftie, Well I wouldn’t say I prefer National to remain in power, however I am in the same camp as Slavoj Zizek, I believe neo liberalism, and especially center left neo liberalism to be a political disease, and radical action needs to be taken to avert disaster… I will leave Zizek to explain better than I…..
I know this is a quite unpopular position, and I am fully prepared to debate my own stance on it and could be persuaded otherwise, if arguments to the contrary offered another way to turn Labour back to a Socialist Democratic Left platform…still, as I have also said, Labour was radically changed ideologically by an internal revolution in 1984, and I believe that consequently an internal revolution within the party will be needed to remove the ‘new labour neoliberal’ ideology from the party.
BTW as to your comment that I…”skewered with cherry picking Labour’s website by misquoting”
I have done nothing of the sort, my quote was taken directly from the official Labour site. This was their wording, and as I am sure you well know, wording, and word placement in politics is very very important, so don’t come at me with that rubbish.
Adrian, pretty sure that’s what you said on TDB when you were asked if you wanted National to stay in power. And as for “They are too focused on looking after those at the top rather than families in the middle.” Sounds like Labour were talking about National. Best you put up a citation, so your quote can be read in context.
BTW, has National ever apologized for selling off our assets, past and present? Will John Key apologize for what he has done?
As Andrew Little said “I don’t see how I can be personally held responsible for the actions of predecessors.”
<a href="http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/08/30/waatea-5th-estate-labour-vs-nz-first-the-fight-for-maori-votes/
That particularly shameful interview was on BBC’s HardTalk programme….
That con man is cringeworthy.
Poor Pete also having trouble letting go. WTF does one do when le raison d’etre has fucked off ? Oh that’s right, redeploy the ‘suckshin’. Tasty !
Trump, greatest President since Reagan!
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/20/president-trump-takes-office-vowing-to-restore-prosperity-fight-for-country.html
Congratulations, Mr President!
How can Trump be the greatest president since Reagun? he just got sworn in and hasn’t actually done anything, HDCAFriendlyTroll.
BTW, Was Reagun a great president?
maybe they should give him a nobel prize in the hope he achieves something.
Lol
“Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.
We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.
Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come.
We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.
Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.
Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.
For too long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.
Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth.
Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed.
The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.
Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s Capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.
That all changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you.”
Read the rest of President Trump’s great, great speech here:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/20/full-text-president-donald-trumps-inauguration-speech.html
He basically criticised every politician sharing the stage with him for their betrayal of America’s working class.
‘Today’s ceremony however, has very special meaning, because today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, DC. And giving it back to you, the people.
For too long, have reaped the rewards of government while people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered period, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs and while they celebrated in our nation’s capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.
That all changes starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you. It be longs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country.’
‘Today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.’
Do you believe he means those things and will work for them?
No.
But there are many desperate people in America who will.
And desperate people turn to demagogues.
You have every right to be skeptical, Paul. If Andrew Little gave the same speech I’d be critical too. But if just for a moment you can imagine Donald Trump, President of the USA, delivering on his promises, wouldn’t that make America great again?
When do people like Trump ever deliver on promises? Was America ever, really great?
Call it Left, call it Right. What it amounts to is a massive shift in power. It’d be like as if Colonel Viper got made moderator-in-chief.
I agree – a significant change in power.
” Colonel Viper got made moderator-in-chief.”
I vote fot that. Would actually be a considerable improvement IMHO
And yes thats my genuine opinion. The moderation here sucks! . Often used to win the argument rather than foster dialogue
Authors shouldn’t be able to moderate their own posts. Too much skin in the game.
“Authors shouldn’t be able to moderate their own posts. Too much skin in the game.”
The moderation you’ve been objecting to today was not done by the post’s author. Nor was your own moderation today.
Only if you take conflicts of interest seriously, unlike some politicians..
How is moderating one’s own post inherently a conflict of interest?
You are right. Sorry, paying too much attention to distant politicians.
Um, because authors put a lot of energy, thought, and effort in writing threads and somebody may come only with perfectly legitimate on-topic criticism that doesn’t fall within the moderation rules but still get moderated because in the author’s eyes his or her work is being unfairly attacked.
Or if you want the short version some authors can get rather touchy about people saying bad things about what they’ve written. Especially if they’ve put a lot of work into it.
Can you please provide three examples that demonstrate what you are suggesting? That’s links to specific moderation, plus an explanation from you of which bit you think is the moderator objecting to someone saying bad things about what they’ve written. Thanks.
Nope because I haven’t been keeping tabs. But now that you’ve asked, I will.
please drop it in a comment in front of me in Open Mike.
Moderation on TS isn’t to foster dialogue (that’s up to the authors and commenters). It’s to prevent the worst of the trolling and derailments from wrecking the place and putting people off esp authors (and to protect the site from legal issues).
Were that it was so!
And speaking of Colonel Viper where is my BFF? I thought his latest ban would be over by now. Surely he’d be in here or over on the other thread celebrating President Trump’s inauguration.
Banned for four weeks. The first of many this year I predict.
Anti-worker anarchists like Trump and CV will fail in the short and long term.
Especially CV who has no redeeming points whatsoever.
Whatever with a Goldman Sachs cabinet the Vampire capitalists are in charge.
No chance of any change.
All talk and no trousers.
HDCAFriendlyTroll
History will be the judge on that.
Even best intentions will not be able to restore the jobs in any country as robotics will have the greatest impact since the industrial revolution.
He will be faced with a choice between finding a peaceful way of transition that includes education, income and poverty, health and elder care, institutionalized racism, civil rights, personal responsibility … shall I go on? Or using force, at home or abroad. As the nature of work and income is about to change in very profound ways neither Trump nor any other leader will escape the fact that new ways of society structures need to be found.
With the speech Trump gave and the absolute alignment with the military (its called having a buck each way), my prediction at this stage is not as rosy as yours. History has shown that it is the lazy mans walk and what more – talk – that always has mapped the future (may I stretch at this junction “man as “men”) and aggression, stand over tactics, oppression are hailed as virtues. And to make it really scary, using “above all god” in the parting sentence is concerning. There are parallels to a speech some 80 odd years ago.
So again, the jury is out and history will tell.
What could possibly go wrong when you’ve got god on your side and a gun in your hand?
The bad news.
1. The beating of war drums with China.
2. His focus on a law and order society.
Chris Hedges describes the speech as exhibiting the feeling of a crisis cult. It highlighted the worst aspects of American exceptionalism and imperialism.
He says the promises won’t be delivered and then the state will be used against the vulnerable.
Yeah…….it is what he said. He also sought to paint patriotism and prejudice mutually exclusive. Is that the predominant lesson of history ? Don’t think so.
It seems that Dame Paula Bennett of Waitakere, whose idea of job creation was permanent multiple security guards at WINZ offices, will be visiting Kaikoura to reassure shaken locals.
She may have to bring her new labour market program with her.
[your comments should come through now.] – Bill
Kaikoura needs to immediately erect a large sign at the town’s perimeter saying, “Sod off, you nauseating hypocrite!”
I notice your canard re what he said being “left wing” is no longer up Paul. How come ? You deferring to Archie CV Bunker are you ?…….editing, leaving it to ACVB to deliver the “tremendous” left wing news are you ?
No I was editing my words.
Trump is making a faux appeal to working class interests and it will work because there is no real left wing option in the US.
I see where you’re coming from Paul…….you told The Standard’s self-perceived royalty Archie CV Bunker that ? The “faux” bit I mean.
Archie Bunker?
Don’t get you?
A bigoted big-mouth idiot from an old US comedy series.
Was he a US take on Alf Garnett (Til Death Do Us Part)?
Yes
Yup. I think the US version was called “All in the Family”, or something similar.
The future Independent MP for Mt Albert Penny Bright explaining to Auckland Mayor and Councillors how the private procurement model breeds corruption.
🙂
Therersa May – warning corporations about shirking their tax-paying responsibilities (another rightee stealing lines from the left, while promoting so-called “free trade” and “globalisation”. In this NY Times article, it talks about NZ as being one of the countries the UK is aiming to make free trade deals.
Hmmm… isn’t Trump talking out against any trade deals that don’t strongly benefit the US? A trade deal between the US and UK that strongly benefits both, and previously overlooked middle and low income people? I’ll be interested to see how that goes down.
“Strongly benefit” are your words. What Trump has said is that America will no longer act where there is no benefit and that they recognise the right of other nations to act in that nation’s best interest.
American has always acted for it’s own benefit. It’s just they have done so, so badly that, looking back, it seems as if they haven’t.
It seems that Dame Paula Bennett of Waitakere, whose idea of job creation was permanent multiple security guards at WINZ offices, will be visiting Kaikoura to reassure shaken locals.
She may have to bring her new labour market program with her
Was expecting to see a bit of a drop (just a small one) in the last poll (Roy Morgan – but yeah) for national post keys departure.
But very happy to see a small rise for English and national and a drop to labour. A good way to start an election year. Will be interesting to track the rest of the polls coming up.
It was a negligible change for National.
It was also a negligible change for Labour, down 1.5, but now people are insisting that Labour+Greens matter a combined drop of 3.5% must be a bit worrying for those who thought the MoU was a game changer, and those who thought Key’s self demotion was a game changer.
Labour’s start to the year has been very disappointing. Picking a fight with Peters and pledging a bill to circumvent workplace safety that one had previously lobbied for is an odd stance.
Little’s delay in announcing he wouldn’t stand in Rongotai was also odd, he should have dealt with that immediately King announced she was standing down, he knew it was coming. Instead of putting it to bed last year he has put his indecision on show at a time he needed to be making a strong start to the year.
Relying on Mt Albert to kick off their campaign proper is very risky. Labour (and Greens) cannot make it look like a cosy campaign jack up, unless they are seen to compete seriously it could easily backfire.
Ardern standing looks a bit like rearranging the deck chairs. It would have been better to have new talent on show, someone like Deborah Russell would have looked much better.
Little conceded that polls were bad – “I have to lead a party that starts from 2014 at a 25 per cent vote, polling at the moment at late 20s, 30 per cent sort of mark. So we have a lot of work to do, and I don’t underestimate that.”
That hard work should have been evident from January 1 in election year. Labour need to be careful they don’t sleep walk to an election nightmare.
Serious question: why would anyone think that the MoU was a game changer?
Who was it going to gain votes from?
Not NZ First voters, because the Greens are only really after the youth vote and think that baby boomers have a lot to answer for.
Not National voters because they all think the Greens are even further left than the most extreme Labour MP.
Has it done anything, other than signal that Labour doesn’t think it can win?
I think it was a terrible decision by labour – prob a better deal for the greens.
It will be a movement of votes between the two and more moderate voters moving away to nzf or nats
They didnt think!
“Conventional wisdom” is that MMP parties have to declare who they are with before the election. Its crap but has become a “fact” . Its because they believe the public are too dumb to understand MMP. Winston has never bought into this doctrine and he gets along ok.
“Winston has never bought into this doctrine and he gets along ok.”
Winston was out of parliament last term, I seem to recall…
It was the term before, 2008-2011.
Before that he was rejected by the voters of Tauranga.
He hasn’t been in any governing arrangement since 2005-2008, so his success rate hasn’t been great, despite media talking him up as ‘king maker’ at every opportunity – I saw this again somewhere today.
In 1998, Winston Peter’s apologized to Tauranga voters for forming a coalition government with the National party.
<a href="https://fmacskasy2.wordpress.com/1998/09/14/peters-sorry-about-coalition/
John key running away after National’s whopping defeat in the Mt. Roskill by election, and with a general election just around the corner, sent out signals that he thinks National isn’t going to win. John key did say if National lost he would quit politics.
Agreed.
Good post. Labour ought to win the election given how popular they are. Opinion polls show we are heading in the wrong direction. English cannot debate and is a loser. Yeah Right.
Fisiani. National lost the flag referendum, the Northland and Roskill by elections, and failed badly in the local elections, all in a row, so much for that “popularity” and “opinion polling.”
Also interesting to note that most of the polling was done before English made his comment about many Kiwis cringing at Waitangi.
Next time the Nats will be further ahead.
Dame Paula Bennett of Waitakere, whose idea of job creation was permanent multiple security guards at WINZ offices, will soon be visiting Kaikoura to reassure shaken locals.
She may have to bring her new labour market program with her ..
Brilliant take down of Bob Jones.
‘Bob Jones can now descend back down into the abyss whence he came.
This isn’t surprising. Jones is a corpse compelled by witchcraft to say the most obviously racist thing in any given situation. The only joy he can extract from this mortal plane comes when he’s raining blows on those he believes are beneath him, be they beggars, flight attendants, reporter Rob Vaughn, or victims of indecent assault who he believes have themselves to blame for making the “silly” mistake of walking in a park.
“If I’m a rich old white man. Everyone else should be a rich old white man,” he whines with each rattling breath. “And if they’re not, they’re lazy or criminals or even Māoris.”
http://thespinoff.co.nz/society/18-01-2017/opinion-bob-jones-can-now-descend-back-down-into-the-abyss-from-whence-he-came/
Now now Paulsky, breath, the alternate view is that jones just believes the purpose of government is to protect liberty and property rights and equal oppportunity and let people get on and be responsible for their lives, in contrast to nanny state from cradle to grave and assume every necessity for life is and entitlement Now I agree sir bob may have expressed his opinion in a provocative way but no need for your support of hate speeach, agism and bigotry against elderly white folk
A couple of years ago, Jones had a piece in the Herald’ bitterly complaining about how NZ has now become the biggest “nanny state” in the world, probably one of the few things that I could find to agree with him.
Dame Paula Bennett of Waitakere, whose idea of job creation was permanent multiple security guards at WINZ offices, will soon be visiting Kaikoura to reassure shaken locals.
She may have to bring her new labour market program with her.
It is interesting that ex PM had an army of protectors around him at all times, weird for a little country like NZ, when you compare the PM’s of, say the UK and Australia, where they’re ability to mix with general without the need for “men in dark glasses”, it really does say a lot about the divisiveness of the man, that is if you can call him a “man”.
+1 NewsFlash.
Chilly morning. Extra blanket on the bed and new snow on the mountain.
What a stuffed up summer.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/88610721/mt-taranaki-gets-a-dusting-of-midsummer-snow
Testing
Neoliberals Know The Price Of Everything And The Value Of Nothing
My father likes to say that some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. The same could be said of the neoliberals of the world, who–in case you missed my previous piece–are now transcendent in most policy circles across the world.
To review, the neoliberal agenda is one of deregulation, unfettered trade, fiscal austerity (with the attendant reduction in social programs), privatization and tax reduction. Fundamental to the neoliberal ideology is that government regulation and planning of economic activity are inherently flawed and cannot bring about the desired ends of efficiency, prosperity and social harmony.
Instead, price is the great and sufficient transmitter of information across the economy and across society at large. Price is the best barometer for all decisions. Hence, the emphasis on privatizing almost everything in society including education and health care.
Neoliberals believe that voting with your money is at least, if not more important, than voting in elections in a free society. The freer the market, the more choices consumers will have, and the more competitive the market, the better the quality will be.
There are several problems, of course, with the price mechanism. First, it only takes into account costs which are directly borne by the provider of a product or service. So-called externalities such as pollution and climate change are not tallied in the price. In order for those costs to be included, say, by the imposition of a carbon tax, the government would have to intervene, something not consistent with neoliberal ideas.
Second, such a monomaniacal focus on price alone pre-empts a broader view of social goals, reducing them merely to price signals. But not every social good can be reduced to a price signal in a nominally “free” market.
http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/16/neoliberals-know-the-price-of-everything-and-the-value-of-nothing/
How corrupt is New Zealand?
Seen this?
https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/50DBSCH_SCR6208_1/2064c8e8f81a4…
“The Finance and Expenditure Committee has considered Petition 2011/101 of Penelope Mary Bright and 13 others, requesting
That the House conduct an urgent inquiry into why New Zealand Auditor-General Lyn Provost did not disclose that she was a shareholder in Sky City Entertainment Group Ltd at the time she declined to conduct an urgent investigation into the failure of the Organised and Financial Crime Agency of New Zealand to carry out “due diligence” on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the New Zealand International Convention Centre (Bill) 2013.
We have no matters to bring to the attention of the House. ”
Time for the House to include the proven ‘anti-corruption campaigner?
I think so.
Penny Bright
2017 Independent candidate
Mt Albert by-election.
That’s pretty disgusting. It has been know for a long time that if you want to launder money you go to Sky City. There’s some roulette type game that you can bet your money on black and red and only if it goes to one number on the board you lose. That way you can bet your money, have a huge chance of winning and then ask for your winnings in a cheque. That way if IRD, social welfare or anyone else asks where you got your house/Mercedes etc when you earn zero income you say ‘I won it at Sky City and here is my cheque to prove it.
Now that Trump has shown that just spewing out a firehose of bullshit can be a successful electoral technique, we need to more on guard than ever. Unfortunately, when processing a lie, the mind first admits the possibility that it might be true – and then many minds never take the next step of rejecting it.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/donald-trump-lies-liar-effect-brain-214658
I went on the Auckland women’s march. RNZ says over 1000 attended – I’d say a few thousand – was quite a big, peaceful and good humoured march.
There was no real police presence. I think we were meant to walk on the footpath. But people just started walking in the road – and that’s how it proceeded.
I didn’t realise there was also an anti-Trump march planned for 1pm at Aotea Square, Auckland. I had left by then. TV1 on the two planned marches
And it says:
Just back from the Dunedin Women’s Rally (one of more than 650 events throughout the world linked to the March on Washington). While it was sparked by the dreadfulness of Trump’s views and actions towards women, the focus was very much on lifting up and affirming women’s worth and power here in Aotearoa and supporting others in their struggles internationally. I hope other rallies were equally uplifting and strengthening.
Good, but have you organised more? Or are you working together in the future?
The speakers did say this is just the beginning of action…. we need to be a movement!
Photo I posted on Twitter: signs + pussy hat
Not my signs or hats. Some US-ians, I think.
The NZ demonstrations were organised by some US women living in NZ.
We need a whole big, broad movement – for a fairer, more sustainable, and collaborative society, where everyone has a living income and access to affordable health care, education, etc.
Awesome
Great to hear that red-blooded. Thanks to you and Carolyn for the reports.
You mean like saying you’re against Donald Trump’s inauguration is not the same as saying you’re against Donald Trump.?
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
who said that?
You did.
referring to:
[don’t tell lies about my views or comments. You are the one in that thread who said, and I quote, “Obviously the march is against Trump’s *inauguration*, not Trump himself.”. You obviously missed the point of the moderation, which is to reduce the amount of time moderators have to spend on these kinds of derailments. You are now banned from the Pike River thread, and this is also a warning to not misrepresent my views or comments or risk a site wide ban. – weka]
Speaking of crowds…
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/01/20/can_you_tell_the_difference_between_these_two_inauguration_photos.html
It appears that the outgoing government would rather be taken to court than tackle the cannabis debate.
Grey said the Ministry of Health’s claim that CBD was of the same property as the psychoactive constituent of cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was incorrect.
“The Ministry of Health want CBD to be covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act, but they can’t get any experts that will say that it is,” Grey said.
Comments to that article were interesting..
‘The police need to be freed from chasing cannabis users so they can focus on the meth epidemic.’
‘Just legalize it now like they are around the world… Funny how it is “bad” for you, till a company gets involved’
Russell Brown wrote a post about that: http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/is-the-ministry-of-health-acting-outside/
Thanks for the link Sacha, much appreciated