I wonder what Sky and the NZRFU – struggling with declining Super Rugby crowds, declining TV viewing numbers, and a weak economy – think about ZB and Radiosport both running with Tony Veitch as their marquee rugby sport talk host?
With rugby trying to leverage increased support for the game in the afterglow of the RWC, with its unprecedented female interest, the two major radio outlets for sport talk – ZB and radiosport – have decided to go with a man chiefly notorious for his violent assault on his female partner. In fact, the high rating Saturday morning radio line up – Holmes then Veitch – looks pitched exclusively to a red neck audience of racist middle aged white male misogynists with anger manangement issues. Racism 9am-12pm, then a healthy bout of macho sport talk from a weedy little coward of a women beating sports shock-jock.
A disgraceful one finger salute to anyone else, though.
Agreed, Bored. My following of rugby has tended to wax and wane over the years. I’m no more into wane territory. The RWC circus has had a lot to do with that decline in interest.
The shift to Sky and starving of FTA coverage also has had a lot to my long term decline in interest in TV sport. (Used to follow netball more when it was FTA live.)
And at times I have listened to Radio Sport (the constant slamming of “tree-hugging, sandal-wearing, hairy-legged lesbians by the talk-back folk there hasn’t done a lot for my enthusiasm – as though us leftie feminist lesbians aren’t going to be interested in male rugby and other sports?).
But the Veitch recall is a step much too far. I thought Willie Losie was one of the better commentators….? So they’ve dropped him?
Speaking of Radio Sport (oh how I wasted my teen years listening to that drivel), this poster wonders if the talk back callers would be speaking as highly of Graham Henry and Richie McCaw if they has lost the World Cup final. I would wager that they would be calling for them to be strung up from the Eden Park goalposts….how very fickle.
And they seem to have it in for Jonah Lomu, even though the guy had more respect for the All Black jersey in his little finger than his douchebag team mates (including Zinzan ‘I dont know what would happen if I found them at the bottom of a ruck’ Brooke).
Something BBfloyd posted yesterday..“we are still left with the reality that this is just the aristocracy taking back what we shed blood to gain….. dignity in our work… a future for our kids…a balanced, healthy, democratic society that works for the whole of society…..
This got me thinking about a tour of the Waitaki dams during the 60s with my parents, how their generation was committed to a common future, how their generation shared the tax burden to build a future to be proud of. And here goes my generation throwing away our childrens future to the self same financial aristocracy of money that my parents generation kept in chains for a good reason.
I then reflected on the Maori “renaissance” in vogue in the 70s whilst I was at Uni, and thought about it in the contect of Bill English saying Maori at hui were accepting of the asset sales so long as Maori interests were protected. Years back I wondered about the possibility of, and the danger of the “renaissance” giving empowerment to a race based aristocracy.
Seems we have aristocracy problems all over again.
I then reflected on the Maori “renaissance” in vogue in the 70s whilst I was at Uni, and thought about it in the contect of Bill English saying Maori at hui were accepting of the asset sales so long as Maori interests were protected.
Actually, Bored (while I agree with your 1st paragraph above), I think you’ve given too much credance to the government’s propaganda on this, as uncritically reported by the MSM.
The situation is not totally clear, but if the Mp insist on section 9 remaining in the SOE act, it could put a big roadblock in front of NAct’s attempt to privatise assets. I heard on RNZ yesterday that the Mp challenged the government view that the responses at the hui were very positive towards the government’s line, as seen in this press release from the Mp on Saturday:
“While there was a public statement declaring Government had an open mind, Minister Ryall was putting forward a different view – suggesting that section 27 of the State Owned Enterprises Act was sufficient for all of our rights and indeed that participants at the other hui supported that view. Our feedback challenges that view”.
“We have had reliable and regular feedback from every single hui and the message is unanimous – at the heart of the debate is section nine of the SOE Act requiring the Crown to act in accordance with the Treaty” said Ms Gardiner. “Nothing less will do”.
“If anything, the predominant view was that we needed to both protect and enhance the rights and obligations expressed in Section nine”.
Sir Api Mahuika advised the participants at the Gisborne hui, that at the Iwi Chairs Forum at Waitangi there was also a clear message to retain section 9, and then to strengthen it”.
Hi Carol, I hope you are right about this, its got the potential to be incredibly divisive in the worst way. It would worry me if MP and the iwi hierarchies could not see the bigger picture outside of immediate financial gain.
Bored: Bill English saying Maori at hui were accepting of the asset sales so long as Maori interests were protected.
Is that right? Have the hui accepted the asset sales? Or is that Bill’s spin?
Since last night’s TV3 poll showed 71% of the population were agin asset sales. where might that leave hui?
Ian / Carol, its what he is saying and it is the line of spin that is coming out National party spin. I would like to think they are full of proverbial, hope so.
There needs to be a moritorium on treaty settlements in this country so there can be some form of investigation into who is benefiting from them. Over the past 2 decades, billions of dollars worth of assets have been transferred into iwi hands with little consultation. This includes valuable conservation land and reserves, and is starting to happen with our lakes, rivers and beaches.
Some people, espcially on the right, think that the treaty settlement process is too long and drawn out, but to me, it seems that it is being rushed, and we are going to be sorry when our children find they cannot enjoy our outdoor beauty because the local iwi has put a locked gate up on it, and are only opening it for high paying tourists.
I watched with interest as John Pagani joined the ‘Greens becoming the new opposition’ thread at about 9.25pm last night. My opinion of him was raised a little, just by the fact that he found his way to an actual left-wing blog, and the fact that he was prepared to discuss his controversial views on welfare reform.
Several excellent, highly pertinent replies and questions were posted in response, but having dropped a link to his site, he immediately departed the conversation. So, just a case of link-whoring then. Maybe he needed a lift in his site traffic figures? It seems appropriate that Pagani would use a left-wing discussion forum for commercial purposes, having sold-out the left a long time ago, and done very nicely out of it to date.
I hope he has saved some of his ‘thirty pieces of silver’ because something tells me his gravy train might be on the wane…
I suspect that we get a lot of high profile readers from across the political spectrum, as well as media. So far only a handful have chosen to participate, over time hopefully more will.
Loved the way the local iwi are wading into the Crafar Farms saga with an occupation.
It is like playing the right’s game straight back at them. You know – all’s fair in love and war. So, the locals do what they are legeally entitled to do in order to discourage their competition from the farms. Brilliant.
All we need next is to discover a whole bunch of rare snails on the farms and voila, deal done. Or rather, OIO deal undone.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha – it is very interesting to watch Key trying to play this. He seems entirely and completely out of his depth. Just doing a bit of squawking – quack quack.
They should have a look on the waikato west coast where a large landowner who informed none of his neighbours apparently has a chinese miner drilling into some historic sites with no current permit.
(ed:..and of course the ‘greatest-hit’ from our local over-paid clowns..
..was their propping up of nationals’ election-policies..
..in ’08..
..by asserting that the great financial collapse would all be better in just a few months time..in early ’09..
..that worked out well/came to pass..eh..?..?
..and of course they did a redux for national..just prior to the last election…
..predictions also supporting nationals’ neo-lib policies..
..and predictions..that as always…had to be ‘revised’ shortly after…
..it is like another version of groundhog day..
..the treasury-clowns come out and make their po-faced predictions..
..relying on/hoping we don’t remember their previous equally po-faced predictions..
..that they have a 100% fail-rate on..
..(that figure again..?..100% fail-rate..)
(here is the british version:..)
“..As he has done on numerous occasions in the past, Sir Mervyn then made it clear that in his view none of what has happened could be blamed on the Bank –
– as everything possible had been done – and away the journalists all trot.
Given that banking crises are as old as the hills he cannot get away with throwing up his hands.
Wasn’t there a South Sea bubble?
I don’t buy it, sorry.
The Bank of England is packed full of economists paid out of the public purse –
– and the public is entitled to value for its money and it hasn’t had it.
To this point, there has been no official inquiry into why their overly optimistic forecasts on growth and inflation –
– have been worse than the proverbial monkey throwing darts at a wall…”
Can you translate that into English, Phil? I’d love to know what you think you are saying but your incoherent writing style makes it impossible for your points to come across.
Of course you may be on acid and it all makes sense to you. Or you are participating in a Burroughs/Gysin cut up experiment and the hippos are boiling in their cages … twilights last gleaming … all towers open fire!
Well, it’s up to you, but vomiting on the page is no substitute for real communication. How about you try writing in a way that’s inclusive and see if you get better engagement? I wouldn’t bother asking, but amongst the jumble there is the occasional nugget of insight and I suspect you might get taken a bit more seriously if you made the effort to respect readers.
Fuck, I’ll try and make time to read this paper tonight if I can find the time (back @uni, already heavy reading schedule) and throw together a post using the paper and it’s references, because poor health has life long consequences. And in this case is the direct longterm fucking result of benefit cuts by the National government of the 1990’s, along with state housing, that the 5th Labour government did jack all to reverse, that is now creating negative health outcomes for societies poorest, and probably costing use more in lost hours and other known negative outcomes (that I’ll pull from the literature) than the cost of providing proper healthcare, housing and benefits would.
And isn’t being helped by a NAct government that couldn’t give a flying fuck about the poor.
And now to try and and scrap together some bioethics readings via plato.standford because I can’t get the textbook just yet, and Wiley Publishing too cheap to provide an ebook version (and I’m broke).
The Welfare Working Group was told by doctors and academics of the appalling illnesses (both physical and mental) they were seeing and they could chart it all back to the social changes enforced by the welfare cuts in the early 90’s.
So did the WWG recommend measures to alleviate poverty? No, just some more of the same.
All of the social breakdown and misery that is going along with it can be traced back to Ruth Richardson’s 1991 austerity package, as well as the ECA. Benefit cuts were only part of a general package of social safety net slash and burn. Health, education and other (non benefit) welfare services were severely cut, and a whole generation thrown on the scrap heap.
Two top US retailers have launched investigations into the New Zealand fish imports after publication of an extensive investigation into slave or indentured labour conditions aboard foreign charter fishing vessels (FCVs) operating in New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone. – Link
Quick profits from debt slavery puts $178 million in peril. But hey, business knows best and government should get out of the way.
Yet, right. That’s not the world I want to live in!
See, RWNJs this is a very good reason why we give a shit about what happens in our waters! Yes, some of us also think slave conditions are morally wrong but therec omit sense behind it too. Yet another blow to 100% Pure’s legacy…
Millhouse sent me a link to this charming vision of the scale of all things by size. It shows just how small we are in the Universe in an interactive form. Schoolkids might find it of interest as well as us. http://htwins.net/scale2/scale2.swf?bordercolor=white
Did you hear on National Radio News that the Crafar farms consortium is going to the Appeals Court to seek a review of the “buyer bringing expertise to the sale.” They believe that the buyers do not have expertise and I suppose by employing Landcorp the buyers sort of bypass the requirement.
Child Poverty Action Group presents the Bryan Bruce TV doco ‘Inside Child Poverty’
Did you miss the controversial showing of ‘Inside Child Poverty’, the Bryan Bruce TV documentary that sparked a national conversation before the 2011 election? Now is your chance to see it, appropriately, on National Children’s Day.
If you have already seen it, then it is certainly worth another viewing – particularly as it will be followed by a discussion with Bryan Bruce himself. He is a multi-award winning documentary maker and writer.
When: National Children’s Day – Sunday, 4 March, 7pm for 7.30pm start Where: Academy Cinema, Lorne St (under the Central Library), Auckland Cost: $20 per ticket to CPAG 38 9003 0066858 00 (code is your name and number of tickets) or by cheque to CPAG, PO Box 5611, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141. Send an email to admin@cpag.org.nz to have an electronic ticket sent to you, or pick it up on the night.
The evening marks the launch of Child Poverty Action Group’s 2012 Appeal Campaign: A fair go for all kiwi kids – stop discrimination against New Zealand’s poorest children. The aim is to raise $50,0000 to allow CPAG to take its long standing human rights case to the Court of Appeal and beyond if necessary. Find out more at http://www.cpag.org.nz
Local government reform, anyone?
A tiny article in the Herald last evening is all the notice given, except for four recent patsy questions in parliament.
8 February, on rates increases.
9 February, on increased debt at councils.
15 February, on increased labour costs
16 February, on rates increases again.
I think it is quite easy to see where this is heading – an attack on the PSA, even more contracting out and sales of council assets.
Nicky Wagner: Are there any differences in the tools available to central government as compared with local government in managing labour costs?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Yes, there are. Cabinet has the capacity to set overall policy on the levels of remuneration and staff numbers across the State sector. These tools have been used to get these costs back under control after the excessive growth that occurred prior to 2008. Mayors and councillors currently do not have such tools available to them, and this makes it more difficult for them to manage labour costs and their impact on rate increases. The Government is exploring whether the councils need more tools to better manage these costs, as part of a broader programme of local government reform to reduce pressure on rates.
Translated: Increase downward pressure on wages.
So, we’re going to see more cities and boroughs forcibly amalgamated and more civil service workers fired.
maybe not fired. Made redundant and employed by the contractors who provide the same services for more money and less accountability. Or move to Australia.
Anyway, it’s on its way, less democracy for more money. Thanks National, in anticipation.
Latest Roy Morgan out, another dumb FPP headline, but Roy reckons the numbers tell the tale:
“Overall support for the full National-led Government has dipped to 48.5% (down 0.5%), trailing the Opposition Parties (51.5%, up 0.5%). Worryingly for Key, this is the lowest level of support his broad-based Coalition has received since being elected to Government in November 2008.”
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
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We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
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It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
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David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
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Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
I wonder what Sky and the NZRFU – struggling with declining Super Rugby crowds, declining TV viewing numbers, and a weak economy – think about ZB and Radiosport both running with Tony Veitch as their marquee rugby sport talk host?
With rugby trying to leverage increased support for the game in the afterglow of the RWC, with its unprecedented female interest, the two major radio outlets for sport talk – ZB and radiosport – have decided to go with a man chiefly notorious for his violent assault on his female partner. In fact, the high rating Saturday morning radio line up – Holmes then Veitch – looks pitched exclusively to a red neck audience of racist middle aged white male misogynists with anger manangement issues. Racism 9am-12pm, then a healthy bout of macho sport talk from a weedy little coward of a women beating sports shock-jock.
A disgraceful one finger salute to anyone else, though.
Agreed, Bored. My following of rugby has tended to wax and wane over the years. I’m no more into wane territory. The RWC circus has had a lot to do with that decline in interest.
The shift to Sky and starving of FTA coverage also has had a lot to my long term decline in interest in TV sport. (Used to follow netball more when it was FTA live.)
And at times I have listened to Radio Sport (the constant slamming of “tree-hugging, sandal-wearing, hairy-legged lesbians by the talk-back folk there hasn’t done a lot for my enthusiasm – as though us leftie feminist lesbians aren’t going to be interested in male rugby and other sports?).
But the Veitch recall is a step much too far. I thought Willie Losie was one of the better commentators….? So they’ve dropped him?
Sorry, Sanctuary, I incorrectly addressed Bored instead of you (his handle was below your post in the next post).
Speaking of Radio Sport (oh how I wasted my teen years listening to that drivel), this poster wonders if the talk back callers would be speaking as highly of Graham Henry and Richie McCaw if they has lost the World Cup final. I would wager that they would be calling for them to be strung up from the Eden Park goalposts….how very fickle.
And they seem to have it in for Jonah Lomu, even though the guy had more respect for the All Black jersey in his little finger than his douchebag team mates (including Zinzan ‘I dont know what would happen if I found them at the bottom of a ruck’ Brooke).
Something BBfloyd posted yesterday..“we are still left with the reality that this is just the aristocracy taking back what we shed blood to gain….. dignity in our work… a future for our kids…a balanced, healthy, democratic society that works for the whole of society…..
This got me thinking about a tour of the Waitaki dams during the 60s with my parents, how their generation was committed to a common future, how their generation shared the tax burden to build a future to be proud of. And here goes my generation throwing away our childrens future to the self same financial aristocracy of money that my parents generation kept in chains for a good reason.
I then reflected on the Maori “renaissance” in vogue in the 70s whilst I was at Uni, and thought about it in the contect of Bill English saying Maori at hui were accepting of the asset sales so long as Maori interests were protected. Years back I wondered about the possibility of, and the danger of the “renaissance” giving empowerment to a race based aristocracy.
Seems we have aristocracy problems all over again.
I then reflected on the Maori “renaissance” in vogue in the 70s whilst I was at Uni, and thought about it in the contect of Bill English saying Maori at hui were accepting of the asset sales so long as Maori interests were protected.
Actually, Bored (while I agree with your 1st paragraph above), I think you’ve given too much credance to the government’s propaganda on this, as uncritically reported by the MSM.
The situation is not totally clear, but if the Mp insist on section 9 remaining in the SOE act, it could put a big roadblock in front of NAct’s attempt to privatise assets. I heard on RNZ yesterday that the Mp challenged the government view that the responses at the hui were very positive towards the government’s line, as seen in this press release from the Mp on Saturday:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1202/S00195/maori-party-members-raise-issues-around-mixed-messages.htm
Hi Carol, I hope you are right about this, its got the potential to be incredibly divisive in the worst way. It would worry me if MP and the iwi hierarchies could not see the bigger picture outside of immediate financial gain.
Bored: Bill English saying Maori at hui were accepting of the asset sales so long as Maori interests were protected.
Is that right? Have the hui accepted the asset sales? Or is that Bill’s spin?
Since last night’s TV3 poll showed 71% of the population were agin asset sales. where might that leave hui?
Ian / Carol, its what he is saying and it is the line of spin that is coming out National party spin. I would like to think they are full of proverbial, hope so.
I cannot believe that the result of all those (angry?) hui is to say yes to sell as long as Section 6 is included. Wow!
I think it is his latest bullshit
http://mars2earth.blogspot.co.nz/2012/02/real-threat.html
There needs to be a moritorium on treaty settlements in this country so there can be some form of investigation into who is benefiting from them. Over the past 2 decades, billions of dollars worth of assets have been transferred into iwi hands with little consultation. This includes valuable conservation land and reserves, and is starting to happen with our lakes, rivers and beaches.
Some people, espcially on the right, think that the treaty settlement process is too long and drawn out, but to me, it seems that it is being rushed, and we are going to be sorry when our children find they cannot enjoy our outdoor beauty because the local iwi has put a locked gate up on it, and are only opening it for high paying tourists.
Time to say Taihoa.
Agreed – but we are closing the doors after the Maori elite have bolted.
I watched with interest as John Pagani joined the ‘Greens becoming the new opposition’ thread at about 9.25pm last night. My opinion of him was raised a little, just by the fact that he found his way to an actual left-wing blog, and the fact that he was prepared to discuss his controversial views on welfare reform.
Several excellent, highly pertinent replies and questions were posted in response, but having dropped a link to his site, he immediately departed the conversation. So, just a case of link-whoring then. Maybe he needed a lift in his site traffic figures? It seems appropriate that Pagani would use a left-wing discussion forum for commercial purposes, having sold-out the left a long time ago, and done very nicely out of it to date.
I hope he has saved some of his ‘thirty pieces of silver’ because something tells me his gravy train might be on the wane…
I suspect that we get a lot of high profile readers from across the political spectrum, as well as media. So far only a handful have chosen to participate, over time hopefully more will.
Loved the way the local iwi are wading into the Crafar Farms saga with an occupation.
It is like playing the right’s game straight back at them. You know – all’s fair in love and war. So, the locals do what they are legeally entitled to do in order to discourage their competition from the farms. Brilliant.
All we need next is to discover a whole bunch of rare snails on the farms and voila, deal done. Or rather, OIO deal undone.
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha – it is very interesting to watch Key trying to play this. He seems entirely and completely out of his depth. Just doing a bit of squawking – quack quack.
They should have a look on the waikato west coast where a large landowner who informed none of his neighbours apparently has a chinese miner drilling into some historic sites with no current permit.
Have you got a link for that, TC, sounds interesting!
Online Petition
Facebook Petition
First time so hope that works.
Cheers, TC. The fb link seems to loop back to the Standard, but here’s a related story in the Waikato Times.
FB Petition
http://whoar.co.nz/2012/the-bank-of-england-gets-it-wrong-yet-again-commentwhoar-it-would-seem-the-bank-of-england-echoes-our-treasury-in-making-fiscal-predictions-that-both-prop-up-the-policies-of-the-govt/
(ed:..and of course the ‘greatest-hit’ from our local over-paid clowns..
..was their propping up of nationals’ election-policies..
..in ’08..
..by asserting that the great financial collapse would all be better in just a few months time..in early ’09..
..that worked out well/came to pass..eh..?..?
..and of course they did a redux for national..just prior to the last election…
..predictions also supporting nationals’ neo-lib policies..
..and predictions..that as always…had to be ‘revised’ shortly after…
..it is like another version of groundhog day..
..the treasury-clowns come out and make their po-faced predictions..
..relying on/hoping we don’t remember their previous equally po-faced predictions..
..that they have a 100% fail-rate on..
..(that figure again..?..100% fail-rate..)
(here is the british version:..)
“..As he has done on numerous occasions in the past, Sir Mervyn then made it clear that in his view none of what has happened could be blamed on the Bank –
– as everything possible had been done – and away the journalists all trot.
Given that banking crises are as old as the hills he cannot get away with throwing up his hands.
Wasn’t there a South Sea bubble?
I don’t buy it, sorry.
The Bank of England is packed full of economists paid out of the public purse –
– and the public is entitled to value for its money and it hasn’t had it.
To this point, there has been no official inquiry into why their overly optimistic forecasts on growth and inflation –
– have been worse than the proverbial monkey throwing darts at a wall…”
(cont..)
phil-at-whoar.
Can you translate that into English, Phil? I’d love to know what you think you are saying but your incoherent writing style makes it impossible for your points to come across.
Of course you may be on acid and it all makes sense to you. Or you are participating in a Burroughs/Gysin cut up experiment and the hippos are boiling in their cages … twilights last gleaming … all towers open fire!
i take it the loss of capital letters as signposts for you..leads you to become somewhat confused..?
..i write out loud..
..try reading out loud..
..or don’t..
..it’s only my opinion..eh..?
..phil-at-whoar.
Well, it’s up to you, but vomiting on the page is no substitute for real communication. How about you try writing in a way that’s inclusive and see if you get better engagement? I wouldn’t bother asking, but amongst the jumble there is the occasional nugget of insight and I suspect you might get taken a bit more seriously if you made the effort to respect readers.
I always flick past Philip Ure – he is illiterate, so page down.
As bad as Aerobubbles 100 line sentences.
Agree
That’s because even neoclassical economists don’t understand the limitations and failures of their own neoclassical theory.
Far from these economists not delivering value for money, these economists have actually been destroying value in communities.
It’s not so much that they don’t understand them, it’s that they ignore them and/or assume them away.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/government-urged-act-jump-in-infectious-diseases-4732930
/grrrrrrrrr
Fuck, I’ll try and make time to read this paper tonight if I can find the time (back @uni, already heavy reading schedule) and throw together a post using the paper and it’s references, because poor health has life long consequences. And in this case is the direct longterm fucking result of benefit cuts by the National government of the 1990’s, along with state housing, that the 5th Labour government did jack all to reverse, that is now creating negative health outcomes for societies poorest, and probably costing use more in lost hours and other known negative outcomes (that I’ll pull from the literature) than the cost of providing proper healthcare, housing and benefits would.
And isn’t being helped by a NAct government that couldn’t give a flying fuck about the poor.
And now to try and and scrap together some bioethics readings via plato.standford because I can’t get the textbook just yet, and Wiley Publishing too cheap to provide an ebook version (and I’m broke).
The Welfare Working Group was told by doctors and academics of the appalling illnesses (both physical and mental) they were seeing and they could chart it all back to the social changes enforced by the welfare cuts in the early 90’s.
So did the WWG recommend measures to alleviate poverty? No, just some more of the same.
All of the social breakdown and misery that is going along with it can be traced back to Ruth Richardson’s 1991 austerity package, as well as the ECA. Benefit cuts were only part of a general package of social safety net slash and burn. Health, education and other (non benefit) welfare services were severely cut, and a whole generation thrown on the scrap heap.
And yet some more chickens coming home to roost….
Quick profits from debt slavery puts $178 million in peril. But hey, business knows best and government should get out of the way.
Yet, right. That’s not the world I want to live in!
http://i.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/6452854/Report-sparks-US-probe-into-NZ-fish-imports
See, RWNJs this is a very good reason why we give a shit about what happens in our waters! Yes, some of us also think slave conditions are morally wrong but therec omit sense behind it too. Yet another blow to 100% Pure’s legacy…
Millhouse sent me a link to this charming vision of the scale of all things by size. It shows just how small we are in the Universe in an interactive form. Schoolkids might find it of interest as well as us.
http://htwins.net/scale2/scale2.swf?bordercolor=white
yeah..that is very cool..i found/linked to it a couple of weeks ago..
..the click-on objects options are also fun to get lost in for a while..
..and of course perspectives like this also illuminate the farce of those believing the earth is 16,000 yrs old..
..and that we are the only ‘intelligent’ ones in that universe..
..idiots..
phil-at-whoar.
man, looks like a whole bunch of economists from top US universities have completely lost the plot.
http://bit.ly/wprmC8
I’m pretty sure that I’ve been told again and agaim that he stimulus failed, didn’t work and so on and so forth.
Be interesting to hear if they thought the stimpak was optimally designed and how they’d do it different if they could do it over…
Did you hear on National Radio News that the Crafar farms consortium is going to the Appeals Court to seek a review of the “buyer bringing expertise to the sale.” They believe that the buyers do not have expertise and I suppose by employing Landcorp the buyers sort of bypass the requirement.
Child Poverty Action Group presents the Bryan Bruce TV doco ‘Inside Child Poverty’
Did you miss the controversial showing of ‘Inside Child Poverty’, the Bryan Bruce TV documentary that sparked a national conversation before the 2011 election? Now is your chance to see it, appropriately, on National Children’s Day.
If you have already seen it, then it is certainly worth another viewing – particularly as it will be followed by a discussion with Bryan Bruce himself. He is a multi-award winning documentary maker and writer.
When: National Children’s Day – Sunday, 4 March, 7pm for 7.30pm start
Where: Academy Cinema, Lorne St (under the Central Library), Auckland
Cost: $20 per ticket to CPAG 38 9003 0066858 00 (code is your name and number of tickets) or by cheque to CPAG, PO Box 5611, Wellesley St, Auckland 1141. Send an email to admin@cpag.org.nz to have an electronic ticket sent to you, or pick it up on the night.
The evening marks the launch of Child Poverty Action Group’s 2012 Appeal Campaign: A fair go for all kiwi kids – stop discrimination against New Zealand’s poorest children. The aim is to raise $50,0000 to allow CPAG to take its long standing human rights case to the Court of Appeal and beyond if necessary. Find out more at http://www.cpag.org.nz
Local government reform, anyone?
A tiny article in the Herald last evening is all the notice given, except for four recent patsy questions in parliament.
8 February, on rates increases.
9 February, on increased debt at councils.
15 February, on increased labour costs
16 February, on rates increases again.
I think it is quite easy to see where this is heading – an attack on the PSA, even more contracting out and sales of council assets.
Lost the links.
Here’s the Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10786827
and for the questions in parliament
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QOA/
and filter by portfolio – local government
Quoting NZH article:
And Auckland wasn’t forcibly amalgamated nor did we have our right to referendum removed: Yeah, Right.
8. Labour Costs—Local Government Compared with Central Government and Public Sector
Translated: Increase downward pressure on wages.
So, we’re going to see more cities and boroughs forcibly amalgamated and more civil service workers fired.
maybe not fired. Made redundant and employed by the contractors who provide the same services for more money and less accountability. Or move to Australia.
Anyway, it’s on its way, less democracy for more money. Thanks National, in anticipation.
Latest Roy Morgan out, another dumb FPP headline, but Roy reckons the numbers tell the tale:
“Overall support for the full National-led Government has dipped to 48.5% (down 0.5%), trailing the Opposition Parties (51.5%, up 0.5%). Worryingly for Key, this is the lowest level of support his broad-based Coalition has received since being elected to Government in November 2008.”
Thanks TRP. Pity that they didn’t survey Leader popularity.