As a patriotic dual-national I am appalled by reports that after Key-Turnbull negotiations in Canberra only New Zealanders earning more than A$90K pa will be eligible for Australian citizenship.
None of the convicts at Sydney cove, or most aboriginals, immigrants and current Australians would meet this criterion – Vonnegut would have been proud of this Catch-22.
This was not a meeting of ANZ prime ministers, but of ministers for Goldman and Merrill.
Globalism is allowing free movement of nationals and the countries having the most problems with migration are those who have (worldwide) high standards of living and social welfare. It is dropping the wages of the people who live in countries with social welfare and tightening social welfare at the same time. Some of the migrants I know are just in NZ to get the passport and leave for OZ, (while leaving the kids at school and retirees in NZ) so maybe OZ not so keen on migration by proxy via NZ.
Look at Britain – about to have a referendum about leaving the EU because migration has caused massive problems in Britain. (and these countries have a lot more money than NZ).
I’m not sure what the answer is. But in NZ are we going to be able to afford free health care in 20 years time and the unemployment benefit and superannuation – and are we going to be tenants in our own country the way things are going?
I think we should welcome those migrants already here, but halt more migrants until jobs, housing and social welfare allocations in NZ are up to what is required for the amount of new people coming into the country and work out a way to balance the intake so that it is positive and sustainable for NZ and increasing jobs and wages while protecting the environment here, not decreasing them.
The world is a dynamic place and we can’t stay in the 19th century by raising a metaphorical drawbridge. The flag referendum, I think, will opt for no change – but the issue has been put on the public agenda and may recur in unexpected ways.
Our geology makes long-term planning especially fraught. It could take one burp from Rangitoto to crash Auckland property values, another from lake Taupo to kill the tourist industry .. need I go on ?
Australia has serious issues with climate change. Jared Diamond in his Pulitzer prize-winning “Guns, Germs, and Steel” points to the progressive collapse of mid-level towns serving various professions leaving a decaying rural hinterland and mega-cities on the coast. http://www.jareddiamond.org/Jared_Diamond/Welcome.html
The world is full of futile dreams of grandeur. Search wikipedia for Fhatepur Sikri.
Diamond has a good account of the fall of the Maya.
“Enjoy Aotearoa while you can.” Quite frankly it will not be long..
“Bruce Bisset: It’s the finish for GE-Free fans
Much as we might like to stay GE-Free, I’m sorry to say the argument is already settled, in favour of frankenfoods – thanks to the government’s slavish acceptance of the terms of the TPPA.”
Interestingly in the Damian horror movies the devil takes over the food supply to bring about the end of the world. Always reminds me of Monsanto tactics.
One does not need to dream up an imaginary entity like The Devil to predict The Apocalypse when we possess the best self-destruct mechanism currently known to man: Ego. Ironically, this is also (!) an entirely human (man-made) construct, an illusion.
Neoliberalism, personal responsibility, individuation, freedom of choice are not ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’ per se but when they rampantly rule our behaviour that is dominated by Ego ‘bad’ things will happen.
Volcanic activity we can not control (although rumoured evidence that oil fracking can induce earthquakes etc) and not at all like signing the TPPA two weeks ago by John Key at his favourite Casino, on behalf of our kids NOW which is obviously going to change the way Kiwis live, what we eat, how we export and the security we have, that is something people can fight!
Our geology makes long-term planning especially fraught.
No it doesn’t. It does mean that it’s obvious that we have to plan our population level though instead of just assuming that we can take more and more people.
Australia has serious issues with climate change.
So do we. Estimations that I’ve seen pretty much have NZ going into continuous drought conditions compared to what we have now and that’s going to mean a decrease in ability to support a large population.
Re 1.1.savenz. Questions and matters that have to be looked at savenz. And dispassionately, so as to understand the situation now, the trend line and to study future numbers and the outcomes from that. The hospital system in Auckland sees all the immigrants, from all the nations, with all the ailments and there is a need for access to nearly a hundred language translators.
So the incomers, as is an old term for new people in a settled community, are here. Their numbers are being encouraged excessively both to bring in their dollars, so boosting our apparent national earnings, or to provide a group of low-paid, hard working, passive workers. And that is causing increasing social stress and our services being put under pressure, even ‘milked.’
edited
@Greywarshark – yep I agree. No one wants to be a right winger and going back to NZ own horrible past of discrimination (Chinese, Dawn raids etc) BUT global migration is not sustainable with a social welfare system the way it is going and governments are just now saying NO to everyone. Before it gets to that point in NZ, governments need to stop and plan.
Right wingers love migration, it is bringing wages and conditions down and consumption up!
But breaching the social welfare pact with Kiwis. How many Kiwis are off social welfare and waiting for operations?
We just borrowed 2.8 billion where is the xtra money coming from?
And is there a relationship to the environment that we want to protect? Should we mine or fish or build houses and cut down forests and make more animals extinct so that we can have more people in NZ and they choose where to live under globalism?
And do people coming into NZ want to have a relationship with the environment or just want to exploit it for personal profit?
My own personal experience is that a lot of migrant friends want to come here, buy a new house, buy a new car preferably a mercedes and live close to a mall as their recreation is shopping. I”m not kidding! These are educated and culture people too!
They don’t go into the natural environment at all, and therefore have zero experience of it or want to protect it.
“Chapter 8 of the TPPA deals with technical barriers to trade. In article 8.6 it seeks to lower such barriers by adopting conformity to accepted standards, essentially saying everyone’s standards must conform to everyone else’s.
Moreover any party must “accord treatment no less favourable” than for its own to any other party’s standards assessment bodies, and even should there be doubt about conformity, the concerned party MUST accept the other’s findings. Note well: This includes both non-governmental and for-profit assessment bodies.
That means Monsanto, whose testing regime is accepted by the US FDA without review, and the FDA’s stamp of approval is in turn accepted as “conforming” by New Zealand, has the power to require New Zealand to accept that there is nothing wrong with a GE product – even one that isn’t licensed in the US!”
Harmonise. That is the word used to smooth the way for compatibility of international systems. Not only Monsanto but how about Pharma, Schools, Hospitals? And what will happen where countries do not harmonise systems?
Never mind the GMOs – US beef – never tested for BSE in spite of the only extant wild reservoir of prion protein diseases (CWD) will compete equally and without labelling beside NZ product.
@paaparakauta
I can only suggest that you reread the information while wearing you glasses.
The actual figure is $A53,000/year for 5 consecutive years since 2001.
In the middle of the last 5 years (2013) the average full time wage in Australia was $A74,724 so it isn’t really that high.
“The ABS says the average individual wage in Australia in November 2013 was $57,980 before tax. The average full-time wage is $74,724 before tax”
This was from http://www.news.com.au/finance/money/do-you-consider-yourself-a-struggling-comfortable-or-rich-australian/story-e6frfmcr-1226910189131
Australia will only welcome you if you’re rich and male. If you’re poor, a woman, took time out of the workforce to raise a family, or if you moved to Australia as a child and haven’t entered the workforce yet, you’re shit out of luck, there’s no possibility of citizenship or residency for you, and you’re under permanent threat of deportation.
I think No Right Turn is misinterpreting things. If a full time working man was to qualify that qualifies his spouse and young children to be included.
If the children were born there they also qualify automatically when they turn 10.
A spouse doesn’t have to qualify in their own right.
In addition it would appear that if you are there now you can still qualify in the future. It is only people who were not living there prior to Friday(?) who aren’t able to take advantage of it.
Have a look at this link in Stuff, and related material. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/77076257/How-to-get-your-head-around-the-landmark-Aussie-citizenship-announcement
As far as families go, look at this bit late in the link. It certainly appears to envisage the whole family doesn’t it?
“The main application charge has been set at A$3600 per applicant, an extra A$1800 for partners and dependent children over 18 and A$900 for children under 18.”
For those who don’t yet meet the income criteria look at this comment
“You’re eligible if you moved to Australia between February 26, 2001 and February 19, 2016 and hold a SCV”
It obviously is impossible to meet the 5 years if you went there a week ago so it clearly implies people can qualify in the future.
There, does that help?
ps. Complaints about the cost can be addressed to the nearest Australian High Commission. I don’t believe you can pin that on John Key.
Thanks for the link Yes it does seem that it applies to households. I certainly hope so. My son-in-law and daughter and 2 g’children are there and I think want to stay permanently as National shoved them out 5 years ago.
I’d just like to note this addition to the extensive catalogue of Rodney Hide’s ignorance: he confuses the slang term “wedding tackle” with the more prosaic and distinctly inanimate winching equipment, “block and tackle.”
My partner and I drove over the Harbour Bridge, Auckland yesterday at 5.15 in the afternoon towards the North Shore and the two flags were flying on the bridge. I do wish to retain the existing flag but that has nothing to do with this. I honestly could not distinguish the colours on the new flag until we were almost underneath it, it was terrible, a mish mash of grey/blue/nothing, I couldn’t discern the white fern at all. The existing flag is an amazing deep blue and the ensign in the corner is very bright and clear and always looks regal and correct as an ensign. The weather was clear with sunshine and a fair amount of breeze to keep the ensign aloft. What on earth were they thinking about when they designed it? Did they make any ahead of submitting designs and hoist them up in different weather conditions. Design wise it looks absolutely terrible. Just my opinion, but my partner was with me on this – up on a flag staff its a bad choice for a new flag.
BM why do you annoy me considerably. It is not the same ….. flag, watch your language please, its anything but. The colours of the new flag are a disgrace – they do not show up against a blue sky or any climatic sky – and hey, that’s what the purpose of the flag was for – to be dynamic, show our originality and to bring in an era of change and to be seen well. This flag does nothing to enhance our fantastic talent we have here for true design, and believe me a flag designer had nothing to do with this new design – its just junk. Change the flag if you must but for heaven’s sake do the country proud and design something deserving of New Zealand and which hits you in the eye when it’s seen up on a flag staff..
I fully agree with you Kate, the proposed flag looks like training clothes – new design courtesy of Canterbury or Addidas. I expect a flag to be something that encompasses all of NZ.
You’re wrong BM. If the fern just replaced the union jack and it is otherwise the same flag, the fern would be within the same area as the current union jack up in the top left hand corner on an all-blue flag with the southern cross.
All five of the final designs are abominations. Google & look at the flags of all other countries. The basic design principles stand out clearly. If we adopted this ugly black/blue out of proportion white leaf brand logo we’d be an international laughing stock.
This what you get when you ask people for designs that “represent who we are”. Company signage & clip art.
That’s true, but I think the black within the blue would look awful. It’s such a terrible representation of a silver fern as well. Stylizing it turned it into a leaf. I gather the panel did consult at least one vexilologist, but we still ended up with 5 final designs that were all out of step with the general layouts and designs of national flags.Our 5 finalists really do all look like logos.
The design brief was too vague, and apparently (judging by the result) didn’t pay any attention to international country flag design principles. We should’ve done what South Africa did and got a professional flag designer to come up with several designs. It would’ve been simpler & probably produced more suitable designs than the free-for-all that garnered 10,292 proposals ranging from clip art to crayon drawings.
We should’ve tossed out everything on our current flag – like Canada did – & started anew. By far the coolest design I’ve seen is the Tino Rangatiratanga flag. But that’d never be accepted because it’s the National Maori flag, and because its association with grievances & separatist sentiments make it far too divisive. If it had just been designed and submitted now, I wonder if our amateur-night panel would’ve picked it. Probably not.
yep this is my flag too and I am so looking forward to the day it becomes our countries flag – on that day we will have grown up and matured as a society. We will be ready to move into the future and we will be strong.
Behave yourself. You will upset Kate. Someone else used that awful word (you know the one I mean) and she chastised him severely.
As Kate said “watch your language please”.
I expected to be typing about SC and Nevada today, but Fiji/ Cyclone Winstone is much closer to home!
This CNN video shows the best track I’ve been able to find; straight between Vanua Levuand Vitu Levu, with the eye over water the whole time. Pretty much the worst possible scenario:
while Winston weakened as it moved over land — as these types of storms do — it has since reintensified, and with the El Niño-warmed water serving as fuel, Winston’s eye has reformed.
CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said Winston is expected to “keep strength as it continues on its path in open waters,” but said “it will weaken Tuesday or Wednesday once it hits cooler waters and stronger shear.”
Winston’s 184 mph winds smashed the previous record for a Southern Hemisphere cyclone. According to Colorado State University hurricane expert Philip Klotzbach, both Cyclone Zoe, which battered the Solomon Islands in 2002, and Cyclone Monica, which walloped Australia in 2006, previously shared the record with their estimated winds of 178 mph.
Fortunately only one dead so far, though I’d expect that to rise. NZH live coverage is surprisingly good:
One man was killed as hurricane force winds and 12m high waves battered the Pacific nation, homes were destroyed and terrified tourists hustled from their hotel rooms to hunker down for the night.
I kept getting a; “You do not have permission to edit this comment”, message in a pink box when I tried to edit the above. Just minor typos this time, so not too important, but could be bad if someone makes a glaring error they can’t correct (edit – this comments’s edit function is fine). Also, I am still getting occasional red flags when I try to load pages. Though there doesn’t seem to be any pattern there and these’ll usually clear up in an hour or so.]
I don’t think many Maori throughout NZ want the flag changed, they sought an allegiance with the British Crown as they felt the British were the best alternative to the French and the Americans, whether they made the right choice or not is debatable?
I would be interested to know if the Natzis and Key consulted with Maori Iwi throughout NZ on the changing of the flag?
Well, hey, amongst the abominations was one with a koru. That one probably let the panel feel they could tick the box for “Maori input”.
It’s a good point though. To be honest I was expecting to see more comment from Maori on the issue but don’t recall any getting much air or print time.
Hundertwasser, an Austrian who adopted NZ as his home, designed a nice flag with koru. Maori might have chosen that one if they had a choice. It has been pointed out that the Maori sovereignty flag would not have been the right one for them to gather behind, as it would only confuse its association with themselves particularly and Maori aspirations for their own advancement.
A Hundertwasser type flag was in the last 40 but had to be removed after the Hundertwasser foundation claimed copyright.
As the panel said
“Please note that the ‘Modern Hundertwasser’ design has been removed from the long list following a copyright claim by the Hundertwasser Non-Profit Foundation.”
Hypnoflag and Red Peak were a joke in terms of Maori influence. Just because something looks vaguely like a tukutuku panel or the front of a marae doesn’t mean it represents Maori. Where was the Tino rangatira flag in this whole “democratic” process. A flag designed by Maori for Maori was ignored.
Youre supposed to consult before and during the decision making process, not once you’ve made up your mind. This has happened for the flag process, carbon emissions and tppa under this government. Its not consultation or democratic.
Until we have grown up as a country I suspect many will vote for the existing flag – it does accurately represent us as we are and where we are at – even if it is painful to admit.
I don’t think American conquest of Aotearoa was ever an option in 1840. The Americans had not even explored their own country at that point in time and certainly we’re not looking for another.
Correct. In 1840 the European Americans hadn’t even slaughtered off all the native Americans yet. They were too consumed with destroying Afro-Americans.
It took until the second half of the 20th century for the Americans to really get into the swing of conducting multiple simultaneous genocides.
The Brits, French, and Spanish mastered it much earlier.
A couple of links for those following the US presidential candidate selection process. The Guardian count is ahead of the NBC one, but doesn’t have as detailed a breakdown, plus there are strangely cutesy animations.
Apparently, rather than coinflips, ties are decide by card cuts in Nevada. Clinton’s luck with these is making me lean towards the literal deal-with-the-devil scenario:
Interesting: a precinct in Pahrump has been decided by cutting the deck. Pahrump precinct chair Peggy Rhoads with the cards drawn in tied Precinct 10. Hillary’s ace beat Bernie’s six.
So Clinton was going to walk this one, right? Iowa and New Hampshire were ‘white’ and therefor favourable to Sanders while Nevada….cake walk.
38.6% reporting and only a couple of percentage points in it (51.36% v 48.53%). Wonder what the rationale will be for this latest ‘glitch’ in Clinton’s run?
Yep the change from “provided for under paragraph 1”
became “provided for under Sub-paragraph 1”
A tiny change means our courts would be forced to imprison some-one who dared to add local subtitles to a foreign film.
Drastic! Criminal! Hidden!
I’m just glancing through an old book on past social history called The Bleak Age by JL & Barbara Hammond.
I put this quote, and point out that this actually happened. A so called civilised society can oppress its citizens as is written, it did happen in Britain starting with the Poor Law of 1834, and it means that this could happen again. Once it becomes the norm, people have to make a huge effort to change that habitual behaviour, to admit wrong policies and behaviour, and completely overturn their systems and their thinking.
This is one example of the Poor Law Commission’s approaches to poverty and treatment of needy humans.
One of the forms of task work imposed in certain workhouses was the crushing of bones, and the master of the Andover Workhouse was accused of starving the paupers so that they fought among themselves for the gristle and marrow to be found in the half-putrid bones given to them for this purpose. Indignation led to a demand for inquiry, so vehement and general that the Government had to yield, and the revelations that followed made a profound impression on the public mind. For an inquiry that began with the Andover scandals ended as an inquisition into the life and methods of the Poor Law Commission.
A comment from one being questioned added insult to injury by ‘regretting’ Parliament time spent on “a workhouse squabble”.
Therefore, are you suggesting Sanders would be considered less electable than Clinton?
No, I’m saying that the only reason to give a few people more power than anyone else is to have the vote go the way you want it to go and that’s usually against the wishes of the people.
Surely the the person most electable by democrats is the person they vote for and not the person selected by the few people with lots of power?
“No, I’m saying that the only reason to give a few people more power than anyone else is to have the vote go the way you want it to go and that’s usually against the wishes of the people”
Yes I initially gathered that, thus I put forward their reasoning. Which is the grounds they will have to justify their decision. Hence, do you think the argument will stand?
Like Ms. Clinton, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz also accepts money from super PACs and corporate interests. Given Ms. Wasserman Shultz’s campaign financing strategies—in conjunction with the virtual bankruptcy the DNC is facing under her leadership—the rescinding of the ban on donations from federal lobbyists and super PACs should come as no surprise…
Growing calls for Ms. Wasserman Schultz’s resignation have stemmed from her alleged favoritism for Ms. Clinton—ranging from her position as co-chair of Ms. Clinton’s failed 2008 presidential campaign, to criticism over her limited and poorly scheduled Democratic presidential debates…
A joint fundraising committee between the Clinton campaign and the DNC—called the Hillary Victory Fund—raised $26.9 million as of December 31, 2015, much of which has gone directly to the DNC and other Democratic candidates across the country. Thirty-three state Democratic parties signed pacts with Ms. Clinton’s campaign, meaning she is essentially buying support from Democratic leaders around the country. In short, the Clinton campaign controls the money and decides which states receive it after the campaign and the DNC get their cut. According to Bloomberg, New Hampshire received $124,000, where six out of six superdelegates supported Ms. Clinton while over 60 percent of the primary vote favored Mr. Sanders. Nevada and South Carolina also have pacts with the Hillary Victory Fund, where Ms. Clinton has already won support from three of Nevada’s eight superdelegates and three out of South Carolina’s six superdelegates.
Unlike the NZ Labour caucus, the super delegates want to win the election. A lot of super delegates switch from Hillary to Obama in 2008 when they realized he had a better chance of winning.
Sanders is the best match-up against any of the Republicans and Hillary is the least trusted candidate of either party. Even 35% of democrats don’t trust her. (Nor do I.)
Anyone seen the post just up on the NZ Herald website late this morning – Richie McCaw wants a new flag! This “big revelation” came to him on the rugby field. So we are supposed to listen to him with reverence and obediently change our flag because of rugby. Rugby is obviously so much more important than our sovereignty, so much more important than all the men and women who died fighting under our flag, and of course having a silver fern on an all black jersey means that it’s certainly good enough for our flag too. It doesn’t matter that the “new” flag is a hastily thrown together tea-towel which looks terrible on a flagpole. I thought Richie was smarter than this – I thought he wouldn’t let himself be used by a very obviously desperate Key and end up looking just as shallow. Obviously there is less to him than many thought! Maybe the New Zealander of the Year is just NOT!
Dear Richie. You are just a rugby player. You have a fern on your chest. You also have advertising logos on your chest. You are a bill board. Why makes you think your opinion is so important. Or even the fact that you had an epiphany on the flag and thought that the media must be informed IMMEDIATELY! Very disappointing. Just remember you have (had?) a lot of fans who revered your rugby playing skills, but more to the point saw you as just a humble, no airs and graces, accessible to everyone , Kiwi bloke. No longer. You now appear to be a corporate puppet. So sad.
Never did think Ritchie was deserving of so much adoration. He is a great rugby player, no doubt about that but other than that, he doesn’t come across as anybody really special. Rugby was his career and he was well remunerated for it. So he should play well, he was paid well enough for it, it was his job for goodness sake. He brought some special prizes back to NZ and that was great. How about the many other people who do fantastic things for this country, and do it for next to nothing – the lady who ran the Auckland Mission for many many ears for one. Ritchie has choices, and if he wishes to keep company with politics that’s his affair but he owes it to the country to stay neutral on important matters like the change of flag and let the people make up their own minds. Dan Carter should keep out of it as well. If anything they are doing even more harm than good. I know many people who have turned off them and the team because of the farce of it all.
Another thing, I have also mentioned before on this site that he invests in the Retirement Village industry and its a complete rort for the elderly, they would be better off going out renting (out of town if in Auckland) and letting their house out and keeping their equity in their home. Even Mary Holm recommended it. I do not think its good for his image to invest in unethical industries. But then there are many in this country who just think of money full stop and without the consequences of how it is earned. NZ of the year is way over the top, but that’s my own personal opinion.
I agree with all that. Now Richie will be making even more money as the retirement villages get involved with state housing! McCaw has damaged himself by doing this – the timing is very obviously desperation by Key! McCaw is OWNED now! Reputation is very easy to destroy!
1. Our men and women may have died under our flag but they’re buried beneath the silver fern
2. Hes allowed his opinion and hes allowed to express that opinion, mainly due to the sacrifices made by those same men and women who died fighting to ensure our continued freedom
“1. Our men and women may have died under our flag but they’re buried beneath the silver fern
2. Hes allowed his opinion and hes allowed to express that opinion, mainly due to the sacrifices made by those same men and women who died fighting to ensure our continued freedom”
1. Apart from the ones who were blown to bits, and nothing left to retrieve – or those who came back injured, demoralised and broken and wanted no remembrance of their service on their graves. (My point being, this is not a very relevant point for the design.)
2. McCaw is “allowed” an opinion – but he has a very public platform given to him – and pumped up by our PM’s attention, that is not linked in any way to his design, constitutional or sovereignty knowledge.
If he was in any way self-aware – he would not be using this demi-god rugby platform to act as a promotional vehicle for a political movement.
But like Dan Carter, their AB career was just as much about “selling things” as it was about rugby. It is learned, and profitable, behaviour for those who do it.
1. People are saying that because men and women fought under a flag we shouldn’t change it, I’m saying that to honour our dead, the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice our should be similar to whats on their head stones
2. Essentially because Richie disagrees with your opinion he shouldn’t be allowed to express it, is that about right?
Chris, he can mention it just like you and me like most people are – to friends or family, but people like Ritchie and Dan know they are taking advantage of their position to push the case for change. This flag change is an extremely personal decision like voting in a new Government and people who could influence the vote of something like this flag change should keep out of it. I always thought it was wrong to use your position when you are gifted air time, to sway opinion, they are sports people for heaven’s sake – why should they be any different to any other people and nobody else is given the media space to flog their opinions like they. Its off putting for many people and its demeaning for them to use their position this way. Somebody else on this site has said they have been paid for – bought men – what’s that going to do to help their reputation. Better men and women would not take this stance they have.
So why not let me know who is or isn’t actually allowed to express an opinion, apparently Richie isn’t but is Hayden Paddon?
I’m guessing you think politicians shouldn’t be allowed to express an opinion because they may sway someone but are judges allowed also?
The RSA can sometimes be political and are high profile so they better not say anything either
Business people get a lot of airtime so they’re probably not allowed either
See where I’m going with this?
Richie McCaw is allowed to speak his mind because he has the right to, he should not be stopped saying what he thinks simply because some people don’t agree with him
Thats censorship, thats curtailing personal liberties and thats what a lot people died fighting against and thats what the left is trying to bring back and you and everyone else that thinks Richie should be banned from speaking his mind should be ashamed of yourselves
I am happy for everyone to have their say equally. So, to be even-handed and treat everyone the same as Richie, let every other kiwi express their personal opinion in a Herald puff piece – now that would be totally fair to all!
You seem to forget the aspect of responsibility and display of character. Richie McCaw has every right to express his opinion – privately. It amounts to advertisement if it is done through public media.
He did have my respect as he dodged Key’s pressure to get a knighthood.
That is Key the republican who wants to change the flag yet wants to keep Lords and Ladies.
By the way, on my view of McCaw, speak for yourself, not others please.
I can easily guess you’re not a fan of Richie and heres why:
He is perhaps our greatest all black and that means you don’t respect him because as a sportsperson hes strives to be better then anyone else, not the same as everyone but better then anyone else
He gives everything to win, he wants to win more then anyone else and he achieves it (more often then not)
Hes invested wisely in ventures that make him money, a lot of money
He is everything the Right espouses and the Left despises
Living off the poor, elderly, and vulnerable may earn one a lot of money. It doesn’t earn one respect.
So if the Right espouses that sort of morality they know where they can shove it.
He played for team sponsored by corporates so that’s a strike
He strived to be better then his fellow players so that’s another strike
He played through injury so thats another strike
He knows John Key (thats worthy of excommunication)
Hes invested wisely that’s a major strike
The people on here stating crap like Richie shouldn’t express an opinion because hes Richie is crap
You have the nutters suggesting the Richies being paid for this or possibly being manipulated into it and no thought given that he might actually support a flag change
Then you have people talking that his reputation has somehow been damaged because IF it has (I don’t think it will be) its because of the unhinged that have decided that derailing the flag change referendum will somehow impact on John Key therefore Richie is in league with John Key and must be punished
and lets not forgot the people using the sacrifice of our service people to try to link it to keeping the flag (thats just pathetic)
and some of us (yes including me) actually like the proposed new flag and prefer it to the current flag and don’t like seeing the left ignore the referendum, then try to hijack the referendum and finally try to shut down any positive talk about the flag
Reply for chris73 below: “The people on here stating crap like Richie shouldn’t express an opinion because hes Richie is crap”
You are missing the salient point.
I agree with you that everyone is allowed an opinion, but like anyone in an elevated position he should be taking due care and attention to using his high profile to speak about political movements.
He has been assisted by rugby, and the PM’s attention and NZers high regard for the game and players into a position of prominence. His circle of influence is much greater than that of the guy next door. (Even if supposed guy is well versed in politics, flag design, sovereignty and Treaty of Waitangi issues).
Because of that he should refrain from making public statements that seem to be coercing the public to vote in a particular way in a referendum. If he was a member of a political party, then he is using his political platform to speak on politics. No problem there. But he is not.
What he is doing is using – as if he was selling a product – his rugby platform to influence votes. And these votes have nothing to do with rugby, and his area of expertise.
Even though you may venerate McCaw – can you not see a problem with this in terms of people making an informed and considered vote in the referendum?
My big problem Molly is that you want to censor him, dress it up however you like but you want him to not be able to freely express his opinion and thats a slippery slope no one here should want (least I hope not)
Chris 73 – Honest to God man you just haven’t a clue have you about what all of us have been talking about. About knowing when to do the right thing and knowing when to refrain. You need to start re-thinking what’s basically right and wrong – what your Mum and Dad taught you. Simple really – common sense.
Chris 73 It’s only a game for heaven’s sake – get a grip, you would think he was putting his life on the line and had earned a VC – it’s a game and you kick a ball and you are bloody well paid heaps for it as well. He’s not the only person in NZ who likes to win and does, in other fields like scientific research when they find a great cure for something for example.
Mind you he has put his life on the line, all for the money and the game, he will be a walking cripple when he is 50 maybe earlier. Most people suffer from joint problems when they are elderly, these gladiators/AB’s will be hobbling crippled with pain or bionic men long before that. For what – kicking a ball around, older people who have wear and tear pain will wince everytime these players have a shoulder, knee reconstruction done when they are so young, it will all come home to roost – the poor sods. All for money, pity you cannot put an old head on young shoulders.
Good so don’t begrudge him him the opportunity to say what he believes and since hes only a rugby player no one will take it seriously so everyones happy
Chris, you have dishonoured your god with your petulant display here. Richie is far to modest to be discussing things in such a manner. You should follow your god’s teachings of modesty more closely.
All Blacks are a paid for contracted commodity whose incomes are met through corporate sponsorships
The players operate under instructions on and off the field. It is transparent and callow to be used in this way, but that’s the business world of which they are employees
The public have previously, and will see through the propaganda obce again, just as they did last year when McCaw spoke in favour of flag change
I had no idea about Ritchie making comments last year about a flag change, I remember Dan Carter on twitter on election day and he got away with it, so I didn’t deliberately recycle my comment. Paid by corporate sponsorship maybe but I am pretty sure the flag change would not been in his contract, but there is such a thing as a “conscience vote” and he and Dan should have put their clout behind that instead and used it – it would have been accepted just like Ritchie turned down a Knighthood but with the flag he chose not to.
So isn’t paid by someone else and have conditions in their employment contracts?
You do realise that maybe, just maybe Richie (arguably one of the greatest rugby platers ever) born and bred product of a North Otago farm, driven to be the very best he can be at what he does might actually want a flag change?
Of course he wants a flag change, but he doesn’t have to convince others to change as well – we are all quite capable of making up our own minds without having to be lead to a decision. Its probably making things worse by having us needlessly prodded and steered towards making up our minds. Like constant background noise getting in the way of our thought processes.
Are you planning to follow your own advice Kate?
Can we now assume that there will be no further comments from you telling us how much you dislike the proposed new flag and want to keep the existing one?
How many comments have you made like that. Hundreds I would guess. All of them like Richies and trying to persuade us to follow your opinion.
Try putting “Whispering Kate flag” in the search box and see how many you get.
Alwyn – all I have said is people should be allowed, in their own time, to make up their own minds, we don’t need to be told what other people feel about their choices. to try and persuade us in our decision making. Its a personal thing making this choice. I would have loved a new flag if it had been a great design – this new flag is not a great design, its not even a sort of decent design. I am not going to vote for this flag for that reason, its a poor choice and we deserve better. If you think its because of “no name” then forget it, he isn’t even in the equation with such an important decision to make. Don’t be such a grouch.
I know, Kate. You say here that
“people should be allowed, in their own time, to make up their own minds, we don’t need to be told what other people feel about their choices. to try and persuade us”
You didn’t say that though previously. You have proposed, over and over again that we shouldn’t vote for the new flag.
I don’t mind that in the slightest. However it doesn’t go down well when the same person thinks that someone with the opposite view should be told to stop advocating for their own choice.
Would you seriously claim that these examples are not advocating for your own choice of flag rather than just asking people to think about it? http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21022016/#comment-1136456 http://thestandard.org.nz/john-keys-flag-an-exercise-in-optics/#comment-1134485 http://thestandard.org.nz/key-booed-by-rugby-crowd/#comment-1130416
Actually I withdraw the comment about there being hundreds. Dozens is closer
Richie McKey demeans himself. Giving weight (and macho transfusions) to the weirdo prime minister. I don’t mention Carter cos’ who cares about that facsimile upper class ChCh laddie laddie anyway.
For cynicism you take the cake Chris73. And you establish that all this carry on is about Key’s failure, on his own, to reflect anything vaguely resembling thoroughgoing manhood. Effete prick !
They are public figures and either have been roped in or think their public
profile can be influential. I am sure that pollsters have data broken down
by gender from randomised polls .. such as
Expressing your feelings via a twitter sentence on a political issue is a bit different to being part of an orchestrated government campaign, like writing a piece in the herald or being part of a promotional video.
Please. Farrar’s site is jam packed with unmoderated hate speech from commenters.
That’s the issue here, is it not? Not that Farrar himself would become so abusive (even though he thinks that way) but that he allows it from his commenters without moderation.
He’s piggybacking Slater who was the one (ironically) who had a problem with the hate speech comments.
Their argument is that RNZ is taxpayer funded yet the thing that is lost on the slug and the gnome is that their sites are government funded also – through dirty politics. The catch is that this government blurs the line between party and state at will…
Yep. That hate speech flows unregulated from the mouths of his followers seems lost on him.
Of course he and his close friend Slater will argue that RNZ is taxpayer funded. but what they ignore is that their own sites are also funded by the government through dirty politics.
Farrar’s Curia Co. rang me about two weeks ago. It was a political poll and the questions came thick and fast. Just as the pollster was signing me off, he came up with an extra question – which flag are you voting for? Lo and behold within a week the ‘celebrities’ started coming forward begging people to vote for the new flag. The latest being that “Story” woman, Heather du Plessis Allan. In her case she didn’t ask people to vote for the new flag but spent her latest column in the S.H. trashing the current flag.
They’ve got the positives and the negatives covered.
Anne. Have you or have you not called women on here a slut (in only the last few days) and a bitch? They were offensive and I called you on it. You on the other hand stood by your slut comment.
Thus I came to the conclusion that you use terms like that on women you do not agree with, and don’t use it when you agree. Please feel to correct me and I will withdraw and apologise. But your own post seem to back up what I have said.
In the seven years I have been commenting here, I have used those two terms only once each – the s-word a few days ago on a subject for which I feel strongly about, and the b-word at least a month ago. I am of the opinion both individuals deserved the description because of their behaviour. I have never called anyone else derisive names of that extreme nature before and I object to your insinuation that it’s a regular occurrence.
As for the comment @ 21.1… I was not making the inference you have chosen to assume. I did not agree with the tone of the journalist’s article and I expressed as much. Nothing more nor less.
I will concede that you dont use the terms regularly.
However – my point is that it is NEVER ok to use terms like that against women .
[RL: Deleted. You don’t get to shame or silence Anne for her entirely justified anger over Glucina’s slime-ball behaviour, by using it in another entirely different context. Leave it here.]
Clutching your pearls and hooting like a distressed dowager over some ‘words’ from Anne – the giggling man-child repeatedly assaults Amanda Bailey and the best you can come up with is an acknowledgment so limp and perfunctory as to be questionable for its sincerity.
The awkward fact out of the way so to speak you then launch straight into backing up the foulness of the man-child and that odious trash Glucina.
Shall we apply your absolutes to the man-child’s globally televised giggles about whether or not the child rapist/murderer comes to lunch ? Giggling, thus adding to the survivors’ renewed horror.
Since when has Anne used those words? You are a disgrace to this blog and we know what you are going to say as soon as we see your pseudonym. So don’t bother to come here and reduce the level of argument.
Thanks greywarshark but I did use those terms once each recently. One in respect of Rachel Glucina’s disgraceful behaviour over John Key’s harassment of Amanda Bailey. The other was in relation to Josie Pagani’s ongoing undermining of Andrew Little and Labour. That was at least a month ago so James has a remarkably good memory?
TPP and GMO
Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue (which is supported by the European Commission.)
“TACD’s recommendations on the proposed food safety chapter in TTIP”
The TPP SPS chapter includes a provision in the market access chapter to allow import of unapproved genetically modified organisms. There must be no such provision either in the TTIP SPS chapter or market access chapter. Regulatory approval of plant and animal agricultural products produced by a new generation of modification techniques, such as gene drives, could result in trade of undefined “low level presence” of synthetically modified organisms that could establish themselves as invasive species in the importing country.
– The TPP includes a low standard definition for scientific data to be used in SPS risk assessments: “reasonably available and relevant scientific data.” Adopting this low standard would allow trade in food and agricultural products whose risk assessments hide data affecting consumer health from scientific peer review by claiming such data as Confidential Business Information (CBI). TTIP must not adopt such a low standard for use of scientific data. According to the “reasonably available” standard, governments could claim that CBI data and unpublished corporate studies in commercialization applications were “science-based” but not “reasonably available” for independent peer review.
I heard that Nick Willis-2006 Commonwealth games gold medalist and 2008 Beijing Olympics silver medalist (both for the 1500m)-isn’t a fan of a flag change. So, not every elite NZ athlete is in favour of a new flag.
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonathan Foo, Lecturer, Physiotherapy, Monash University pikselstock/Shutterstock In the next 40 years in Australia, it’s predicted the number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double, while the number of people aged 85 and over will more than triple. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Grant, Research Associate, Power Institute for Arts and Visual Culture, University of Sydney Jonas Åkerström’s 1790 work, Session of the Accademia dell’Arcadia on August 17 1788.Nationalmuseum/Cecilia Heisser Ever wondered whether you’d have a better chance at winning an Olympic gold ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Jones, Program Lead, Food Governance, George Institute for Global Health wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock On Thursday, Australian and New Zealand food ministers at state, federal and national levels met to thrash out what’s next for health star ratings on packaged foods. Now, after ...
The Abuse in Care report found many Pacific survivors lost their connections to their culture and language, resulting in trauma that has been carried from generation to generation. ...
In the regulatory review, ECC intends to suggest that ERO focus on curriculum delivery reviews rather than the Ministry, because it’s not efficient or effective to have two agencies with radically different approaches climbing over each other. ...
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori invites the current government to work in partnership with them to develop a pathway forward, including the development of a parallel pathway and meaningful policy and strategy for Kura Kaupapa Māori ...
If you haven’t started watching yet, Tara Ward begs you to reconsider. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. In the world of New Zealand reality television, we have many gems in our crown. There’s the delicious second season of the Celebrity Treasure ...
A new poem by Fiona Kidman. The clothes of the dead I did not keep my mother’s furry red beret for long nor the stringy scarves that adorned the necks of my aunts, although I have kept tag ends of gold, the rings and trinkets they wore, the brooches no ...
The government’s announcement that it will re-open the foreshore and seabed controversy by changing the rules on recognising centuries-old Māori customary title for a third time goes against the rule of law and New Zealand values,” Mr Tipa says. ...
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 Lioness by Emily Perkins (Bloomsbury, $25) Roarrrr! Perkins’ brilliant, award-winning, Marian-Keyes anointed, darkly funny, long ...
The 2004 Act vested ownership of the foreshore and seabed in the Crown, extinguishing any Māori claims to ownership and causing widespread outrage and protests among Māori communities. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images Despite the connection between institutional harm and gang membership made clear in this week’s mammoth royal commission abuse-in care report, the government seems unlikely to soften its “get tough on ...
From Lewis Clareburt in the swimming to the start of the rowing – the first seven days of Paris 2024 promise to be big for New Zealand. There are few events that bring the country together quite like an Olympic Games. Nothing quite matches the excitement of getting up in ...
Groundbreaking local science just showed up in the most surprising of places: the season finale of The Kardashians. In the season five finale of The Kardashians last night, several members of the family gathered together in one of their signature empty, cream-coloured rooms to hear test results that had been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University The Middle East is on the brink of a possibly devastating regional war, with hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah reaching an extremely dangerous level. Washington has engaged in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Elizabeth Eades, Rheumatologist, Monash University Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune illness, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks itself. Lupus can affect virtually any part of the body, although it most commonly affects the skin, joints and kidneys. The symptoms ...
A law firm that specialises in working with survivors of abuse in State care is disappointed that the Government fails to recognise that its boot camps can be directly compared to previous boot camps from the 1990s and 2000s. ...
Dying is a natural part of life, like updating your Wof or seeing your hairdresser, but without the word-of-mouth recs that help guarantee a good service. What if we changed that? Dying Reviews received by The Spinoff have had the names of organisations redacted while Hospice NZ collects further data. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Mike Lewinski/Flickr, CC BY On any clear night, if you gaze skywards long enough, chances are you’ll see a meteor streaking through the sky. Some nights, however, are better than others. At ...
Despite having no bars or other designated spaces for lesbians, Auckland boasts a small but mighty lesbian museum. So how did it get here? The past 18 months has brought increasing hostility towards the queer community across Aotearoa. Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s anti-trans rally in Tamaki Makaurau last March led to a ...
Poneke Antifascist Coalition has invited Wellingtonians to stand in solidarity with the Kanak people at 12pm today outside the French Embassy in Wellington. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University Drones are the signature technology of the Ukraine war. A few miniature aircraft designs were used in the war’s early days, but an incredible array of drones have now evolved. There are different types, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Slee, Associate Professor, Clinical Academic Neurologist, Flinders University Francisco Gonzelez/Unsplash Migraine is many things, but one thing it’s not is “just a headache”. “Migraine” comes from the Greek word “hemicrania”, referring to the common experience of migraine being predominantly ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Australia was slow to introduce minimum building standards for energy efficiency. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) only came into force in 2003. Older homes ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney The past century of human-induced warming has increased rainfall variability over 75% of the Earth’s land area – particularly over Australia, Europe and eastern North America, new research shows. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Heynen, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Energy, The University of Queensland A temporary stadium in the Champ-de-Mars, ParisEkaterina Pokrovsky/Shutterstock As Paris prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the sustainability of the event is coming under scrutiny. The organisers have promoted ...
A night of karaoke and community in a pub that feels like a memory. You’d barely even notice it, unless you knew to look. Tucked away behind a liquor store on busy Constable Street is the capital’s last great pub. Newtown Sports Bar is an emblem of the pub culture ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Wright, Professor in Marine Geology, University of Canterbury Louise Corcoran/Getty Images The decline in the number of doctoral candidates at New Zealand universities is a worrying sign for the country’s effort to build a knowledge-based economy. Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurie Berg, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney defotoberg/Shutterstock Migrant worker exploitation is entrenched in workplaces across Australia. Tragically, a deep fear of immigration consequences means most unlawful employer conduct goes unreported. On Wednesday, however, the government officially launched a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania Paris is about to host its third summer Olympics. While we don’t yet know what the legacy of this year’s games will be, let’s take the opportunity to reflect on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hugh Breakey, Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law, Griffith University In the wake of the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, there were calls from bothsides of US politics, as well as internationally, to reduce the brutal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie University Two high-profile assaults on Australians in Paris have raised concerns about security ahead of the Olympic Games. On Saturday evening, a young woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a ...
Dying is inevitable and, so it seems, is it costing a lot, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here.The cost of dying ...
The government took Joyce Harris's first baby and sent her off to a girls' home. Half a century on - and out of oceans of hurt - it asked her to be a mother figure. ...
It’s the deadliest fictional town in the country, but which death has been the most bonkers? Alex Casey looks back at 10 seasons of The Brokenwood Mysteries to find out. Warning: The following ranking story contains famous New Zealand actors appearing to be dead (not alive). The Spinoff has been ...
Water cremation is the biggest thing to happen to the death industry in the last 100 years. Alex Casey meets the people trying to bring it to Aotearoa. Through a set of mirrored doors down the industrial end of Christchurch’s St Asaph Street, death is getting a new lease on ...
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As a patriotic dual-national I am appalled by reports that after Key-Turnbull negotiations in Canberra only New Zealanders earning more than A$90K pa will be eligible for Australian citizenship.
None of the convicts at Sydney cove, or most aboriginals, immigrants and current Australians would meet this criterion – Vonnegut would have been proud of this Catch-22.
This was not a meeting of ANZ prime ministers, but of ministers for Goldman and Merrill.
Globalism is allowing free movement of nationals and the countries having the most problems with migration are those who have (worldwide) high standards of living and social welfare. It is dropping the wages of the people who live in countries with social welfare and tightening social welfare at the same time. Some of the migrants I know are just in NZ to get the passport and leave for OZ, (while leaving the kids at school and retirees in NZ) so maybe OZ not so keen on migration by proxy via NZ.
Look at Britain – about to have a referendum about leaving the EU because migration has caused massive problems in Britain. (and these countries have a lot more money than NZ).
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/feb/19/david-cameron-deal-european-leaders-paves-way-june-referendum?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H&utm_term=157754&subid=13842748&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2
I’m not sure what the answer is. But in NZ are we going to be able to afford free health care in 20 years time and the unemployment benefit and superannuation – and are we going to be tenants in our own country the way things are going?
I think we should welcome those migrants already here, but halt more migrants until jobs, housing and social welfare allocations in NZ are up to what is required for the amount of new people coming into the country and work out a way to balance the intake so that it is positive and sustainable for NZ and increasing jobs and wages while protecting the environment here, not decreasing them.
The world is a dynamic place and we can’t stay in the 19th century by raising a metaphorical drawbridge. The flag referendum, I think, will opt for no change – but the issue has been put on the public agenda and may recur in unexpected ways.
Our geology makes long-term planning especially fraught. It could take one burp from Rangitoto to crash Auckland property values, another from lake Taupo to kill the tourist industry .. need I go on ?
Australia has serious issues with climate change. Jared Diamond in his Pulitzer prize-winning “Guns, Germs, and Steel” points to the progressive collapse of mid-level towns serving various professions leaving a decaying rural hinterland and mega-cities on the coast.
http://www.jareddiamond.org/Jared_Diamond/Welcome.html
The world is full of futile dreams of grandeur. Search wikipedia for Fhatepur Sikri.
Diamond has a good account of the fall of the Maya.
Enjoy Aotearoa while you can.
“Enjoy Aotearoa while you can.” Quite frankly it will not be long..
“Bruce Bisset: It’s the finish for GE-Free fans
Much as we might like to stay GE-Free, I’m sorry to say the argument is already settled, in favour of frankenfoods – thanks to the government’s slavish acceptance of the terms of the TPPA.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11592432
History will show this as Key’s greatest treason against NZ — releasing GMO’s into our environment and destroying our food.
Can Te Tiriti help against this ? Let’s see. This cursed agreement is yet to be ratified after all.
Interestingly in the Damian horror movies the devil takes over the food supply to bring about the end of the world. Always reminds me of Monsanto tactics.
One does not need to dream up an imaginary entity like The Devil to predict The Apocalypse when we possess the best self-destruct mechanism currently known to man: Ego. Ironically, this is also (!) an entirely human (man-made) construct, an illusion.
Neoliberalism, personal responsibility, individuation, freedom of choice are not ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’ per se but when they rampantly rule our behaviour that is dominated by Ego ‘bad’ things will happen.
Volcanic activity we can not control (although rumoured evidence that oil fracking can induce earthquakes etc) and not at all like signing the TPPA two weeks ago by John Key at his favourite Casino, on behalf of our kids NOW which is obviously going to change the way Kiwis live, what we eat, how we export and the security we have, that is something people can fight!
https://www.lexiconoffood.com/post/reclaiming-farm-trade-terms
Unfortunately, physical reality always trumps peoples desires.
No it doesn’t. It does mean that it’s obvious that we have to plan our population level though instead of just assuming that we can take more and more people.
So do we. Estimations that I’ve seen pretty much have NZ going into continuous drought conditions compared to what we have now and that’s going to mean a decrease in ability to support a large population.
Re 1.1.savenz. Questions and matters that have to be looked at savenz. And dispassionately, so as to understand the situation now, the trend line and to study future numbers and the outcomes from that. The hospital system in Auckland sees all the immigrants, from all the nations, with all the ailments and there is a need for access to nearly a hundred language translators.
So the incomers, as is an old term for new people in a settled community, are here. Their numbers are being encouraged excessively both to bring in their dollars, so boosting our apparent national earnings, or to provide a group of low-paid, hard working, passive workers. And that is causing increasing social stress and our services being put under pressure, even ‘milked.’
edited
@Greywarshark – yep I agree. No one wants to be a right winger and going back to NZ own horrible past of discrimination (Chinese, Dawn raids etc) BUT global migration is not sustainable with a social welfare system the way it is going and governments are just now saying NO to everyone. Before it gets to that point in NZ, governments need to stop and plan.
Right wingers love migration, it is bringing wages and conditions down and consumption up!
But breaching the social welfare pact with Kiwis. How many Kiwis are off social welfare and waiting for operations?
We just borrowed 2.8 billion where is the xtra money coming from?
And is there a relationship to the environment that we want to protect? Should we mine or fish or build houses and cut down forests and make more animals extinct so that we can have more people in NZ and they choose where to live under globalism?
And do people coming into NZ want to have a relationship with the environment or just want to exploit it for personal profit?
My own personal experience is that a lot of migrant friends want to come here, buy a new house, buy a new car preferably a mercedes and live close to a mall as their recreation is shopping. I”m not kidding! These are educated and culture people too!
They don’t go into the natural environment at all, and therefore have zero experience of it or want to protect it.
“Chapter 8 of the TPPA deals with technical barriers to trade. In article 8.6 it seeks to lower such barriers by adopting conformity to accepted standards, essentially saying everyone’s standards must conform to everyone else’s.
Moreover any party must “accord treatment no less favourable” than for its own to any other party’s standards assessment bodies, and even should there be doubt about conformity, the concerned party MUST accept the other’s findings. Note well: This includes both non-governmental and for-profit assessment bodies.
That means Monsanto, whose testing regime is accepted by the US FDA without review, and the FDA’s stamp of approval is in turn accepted as “conforming” by New Zealand, has the power to require New Zealand to accept that there is nothing wrong with a GE product – even one that isn’t licensed in the US!”
Bruce Bissett is onto something here.
Harmonise. That is the word used to smooth the way for compatibility of international systems. Not only Monsanto but how about Pharma, Schools, Hospitals? And what will happen where countries do not harmonise systems?
Never mind the GMOs – US beef – never tested for BSE in spite of the only extant wild reservoir of prion protein diseases (CWD) will compete equally and without labelling beside NZ product.
An own goal only the Gnats could’ve come up with.
@paaparakauta
I can only suggest that you reread the information while wearing you glasses.
The actual figure is $A53,000/year for 5 consecutive years since 2001.
In the middle of the last 5 years (2013) the average full time wage in Australia was $A74,724 so it isn’t really that high.
“The ABS says the average individual wage in Australia in November 2013 was $57,980 before tax. The average full-time wage is $74,724 before tax”
This was from
http://www.news.com.au/finance/money/do-you-consider-yourself-a-struggling-comfortable-or-rich-australian/story-e6frfmcr-1226910189131
Keys announcement will exclude the 30% living in the bottom of the income stream and a lot more higher income earners if they are in a two income household.
I think No Right Turn is misinterpreting things. If a full time working man was to qualify that qualifies his spouse and young children to be included.
If the children were born there they also qualify automatically when they turn 10.
A spouse doesn’t have to qualify in their own right.
In addition it would appear that if you are there now you can still qualify in the future. It is only people who were not living there prior to Friday(?) who aren’t able to take advantage of it.
you have a link for that?
Have a look at this link in Stuff, and related material.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/77076257/How-to-get-your-head-around-the-landmark-Aussie-citizenship-announcement
As far as families go, look at this bit late in the link. It certainly appears to envisage the whole family doesn’t it?
“The main application charge has been set at A$3600 per applicant, an extra A$1800 for partners and dependent children over 18 and A$900 for children under 18.”
For those who don’t yet meet the income criteria look at this comment
“You’re eligible if you moved to Australia between February 26, 2001 and February 19, 2016 and hold a SCV”
It obviously is impossible to meet the 5 years if you went there a week ago so it clearly implies people can qualify in the future.
There, does that help?
ps. Complaints about the cost can be addressed to the nearest Australian High Commission. I don’t believe you can pin that on John Key.
Thanks for the link Yes it does seem that it applies to households. I certainly hope so. My son-in-law and daughter and 2 g’children are there and I think want to stay permanently as National shoved them out 5 years ago.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11592989
Extraordinarily rich of Love Perks Hide to invoke credibility or how the public might feel about the judge.
Given this supreme hypocrite’s rorts on the public you’d think the Herald would deprive him use of the word ‘credibility’.
Rorts??? What rorts (plural) did Hide engage in?
Googley Gossy. Don’t tell me you’re denying. How very ‘living in a bubble right wing nutter’ of you !
Twenty five thousand in aid to his block & tackle.
/
I’d just like to note this addition to the extensive catalogue of Rodney Hide’s ignorance: he confuses the slang term “wedding tackle” with the more prosaic and distinctly inanimate winching equipment, “block and tackle.”
What happens when you think you can tax your way out of a fiscal hole.
http://www.economist.com/news/business/21693213-big-tax-rises-are-driving-companies-out-country-actual-grexit?fsrc=scn/fb/te/bl/ed/
Surely the lesson from Greece is to make sure enough taxes are collected so the hole doesn’t get too big to begin with.
No the lesson is run a deficit to counter unemployment.
This appears to be a straight up comment by the Gosman. ☺
Did I say “Love Perks” Gossy ?
“One night at a top-end London hotel in Mayfair cost the tax-payer $1435.93, …”
My partner and I drove over the Harbour Bridge, Auckland yesterday at 5.15 in the afternoon towards the North Shore and the two flags were flying on the bridge. I do wish to retain the existing flag but that has nothing to do with this. I honestly could not distinguish the colours on the new flag until we were almost underneath it, it was terrible, a mish mash of grey/blue/nothing, I couldn’t discern the white fern at all. The existing flag is an amazing deep blue and the ensign in the corner is very bright and clear and always looks regal and correct as an ensign. The weather was clear with sunshine and a fair amount of breeze to keep the ensign aloft. What on earth were they thinking about when they designed it? Did they make any ahead of submitting designs and hoist them up in different weather conditions. Design wise it looks absolutely terrible. Just my opinion, but my partner was with me on this – up on a flag staff its a bad choice for a new flag.
Christ, It’s basically the same fucking flag, the only real difference is that the Union Jack has been replaced with a silver fern.
That’s the extent of your observational prowess
No surprise you’re regarded as junk bond status here
Be kind – BM is Newton, Einstein & the Borg all rolled into one by far-right standards.
BM why do you annoy me considerably. It is not the same ….. flag, watch your language please, its anything but. The colours of the new flag are a disgrace – they do not show up against a blue sky or any climatic sky – and hey, that’s what the purpose of the flag was for – to be dynamic, show our originality and to bring in an era of change and to be seen well. This flag does nothing to enhance our fantastic talent we have here for true design, and believe me a flag designer had nothing to do with this new design – its just junk. Change the flag if you must but for heaven’s sake do the country proud and design something deserving of New Zealand and which hits you in the eye when it’s seen up on a flag staff..
I fully agree with you Kate, the proposed flag looks like training clothes – new design courtesy of Canterbury or Addidas. I expect a flag to be something that encompasses all of NZ.
You’re wrong BM. If the fern just replaced the union jack and it is otherwise the same flag, the fern would be within the same area as the current union jack up in the top left hand corner on an all-blue flag with the southern cross.
All five of the final designs are abominations. Google & look at the flags of all other countries. The basic design principles stand out clearly. If we adopted this ugly black/blue out of proportion white leaf brand logo we’d be an international laughing stock.
This what you get when you ask people for designs that “represent who we are”. Company signage & clip art.
The white fern wouldn’t work if there wasn’t the black contrast.
Therefore the black has to be considered part of the white fern.
That’s true, but I think the black within the blue would look awful. It’s such a terrible representation of a silver fern as well. Stylizing it turned it into a leaf. I gather the panel did consult at least one vexilologist, but we still ended up with 5 final designs that were all out of step with the general layouts and designs of national flags.Our 5 finalists really do all look like logos.
The design brief was too vague, and apparently (judging by the result) didn’t pay any attention to international country flag design principles. We should’ve done what South Africa did and got a professional flag designer to come up with several designs. It would’ve been simpler & probably produced more suitable designs than the free-for-all that garnered 10,292 proposals ranging from clip art to crayon drawings.
We should’ve tossed out everything on our current flag – like Canada did – & started anew. By far the coolest design I’ve seen is the Tino Rangatiratanga flag. But that’d never be accepted because it’s the National Maori flag, and because its association with grievances & separatist sentiments make it far too divisive. If it had just been designed and submitted now, I wonder if our amateur-night panel would’ve picked it. Probably not.
The Tino Rangatiratanga flag is the only authentically Aotearoan design rooted in our thousand year old history.
Yeah, and I think it’s a terrific design – but even though it’s recognised as the national Maori Flag by the Government, it was originally designed for/by the Maori sovereignty / independence movement and, as well as a lot of pakeha objecting to it on that basis, its possible many Maori consider it theirs alone & would object to it being used as the national flag as well.
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/flags-of-new-zealand/maori-flag
https://www.tpk.govt.nz/en/a-matou-kaupapa/crown-iwi-hapu-whanau-maori-relations/the-national-maori-flag/
Ngai Tahu and Te Arawa apparently won’t fly it in their rohe. Ngai Tahu seems to fly the United Tribes flag on Waitangi Day.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3295467/Ngai-Tahu-reject-flag-as-trouble
There might be copyright / royalty issues as well perhaps.
The Tino Rangatiratanga flag would get my vote.
yep this is my flag too and I am so looking forward to the day it becomes our countries flag – on that day we will have grown up and matured as a society. We will be ready to move into the future and we will be strong.
+1
The two lockwood flags are basically the same fucking flag.
Behave yourself. You will upset Kate. Someone else used that awful word (you know the one I mean) and she chastised him severely.
As Kate said “watch your language please”.
+1
I expected to be typing about SC and Nevada today, but Fiji/ Cyclone Winstone is much closer to home!
This CNN video shows the best track I’ve been able to find; straight between Vanua Levuand Vitu Levu, with the eye over water the whole time. Pretty much the worst possible scenario:
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/20/us/tropical-cyclone-winston-fiji/
This Met service forecast is good too, but will update soon (it currently covers the whole sweep from Saturday avo on).
http://www.metservice.com/maps-radar/maps/tasman-sea-nz
Fortunately only one dead so far, though I’d expect that to rise. NZH live coverage is surprisingly good:
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11592782
Best wishes to all in the path of this storm!
[Lprent
I kept getting a; “You do not have permission to edit this comment”, message in a pink box when I tried to edit the above. Just minor typos this time, so not too important, but could be bad if someone makes a glaring error they can’t correct (edit – this comments’s edit function is fine). Also, I am still getting occasional red flags when I try to load pages. Though there doesn’t seem to be any pattern there and these’ll usually clear up in an hour or so.]
A few more degrees of ocean warming and a cyclone like that will be over NZ.
I don’t think many Maori throughout NZ want the flag changed, they sought an allegiance with the British Crown as they felt the British were the best alternative to the French and the Americans, whether they made the right choice or not is debatable?
I would be interested to know if the Natzis and Key consulted with Maori Iwi throughout NZ on the changing of the flag?
Pretty obviously .. not so.
Well, hey, amongst the abominations was one with a koru. That one probably let the panel feel they could tick the box for “Maori input”.
It’s a good point though. To be honest I was expecting to see more comment from Maori on the issue but don’t recall any getting much air or print time.
Hundertwasser, an Austrian who adopted NZ as his home, designed a nice flag with koru. Maori might have chosen that one if they had a choice. It has been pointed out that the Maori sovereignty flag would not have been the right one for them to gather behind, as it would only confuse its association with themselves particularly and Maori aspirations for their own advancement.
A Hundertwasser type flag was in the last 40 but had to be removed after the Hundertwasser foundation claimed copyright.
As the panel said
“Please note that the ‘Modern Hundertwasser’ design has been removed from the long list following a copyright claim by the Hundertwasser Non-Profit Foundation.”
Hypnoflag and Red Peak were a joke in terms of Maori influence. Just because something looks vaguely like a tukutuku panel or the front of a marae doesn’t mean it represents Maori. Where was the Tino rangatira flag in this whole “democratic” process. A flag designed by Maori for Maori was ignored.
The design panel certainly claimed that they had consulted and that was their job, wasn’t it?
“In finalising the long list we invited a number of cultural (including tikanga), vexillology (the study of flags), art and design experts to review the selection”
https://www.govt.nz/browse/engaging-with-government/the-nz-flag-your-chance-to-decide/open-letter/
Youre supposed to consult before and during the decision making process, not once you’ve made up your mind. This has happened for the flag process, carbon emissions and tppa under this government. Its not consultation or democratic.
Key consults with the hollowmen who along with Crosby textor and the heavy lifters like Joyce etc sort out the agenda, execution and timeline.
What follows is the well observed charade consultation comprised of stacked committees and the msm shillfest.
+1
Until we have grown up as a country I suspect many will vote for the existing flag – it does accurately represent us as we are and where we are at – even if it is painful to admit.
I don’t think American conquest of Aotearoa was ever an option in 1840. The Americans had not even explored their own country at that point in time and certainly we’re not looking for another.
Correct. In 1840 the European Americans hadn’t even slaughtered off all the native Americans yet. They were too consumed with destroying Afro-Americans.
It took until the second half of the 20th century for the Americans to really get into the swing of conducting multiple simultaneous genocides.
The Brits, French, and Spanish mastered it much earlier.
A couple of links for those following the US presidential candidate selection process. The Guardian count is ahead of the NBC one, but doesn’t have as detailed a breakdown, plus there are strangely cutesy animations.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2016/feb/20/nevada-south-carolina-live-results-primary-caucuses
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/primaries/NV
Apparently, rather than coinflips, ties are decide by card cuts in Nevada. Clinton’s luck with these is making me lean towards the literal deal-with-the-devil scenario:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2016/feb/20/south-carolina-primary-nevada-caucus-live-coverage-us-presidential-election?page=with:block-56c8da7ee4b0f2fd18cafb93#block-56c8da7ee4b0f2fd18cafb93
So Clinton was going to walk this one, right? Iowa and New Hampshire were ‘white’ and therefor favourable to Sanders while Nevada….cake walk.
38.6% reporting and only a couple of percentage points in it (51.36% v 48.53%). Wonder what the rationale will be for this latest ‘glitch’ in Clinton’s run?
The 2008 Nevada caucus results were:
Obama 45.09% (13 delegates)
Clinton 50.82% (12 del)
Edwards 3.71% (0 del)
Anything less than a 5% victory margin isn’t going to be pleasing to the Clintons. Currently at 52% Clinton to 48% Sanders with 57% reporting.
god, I bet that animation gets tired pretty quick
live reporting.
https://nvcaucuses.com/
Fivethirtyeight – Clinton is on track to win
https://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/nevada-caucus-south-carolina-primary-presidential-election-2016/
Just tucking this in here for folks to notice …
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/02/sneaky-change-tpp-drastically-extends-criminal-penalties
Yep the change from “provided for under paragraph 1”
became “provided for under Sub-paragraph 1”
A tiny change means our courts would be forced to imprison some-one who dared to add local subtitles to a foreign film.
Drastic! Criminal! Hidden!
Questionaire that indicates the degree of privilege we have. Interesting and thought provoking.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/dayshavedewi/what-is-privilege#.ce3GVKrDM
http://toolsforchange.org/buzz-feed-and-huffington-post-features-tools-for-change-work/
I’m just glancing through an old book on past social history called The Bleak Age by JL & Barbara Hammond.
I put this quote, and point out that this actually happened. A so called civilised society can oppress its citizens as is written, it did happen in Britain starting with the Poor Law of 1834, and it means that this could happen again. Once it becomes the norm, people have to make a huge effort to change that habitual behaviour, to admit wrong policies and behaviour, and completely overturn their systems and their thinking.
This is one example of the Poor Law Commission’s approaches to poverty and treatment of needy humans.
We must not let this happen again to us – now.
Could Unelected Superdelegates Give Clinton the Nomination Even If Sanders Wins the Primaries?
http://www.democracynow.org/2016/2/11/could_unelected_superdelegates_give_clinton_the
Probably. That’s what they’re there for after all – to ensure that the right person wins the nomination rather than the person who the people want.
The justification was to ensure the winner of the primaries (who the Democratic voters want) is electable in a general election.
Therefore, are you suggesting Sanders would be considered less electable than Clinton?
Before answering, keep in mind they may be going up against Trump.
No, I’m saying that the only reason to give a few people more power than anyone else is to have the vote go the way you want it to go and that’s usually against the wishes of the people.
Surely the the person most electable by democrats is the person they vote for and not the person selected by the few people with lots of power?
“No, I’m saying that the only reason to give a few people more power than anyone else is to have the vote go the way you want it to go and that’s usually against the wishes of the people”
Yes I initially gathered that, thus I put forward their reasoning. Which is the grounds they will have to justify their decision. Hence, do you think the argument will stand?
No.
http://observer.com/2016/02/how-the-dnc-helps-clinton-buy-off-superdelegates/
Unlike the NZ Labour caucus, the super delegates want to win the election. A lot of super delegates switch from Hillary to Obama in 2008 when they realized he had a better chance of winning.
Sanders is the best match-up against any of the Republicans and Hillary is the least trusted candidate of either party. Even 35% of democrats don’t trust her. (Nor do I.)
Yep – to ensure the backroom “elites” keep “their” candidate on a leash.
Ralph Nader touches on some points of interest
https://youtu.be/e0OnOpgaAjg
Film The Corporation
Wish some people who frequent this site would watch it and educate themselves.
c73 would benefit were he informed.
Good movie, that.
Pity c73 never watched it.
Self-flagellation may interest you but it has zero interest for me
Anyone seen the post just up on the NZ Herald website late this morning – Richie McCaw wants a new flag! This “big revelation” came to him on the rugby field. So we are supposed to listen to him with reverence and obediently change our flag because of rugby. Rugby is obviously so much more important than our sovereignty, so much more important than all the men and women who died fighting under our flag, and of course having a silver fern on an all black jersey means that it’s certainly good enough for our flag too. It doesn’t matter that the “new” flag is a hastily thrown together tea-towel which looks terrible on a flagpole. I thought Richie was smarter than this – I thought he wouldn’t let himself be used by a very obviously desperate Key and end up looking just as shallow. Obviously there is less to him than many thought! Maybe the New Zealander of the Year is just NOT!
And only the other day Carter came out and said the same thing.
Interesting timing.
Dear Richie. You are just a rugby player. You have a fern on your chest. You also have advertising logos on your chest. You are a bill board. Why makes you think your opinion is so important. Or even the fact that you had an epiphany on the flag and thought that the media must be informed IMMEDIATELY! Very disappointing. Just remember you have (had?) a lot of fans who revered your rugby playing skills, but more to the point saw you as just a humble, no airs and graces, accessible to everyone , Kiwi bloke. No longer. You now appear to be a corporate puppet. So sad.
Never did think Ritchie was deserving of so much adoration. He is a great rugby player, no doubt about that but other than that, he doesn’t come across as anybody really special. Rugby was his career and he was well remunerated for it. So he should play well, he was paid well enough for it, it was his job for goodness sake. He brought some special prizes back to NZ and that was great. How about the many other people who do fantastic things for this country, and do it for next to nothing – the lady who ran the Auckland Mission for many many ears for one. Ritchie has choices, and if he wishes to keep company with politics that’s his affair but he owes it to the country to stay neutral on important matters like the change of flag and let the people make up their own minds. Dan Carter should keep out of it as well. If anything they are doing even more harm than good. I know many people who have turned off them and the team because of the farce of it all.
Another thing, I have also mentioned before on this site that he invests in the Retirement Village industry and its a complete rort for the elderly, they would be better off going out renting (out of town if in Auckland) and letting their house out and keeping their equity in their home. Even Mary Holm recommended it. I do not think its good for his image to invest in unethical industries. But then there are many in this country who just think of money full stop and without the consequences of how it is earned. NZ of the year is way over the top, but that’s my own personal opinion.
I agree with all that. Now Richie will be making even more money as the retirement villages get involved with state housing! McCaw has damaged himself by doing this – the timing is very obviously desperation by Key! McCaw is OWNED now! Reputation is very easy to destroy!
+1 Hami S & Whispering Kate
1. Our men and women may have died under our flag but they’re buried beneath the silver fern
2. Hes allowed his opinion and hes allowed to express that opinion, mainly due to the sacrifices made by those same men and women who died fighting to ensure our continued freedom
“1. Our men and women may have died under our flag but they’re buried beneath the silver fern
2. Hes allowed his opinion and hes allowed to express that opinion, mainly due to the sacrifices made by those same men and women who died fighting to ensure our continued freedom”
1. Apart from the ones who were blown to bits, and nothing left to retrieve – or those who came back injured, demoralised and broken and wanted no remembrance of their service on their graves. (My point being, this is not a very relevant point for the design.)
2. McCaw is “allowed” an opinion – but he has a very public platform given to him – and pumped up by our PM’s attention, that is not linked in any way to his design, constitutional or sovereignty knowledge.
If he was in any way self-aware – he would not be using this demi-god rugby platform to act as a promotional vehicle for a political movement.
But like Dan Carter, their AB career was just as much about “selling things” as it was about rugby. It is learned, and profitable, behaviour for those who do it.
1. People are saying that because men and women fought under a flag we shouldn’t change it, I’m saying that to honour our dead, the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice our should be similar to whats on their head stones
2. Essentially because Richie disagrees with your opinion he shouldn’t be allowed to express it, is that about right?
Chris, he can mention it just like you and me like most people are – to friends or family, but people like Ritchie and Dan know they are taking advantage of their position to push the case for change. This flag change is an extremely personal decision like voting in a new Government and people who could influence the vote of something like this flag change should keep out of it. I always thought it was wrong to use your position when you are gifted air time, to sway opinion, they are sports people for heaven’s sake – why should they be any different to any other people and nobody else is given the media space to flog their opinions like they. Its off putting for many people and its demeaning for them to use their position this way. Somebody else on this site has said they have been paid for – bought men – what’s that going to do to help their reputation. Better men and women would not take this stance they have.
So why not let me know who is or isn’t actually allowed to express an opinion, apparently Richie isn’t but is Hayden Paddon?
I’m guessing you think politicians shouldn’t be allowed to express an opinion because they may sway someone but are judges allowed also?
The RSA can sometimes be political and are high profile so they better not say anything either
Business people get a lot of airtime so they’re probably not allowed either
See where I’m going with this?
Richie McCaw is allowed to speak his mind because he has the right to, he should not be stopped saying what he thinks simply because some people don’t agree with him
Thats censorship, thats curtailing personal liberties and thats what a lot people died fighting against and thats what the left is trying to bring back and you and everyone else that thinks Richie should be banned from speaking his mind should be ashamed of yourselves
I am happy for everyone to have their say equally. So, to be even-handed and treat everyone the same as Richie, let every other kiwi express their personal opinion in a Herald puff piece – now that would be totally fair to all!
You seem to forget the aspect of responsibility and display of character. Richie McCaw has every right to express his opinion – privately. It amounts to advertisement if it is done through public media.
Hi chris73,
Did they decide what would be on their headstones? I suspect it was simpler/cheaper to engrave than a flag.
I suspect its more to do with the fern being more in use than the flag:
https://www.google.co.nz/imgres?imgurl=http://historygeeknz.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/ag18991118-2-17-a2-428w-c32-6297-4514-855-2080.jpg%253Fw%253D584&imgrefurl=http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f%3D20%26t%3D283449%26start%3D100&h=176&w=425&tbnid=SidyOPZvRVqKKM:&docid=HP2lVQj7RAL0UM&itg=1&ei=EH7JVpi3DoOU0gSI37bICQ&tbm=isch&ved=0ahUKEwiY_8y-wIjLAhUDipQKHYivDZkQMwhLKCUwJQ
https://www.google.co.nz/imgres?imgurl=http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f366/Atillathenunns/2010-06-29007.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nzmr.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f%3D8%26t%3D374%26start%3D90&h=500&w=568&tbnid=E-eRmDizPoSFSM:&docid=hdzcXceioFs_eM&ei=EH7JVpi3DoOU0gSI37bICQ&tbm=isch&ved=0ahUKEwiY_8y-wIjLAhUDipQKHYivDZkQMwhaKDQwNA
(sorry about the size of the links)
Interesting time to express it.
Publicly.
It is a political statement.
In favour of Key.
McCaw has lost my respect.
Well I’m sure hes cut up about losing your respect I highly doubt he ever had it in the first place
He did have my respect as he dodged Key’s pressure to get a knighthood.
That is Key the republican who wants to change the flag yet wants to keep Lords and Ladies.
By the way, on my view of McCaw, speak for yourself, not others please.
I can easily guess you’re not a fan of Richie and heres why:
He is perhaps our greatest all black and that means you don’t respect him because as a sportsperson hes strives to be better then anyone else, not the same as everyone but better then anyone else
He gives everything to win, he wants to win more then anyone else and he achieves it (more often then not)
Hes invested wisely in ventures that make him money, a lot of money
He is everything the Right espouses and the Left despises
Sure you’re not related to Mike Hosking?
Go back far enough and we’re all related, even you and I
Living off the poor, elderly, and vulnerable may earn one a lot of money. It doesn’t earn one respect.
So if the Right espouses that sort of morality they know where they can shove it.
I would highly recommend that the Left in NZ should strongly publicize this train of thought to NZ
It’d probably produce a rather strong bounce in the polls
What utter nonsense.
He played for team sponsored by corporates so that’s a strike
He strived to be better then his fellow players so that’s another strike
He played through injury so thats another strike
He knows John Key (thats worthy of excommunication)
Hes invested wisely that’s a major strike
Richie is blue through and through
Crazed….
Pissed is a more accurate way of putting it.
The people on here stating crap like Richie shouldn’t express an opinion because hes Richie is crap
You have the nutters suggesting the Richies being paid for this or possibly being manipulated into it and no thought given that he might actually support a flag change
Then you have people talking that his reputation has somehow been damaged because IF it has (I don’t think it will be) its because of the unhinged that have decided that derailing the flag change referendum will somehow impact on John Key therefore Richie is in league with John Key and must be punished
and lets not forgot the people using the sacrifice of our service people to try to link it to keeping the flag (thats just pathetic)
and some of us (yes including me) actually like the proposed new flag and prefer it to the current flag and don’t like seeing the left ignore the referendum, then try to hijack the referendum and finally try to shut down any positive talk about the flag
So yeah I’m a bit pissed
Reply for chris73 below:
“The people on here stating crap like Richie shouldn’t express an opinion because hes Richie is crap”
You are missing the salient point.
I agree with you that everyone is allowed an opinion, but like anyone in an elevated position he should be taking due care and attention to using his high profile to speak about political movements.
He has been assisted by rugby, and the PM’s attention and NZers high regard for the game and players into a position of prominence. His circle of influence is much greater than that of the guy next door. (Even if supposed guy is well versed in politics, flag design, sovereignty and Treaty of Waitangi issues).
Because of that he should refrain from making public statements that seem to be coercing the public to vote in a particular way in a referendum. If he was a member of a political party, then he is using his political platform to speak on politics. No problem there. But he is not.
What he is doing is using – as if he was selling a product – his rugby platform to influence votes. And these votes have nothing to do with rugby, and his area of expertise.
Even though you may venerate McCaw – can you not see a problem with this in terms of people making an informed and considered vote in the referendum?
My big problem Molly is that you want to censor him, dress it up however you like but you want him to not be able to freely express his opinion and thats a slippery slope no one here should want (least I hope not)
Chris 73 – Honest to God man you just haven’t a clue have you about what all of us have been talking about. About knowing when to do the right thing and knowing when to refrain. You need to start re-thinking what’s basically right and wrong – what your Mum and Dad taught you. Simple really – common sense.
If you think silencing someone for expressing an opinion is justified in this situation then I feel nothing but pity for you
Read what I said.
You are speaking utter claptrap.
And I suspect it is dishonest.
Chris 73 It’s only a game for heaven’s sake – get a grip, you would think he was putting his life on the line and had earned a VC – it’s a game and you kick a ball and you are bloody well paid heaps for it as well. He’s not the only person in NZ who likes to win and does, in other fields like scientific research when they find a great cure for something for example.
Mind you he has put his life on the line, all for the money and the game, he will be a walking cripple when he is 50 maybe earlier. Most people suffer from joint problems when they are elderly, these gladiators/AB’s will be hobbling crippled with pain or bionic men long before that. For what – kicking a ball around, older people who have wear and tear pain will wince everytime these players have a shoulder, knee reconstruction done when they are so young, it will all come home to roost – the poor sods. All for money, pity you cannot put an old head on young shoulders.
Good so don’t begrudge him him the opportunity to say what he believes and since hes only a rugby player no one will take it seriously so everyones happy
Well I for one don’t take any notice of what he says – even though he (like I) plays the bag pipes.
Chris, you have dishonoured your god with your petulant display here. Richie is far to modest to be discussing things in such a manner. You should follow your god’s teachings of modesty more closely.
All Blacks are a paid for contracted commodity whose incomes are met through corporate sponsorships
The players operate under instructions on and off the field. It is transparent and callow to be used in this way, but that’s the business world of which they are employees
The public have previously, and will see through the propaganda obce again, just as they did last year when McCaw spoke in favour of flag change
Recycled comments perhaps ?
I had no idea about Ritchie making comments last year about a flag change, I remember Dan Carter on twitter on election day and he got away with it, so I didn’t deliberately recycle my comment. Paid by corporate sponsorship maybe but I am pretty sure the flag change would not been in his contract, but there is such a thing as a “conscience vote” and he and Dan should have put their clout behind that instead and used it – it would have been accepted just like Ritchie turned down a Knighthood but with the flag he chose not to.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/richie-mccaw-favours-silver-fern-flag-2015083118
“I think it’s great that there is a debate about it. The All Blacks – the silver fern is what it means to be a Kiwi,” he says.
“Wearing the black jersey, I’m obviously biased in that regard. So if something like that was a change, I’d be more than happy with that.”
So isn’t paid by someone else and have conditions in their employment contracts?
You do realise that maybe, just maybe Richie (arguably one of the greatest rugby platers ever) born and bred product of a North Otago farm, driven to be the very best he can be at what he does might actually want a flag change?
Of course he wants a flag change, but he doesn’t have to convince others to change as well – we are all quite capable of making up our own minds without having to be lead to a decision. Its probably making things worse by having us needlessly prodded and steered towards making up our minds. Like constant background noise getting in the way of our thought processes.
Are you planning to follow your own advice Kate?
Can we now assume that there will be no further comments from you telling us how much you dislike the proposed new flag and want to keep the existing one?
How many comments have you made like that. Hundreds I would guess. All of them like Richies and trying to persuade us to follow your opinion.
Try putting “Whispering Kate flag” in the search box and see how many you get.
Alwyn – all I have said is people should be allowed, in their own time, to make up their own minds, we don’t need to be told what other people feel about their choices. to try and persuade us in our decision making. Its a personal thing making this choice. I would have loved a new flag if it had been a great design – this new flag is not a great design, its not even a sort of decent design. I am not going to vote for this flag for that reason, its a poor choice and we deserve better. If you think its because of “no name” then forget it, he isn’t even in the equation with such an important decision to make. Don’t be such a grouch.
I know, Kate. You say here that
“people should be allowed, in their own time, to make up their own minds, we don’t need to be told what other people feel about their choices. to try and persuade us”
You didn’t say that though previously. You have proposed, over and over again that we shouldn’t vote for the new flag.
I don’t mind that in the slightest. However it doesn’t go down well when the same person thinks that someone with the opposite view should be told to stop advocating for their own choice.
Would you seriously claim that these examples are not advocating for your own choice of flag rather than just asking people to think about it?
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21022016/#comment-1136456
http://thestandard.org.nz/john-keys-flag-an-exercise-in-optics/#comment-1134485
http://thestandard.org.nz/key-booed-by-rugby-crowd/#comment-1130416
Actually I withdraw the comment about there being hundreds. Dozens is closer
He’s a “product” now? Yep he sure is, bought and sold. Kind of sad really – he’s no Peter Blake or Edmund Hillary , that’s for sure!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/the-flag-debate/77109006/richie-mccaw-weighs-in-on-flag-debate-in-favour-of-change
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11591390
The big guns are coming out (not Bob Parker) to play
It’s so *boringly* predictable. Key has spent too long staring at a Forex screen
and has long ago lost touch with reality.
Its boringly predictable because it works
It’s still boring.
“It’s still boring.”
🙂
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11593172
Richie McKey demeans himself. Giving weight (and macho transfusions) to the weirdo prime minister. I don’t mention Carter cos’ who cares about that facsimile upper class ChCh laddie laddie anyway.
Actually it underlines the fact that Fern equals Rugby. Carter+McCaw = Rugby. So credibility? Nah.
I’m feeling a lot more confident about the flag change now but we just need one more person to tip the balance even further…
http://static2.stuff.co.nz/1342580903/407/7302407_600x400.jpg
http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/7/s/r/v/k/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620×349.17sxhm.png/1446370823055.jpg
http://www.gettyimages.co.nz/detail/news-photo/codie-taylor-sam-cane-kieran-read-and-willie-apiata-enjoy-a-news-photo/495165620
Wonder who else we can call on…
🙂
For cynicism you take the cake Chris73. And you establish that all this carry on is about Key’s failure, on his own, to reflect anything vaguely resembling thoroughgoing manhood. Effete prick !
🙂
Chris73 Is 73 the year you were born or is it your IQ? I’m guessing the latter.
Cameron Slater often appears pretty clueless about US politics, but his heading today demonstrates a surprising level of ignorance-
Quote
“South Carolina goes to Trump and Clinton”
Unquote.
Clinton won the Democratic caucus in Nevada. The Republicans held a primary in Sth Carolina.
Next week its the other way around.
Maybe Slater did not personally responsible write the inaccurate headline, but whoever is has no business running a blog commenting on US politics.
Especially when they’re always so critical of mistakes made by the MSM.
Looks like Trump will win the nomimation though.
Perhaps he’s a little worried about paying the bills.
Of course he put the hat out “reluctantly”
Seems to receive a lot of handouts for a bene basher.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/296881/slater-fined-for-contempt-of-court
chris73: .. but they are all blokes ! Last time I checked, half the population was female !
Would hate to be accused of being sexist:
http://www.scout.co.nz/Dan-Carter-and-Maria-Tutaia-back-the-flag-change/tabid/511/articleID/11552/Default.aspx
http://www.silverfernflag.org/supporters.html
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1602/S00223/high-profile-new-zealanders-join-change-the-flag-campaign.htm
Dame Cath Tizard also backs it as well as Celia Wade-Brown
They are public figures and either have been roped in or think their public
profile can be influential. I am sure that pollsters have data broken down
by gender from randomised polls .. such as
http://www.newshub.co.nz/…/poll-shows-most-kiwis-opposed-to-changing-nzs-flag -2016020103
From memory there were a lot on here who were very happy for an all black to say anti TPP tweets.
So public figures shouldn’t. Make comments unless they suit your agendas ????
Expressing your feelings via a twitter sentence on a political issue is a bit different to being part of an orchestrated government campaign, like writing a piece in the herald or being part of a promotional video.
Latest Colman Brunton poll has National on 47%, Labour 32%, NZ First 10%, Greens 8%
https://twitter.com/ColmarBruntonNZ/status/701272151907696640
That’s a huge drop for the greens. I doubt that same result will show in the other poll results.
If it is however – then things are getting more interesting.
Labour’s education policy helped switch few percentages from Greens?
Is see David Farrar is having a cry about hate speech from commenters on the RNZ site.
Here’s a thought David, if you don’t like hate speech – don’t peddle it!
I challenge you to find farrar saying comments like is being posted.
Please. Farrar’s site is jam packed with unmoderated hate speech from commenters.
That’s the issue here, is it not? Not that Farrar himself would become so abusive (even though he thinks that way) but that he allows it from his commenters without moderation.
Is Farrar having a go at Radionz because it isn’t one of his patsy channels?
He’s piggybacking Slater who was the one (ironically) who had a problem with the hate speech comments.
Their argument is that RNZ is taxpayer funded yet the thing that is lost on the slug and the gnome is that their sites are government funded also – through dirty politics. The catch is that this government blurs the line between party and state at will…
Yep. That hate speech flows unregulated from the mouths of his followers seems lost on him.
Of course he and his close friend Slater will argue that RNZ is taxpayer funded. but what they ignore is that their own sites are also funded by the government through dirty politics.
Nice to see you standing up for the people wanting to gas John Key’s mother…. *thumbs up for the red team*
Lol. You sound like furious John Key in parliament calling Labour backers of rapists.
Fyi, he was forced to apologise for that later.
Farrar is keys chief propaganda merchant the pot calling the kettle black?
Farrar’s Curia Co. rang me about two weeks ago. It was a political poll and the questions came thick and fast. Just as the pollster was signing me off, he came up with an extra question – which flag are you voting for? Lo and behold within a week the ‘celebrities’ started coming forward begging people to vote for the new flag. The latest being that “Story” woman, Heather du Plessis Allan. In her case she didn’t ask people to vote for the new flag but spent her latest column in the S.H. trashing the current flag.
They’ve got the positives and the negatives covered.
Gee Anne. You must
agree with her else I guess you would be calling her a slut or a bitch like you have about other women you disagree with.
No, no James. That speech is the domain of Farrar’s crowd. No doubt you’ve seen the way they talk about Jacinda Arden?
Moderator: this rwnj called “James” is now being deceitful and offensive.
and the change from business as usual is??
Anne. Have you or have you not called women on here a slut (in only the last few days) and a bitch? They were offensive and I called you on it. You on the other hand stood by your slut comment.
Thus I came to the conclusion that you use terms like that on women you do not agree with, and don’t use it when you agree. Please feel to correct me and I will withdraw and apologise. But your own post seem to back up what I have said.
In the seven years I have been commenting here, I have used those two terms only once each – the s-word a few days ago on a subject for which I feel strongly about, and the b-word at least a month ago. I am of the opinion both individuals deserved the description because of their behaviour. I have never called anyone else derisive names of that extreme nature before and I object to your insinuation that it’s a regular occurrence.
As for the comment @ 21.1… I was not making the inference you have chosen to assume. I did not agree with the tone of the journalist’s article and I expressed as much. Nothing more nor less.
I will concede that you dont use the terms regularly.
However – my point is that it is NEVER ok to use terms like that against women .
[RL: Deleted. You don’t get to shame or silence Anne for her entirely justified anger over Glucina’s slime-ball behaviour, by using it in another entirely different context. Leave it here.]
You’re a hypocrite James.
Clutching your pearls and hooting like a distressed dowager over some ‘words’ from Anne – the giggling man-child repeatedly assaults Amanda Bailey and the best you can come up with is an acknowledgment so limp and perfunctory as to be questionable for its sincerity.
The awkward fact out of the way so to speak you then launch straight into backing up the foulness of the man-child and that odious trash Glucina.
Shall we apply your absolutes to the man-child’s globally televised giggles about whether or not the child rapist/murderer comes to lunch ? Giggling, thus adding to the survivors’ renewed horror.
Get a life punk. Absolutely !
I have changed my mind on which flag I’m voting for. Richie McCaw is my hero he is voting for the new flag. So that tells me vote change the flag!
Fucking dreamer!
I wonder what the real Richie the Macaw thinks about the new flag. Perhaps he can make a prediction …
Since when has Anne used those words? You are a disgrace to this blog and we know what you are going to say as soon as we see your pseudonym. So don’t bother to come here and reduce the level of argument.
I think Anne answered your question for you.
Thanks greywarshark but I did use those terms once each recently. One in respect of Rachel Glucina’s disgraceful behaviour over John Key’s harassment of Amanda Bailey. The other was in relation to Josie Pagani’s ongoing undermining of Andrew Little and Labour. That was at least a month ago so James has a remarkably good memory?
James has to save up our misdemeanours (in his eyes) to complain about, while we get a large supply to choose from each day from his scrofulous team.
TPP and GMO
Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue (which is supported by the European Commission.)
“TACD’s recommendations on the proposed food safety chapter in TTIP”
(my italics)
http://tacd.org/tacds-recommendations-on-the-proposed-food-safety-chapter-in-ttip/
I heard that Nick Willis-2006 Commonwealth games gold medalist and 2008 Beijing Olympics silver medalist (both for the 1500m)-isn’t a fan of a flag change. So, not every elite NZ athlete is in favour of a new flag.