The most appalling thing about the proposal is the retrospectively. Courts are meant to be there so that citizens can argue their rights have been breached and if established for consequences to follow. The Bill of Rights sets the standards that should be imposed.
If every time a citizen successfully shows that his or her rights under the Bill of Rights have been breached Parliament then turns around and changes the law so that no one else can rely on the same rights then we may as well do away with the Courts. Leave it all up to Key and the Police to decide guilt and innocence. Imagine how efficient it would be and how much money would be saved!
Labour want the bill to go to a select committee. They also opposed four particular provisions of the Search and Surveillance Bill. National will obviously try and use this as a dog whistle. But the principles are that appalling that Labour has to oppose this.
We are a passive lot. Our rights to privacy, and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, have been slowly frittered away by various Governments over the years. while rights to freedom from surveillance without cause have been taken away.
The media have mostly been silent. When they haven’t been actively supporting it, using, mostly, specious excuses about cutting crime.
The skynet bill and the new search and surveillance bill are unacceptable infringements on our rights to freedom from search and seizure.
Already existing laws about survaillance and airport and port security also exceed the rights of search, of ordinary citizens, that authorities should have.
My reading of the events is, Police had to drop the terrorist charges since
no reasonable person would believe social activists were anything more.
as we know, gangs, and terrorists seek lives of privacy, not public
activism. And that’s why the so many of the charges have
been dropped, because the evidence was not lawfully obtained,
since I’m pretty sure you will find in every political gathering
of left or right, some individuals making statements that are
alarming. So how the government can conclude that any of
these individiuals is guilty of anything, or that the case has any
merit because the supreme court have rejected this part of
the evidence, when there is likely to be much more that
will come under scrutiny, and when all the evidence has been
‘discovered’ the court throw does not out the last few cases.
Its just politics. National cannot promise there will be no apology,
or that no compensation will be paid, all they can promise is
no decision will be made before the election. And that’s
why its so disturbing, that National would play politics with
lawful minority political gatherings.
Your reading is wrong. Police needed permission from the Solicitor General to lay charges under the TSA. He denied them because the TS Act wasn’t able to be used in the context, not that there wasn’t something dodgy going on or that a jury would not find the case reasonable.
The SC has rejected the legality of the evidence gathering. They have accepted that that illegality though is outweighed by the seriousness of the charges for four people- so there is evidence that is deemed useful and legal. NZ is not an American TV show where people automatically escape serious charges for breach of procedure.
Is some journalist going to ask Michael Fay if he will end up doing to the Crafar farms what he did to NZ Rail? i.e. systematically pull all cash out of the business and doing no maintenance or upgrades whatsoever on the infrastructure, eventually turning the outfit into a piece of shit.
The blood-sucker is back. God help NZanders from him and the likes of him.
Just in time for the next round of privatisations next year, ready to make another killing.
Are you saying that whoever owns the farms can expose them over time to
foreign ownership? Because we’re been see that for some time as Carfer
did just this, by borrowing excessively from overseas. Whose to say Fey
won’t get the investment money from overseas!
So the problem isn’t ownership, its just how easy it is to give money to
kiwis who then invest it poorly (in housing and farm property bubbles).
I don’t know, what we need is some form of tax to bring the free for
all in capital farming to an end.
A free for all that leave kiwis with borrowing from overseas as their
only choice, which of course is not a choice.
These are farms that failed under NZ ownership and management. If they can make them successful and pay 30mill more for them, why not? Should Fay get a sweet deal because of his passport? Maybe he’d be interested in a railway too…
To counter this, if the Chinese are paying $30M more for Crafer, why should NZ Rail pay more for NZ made carriages than Chinese ones?
15% difference is ok in my eyes to keep the Chinese out.
Campbell Live interviewed him last night. (Good interview.) Fay vowed to not sell farm land. As his example the farm that he bought 40 years ago is still owned by him.
But trust this man? Yeah right!
Michael Fay or the Party of Public Assets (the direct Chinese wording for their communist party, I believe).
Some choice. Pity the government cant buy them and create an agrarian version of Cal-Tech or MIT – or what about iwi – they have cash to burn. They might even make them the basis of a Maori owned milk processor to compete with Fonterra.
Yeah, the words that have been really good indicators of people indulging in bad behavior in the past. I add them there when I have to warn about behavior or ban based on comments that use those words. It simplifies my life because it catches the trolls that find themselves incapable of change to avoid a simple capture pattern.
And between CHCH and Dunedin. They could’ve done a pilot for the RWC to see how it fared and whether it would be worth continuing as a standard service.
Small c catholic simply means universal, so in sense of tastes, eclectic! I am surprised that fact is not more well known… 🙂
I remember my Mum explaining that to me when I was very confused after attending her Presbyterian church as a child, that the creed said the Presbyterian church was ‘catholic’…
I’ve just read the article where it says there has been a $750,000 blowout in keys personal bodyguard budget. In response to questions from ONE News about why the Diplomatic Protection Squad is blowing its budget, Key said: “Trawl through the court reports about how many people are trying to kill me”. Is there anybody out there able to do that. I would love to know eaxactly how many. I suspect it is none and I would love to hear his response to that piece of information
Russel Norman launched the Greens’ job creation plans today and demonstrated a clear difference between a National led future and a Green future. The Greens have practical, fully costed and government led initiatives, while National have a “stand back and let the market lead” approach. The Greens would like to retain national ownership and control over our resources and technological developments, while National is pursuing an open access approach to exploiting our resources. While the Greens will plant trees, National will mine lignite. The Greens plan for a low carbon future and National see coal and oil as the way to go.
and yet again the Stuff censor is hard at work. I know several people who submitted comments between 10 am and 11 am yet those comments are nowhere to be seen.
I guess that even after all of this time you still don’t understand what the moderators are trying to achieve here.
Generally we don’t care much about language, political opinions, and most opinions. It isn’t the purpose of this site to provide a nice safe environment. It is a place to argue robustly and you’d better be prepared to argue your corner robustly if you want to have an opinion here.
We do care about behavior onsite, and specifically about behaviors that bore the crap out of people and divert discussions into meaningless babble or flame wars. This is because we find that this is what keeps people away from online forums like this.
If you want someone to protect you the evil languages and ideas of that nasty world outside, then this isn’t the right place. In fact I suspect that crawling back into the womb would be the best option…
Stuff of course have a significantly different imperative – not getting sued. Unlike us they have a site that is a lot harder to move outside of legal jurisdictional bounds if required and they have enough money that it becomes worth while suing them.
An interesting Q&A from Erin Leigh on Farrar’s Kiwiblog.
Very revealing as to the helpless position a public servant can find themselves in when a Minister of the Crown chooses to slander them under the protection of Parliamentary Priviledge, and they are left defensless and exposed by those who should at least give them basic employment, emotional and what most would see as a safe workplace environment, support.
here is a [really long] link for ongoing reports from Occupy Wall St including a live stream when it is up.
As well as the MSM silence, the Police stopping resupply of food and water, the ongoing Net service difficulties and the selective cellular disruption that is ongoing, Yahoo has been discovered to be censoring its news contributors. SO nothing to see hear then.
‘But as one wit put it, recalling 1951: “A National Government taking control of the waterfront in election year. Worked for them in the past.” ‘
We need a mock up photo of John Key and Sid Holland lookalike.
It seems the voters of the day were happy to blame workers for wanting a decent wage in 1951. It looks like the same will happen this time.
I have seen a recent photo of John Key looking up into the mist and I have seen more than enough photos of Sid Holland when he closed down the media so that voices could not be equally heard, to recognise the similarities both in looks and in actions.
Be vigilant after the rugby world cup; you think it is bad now for the left leaning voices to be heard; you aint seen nothin’ yet..
What else, ummm, advertisements. They’ll be a doozy.
We have the blue movember and the promisekeepers in town soon to tell us how wicked women are that men must lead them into the kitchen and out of equality. Have we had the blue prostate checkups yet?
Not a skerrick will be paid by National for what is obviously a campaign ‘vote for Key’ advertisement.
Look carefully at the ads in the next month or so. If you think there is a conflict of interest there and that Key’s party should have to pay for ‘obvious favouritism at no cost’ just like Peter Leitch recently, then complain to the Broadcasting Authority.
This year is pivotal if we are to retain our autonomy as a country. This is no time for greed and selfishness.
“Look carefully at the ads in the next month or so. If you think there is a conflict of interest there and that Key’s party should have to pay for ‘obvious favouritism at no cost’ just like Peter Leitch recently, then complain to the Broadcasting Authority.”
It’s Jum here. Get your names right. I’m certainly not bitter when it comes to the disgrace that is National these days. They have no credibility and their supporters surely must be ashamed to show their faces. Bitterness no; on the button yes.
Read The Hollow Men. Steps 1 – 10 about how to manipulate the New Zealand voter; you’ll be pleased to know they’re falling for it because they are still trusting. I have no idea why. I really thought Roger Douglas, aligned with the master mask, JKeyll, would make people do their homework on the past lies of NActU, but no.
The only reason you’re attacking is because you know I’m correct. You pondscum have no sense of ethical behaviour, no principles; only greed.
You’re are a bitter wee thing and you’ll give yourself an ulcer. For the record the nat’s are not my party – I’m not a tribal thing like yourself which allows me a bit more perspective to see that there is fuck all difference between labour and national
Thank you higherstandard for these little bits that help me place you.
No, I’m not bitter, really. This is interesting to me – the fact that New Zealanders fall all over themselves for the John Key roadshow, yet ask no questions of him. These are parents with children and grandchildren that will enter the job market as ‘flexible’ labour. Flexible i.e. casualized labour is the way to get an ulcer – no mortgage security when the job might end at any time.
So I’m probably disappointed in New Zealanders, in general, especially those that insist on telling us that Labour and National are the same, when the Labour policies and the National no-policies, except sell everything and give it to the rich which the Act Roger Douglas and the Nat Ruth Richardson and now the NAct Bill English always do.
The difference between the two parties is that Labour/Greens actually think about the future. All the NActs think about is how to increase their personal money supply from exploiting cheap labour. If you can’t see the difference higherstandard, then you need to change your name.
Maybe you’re an Act acolyte? Trying to play the ‘same as’ game and damage Labour’s different and futuristic policies would certainly point you in that direction. If that is the case, and looking at the current Act lineup, I would have to say that you have no standards at all.
The Greens launched their fantastic Green Jobs policy today. It’s a well thought out and progressive plan to move New Zealand forward into a clean and productive future…
A juxtaposition of positions – Same newspaper, same day, same topic – health sector pay
The first is from an at times quite moving article about Philip Gould , one of the architects of New Labour, who has terminal cancer:
The illness has changed him in so many ways, he says. Not least politically. The story of Philip Gould’s cancer could be a parable. Here was the archetypal moderniser who had so lost faith in traditional Labour values that he took the private healthcare route. A surgeon in America told him he did not need the extreme surgery that the NHS had suggested. Gould took his advice and the cancer came back. By the time he returned to the NHS, it was too late. He’s painfully aware of the ironies. “When I came back I began to realise that NHS facilities, particularly for this cancer, were fantastic. Now I wouldn’t go to a private hospital. I have completely changed my view.”
Has cancer changed his political position? “Oh yes. Certainly. No question.” He’s more old Labour? “Old Labour? It has certainly made me more aware … yes, it’s made me more leftwing is the answer. It has made me realise the importance of public service and community. The other thing that has moved me is being in intensive care, which is really tough for the nurses. I don’t know what they get, £35,000 a year? [The highest pay-grade is £34,189.] They do 12-hour shifts on one patient who is seriously ill and then they start talking about Wayne Rooney or whatever, and you realise with that level of inequality it’s impossible to continue to get people to do these jobs because these jobs are based on the sense within society that there is some fairness about the level of contribution and the level of reward and that has broken down. So that changed me.”
NHS staff, most of whom are experiencing a two-year freeze on their pay, are furious that ministers are seeking to compel them to work longer and contribute more for ultimately smaller pensions. Unions such as Unison, Unite and the GMB have pledged to ballot their members, although the British Medical Association, Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Midwives are reluctant to do so.
But the organisation NHS Employers has increased the prospect of another money wrangle by declaring that the NHS salary bill is unsustainable and that local pay deals are needed to bring down costs. It claims that, despite the pay freeze for all NHS staff earning over £21,000, the cost to its members – such as hospital and mental health trusts – of employing staff is rising by 2.4% a year.
And there, in a nutshell, is the problem with consumerist, corporatist track we’re on IMO… I’m unable to see any possibility of valuing the essentials of life and society within the current economic and political system.
NHS staff, most of whom are experiencing a two-year freeze on their pay…
My son is a staff nurse at Welly Hospital, and a good 50% of his colleagues, nurses and residents are British – they’re refugees from the NHS! He wanted to go work in Britain in 2011 or 2012, but luckily, they have dissuaded him from making what would have been a big mistake.
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The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
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The following interview with former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley came about because she features in the new memoir Hine Toa by activist Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku; the two knew each other at the University of Auckland in the early 70s, when they were both took on leadership roles in the ...
COMMENTARY:By Murray Horton New Zealand needs to get tough with Israel. It’s not as if we haven’t done so before. When NZ authorities busted a Mossad operation in Auckland 20 years ago, the government didn’t say: “Oh well, Israel has the right to defend itself.” No, it arrested, prosecuted, ...
NEWSMAKERS:By Vijay Narayan, news director of FijiVillage Blessed to be part of the University of Fiji (UniFiji) faculty to continue to teach and mentor those who want to join our noble profession, and to stand for truth and justice for the people of the country. I was privileged to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Hugh Chittock/Antarctica New Zealand, CC BY-SA As the climate warms and Antarctica’s glaciers and ice sheets melt, the resulting rise in sea level has the potential to displace hundreds of millions of ...
The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
Welcome to the whirring wonders of one brain trying to align its actions with its beliefs within a system it thinks is evil. My brain has been spiralling in a woke conundrum ever since I found out a bookshop I’ve never been to was shutting down. Good Books, a bookshop ...
We repeat our call for criminal justice policy to be based on evidence, something the three strikes regime neglects to recognise – with no evidence that it either reduces crime or assists with rehabilitation. ...
Even Granny is getting tired of Key’s jackboots.
Labour would be wise to not support this bill and yet another abuse of urgency by National.
Aye good editorial.
The most appalling thing about the proposal is the retrospectively. Courts are meant to be there so that citizens can argue their rights have been breached and if established for consequences to follow. The Bill of Rights sets the standards that should be imposed.
If every time a citizen successfully shows that his or her rights under the Bill of Rights have been breached Parliament then turns around and changes the law so that no one else can rely on the same rights then we may as well do away with the Courts. Leave it all up to Key and the Police to decide guilt and innocence. Imagine how efficient it would be and how much money would be saved!
Labour want the bill to go to a select committee. They also opposed four particular provisions of the Search and Surveillance Bill. National will obviously try and use this as a dog whistle. But the principles are that appalling that Labour has to oppose this.
We are a passive lot. Our rights to privacy, and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, have been slowly frittered away by various Governments over the years. while rights to freedom from surveillance without cause have been taken away.
The media have mostly been silent. When they haven’t been actively supporting it, using, mostly, specious excuses about cutting crime.
The skynet bill and the new search and surveillance bill are unacceptable infringements on our rights to freedom from search and seizure.
Already existing laws about survaillance and airport and port security also exceed the rights of search, of ordinary citizens, that authorities should have.
Well spotted Susan and a surprising tone for a Herald Editorial! Wow!
My reading of the events is, Police had to drop the terrorist charges since
no reasonable person would believe social activists were anything more.
as we know, gangs, and terrorists seek lives of privacy, not public
activism. And that’s why the so many of the charges have
been dropped, because the evidence was not lawfully obtained,
since I’m pretty sure you will find in every political gathering
of left or right, some individuals making statements that are
alarming. So how the government can conclude that any of
these individiuals is guilty of anything, or that the case has any
merit because the supreme court have rejected this part of
the evidence, when there is likely to be much more that
will come under scrutiny, and when all the evidence has been
‘discovered’ the court throw does not out the last few cases.
Its just politics. National cannot promise there will be no apology,
or that no compensation will be paid, all they can promise is
no decision will be made before the election. And that’s
why its so disturbing, that National would play politics with
lawful minority political gatherings.
Your reading is wrong. Police needed permission from the Solicitor General to lay charges under the TSA. He denied them because the TS Act wasn’t able to be used in the context, not that there wasn’t something dodgy going on or that a jury would not find the case reasonable.
The SC has rejected the legality of the evidence gathering. They have accepted that that illegality though is outweighed by the seriousness of the charges for four people- so there is evidence that is deemed useful and legal. NZ is not an American TV show where people automatically escape serious charges for breach of procedure.
Is some journalist going to ask Michael Fay if he will end up doing to the Crafar farms what he did to NZ Rail? i.e. systematically pull all cash out of the business and doing no maintenance or upgrades whatsoever on the infrastructure, eventually turning the outfit into a piece of shit.
Michael Fay is not a man to be trusted.
The blood-sucker is back. God help NZanders from him and the likes of him.
Just in time for the next round of privatisations next year, ready to make another killing.
Are you saying that whoever owns the farms can expose them over time to
foreign ownership? Because we’re been see that for some time as Carfer
did just this, by borrowing excessively from overseas. Whose to say Fey
won’t get the investment money from overseas!
So the problem isn’t ownership, its just how easy it is to give money to
kiwis who then invest it poorly (in housing and farm property bubbles).
I don’t know, what we need is some form of tax to bring the free for
all in capital farming to an end.
A free for all that leave kiwis with borrowing from overseas as their
only choice, which of course is not a choice.
Thought I smelled a rat, I did, it was Michael Fay.
So you guys want the Chinese to buy the farms, then?
Yeah, hard choice eh?
Nah. Nationalise them.
These are farms that failed under NZ ownership and management. If they can make them successful and pay 30mill more for them, why not? Should Fay get a sweet deal because of his passport? Maybe he’d be interested in a railway too…
To counter this, if the Chinese are paying $30M more for Crafer, why should NZ Rail pay more for NZ made carriages than Chinese ones?
15% difference is ok in my eyes to keep the Chinese out.
Australian ownership the banks owned and allowed them to be badly managed
Maybe, Because if Sir Michel Fay had been Chinese then he probably would have been hung or imprisoned long ago.
Campbell Live interviewed him last night. (Good interview.) Fay vowed to not sell farm land. As his example the farm that he bought 40 years ago is still owned by him.
But trust this man? Yeah right!
Michael Fay or the Party of Public Assets (the direct Chinese wording for their communist party, I believe).
Some choice. Pity the government cant buy them and create an agrarian version of Cal-Tech or MIT – or what about iwi – they have cash to burn. They might even make them the basis of a Maori owned milk processor to compete with Fonterra.
Why am I on moderation?
You dont seem to apply that to big bruv, who seems to be trolling away (I wonder if he ‘trolls’ on his employers internet. Ahh the irony).
Seems damn unfair to me Millsy…………………………………….
Does the word c0mmunist alert the spam filter?
Moderation is automated. Some words cause you to be put into the moderation queue.
Yeah, the words that have been really good indicators of people indulging in bad behavior in the past. I add them there when I have to warn about behavior or ban based on comments that use those words. It simplifies my life because it catches the trolls that find themselves incapable of change to avoid a simple capture pattern.
Reinstating passenger rail services between Dunedin and Invercargill makes sense for so many reasons.
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.com/2011/09/reinstate-passenger-rail-services-to.html
And between CHCH and Dunedin. They could’ve done a pilot for the RWC to see how it fared and whether it would be worth continuing as a standard service.
Hell – I’d take one between dunedin and its airport!
I have been working quite long hours of late so my brain is a bit buggy, but could someone please explain what the hell this article is meant to convey ???
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/cafe-scene/cafe-reviews/5659169/Don-Brash-ACT-Party-leader-at-Astoria-Wellington
I like this bit:
“I’m not a foodie in the sense that my wife is. My wife is a Singaporean, and Singaporeans tend to be real foodies.”
[much later in the “article”]
“My wife and I are currently separated.”
He says it as if they’re going to get back together or still have some sort of relationship.
“I’m catholic in my tastes.” when discussing fast food is what really had me scratching my head !
He likes take out communion wafers from Jezza Hut? Or a couple of loaves with his fishes and chips?
Small c catholic simply means universal, so in sense of tastes, eclectic! I am surprised that fact is not more well known… 🙂
I remember my Mum explaining that to me when I was very confused after attending her Presbyterian church as a child, that the creed said the Presbyterian church was ‘catholic’…
Hopefully that all the traveling is hell; and he’s gonna retire but no. It’s a fluff piece designed to attempt to make him seem to be almost human.
I Love Chile covers student protests over costs, profits, and the fairness of higher education in unpopular President Sebastian Pinera’s Chile.
Also,The Big Picture: Student protests in Chile.
I’ve just read the article where it says there has been a $750,000 blowout in keys personal bodyguard budget. In response to questions from ONE News about why the Diplomatic Protection Squad is blowing its budget, Key said: “Trawl through the court reports about how many people are trying to kill me”. Is there anybody out there able to do that. I would love to know eaxactly how many. I suspect it is none and I would love to hear his response to that piece of information
Russel Norman launched the Greens’ job creation plans today and demonstrated a clear difference between a National led future and a Green future. The Greens have practical, fully costed and government led initiatives, while National have a “stand back and let the market lead” approach. The Greens would like to retain national ownership and control over our resources and technological developments, while National is pursuing an open access approach to exploiting our resources. While the Greens will plant trees, National will mine lignite. The Greens plan for a low carbon future and National see coal and oil as the way to go.
http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.com/2011/09/creating-100000-jobs-for-new-zealanders.html
and yet again the Stuff censor is hard at work. I know several people who submitted comments between 10 am and 11 am yet those comments are nowhere to be seen.
Not as bad as what doesnt get censored here, or what one poster at the hand mirror (great blog by the way) does.
I guess that even after all of this time you still don’t understand what the moderators are trying to achieve here.
Generally we don’t care much about language, political opinions, and most opinions. It isn’t the purpose of this site to provide a nice safe environment. It is a place to argue robustly and you’d better be prepared to argue your corner robustly if you want to have an opinion here.
We do care about behavior onsite, and specifically about behaviors that bore the crap out of people and divert discussions into meaningless babble or flame wars. This is because we find that this is what keeps people away from online forums like this.
If you want someone to protect you the evil languages and ideas of that nasty world outside, then this isn’t the right place. In fact I suspect that crawling back into the womb would be the best option…
Stuff of course have a significantly different imperative – not getting sued. Unlike us they have a site that is a lot harder to move outside of legal jurisdictional bounds if required and they have enough money that it becomes worth while suing them.
I see a regular contributor to this site has yet again been published in the “Granny” 😉
An interesting Q&A from Erin Leigh on Farrar’s Kiwiblog.
Very revealing as to the helpless position a public servant can find themselves in when a Minister of the Crown chooses to slander them under the protection of Parliamentary Priviledge, and they are left defensless and exposed by those who should at least give them basic employment, emotional and what most would see as a safe workplace environment, support.
The character-assassination of Erin Leigh by the Labour Party is one of the things that decided me against voting for Labour at the last election.
here is a [really long] link for ongoing reports from Occupy Wall St including a live stream when it is up.
As well as the MSM silence, the Police stopping resupply of food and water, the ongoing Net service difficulties and the selective cellular disruption that is ongoing, Yahoo has been discovered to be censoring its news contributors. SO nothing to see hear then.
http://wearechangetv.us/wp-content/plugins/wordpress-toolbar/toolbar.php?wptbto=http%3A%2F%2Fanonymous-worldwide.blogspot.com%2F&wptbhash=aHR0cDovL3dlYXJlY2hhbmdldHYudXMvMjAxMS8wOS9pbnRlcm5ldC1zaHV0LW9mZi1hdC13YWxsLXN0cmVldC1wcm90ZXN0Lzx3cHRiPkludGVybmV0IHNodXQgb2ZmIGF0IFdhbGwgU3RyZWV0IHByb3Rlc3QsIHBhcnQgb2YgdGhlIGFnZW5kYT88d3B0Yj5odHRwOi8vd2VhcmVjaGFuZ2V0di51czx3cHRiPldlQXJlQ2hhbmdlVFYuVVM%3D
MSM silence?????, this was reported by all the major networks in the states, despite only 150 people showing up.
‘But as one wit put it, recalling 1951: “A National Government taking control of the waterfront in election year. Worked for them in the past.” ‘
We need a mock up photo of John Key and Sid Holland lookalike.
It seems the voters of the day were happy to blame workers for wanting a decent wage in 1951. It looks like the same will happen this time.
I have seen a recent photo of John Key looking up into the mist and I have seen more than enough photos of Sid Holland when he closed down the media so that voices could not be equally heard, to recognise the similarities both in looks and in actions.
Be vigilant after the rugby world cup; you think it is bad now for the left leaning voices to be heard; you aint seen nothin’ yet..
What else, ummm, advertisements. They’ll be a doozy.
We have the blue movember and the promisekeepers in town soon to tell us how wicked women are that men must lead them into the kitchen and out of equality. Have we had the blue prostate checkups yet?
Not a skerrick will be paid by National for what is obviously a campaign ‘vote for Key’ advertisement.
Look carefully at the ads in the next month or so. If you think there is a conflict of interest there and that Key’s party should have to pay for ‘obvious favouritism at no cost’ just like Peter Leitch recently, then complain to the Broadcasting Authority.
This year is pivotal if we are to retain our autonomy as a country. This is no time for greed and selfishness.
“Look carefully at the ads in the next month or so. If you think there is a conflict of interest there and that Key’s party should have to pay for ‘obvious favouritism at no cost’ just like Peter Leitch recently, then complain to the Broadcasting Authority.”
What a bitter little person you are Millsy.
higherstandard,
It’s Jum here. Get your names right. I’m certainly not bitter when it comes to the disgrace that is National these days. They have no credibility and their supporters surely must be ashamed to show their faces. Bitterness no; on the button yes.
Read The Hollow Men. Steps 1 – 10 about how to manipulate the New Zealand voter; you’ll be pleased to know they’re falling for it because they are still trusting. I have no idea why. I really thought Roger Douglas, aligned with the master mask, JKeyll, would make people do their homework on the past lies of NActU, but no.
The only reason you’re attacking is because you know I’m correct. You pondscum have no sense of ethical behaviour, no principles; only greed.
Your party behaviour disgusts me.
Dear oh dear Jum
You’re are a bitter wee thing and you’ll give yourself an ulcer. For the record the nat’s are not my party – I’m not a tribal thing like yourself which allows me a bit more perspective to see that there is fuck all difference between labour and national
Thank you higherstandard for these little bits that help me place you.
No, I’m not bitter, really. This is interesting to me – the fact that New Zealanders fall all over themselves for the John Key roadshow, yet ask no questions of him. These are parents with children and grandchildren that will enter the job market as ‘flexible’ labour. Flexible i.e. casualized labour is the way to get an ulcer – no mortgage security when the job might end at any time.
So I’m probably disappointed in New Zealanders, in general, especially those that insist on telling us that Labour and National are the same, when the Labour policies and the National no-policies, except sell everything and give it to the rich which the Act Roger Douglas and the Nat Ruth Richardson and now the NAct Bill English always do.
The difference between the two parties is that Labour/Greens actually think about the future. All the NActs think about is how to increase their personal money supply from exploiting cheap labour. If you can’t see the difference higherstandard, then you need to change your name.
Maybe you’re an Act acolyte? Trying to play the ‘same as’ game and damage Labour’s different and futuristic policies would certainly point you in that direction. If that is the case, and looking at the current Act lineup, I would have to say that you have no standards at all.
Key and Co will offer greed and selfishness; we must look beyond that greed and selfishness and analyse the losses to us as a country and as a people.
The RWNJ’s Freakout!
The Greens launched their fantastic Green Jobs policy today. It’s a well thought out and progressive plan to move New Zealand forward into a clean and productive future…
John Key should stick to keeping jobs going for currency traders.
Jim Nald,
And if all turns to custard for National, Key will make another speculative run on the NZ dollar, just like he did before – no loyalty, no conscience.
Winston has put himself into the Christchurch mix.
And he used the ‘c word’ – twice.
A juxtaposition of positions – Same newspaper, same day, same topic – health sector pay
The first is from an at times quite moving article about Philip Gould , one of the architects of New Labour, who has terminal cancer:
The second on pay restraint in the NHS, and what looks to be imminent industrial action:
And there, in a nutshell, is the problem with consumerist, corporatist track we’re on IMO… I’m unable to see any possibility of valuing the essentials of life and society within the current economic and political system.
My son is a staff nurse at Welly Hospital, and a good 50% of his colleagues, nurses and residents are British – they’re refugees from the NHS! He wanted to go work in Britain in 2011 or 2012, but luckily, they have dissuaded him from making what would have been a big mistake.