Open mike 21/09/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 21st, 2015 - 50 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

openmikeOpen mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

50 comments on “Open mike 21/09/2015 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  2. adam 2
    21 September 2015 at 7:22 am

    It was great to see a reflective piece from mickysavage yesterday. Politics as the media would like it, would be 30 sec sound bits and move on. Funny how in line with the current government that line of thinking is.

    But, the reality is – politics impacts on peoples lives. It was wonderful to see many people write about that, really well. I know I appreciated it.

    I think people forget they are the ones with the true power. If they take the time to reflect. And I suppose that is what I’m say, the great majority on a treadmill of constant pressure and worry/stress – they hardly get the time to just stop and reflect on issues.

    The social aspect, of socialism needs to be promoted – it is in this space, that people get to reflect.

  3. The Chairman 3
    21 September 2015 at 8:21 am

    Latest poll: Winston Peters Kingmaker

    Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/poll-shows-winston-peters-kingmaker-again-2015092020#ixzz3mIqoqZka

    Which way will Peters go?

    Josie Pagani: Labour needs to upset some people and take some risk

    http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/panel-discuss-jacinda-ardern-new-australian-leader-video-6390531

    Thoughts?

  4. vto 4
    21 September 2015 at 8:22 am

    It is no wonder that Richie McCaw is a great fan of John Key. Both think the ends justify the means. In fact it is a basic right wing trait – cheat and lie and deceive to “win”.

    Bunch of losers

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/opinion/72236294/cheating-richie-mccaw-provides-fuel-for-critics-at-rugby-world-cup

  5. jenny kirk 5
    21 September 2015 at 8:23 am

    In the Herald this morning – talking about a homeless man. It is absolutely disgraceful that Housing NZ no longer operates a waiting list, nor deals with prospective tenants. It has wiped its hands of the need to house extra people.

    Housing NZ referred calls to the Ministry of Social Development, saying it only dealt with tenants. It also said it no longer operated the waiting lists for its own houses.

    An MSD spokeswoman said there were 4541 people “on the social housing register” – the name currently given to the waiting list.

  6. Tautoko Mangō Mata 6
    21 September 2015 at 8:27 am

    TPPA- 19 Sept 2 015An analysis of intellectual property and digital rights from Drew Wilson on Canada’s FreezeNet.

    His conclusions:
    “Still, what we were able to find, there are some definite winners and losers. The winners, as far as we can determine, would be major corporations in the music industry, film industry, and major software development corporations such as Microsoft, Apple, and Sony to name a few. The losers, on the other hand, are consumers, users, citizens, consumer rights advocates, free speech, democracy, privacy, and a whole lot more. If you value your personal rights, you would be against this.
    Many who do follow this have one very common concern about this: secrecy. If advocates for the trade deal say this is great for everyone, why keep the details and the text secret? For many, it has an air of “they have something to hide” and seeing leaks like this only justifies that belief.”

    http://www.freezenet.ca/an-analysis-of-the-latest-tpp-leak/

    • Tautoko Mangō Mata 6.1
      21 September 2015 at 10:01 am

      Also on the topic of TPPA and TTIP:
      Here is a Greenpeace comment on the EU proposal for a new Investor State Dispute system.

      16 September 2015
      by greenpeace — last modified 16 September 2015

      The European Commission’s modified plan for an Investment Court System under an EU-US trade agreement (known as TTIP) continues to give foreign investors a privileged justice system to challenge EU standards on the environment, health or social rights, warned Greenpeace. As long as the Commission is not prepared to reopen foreign investor privileges in the separate EU-Canada trade agreement (known as CETA), the changes announced today would be ineffective, said Greenpeace.

      EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström recently said that she was not prepared to modify the CETA agreement, which contains a different mechanism to settle investment disputes. Corporations with a Canadian subsidiary could resort to private courts under CETA. The Commission recognises in today’s plan that what it describes as “treaty shopping” is likely to be a problem, but fails to clarify how its provisions to prevent it would actually work.

      Greenpeace EU legal strategist Andrea Carta said: “The EU-Canada agreement could work as a back door allowing multinationals to circumvent any improvements against private corporate justice in TTIP.”
      http://linkis.com/z0lDu

      It is good that the EU Commission has put the proposal out there into the public arena. It also reinforces the fact that the TPPA has been kept secret because of the complicity of the negotiators like Tim Groser. There is no excuse for making regulations and rules in secret, signing them off and expecting the uninformed public to accept them when they are revealed (as a fait accompli) to show that the public have had their sovereignty diminished.

  7. arkie 7
    21 September 2015 at 9:08 am

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/rural/284768/agresearch-'to-axe-20-percent-of-science-staff‘

    “AgResearch is to announce this week that 20 percent of its science staff are being made redundant.

    “But Waikato University agribusiness professor Jacqueline Rowarth said she had also heard redundancy announcements were imminent and the numbers she had been told were more than 20 percent of science staff.

    “I thought it was actually over 80 that they were laying off,” said Ms Rowarth. “And the challenge with understanding what they mean by science staff is, are they actually scientists with PhDs, are they the researchers in general or are they technical people doing that valuable work supporting the scientists?”

    “This is a major concern for a group that is supposed to be pushing back the frontiers of science,” she said.

    “What I would generally say with scientists is that while I hear AgResearch scientists are not engaged with AgResearch, you bet they are engaged with their own work and trying to push back the frontiers of agricultural science for the benefit of New Zealand. ”

    This is incredibly disappointing. Science and specifically agricultural science is central to the development and advancement of our industries and economy. How can we encourage our students to enter the sciences if this is how we treat working scientists? Yet another thing to privatise?

    • Psycho Milt 7.1
      21 September 2015 at 12:21 pm

      Key’s a corporate weasel. He won’t have any respect for or see any point in funding scientific research, except at its most applied levels where there’s a clear return on investment, ie product development. His government mostly consists of other corporate weasels or under-educated buffoons. It’s been a grim outlook for crown research institutes for the last seven years and that outlook will continue as long the current government does.

  8. millsy 8
    21 September 2015 at 9:32 am

    Syriza has won the Greek election overnight. Despite their capitualtion to the EU the Greeks has decided that they would rather be screwed over under Tspiras than the old guard.

    • swordfish 8.1
      21 September 2015 at 9:44 am

      Yep.

      Syriza (Left) 35%
      New Democracy (Right) 28%
      Golden Dawn (Far Right) 7%
      Pasok (Centre Left) 6%

      The strongly anti-austerity minority of Syriza MPs left the party to join Popular Unity – but unfortunately the Left-wing PU only received 3% of the vote, not quite enough to win any seats.

      http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34307795

      http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/sep/20/greek-general-election-results-alexis-tsipras-syriza-meimarakis-new-democracy-live#block-55ff06d5e4b00e7fa1597f67

      But will Syriza slowly transform into tomorrow’s Pasok ?

      • Olwyn 8.1.1
        21 September 2015 at 10:52 am

        In light of what you are saying here about Syriza, I think that this post by Stephanie Rogers is one of the most important posts of this year. http://thestandard.org.nz/labour-values-are-more-than-a-talking-point/

        It seems like Syriza has won the election because people see them as having been defeated, hopefully temporarily, by the EU establishment rather than acting as its proxies. This translates into believing that they will advance the interests of the Greek people where the opportunity arises, rather than try to persuade them that their interests and the EU’s demands coincide.

        I point to Stephanie’s article because it stresses the importance of positioning – without it the relation between means and ends gets obfuscated. For example, English’s end in selling social housing is privatisation, but we are told it is a means for putting social housing in more suitable hands. And their is a difference between addressing climate change as an end in itself and using the idea of climate change to the end of breaking a miners’ union. Syriza may have caved to the EU, but so far at least, they do not share the same ends, and this shows in their positioning.

      • Pasupial 8.1.2
        21 September 2015 at 11:08 am

        The Greek; “reinforced proportionality”, system seems a bit strange from here on the other side of the world. At least their 3% threshold is more democractic than our own 5%, but the 50 seat winner’s bonus is unsettling. That’s a sixth of the seats in parliament!

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_Greece#Electoral_system

        93.68% of votes counted towards 250 seats, so Syriza would have got 38% of these proportionately. But with the bonus sixth get 48% of the parliamentary seats (95+50) off 36% of the vote.

        At 89% counted, Popular Unity are 0.14% (6568 votes) short of achieving representation. But even in the unlikely event they get that off specials, and the late count, that’d only give them 8 seats. They are looking more like the Popular Front of Hellena at this stage.

  9. millsy 9
    21 September 2015 at 9:35 am

    If agriculture is as important to us as everyone says it is, then AgResearch should be at the vanguard of R and D. But it seems that this is a case of pubkic bad, private good.

  10. swordfish 10
    21 September 2015 at 9:56 am

    British Army General comes pretty damn close to threatening military coup if a Corbyn-led Labour Party won a future Election.

    Hi @BritishArmy. One of your generals is threatening a coup in The Sunday Times. Any chance of an investigation?! pic.twitter.com/nk6kZQ0zG9— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) September 20, 2015

    • vto 10.1
      21 September 2015 at 12:00 pm

      Not a single military can be trusted to not turn its guns on the people it purports to protect.

      In fact this is the history of all militaries, including NZ’s. Well, in fact, NZ’s isn’t actually NZ’s it is the crown’s, tasked with protecting the crown’s position. If the position of the people of NZ happen to line up with the position of the crown then we can expect protection, but if the two positions do not line up then the people lose.

      Never trust an army
      Ever

  11. swordfish 11
    21 September 2015 at 10:24 am

    The influx of people signing-up to be British Labour Party members in the wake of
    Corbyn’s victory means the Party’s membership is now greater in number than that of the Conservative, Lib Dem and SNP Parties combined. Labour has been transformed into a genuine, mass-participatory, grassroots movement.

    Polling evidence over the last couple of decades suggests that – in terms of policy positions – the British electorate remains almost as ideologically polarized as it was during the Thatcher years. Under Blair/Brown, meanwhile, the major parties (ie political elites) greatly
    de-polarised, moving towards tweedledum / tweedledee politics, with Labour capitulating to the neo-liberal (most recently, pro-austerity) elite consensus.

    The rise of Corbyn on the back of a burgeoning new social movement is a corrective realignment, returning to polarized parties for a polarized British Public, albeit with major issues like Immigration cutting across the divide.

    • weka 11.1
      21 September 2015 at 12:40 pm

      Is that membership increase likely to translate into increased membership input into how UK Labour operates? I think Corbyn said that there would be changes whereby members can be more involved in policy development, but am unclear how that actually works there.

      as an aside to that Swordfish, the GP had something like 6,000 members a year ago and are seeking to double that this year. In a NZ context is 6,000 a lot for a party the size of the Greens?

      http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1509/S00261/lisa-owen-interviews-green-party-co-leader-james-shaw.htm

      • swordfish 11.1.1
        21 September 2015 at 4:16 pm

        I’ll take the Green Party membership question first…

        “is 6,000 a lot for a Party the size of the Greens ?”

        Yeah, a pretty good number, especially if they’re on target to doubling that figure (although you always have to be a little bit wary of claimed numbers from party officials). Represents maybe 2-4% of Green voters (depending how far it’s grown over the last couple of years)

        Compare to the historic membership of other parties in NZ

        What’s happened over the last 60 years (hand in hand with the partisan de-alignment of voters) is a quite dramatic fall in membership of the two major parties (despite occasional, short-lived revivals).

        It was estimated that about a quarter of all NZ adults were members of one or other of the two main parties in the 50s (nothing like that sort of participation rate anywhere else in the western world) …….. by the 1990s that had fallen to just 2%

        Labour

        When Labour first took power in 1935, it only had a branch membership of just over 8,000 (albeit with a larger TU affiliate membership) ( = about 2% of Labour voters)

        By the 1938 Election, it had surged to a little over 50,000 ( = 9% of Labour voters)

        Stayed at about that level (or a little lower) through the 40s and 50s, then a spectacular collapse to only about 14,000 by the late 60s / early 70s ( = 2% of Labour voters) . Mainly due to a mass exit (or at least membership lapse) by working (rather than middle) class supporters (which, in turn, aided the rise of middle class activism in the Party and dominance of caucus over the following 20 years)

        Party Presidents Arthur Faulkner and especially Jim Anderton rejuvenated the Party through the late 70s and early 80s with a modernisation drive that purportedly massively increased membership to as much as 60-80,000 (roughly 8% of Labour voters) (including my parents who had previously let their membership lapse). It has to be said Anderton was one of the most dynamic Presidents Labour’s ever had (and members knew it at the time, too). Though he was helped, of course, by Muldoon’s inate ability to massively polarise the electorate.

        By the end of the Fourth Labour / First ACT Government in 1990 and all the profound disillusionment that went with it, membership numbers had drastically sunk to a new low of around 7,000 (not much more than 1% of all Labour voters) (I think Micky has said he let his membership lapse around this time).

        So, it had basically become a low-membership, elite-driven cadre party.

        Reached its nadir in the immediate wake of Clark toppling Moore in 1994. Jack Elder, caucus secretary and member of Moore’s Right faction leaked membership figures to the press, revealing that it had fallen from 5,600 the year before to just 3,600. (So, probably half or less of current Green Party membership)

        By 2002 Election, it had risen to 14,000 (with Labour’s rising fortunes)

        Then by 2008, it had shrunk again to around 10,000 (with Labour’s declining fortunes)
        ( = a little over 1% of Labour voters)

        So, if that 6,000 claim by the Greens is correct, and if their numbers are continuing to rise , they may just be getting fairly close to Labour’s membership numbers. Which is extraordinary ……. (although it’s been said that Labour’s numbers are rising too)

        National

        In the 50s, the Nats were supposed to be the largest voluntary organisation in the country and allegedly one of the largest mass membership parties in the world (relative to population)

        But it’s generally agreed that they grossly inflated their numbers with a very loose definition of “member”. My great aunt once bought a raffle ticket from them in the late 50s and suddenly discovered that this apparently now made her a member of the Karori branch of the National Party.

        In 1938, a couple of years after it was formed the Party claimed 100,000 (26% of all Nat voters) (though most of that was the combined membership from the former Reform and United (Liberal) Parties. They weren’t all new members).

        By 1946 180,000 (35% of Nat voters)

        It claimed 250,000 members in 1960 (representing 45% of its total vote at that year’s election – although, like I say, including many raffle ticket buyers like my great aunt, totally unaware that they were actually members)

        By the early 70s, it had fallen dramatically to about 145,000 (25% of Nat voters), but that was still, of course, vastly larger than Labour’s membership at the time. Then shot up during the early years of the Muldoon government to about 200,000 (mid-late 70s) (close to 30% of Nat voters), before plummeting to 100,000 by the mid 80s.

        National’s membership apparently revived a little during Labour’s turmoil in the late 80s but then …….

        ……. The sheer extremism of the Bolger/Richardson Government tore the absolute living heart out of the Party, whole branches (and, in particular, older members) left en masse, so that it collapsed to about 30-40,000 in the early-mid 90s (only around 5% of Nat voters)

        So, National completely lost its long-standing, broad-base mass membership.

        Membership continued to spiral down throughout the late 90s / early zeros to possibly below 20,000.

        Not sure of more recent figures, but there’s presumably been a bit of a revival since Key. (probably = about 3% of Nat voters)

        So, Labour membership maybe 1-2% of its voters
        National membership perhaps 3% of its voters
        Green membership 2-4% (if they make it to 12,000, they’ll be close to 5% of their voters)

        • John Shears 11.1.1.1
          21 September 2015 at 5:37 pm

          Thanks for your research SF interesting info.

        • Draco T Bastard 11.1.1.2
          21 September 2015 at 6:05 pm

          But it’s generally agreed that they grossly inflated their numbers with a very loose definition of “member”. My great aunt once bought a raffle ticket from them in the late 50s and suddenly discovered that this apparently now made her a member of the Karori branch of the National Party.

          I’ve heard that fathers were signing up their wives and children into the National Party – often without the knowledge of the wives and children and some of the children still being in the cradle:

          National’s success in the 1950s to 1970s was built on a low-fee broad membership recruited by face-to-face canvassing by elected officials and other active members, which by the early 1970s was claimed by party officials to be around 200,000, a high figure in a population of three million. While most members were passive—whole Families were signed up—the large subscriber membership meant there were National party members in almost every society, association, club and special interest organisation, ranging from national and regional business lobby groups such as Federated Farmers, the Manufacturers and Retailers Federations and the Chambers of Commerce, through professional associations such as the Law and Accountants Societies to local business and ratepayers associations—and throughout the less formal local business network organisations such Rotary and Lions clubs informal sports and other clubs.

          NZ Government and Politics, Fourth Edition, page 368

          My bold.

          I suspect that a large part of the drop in National Party membership has come about because of the tightening rules about who can join a political party such as being over 18 and having to sign for themselves.

  12. shorts 12
    21 September 2015 at 11:47 am

    when life imitates art

    david cameron and #piggate

    Black Mirror “The National Anthem”

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Black_Mirror_episodes#Series_1_.282011.29

    hilarity and disgust abound

  13. McFlock 13
    21 September 2015 at 12:13 pm

    Hmmm.

    It’s a sitting day in parliament, isn’t it?
    Should someone get David Seymour to blow into a bag? That might not be uranium on his breath…

    • weka 13.1
      21 September 2015 at 12:28 pm

      want to give us a clue?

      • McFlock 13.1.1
        21 September 2015 at 12:48 pm

        lol
        thing came up in my facebook feed about how he was in the pub this morning watching rugby – “Can you believe some people tried to keep this illegal!”

        Nobody tried to keep rugby illegal. Nobody even said the pubs couldn’t apply for special licenses.

  14. Morrissey 14
    21 September 2015 at 1:39 pm

    “Matthew’s quite right….I actually tend to agree with Matt.”
    Hooton talks, Mike Williams agrees with nearly everything
    From the Left and From the Right, Radio NZ National, 21/9/15
    Lynn Freeman, Matthew Hooton, Mike Williams

    lackey /ˈlaki/ n. 1. a servile follower; hanger-on 2. a liveried male servant or valet 3. a person who is treated like a servant

    Mike Williams was in the same class at Karamu High School as the late right wing ranter, Paul Holmes. One wonders if he allowed Holmes to dominate all conversation as he allows another right wing ranter to do every Monday morning on Radio NZ National.

    I tuned in a few minutes into today’s edition of this long-running comedy of embarrassment. Maybe I missed something good at the start. The very first words I heard were: “Matthew’s quite right.” Things continued in that vein, with Hooton doing all the talking, and Williams murmuring agreement. There WAS one moment when Williams actually stirred himself to express disagreement with Hooton, but otherwise it was all “Matthew’s quite right”, “I actually tend to agree with Matt, Matthew”, “Mmm, exactly” and “Mmmm.”

    We join the program a few minutes in, as Hooton finishes the first of his extended orations….

    MIKE WILLIAMS: Matthew’s quite right.

    Williams made little contribution to the discussion, other than to agree with Hooton. He even kept quiet when Hooton announced that the government’s cancellation of the Shanghai Pengxin farm deal meant that Key’s regime was “well to the left of Helen Clark.” This consistent and continual failure by Williams to hold Hooton to account for such sweeping and preposterous statements gives the impression that Williams tacitly agrees with him.

    Next topic was the sacking of columnists by the New Zealand Herald. The level of commentary from both Hooton and Williams was abysmal….

    MIKE WILLIAMS: John Roughan is from the right and Brian Rudman is from the left. And they are both very good journalists. Unlike Mike Hosking, whose columns are full of trivial stuff.

    LYNN FREEMAN: He’s “not a journalist”, remember!

    MATTHEW HOOTON: Wee-e-e-e-lll, this is a bit tricky for us… [snicker]… because WE are from the left and from the right.

    MIKE WILLIAMS: Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm.

    MATTHEW HOOTON: John Roughan and Brian Rudman both parrot their respective party lines.

    MIKE WILLIAMS: No that’s not true. That’s not true.

    MATTHEW HOOTON: Brian Rudman is the spokesman for the Grey Lynn liberal left.

    MIKE WILLIAMS: He’s not here to defend himself.

    MATTHEW HOOTON: And John Roughan is John Key’s biographer! Frankly, getting rid of these elderly columnists and replacing them with real journalists would be a good thing.

    After getting the last word in there, Hooton went on to dominate the talk about the final topic for the day: the change of leadership in the Australian government. That “discussion” finished like this….

    MATTHEW HOOTON: … frankly, after the SHAMBLES of the last Labor government, with Rudd and Gillard!

    MIKE WILLIAMS: [appreciative guffaw] Hmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm.

    Tune in next Monday morning for more from Hannity and Colmes.

    • ianmac 14.1
      21 September 2015 at 3:20 pm

      Morrissy. The parts that Mike agreed with Matthew I tended to also agree. Just because they are on opposite sides politically does not mean that everything that Matthew says is wrong/lie. Unless you automatically disagree with Matthew then you would disagree with Matthew’s long summary of the failings in the Key Government delivered this morning. John would say “Ouch!”
      It is just that we left leaning folk are not “seen” as a viable alternative – yet.

  15. Morrissey 15
    21 September 2015 at 5:24 pm

    That’s about all that Williams does, however: say ” I agree with Matthew.” If that was all he did, it would be bad enough, but he also stays quiet and neglects to contradict Hooton’s incendiary remarks and his flagrant distortions. Today Hooton did nearly all of the talking, apart from one fleeting disagreement, which Hooton ignored and Williams failed to pursue any further.

    Hooton’s “long summary of the failings in the Key Government” focused on the flag distraction. That’s a perfectly acceptable topic on which the likes of Hooton can make a pretence of being independent; on all of the substantial issues, he is solidly behind Key.

    Sadly, Williams seems content to grunt his agreement over these minor points, but he has rarely if ever forced the issue and confronted Hooton on important and substantial matters. Hooton never got a free ride like this when the person “from the left” was Laila Harré or Matthew Campbell.

  16. Draco T Bastard 16
    21 September 2015 at 5:25 pm

    Yanis Varoufakis – ‘Left should beware of friends who fear confronting the rich’

    “I’m sure Jeremy Corbyn understands that he will be met with fierce resistance. There will be all sorts of underhand strategies for pulling the rug from under his feet.

    The character assassination has already begun, and will intensify if the establishment begin to fear that he will damage them.

    That is, of course, true. We are already seeing the character assassination from the Right-wing from both inside and outside of Labour. We just have to hope that Labour stay strong with the backing of the Labour members – especially the new members.

  17. Tautoko Mangō Mata 17
    21 September 2015 at 5:26 pm

    New Anti-Globalist and Anti-TPP Left party formed in Australia

    It is worth watching the q and a video in this post.

    http://personalitycafe.com/current-events/658402-new-anti-globalist-anti-tpp-left-party-formed-australia.html

    ,,,and the times, they are a-changing

  18. half crown 18
    21 September 2015 at 6:37 pm

    On Monty Pythons Flying Circus we had,
    What have you got to eat?

    Spam, eggs chips and spam, chips eggs and spam, spam chips and spam, spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam.

    On the news we now have

    Richie McCaw, rugby and all blacks, All blacks, rugby, Richie McCaw, allblacks, Richie McCaw rugby, rugby rugby rugby rugby rugby fucking rugby.

    Ah well, it keeps the peasantry amused, like in ancient Rome, throw a few more Christians to the lions whilst we screw them over things without them noticing like the TPPA.

  19. Morrissey 19
    21 September 2015 at 7:59 pm

    Today Josie Pagani called that neocon shill Nick Cohen a “wonderful journalist”.
    Until that moment, she hadn’t said anything particularly idiotic.
    The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 21 September 2015
    Jim Mora, Tony Doe, Josie Pagani

    After the 4:30 news on every episode of this light chat show, it’s time for the “Soapbox”, where the two guest Panelists are given the opportunity to talk about a topic of their choosing. Quite often these comments are thoughtful and well presented: the best of them, by people of the calibre of Dita Di Boni, Gordon MacLauchlan, Anna Chinn, Selwyn Manning, Gordon Campbell and “Bomber” Bradbury, have been excellent.

    Too often, however, the commentary standard has been abysmal: the National Party’s éminence grise Michelle Boag ranting angrily against oiks who dare to publicly doubt the word of politicians, John Barnett denouncing Robert Fisk (“I don’t know why anybody would listen to him”), Joanne Black praising the “brilliance” and “eloquence” of Barack Obama in 2008, Chris Trotter sternly admonishing those who criticized the verdict in the Trayvon Martin murder case (“You have, even in this case I think, to trust the jury”) [1], S.S. “legal advisor” Stephen Franks pontificating in a deadly serious tone about the “wickedness” of people in jail. Bizarre, cranky and substandard contributions have also come from Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, Christine Spankin’ Rankin, Michael Bassett, Andrew “Dire” Clay, Barry Corbett—the list goes on and on and on. Last year, Jane Clifton made one of the most hare-brained contributions: “Well, I need to know this: why is it still impossible to get pantyhose that won’t ladder?” [2] Then again, maybe she was just trying to be funny.

    Today Josie Pagani went first, expressing her rather confused opinion about the re-election of Syriza in Greece, and its implications for other countries. Then it was time for the other guest…

    JIM MORA: Tony Doe, what’s been on your mind?
    TONY DOE: I want to talk about socks.
    MORA: Socks?
    TONY DOE: Yes, socks. ….

    He then embarked on a long, tiresome, unfunny riff on the subject of socks. To make it even worse, it soon became clear that he was reading it out. After the longest minute and a half of the century, he stopped talking and the other two were obliged to say something—anything….

    JOSIE PAGANI: Hashtag personal problems!
    MORA: I’ve never felt that emotional about socks.
    JOSIE PAGANI: I still don’t!

    Thus far, Pagani’s contribution had not been particularly brilliant or even interesting, but she had not said anything ridiculous or offensive.

    Then she blew it. During a discussion about the sacking of Herald columnists, she referred to “the wonderful journalist in Britain, Nick Cohen.”

    [1] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19072013/#comment-664870
    [2] http://thestandard.org.nz/292069/#comment-822620

  20. Kea Keith 20
    21 September 2015 at 8:07 pm

    I am a science teacher with 36 years service. Last year the government spent tens of thousands putting me through a sabbatical fellowship so I could pump science to kids better. But I cannot lie to children- there are no such things as careers in science the way there once was. I see my son’s employer AgResearch is to shed ca 20% of its scientists. That will leave them with a bit over half the crew they had when the wreckers got into power. Same story at DoC. Conservation science slashed. My blood boils when I hear the tossers talking up the knowledge economy and STEM subjects. They only want casualised contractors to serve the FIRE economy.

    • Chooky 20.1
      21 September 2015 at 9:40 pm

      @Kea Keith …commiserations on the death of science in New Zealand…and the death of hope for our children….we are in the dark ages

      …and doesnt jonkey nactional have a special science advisor?…Here is SIR Peter Gluckman’s statement

      ‘Message from the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor,
      Professor Sir Peter Gluckman’

      http://www.pmcsa.org.nz/

      ( he should be de-knighted )

      • Anne 20.1.1
        21 September 2015 at 9:53 pm

        I put him in the same category as “Sir” Peter Sharples. Both academics who have sold their own people down the river (scientists in the former and under-privileged Maori in the latter) for 30 pieces of silver.

  21. Chooky 21
    21 September 2015 at 8:20 pm

    The Great Un-banking Movement

    http://www.rt.com/shows/keiser-report/315145-episode-max-keiser-809/

    “In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss the great un-banking movement as more people choose not to “buy in” when the banking system seems rigged against them. In the second half, Max interviews investment banker Ned Naylor Leyland about the latest in yuppie gold pools and pet rocks.”

  22. sabine 22
    21 September 2015 at 8:49 pm

    surely this would never ever happen here

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/business/a-huge-overnight-increase-in-a-drugs-price-raises-protests.html

    “Specialists in infectious disease are protesting a gigantic overnight increase in the price of a 62-year-old drug that is the standard of care for treating a life-threatening parasitic infection.

    The drug, called Daraprim, was acquired in August by Turing Pharmaceuticals, a start-up run by a former hedge fund manager. Turing immediately raised the price to $750 a tablet from $13.50, bringing the annual cost of treatment for some patients to hundreds of thousands of dollars. ”

    ……..

    ” Amgen has won federal approval for Repatha, a cholesterol-fighting drug.New Cholesterol Drugs Are Vastly Overpriced, Analysis SaysSEPT. 8, 2015
    Leonard S. Schleifer, left, chief of Regeneron, and Elias Zerhouni, head of research at Sanofi. The companies developed Praluent.New Drug Sharply Lowers Cholesterol, but It’s CostlyJULY 24, 2015
    A demonstration last year against Gilead Sciences, whose hepatitis C drugs, which cost $1,000 a pill or more.Drug Prices Soar, Prompting Calls for JustificationJULY 23, 2015
    Cancer Doctors Offer Way to Compare Medicines, Including by CostJUNE 22, 2015
    Turing’s price increase is not an isolated example. While most of the attention on pharmaceutical prices has been on new drugs for diseases like cancer, hepatitis C and high cholesterol, there is also growing concern about huge price increases on older drugs, some of them generic, that have long been mainstays of treatment.”

  23. Kea Keith 23
    21 September 2015 at 8:58 pm

    What do you have to do to get your comment accepted? I wrote a considered piece about AgResearch an hour ago and it doesn’t show. This has happened before. Unless I get an answer I won’t bother again!!!!!!!!

    [We are a happy bunch of volunteers. Have only just got to this – MS]

    • Anne 23.1
      21 September 2015 at 10:05 pm

      If you are a new commentator Kea Keith then your initial comment automatically goes into moderation. I think it is a counter measure against unsolicited spam. After that… your comments will appear immediately you hit the submit button.

      Also, from time to time a technical hitch will occur which causes some comments to disappear down a digital ‘drainpipe’ and they have to be fished out by a moderator who isn’t always immediately available.

      Hope that clears it up for you. 🙂

    • Chooky 23.2
      21 September 2015 at 10:05 pm

      @ Kea Keith( at 20 above)……it is an important subject you write upon….really it is hard to tell what this government is up to….it is so self- evident that science education and science post grad research is important for a nation

      …..maybe jonkey wants to create a real estate/bankers paradise … a kitsch tacky Hollywood Disneyland playground ….out of a commodified New Zealand?!

      … too bad about the local native New Zealand inhabitants ….we are just to be the uneducated serf zombies …forget about people like Ernest Rutherford and other notable New Zealand scientists who had free tertiary scientific education and science research jobs to go to both in New Zealand and overseas

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Rutherford

      ….hence jonkey’s obsession with changing the real flag…to wipe out our proud NZ history …and in science …and replace it with tacky meaninglessness…with him as King John and mega rich… cavorting with the Hollywood mogul and starlet set

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 27

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    9 mins ago
  • Ticket To Anywhere

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    51 mins ago
  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    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. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    18 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    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 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    24 hours ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    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 ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    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 ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    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. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    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 Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    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 KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    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 ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    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 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    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 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    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 Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    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 ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    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 ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    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 Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    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 icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    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 ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    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, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    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 ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    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 Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    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 ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    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 Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    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-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    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 announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    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 ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    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, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    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 ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    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 KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    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 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    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 ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    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 ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    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 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    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 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    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 Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    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; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    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 ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    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 ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    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 ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    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. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    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 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    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 ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    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 PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T00:36:13+00:00