Number of cars crushed by Judith (crusher) Collins – 0
Number of prisons made smoke free by Judith (cougher) Collins – 0
Prisoners openly stand around smoking in front of guards, the air is heavily scented with cigarette smoke.
Corrections Officers say the whole policy is a joke, and could only be enforced with massive and violent over the top methods.
Desperate prisoners have even resorted to smoking their patches, and even risking electrocution by getting a light jamming tin foil into the wall plugs, and shorting out the power systems on a regular basis.
If they had been asked, Corrections Officers said the policy may have had some chance, if instead of a blanket ban, smoking was only banned from indoor areas – as in other public buildings.
Number of prison officers asked for their advice by Judith (la la land) Collins – 0
Increased cost on the taxpayer for funding unlimited nicotine patches and lozenges per inmate: who knows.
What’s your point? Non-imates can get subsidised patches – I have some from my abortive attempt to quit (before the company I worked for collapsed.) It’s well-known to anyone who cares about people rather than just about enforcing their will on the unworthy, that quitting is next to impossible in high-stress situations. Don’t kid yourself that Tariana’s policy was about anyone’s “health” – it was purely a punitive power play, with a dose of middle class snobbery thrown in. The middle classes drink (oh man do they drink!) but they love to sneer at the working and beneficiary classes who smoke.
Not a big fan of smokers or smoking, regardless of socio-economic status, but you make a good point there, Vicky. Though I see it more in the furore over liqour outlets. If a bottle store opens in a poor area there is a huge outrage, but barely a peep if it is in a middle-upper class area.
Though I see it more in the furore over liqour outlets. If a bottle store opens in a poor area there is a huge outrage, but barely a peep if it is in a middle-upper class area
Doesn’t matter to you that he might have been executed?
Or that he might have been toppled because the west wanted his oil reserves (the second largest in Africa)?
Or that Tony Blair might have sucked him into a non-aggression pact that the west was never intending to honour?
Or that Obama might have pushed for this as a campaign lead up to an election year?
Or that NATO and US forces have now bombed Libya back to the stone age, so that it will be entirely reliant on debt funding from the IMF and World Bank? (as a precursor to taking the countries mineral assets away)?
Doesn’t matter to you that he might have been executed?
– No, dead is dead
Or that he might have been toppled because the west wanted his oil reserves (the second largest in Africa)?
– Doesn’t matter, still a terrorist douche bag
Or that Tony Blair might have sucked him into a non-aggression pact that the west was never intending to honour?
– Didn’t rhink Blair was that smart but good on him (Sun Tzu would probably approve)
Or that Obama might have pushed for this as a campaign lead up to an election year?
– So what
Or that NATO and US forces have now bombed Libya back to the stone age, so that it will be entirely reliant on debt funding from the IMF and World Bank? (as a precursor to taking the countries mineral assets away)?
– I’m sure Gaddafi had a hand in keeping his people in the stone age already
yeah the world sure looks like a better place.
– Well its a good start
Or that he might have been toppled because the west wanted his oil reserves (the second largest in Africa)?
Or water, I’ve heard…
Or that Obama might have pushed for this as a campaign lead up to an election year?
Seems very likely!
Or that NATO and US forces have now bombed Libya back to the stone age, so that it will be entirely reliant on debt funding from the IMF and World Bank? (as a precursor to taking the countries mineral assets away)?
Oh yes, and the country resembles one of the inner circles of hell right now. I am very suspicious about it – and have been all along… “Libya has been liberated!” a newsreader just cried excitedly on the BBC. Yeah, right!
Including a fair few agreements and assurances that were made between Libya, the UK and the US. Let’s see what happens to Gaddaffi’s children; they each had a role in helping him run the state and will also know much.
@Carol, I guess you’re right. They’ll be a few “Western Interests” giving a sigh of relief today that he’s not alive to tell stories.
Problem is that doubt he would have made a good witness as I think, mentally, he had been treading water in the deep end for too long. Some have said drugs, others mental illness.
This is probably more a geo-political chess move disguised as a revolution of the people. If you are the US (and Britain & France) you want to ensure a continual supply of oil (especially of the quality that Libya has) from a compliant state. The Ghadaffi (?) dynasty government was far too independent and unreliable to be allowed to continue.
Saudi Arabia is on side, Iraq is now in the bag, Southern Sudan is now independent, Nigeria is a basket case and now Libya is accessible.
So who’s next? Who is the next country that is going to have “democracy” brought to them in exchange for oil?
Wow! Shock – Horror – Western Oil firms are interested in making money in oil rich nations!
Who would have thunk it.
The only link to something suggesting impropriety in handling of these contracts is an opinion piece which state that handling out technical contracts to multinational oil firms rather than specialists is unusual. However that is then countered by a quote in the next link which explains this as follows “But the deals, known as service contracts, are unusual, said Greg Mutitt, co-director of Platform, an oil industry research group. “Normally such service contracts are carried out by specialist companies … The majors are not normally interested in such deals, preferring to invest in projects that give them a stake in ownership of extracted oil and the potential for large profits. The explanation is that they see them as a stepping stone…” ”
One of your links was about oil interest BEFORE military intervention in Libya and one of them was a Cartoon as far as I could see. This is the best you could do???
Someone stated that this information was on CNN this morning. If so I’m sure it is easy enough to link the article to make your case stronger.
Just to reiterate, as it seems some of you are having difficulty comprehending what is being asked here, where is the evidence that Western Oil firms are benefiting unproperly as a result of military intervention by Western nations in oil rich countries?
“where is the evidence that Western Oil firms are benefiting unproperly as a result of military intervention by Western nations in oil rich countries?”
Gosman, is war an ‘unproper’ way to carry out business? Before each of these invasions the oil was being exploited by quite a different set of companies/state agencies. There was interest from western oil companies in gaining access to Libyan oil (which, as you note, one of my links provides evidence for).
After the invasions, a set of companies that just happened to match (in ‘home nationality’ status) the countries doing the invading are lined up to do the exploiting.
Further, in one of those links it also noted that the service contracts in Iraq were written with US State Department help. Is that ‘proper’?
Evidence, in both a legal and scientific sense, is not usually ‘cast iron’. Rather, it is used to build a case. In that sense, there is ample evidence that the oil contracts were a result of improper practices (including invasion).
I included the cartoon as a humorous punchline for the links – hence my attempt at a ‘smiley’ just after it (though it didn’t appear as the full yellow-faced icon we’ve all come to love (?))
If he was kept alive, as Carol had wished, Libyans would still be “no longer under a tyrant and torturer”, so I’m not sure what your point is.
Also, we are led to believe that the rebel forces had taken him alive and intended to keep him alive. Whether or not that is simply propaganda, it is also true that it could be to the advantage of Libyan people to find out things from Gaddafi about the country’s situation (e.g., any hidden wealth, corruptly instituted contracts with foreign companies that they may now wish to re-litigate or annul, etc.).
That’s the reason he was shot Carol /The Capitalist West has so much to hide . I would presume it will be hidden from public view until most of us have gone ahead.
Exactly! On Radio NZ this morning, I kept hearing on the news that the “rebel leader” regretted that Ghaddafi was dead, and that he “had tried to save him”. Tui billboard!
Dirty raghead eh Cris? Never mind the tens of thousands of other people who were killed during the raids and the new Ambassador calling Libia the jewel in the crown because of the oil and gold they can loot, you sad racist piece of shit.
That’s not what he said Ev, so don’t twist it. He referenced the stuff article and then said he was glad Gadaffi was dead. Not even close to what you just commented.
Second that ev. If NATO and the oil men can do this to Libya they can do it to any country that suits. With peak oil these people are desperate for more fossil fuel supplies.
A new regime that appears to have started with an execution rather than a trial of the deposed ex leader is not a great beginning for any Libyans expecting enhanced human rights. I predict they will have a US compliant government that oversees the export of oil wealth to the detriment of local needs.
“With peak oil these people are desperate for more fossil fuel supplies.”
For that reason I am concerned about the possibility for foreign pressure on our government (overt or covert) to open up our EEZ to foreign oil companies.
You just can’t go in there and scoop up a bunch of it in the back of trucks. You actually need to invest heavily in the infrastructure for extraction..
Also there is no evidence that Western oil firms get the oil for free from places like Iraq so why would you think Libya was going to be any different?
It’s not about free but reliable supply and at a reasonable price.
What will be interesting is what is going to happen to Libya’s assets? LIA has position in GE, Catepillar, Citigroup, Haliburton, BASF and more in Italy and France (plus millions in bank accounts).
NATO may confiscate these in return for the cost of the air strikes.
Ummmmmm…. Western oil firms had reliable supply and at a reasonable price BEFORE the Libyan uprising.
If anything having a country without a firm and dictatorial leadership increases instability. You lefties should know this. That is why many of you keep claiming that the West loves the leaders of Saudi Arabia.
Of course you could easily win this argument by pointing out an example in Iraq where Western oil firms have been able to get preferential treatment in oil contracts. Perhaps you could find this evidence in this article on the subject http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/02/iraq-oil-production-increasing-to-3.html
With peak oil and the pressure to ensure this is an “American century” and/or the dominance of the west it is about ensuring supply is reliable – you do that by having more than one source in the event that the source you have relied upon “BEFORE the Libyan uprising” is no longer available.
“If anything having a country without a firm and dictatorial leadership increases instability.”
It is not about the type of government (democrartic or dictatorial) but whether they will be compliant with your objectives. The US, Britain et al have historically shown that they will do deals with the devil as long as it gets them what they want.
“The US, Britain et al have historically shown that they will do deals with the devil as long as it gets them what they want.”
Quite possibly true however there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that they get better deals after a military intervention. If you note the article I linked to you will have noted the large influence of Chinese oil companies in developing Iraqi fields.
I didn’t argue preferential contracts. As I said it was not about free but cheap, available, constant.
I assume market prices will still prevail (in theory – the more supply the cheaper).
But cost is less of a consideration than available and constant. You cannot be a world power, and project that power unless you have oil to power your planes and to run the economy at home.
With regard to assets – CNN listed the investments made by LIA and that there would be an expectation that NATO countries would be reimbursed.
Look back in history (read the book The Prize) and you will see that the geo-politics of the mid-east has been about oil as far back as the early 20th century.
Last week I gave Dave Brown the Trotskyite a hard time about his contentions about the Russian revolution…his theological attachment to his dogma spoke louder to him than the corpses of the victims. The record was written in blood for all to see.
I would contend that support of the US / European incursions into the Middle East will be equally judged in terms of morality by the very substantial body count of the innocents. We are all beneficiaries of the oil flow and therefore culpable because we subscribe to and foster a model of economy that takes what it wants from whoever gets in the way. No easy answers here.
“Most of the incremental oil will come from work by BP and China National Petroleum Corp. at Rumaila, an Eni-led group at Zubair and — later in the year — from Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell at West Qurna-Phase 1.”
Chinese oil companies? Only one, in partnership with BP. The rest are part of the “Coalition of the Willing”. I note, for example, a lack of mention of any Russian companies. Or Iraqi, for that matter.
Your argument does not hold water William Joyce. The Libyan and Iraqi governments still control the awarding of oil extraction rights in their nations. They can quite easily withdraw these at some stage in the future.
The fact that these nations are far more democratic now means that there will be in fact less stability in relation to this than if the countries was being run by a brutal dictator. If I sign an agreement with a brutal dictator I can be reasonably assured that he will be in power for a number of years. There is no way of knowing in places like Iraq if the agreement you signed might not be repudiated by another government that is less interested in maintaining good relations with the country that you are based in.
Mcflock – I believe when the article mentions the Iraq’s Missan Oil Co it is fair to assume this is an Iraqi bassed oil company. In fact you can read more about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missan_Oil_Company
What you fail to deal with is the fact that there is Chinese there at all in a major role should be evidence that the West is not controlling Iraq’s oil extraction. Why would the West allow the Chinese a key role when the Chinese were less than happy with the 2003 invasion?
I stand corrected – an Iraqi company has a 25% share in a field that produces 265,000bpd, so they basically account for 70,000bpd out of 4,000,000bpd (based on the cumulative field totals).
As for the Chinese involvement, you always give a taste of the action to the guy who bankrolls your existence at the moment.
But the majority of contracts went to members of the “Coalition of the Willing”.
Gosman, I understand your point that, theoretically, there is a greater certainty of making a deal and having continued supply if there is only one person to deal with.
But there can come a point (and we have seen it so often in US foreign policy) where the ally can become the enemy.
These events more than likely come about for a combination of reasons and so may or may not be about oil. But one thing is certain, when the dust settles, they want to have their foot in the door. Yes, there is less certainty if a democracy is in place but democracies can be surprisingly easy to manipulate/corrupt.
As I said above… The Ghadaffi (?) dynasty government was far too independent and unreliable to be allowed to continue.
Did the US start the revolution? I don’t know, probably not. But once it was under way I am sure that France and Britain saw a possible end game that would work in their favour – hence the pressure they put on the US to intervene.
It’s one thing to have oil agreements with Libya but a better thing to have an oil supply agreement + access to other resources + an open market to invest in + an economy that can be supplied with western products.
It should be pointed out France and possibly Britain had other reasons to see Gadaffi gone – if I remember rightly something to do with telecommunications, money lent to France (or was his Sarkosy’s political funds – I can’t remember)
Intervention is an action. The motives for intervention can differ. The Neo-Cons who want American dominance in the world see the chance to ease their concerns about supply. The liberals see intervention as a means to support some sort of democratic self-determination.
Dick Cheney made it perfectly clear (and I which I could give you a reference) that the future of US foreign policy (diplomatic and military) was all about securing the supply of oil.
. You actually need to invest heavily in the infrastructure for extraction..
What makes you think there’s not already an infrastructure? Maybe you think that Libya is just a wide oasis in the desert, with airports comprising a few Nissen huts surrounded by camels and a few WW2 jeeps… (as portrayed in American movies.)
Thank heaven for small mercies. The slash and burn Tea-Party Hamilton City Council has backed down on proposed charges for library books. They will still make huge cuts to their libarary budget, but at least there was some place they were willing to stop.
Damn right they should be thankful Millsy. They are getting a spanking new velodrome (strangely situated at a private school), what the hell do they need books for?
The rate payers group of Hamilton is growing at an alarming rate with more and more young people and ex-Nat voters. Nothing gets people more upset as rising taxes and lowering house prices with the money spend on stupid projects such a velodromes etc. while they can’t afford to buy their necessities anymore. Like $2 per book from the library to name but one.
thankfully the Council has stepped back from that particular brainfart, but has said it will reduce new stock purchases amongst steps to scrape back spending.
My submission on that proposal (the velodrome) indicated my concern over its location. The whole ‘cycling centre of excellence’ is now spread over a 100km triangle – a complete nonsense – it should have been in Rotorua as it was the only place that had all the requirements of the tender, but no money to ‘buy’ a velodrome.
Councils have become an even sicker joke over recent decades.
People continue to elect any vain, bombastic buffoon that can pay to get their picture in the paper and then wonder why they end up with motley gaggles of barely-literate car salesmen and intellectually-challenged social climbers who proceed to trip over themselves in farcical efforts to make the most regressive taxation system in history even more punishing to the poorest.
One day someone might examine the huge transfer of the rating burden from rich to poor (via eg UAGCs and targeted rates) but don’t hold your breath.
They’re now easy meat and sitting ducks to any well-heeled lobby group and their own legions of upper-middle-class employees: many council staff and CEOs are now paid massively more than the CEO of the world’s largest bank (which incidentally is $150k – see Bernard Hickey’s blog of a couple of days ago)
It’s a farce. And while they contribute vast amounts of ratepayers’ money to their local rags via advertising, they’ll continue to receive the same sychophantic press fellation as NACT, and the trend will continue.
Either organise locally or expect more amalgamations and wave goodbye to local democracy.
Yes, because farmers should so be given free reign to ignore the RMA when it comes to water pollution from runoff and shovel off the costs of climate change to the government and public…
Why do journos insist on carrying on as if the rest of the world cannot use the Internet? Even if the [Journalist ? ] chooses not to do any basic research, most people i know do some level of fact checking especially when they are told to look the other way. Stories like this seem outdated and more and more desperate in their pathetic attempts to brand a popular global movement as if it is a Sociology capping stunt.
It’s always fascinated me that she has chosen (or at least not vetoed) a picture to accompany her “journalism”, in which one eye is covered. If I thought she had any capacity for self-awareness I’d think the one-eyed image was a bit of a joke.
I loved the comment someone left on the page, along the lines of “let them eat cake, eh?”.
It really was a mentally-vacant upper-middle-class opinion piece, the sort of thing someone says at a dinner party after a few too many glasses of chardonnay. With a wee hint of “but we’re smarter than them so we’re richer”.
@ Blue
Have you ever heard her on Jim Mora’s The Panel session? She is the most loud mouthed, ignorant woman that has ever graced that programme. And that includes Christine Rankin before she won – courtesy of that other ignoramus, Paula Bennett – a spot on the Families Commission.
Care to point out the errors or are you just taking the bog standard approach to an opinion piece that you disagree with by stating it is all based on lies?
I actually didn’t see anything in there that anybody could point out as being factually incorrect. You are entitled to disagree with her opinion and conclusion of course.
I take it you are referring to my “well researched” comment. I guess you didn’t bother reading to the end of the line where i also wrote “clearly reasoned”. The trick to comprehension there gosman is the relationship of information to the intent to persuade. Intent to persuade being a pretty big part of the whole ‘reasoning’ thing.
I did not say she had misrepresented any facts, that issue is your interpretation. My issue is with what she wrote. The piece Ms Cone wrote is, as you point out, an opinion piece.
An opinion published in a National Newspaper is an opportunity to express a view that few get to take advantage of. As a recepient of that privilege it is beholden of Ms Cone to inform herself of the topic she is making comment on. She has clearly failed to do. Her tone and statements, such as “Anyway, I suspect many of the Occupy protesters are not so much against capitalism per se, as feeling miffed that they personally are not rich capitalists. ” expose her ill-informed prejudice.
I respect her right to voice her informed opinion, naturally, as i do yours. Informed opinions are the foundations on which we build our social norms and conventions. With strong foundations great structures can be built. Which is i why i object to foundations built of conjecture and ignorance.
Her insinuation that the 1% got there by merit has the same prejudicial basis. Difficult to argue that one, factually.
I watched a programme on Sky in which the medieval mind was explored. That mind believed the ruling class, the 1%ers, got there by merit and by superior genes, of course.
What utter bollocks. You have no way of knowing how much information Deborah Cone has researched. Just because someone doesn’t share your opinion about a topic that must mean they are not as informed as you. The intellectual arrogance dripping from that is simply astounding to behold.
A (potentially) good point, but it’s shame that you’ve historically failed to follow it yourself. Unfortunately a quick skim over the article shows she done about a year 11 student level of research that borders on “not achieved” if we’re going on NCEA standards, and instead fills in by conjecturing with teh “jealously” hypothesis. Which when dealing with grass roots protests is a pretty clear cut case of pick and chose, instead of doing teh smart thing and looking at all the various voices…
Also highly amusing is her referencing of a shining example of pseudoscience via bullshitting with statistics that is The Bell Curve as a hint that the rich are “smarter” than the poor and thus natural elites. Funny thing about that is that is, if memory serves me right, quick stats tests show little difference between the upper income earners and the rest of the population in terms of average intelligence, and that IQ scores aren’t a statistically significant predictor of a persons income.
But hey, why try and wrap your head around complex causations behind income levels and old boys networks when you can play pretend and believe it’s down to “merit”?…
And as the Occupy Wall Street movement continues to be critiqued from “on high”, it emerges that Goldman Sachs executives have awarded themselves US$10.01 billion in bonuses so far this year.
Good Press Release from the Mana Party where Ikaroa Rawhiti candidate Tawhai McClutchie calls for a complete cancellation on oil and gas development in New Zealand.
“Tauranga Moana needs to be a wake-up call. Our country should be developing more widespread, community-based sustainable energy alternatives. Not only does it behove this country’s clean, green image, such sustainable energy alternatives help break our habit of oil dependence, puts power back into our people’s hands, and it is healthier for the environment and wildlife. All future oil operations must stop.”
I agree with this call because further exploitations are based on selfishness and greed and the myth of unending growth, which is false and illusory – it just isn’t going to happen – peak oil and the effects of climate change are happening now and the world as we have known it is changing, drastically. Community and connection are the only answer and this Press Release is part of the solution to the problems many refuse to acknowledge. As Tawhai says, “Their greed is insatiable.”
There’s always room for doubt, you only have to look at young earth creationists raging against the far taller mountain of evidence for evolutionary biology on the basis of ideological beliefs 🙁
I reckon Joky Hen fears a Brashional government and is therefore only prepared to put “Two Ticks National” when he votes.
In fact, with so many current, former, and aspiring leaders of the National Party potentially there in November, they must all be watching their backs.
The country knows where Brash stands on most issues and Key will find it very difficult to work with him.
Question: On the official programme for the final, will it say
France vs New Zealand or France vs All Blacks?
From memory, of following the tours of United Kingdom, the provincial/club games used to be against the All Blacks but the games against the then Five Nations, i.e the internationals, it was vs New Zealand.
The All Blacks used to be the official touring party, bit like the MCC in cricket. The tests were against England but state and minor games were against the MCC.
Has someone made a killing therefore on the printing of all those flags with All Blacks rather than New Zealand on them.
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Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
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Number of cars crushed by Judith (crusher) Collins – 0
Number of prisons made smoke free by Judith (cougher) Collins – 0
Prisoners openly stand around smoking in front of guards, the air is heavily scented with cigarette smoke.
Corrections Officers say the whole policy is a joke, and could only be enforced with massive and violent over the top methods.
Desperate prisoners have even resorted to smoking their patches, and even risking electrocution by getting a light jamming tin foil into the wall plugs, and shorting out the power systems on a regular basis.
If they had been asked, Corrections Officers said the policy may have had some chance, if instead of a blanket ban, smoking was only banned from indoor areas – as in other public buildings.
Number of prison officers asked for their advice by Judith (la la land) Collins – 0
Increased cost on the taxpayer for funding unlimited nicotine patches and lozenges per inmate: who knows.
What’s your point? Non-imates can get subsidised patches – I have some from my abortive attempt to quit (before the company I worked for collapsed.) It’s well-known to anyone who cares about people rather than just about enforcing their will on the unworthy, that quitting is next to impossible in high-stress situations. Don’t kid yourself that Tariana’s policy was about anyone’s “health” – it was purely a punitive power play, with a dose of middle class snobbery thrown in. The middle classes drink (oh man do they drink!) but they love to sneer at the working and beneficiary classes who smoke.
Non-inmates:
Don’t dry used tea leaves,
Don’t sprinkle the contents of nicotine patches, or crushed lozenges over dried tea leaves,
Don’t smoke this vile concoction.
Not a big fan of smokers or smoking, regardless of socio-economic status, but you make a good point there, Vicky. Though I see it more in the furore over liqour outlets. If a bottle store opens in a poor area there is a huge outrage, but barely a peep if it is in a middle-upper class area.
A very good point, millsy!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/africa/5826304/Gaddafi-killed-as-last-stronghold-falls
Better late then never I guess
A new era for Libya I suppose. The ‘rebels’ can at last claim an absolute victory.
I don’t care who claims the kill, just that hes dead
A bit bloodthirsty of you, chris73. Isn’t it enough for you just to see his régime toppled?
I think the world is a better place (however small) because hes dead.
Doesn’t matter to you that he might have been executed?
Or that he might have been toppled because the west wanted his oil reserves (the second largest in Africa)?
Or that Tony Blair might have sucked him into a non-aggression pact that the west was never intending to honour?
Or that Obama might have pushed for this as a campaign lead up to an election year?
Or that NATO and US forces have now bombed Libya back to the stone age, so that it will be entirely reliant on debt funding from the IMF and World Bank? (as a precursor to taking the countries mineral assets away)?
yeah the world sure looks like a better place.
Doesn’t matter to you that he might have been executed?
– No, dead is dead
Or that he might have been toppled because the west wanted his oil reserves (the second largest in Africa)?
– Doesn’t matter, still a terrorist douche bag
Or that Tony Blair might have sucked him into a non-aggression pact that the west was never intending to honour?
– Didn’t rhink Blair was that smart but good on him (Sun Tzu would probably approve)
Or that Obama might have pushed for this as a campaign lead up to an election year?
– So what
Or that NATO and US forces have now bombed Libya back to the stone age, so that it will be entirely reliant on debt funding from the IMF and World Bank? (as a precursor to taking the countries mineral assets away)?
– I’m sure Gaddafi had a hand in keeping his people in the stone age already
yeah the world sure looks like a better place.
– Well its a good start
Or water, I’ve heard…
Seems very likely!
Oh yes, and the country resembles one of the inner circles of hell right now. I am very suspicious about it – and have been all along… “Libya has been liberated!” a newsreader just cried excitedly on the BBC. Yeah, right!
Actually, I would have preferred Gaddafi was kept alive. There’s probably a few skeletons in his closet that would rattle some western governments.
Including a fair few agreements and assurances that were made between Libya, the UK and the US. Let’s see what happens to Gaddaffi’s children; they each had a role in helping him run the state and will also know much.
@Carol, I guess you’re right. They’ll be a few “Western Interests” giving a sigh of relief today that he’s not alive to tell stories.
Problem is that doubt he would have made a good witness as I think, mentally, he had been treading water in the deep end for too long. Some have said drugs, others mental illness.
This is probably more a geo-political chess move disguised as a revolution of the people. If you are the US (and Britain & France) you want to ensure a continual supply of oil (especially of the quality that Libya has) from a compliant state. The Ghadaffi (?) dynasty government was far too independent and unreliable to be allowed to continue.
Saudi Arabia is on side, Iraq is now in the bag, Southern Sudan is now independent, Nigeria is a basket case and now Libya is accessible.
So who’s next? Who is the next country that is going to have “democracy” brought to them in exchange for oil?
Where is the evidence William Joyce that Western nations get preferential treatment in handling of oil contracts after military intervention?
Your musings on this topic are essentially conspiratorial nonsense mascarading as an attempt at serious geopolitical analysis.
It was on CNN this morning.
Try here, here and here in relation to Libya. Try here, here and here 🙂 for Iraq.
Conspiracy theories are one thing; naivety quite another.
Wow! Shock – Horror – Western Oil firms are interested in making money in oil rich nations!
Who would have thunk it.
The only link to something suggesting impropriety in handling of these contracts is an opinion piece which state that handling out technical contracts to multinational oil firms rather than specialists is unusual. However that is then countered by a quote in the next link which explains this as follows “But the deals, known as service contracts, are unusual, said Greg Mutitt, co-director of Platform, an oil industry research group. “Normally such service contracts are carried out by specialist companies … The majors are not normally interested in such deals, preferring to invest in projects that give them a stake in ownership of extracted oil and the potential for large profits. The explanation is that they see them as a stepping stone…” ”
One of your links was about oil interest BEFORE military intervention in Libya and one of them was a Cartoon as far as I could see. This is the best you could do???
Someone stated that this information was on CNN this morning. If so I’m sure it is easy enough to link the article to make your case stronger.
Just to reiterate, as it seems some of you are having difficulty comprehending what is being asked here, where is the evidence that Western Oil firms are benefiting unproperly as a result of military intervention by Western nations in oil rich countries?
“where is the evidence that Western Oil firms are benefiting unproperly as a result of military intervention by Western nations in oil rich countries?”
Gosman, is war an ‘unproper’ way to carry out business? Before each of these invasions the oil was being exploited by quite a different set of companies/state agencies. There was interest from western oil companies in gaining access to Libyan oil (which, as you note, one of my links provides evidence for).
After the invasions, a set of companies that just happened to match (in ‘home nationality’ status) the countries doing the invading are lined up to do the exploiting.
Further, in one of those links it also noted that the service contracts in Iraq were written with US State Department help. Is that ‘proper’?
Evidence, in both a legal and scientific sense, is not usually ‘cast iron’. Rather, it is used to build a case. In that sense, there is ample evidence that the oil contracts were a result of improper practices (including invasion).
I included the cartoon as a humorous punchline for the links – hence my attempt at a ‘smiley’ just after it (though it didn’t appear as the full yellow-faced icon we’ve all come to love (?))
Gosman has always had trouble understanding the difference between evidence and proof.
He demands the former thinking it synonymous with the latter.
And then when the former is provided in abundance he gets on his high horse because it isn’t the latter that he thought he was demanding.
lol.
Felix, That about sums Gosman up! LOL
Another Libyan resource now likely to be pillaged by Western corporate interests, specifically French corporations, are the massive water aquifers in the south of the country.
Always follow the money.
Carol:
Seriously, you dont care that his people is no longer under a tyrant and torturer, you just
want western governments to be embarrassed ?
Brett Dale,
If he was kept alive, as Carol had wished, Libyans would still be “no longer under a tyrant and torturer”, so I’m not sure what your point is.
Also, we are led to believe that the rebel forces had taken him alive and intended to keep him alive. Whether or not that is simply propaganda, it is also true that it could be to the advantage of Libyan people to find out things from Gaddafi about the country’s situation (e.g., any hidden wealth, corruptly instituted contracts with foreign companies that they may now wish to re-litigate or annul, etc.).
That’s the reason he was shot Carol /The Capitalist West has so much to hide . I would presume it will be hidden from public view until most of us have gone ahead.
Exactly! On Radio NZ this morning, I kept hearing on the news that the “rebel leader” regretted that Ghaddafi was dead, and that he “had tried to save him”. Tui billboard!
Wouldn’t you rather he were tried, chris?
There may be some reasons people dont want him tried, dead is far more convenient.
http://www.cluborlov.blogspot.com/
Club Orlov, nice holiday spot that one.
Only if it was guaranteed that he’d be executed once hes found guilty, if not then no.
So it’s not actually about justice then. Good to know.
Dirty raghead eh Cris? Never mind the tens of thousands of other people who were killed during the raids and the new Ambassador calling Libia the jewel in the crown because of the oil and gold they can loot, you sad racist piece of shit.
That’s not what he said Ev, so don’t twist it. He referenced the stuff article and then said he was glad Gadaffi was dead. Not even close to what you just commented.
Cheers
Its sad (but typical I guess) that little dick-smacks like ev read what they want in a statement.
He/she sees a statement as racist even when theres no racist statements in it, kind of suggests that he/she might be a little bit racist…
Second that ev. If NATO and the oil men can do this to Libya they can do it to any country that suits. With peak oil these people are desperate for more fossil fuel supplies.
A new regime that appears to have started with an execution rather than a trial of the deposed ex leader is not a great beginning for any Libyans expecting enhanced human rights. I predict they will have a US compliant government that oversees the export of oil wealth to the detriment of local needs.
“With peak oil these people are desperate for more fossil fuel supplies.”
For that reason I am concerned about the possibility for foreign pressure on our government (overt or covert) to open up our EEZ to foreign oil companies.
Don’t worry, we’ve got sweet FA proven reserves so its a big fat nothing until someone finds 10Bb equivalent somewhere around here.
How are they going to loot the oil?
You just can’t go in there and scoop up a bunch of it in the back of trucks. You actually need to invest heavily in the infrastructure for extraction..
Also there is no evidence that Western oil firms get the oil for free from places like Iraq so why would you think Libya was going to be any different?
It’s not about free but reliable supply and at a reasonable price.
What will be interesting is what is going to happen to Libya’s assets? LIA has position in GE, Catepillar, Citigroup, Haliburton, BASF and more in Italy and France (plus millions in bank accounts).
NATO may confiscate these in return for the cost of the air strikes.
Ummmmmm…. Western oil firms had reliable supply and at a reasonable price BEFORE the Libyan uprising.
If anything having a country without a firm and dictatorial leadership increases instability. You lefties should know this. That is why many of you keep claiming that the West loves the leaders of Saudi Arabia.
Of course you could easily win this argument by pointing out an example in Iraq where Western oil firms have been able to get preferential treatment in oil contracts. Perhaps you could find this evidence in this article on the subject http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/02/iraq-oil-production-increasing-to-3.html
With peak oil and the pressure to ensure this is an “American century” and/or the dominance of the west it is about ensuring supply is reliable – you do that by having more than one source in the event that the source you have relied upon “BEFORE the Libyan uprising” is no longer available.
“If anything having a country without a firm and dictatorial leadership increases instability.”
It is not about the type of government (democrartic or dictatorial) but whether they will be compliant with your objectives. The US, Britain et al have historically shown that they will do deals with the devil as long as it gets them what they want.
Avoiding the issue I see there William Joyce
“The US, Britain et al have historically shown that they will do deals with the devil as long as it gets them what they want.”
Quite possibly true however there doesn’t seem to be any evidence that they get better deals after a military intervention. If you note the article I linked to you will have noted the large influence of Chinese oil companies in developing Iraqi fields.
I didn’t argue preferential contracts. As I said it was not about free but cheap, available, constant.
I assume market prices will still prevail (in theory – the more supply the cheaper).
But cost is less of a consideration than available and constant. You cannot be a world power, and project that power unless you have oil to power your planes and to run the economy at home.
With regard to assets – CNN listed the investments made by LIA and that there would be an expectation that NATO countries would be reimbursed.
Look back in history (read the book The Prize) and you will see that the geo-politics of the mid-east has been about oil as far back as the early 20th century.
Last week I gave Dave Brown the Trotskyite a hard time about his contentions about the Russian revolution…his theological attachment to his dogma spoke louder to him than the corpses of the victims. The record was written in blood for all to see.
I would contend that support of the US / European incursions into the Middle East will be equally judged in terms of morality by the very substantial body count of the innocents. We are all beneficiaries of the oil flow and therefore culpable because we subscribe to and foster a model of economy that takes what it wants from whoever gets in the way. No easy answers here.
“Most of the incremental oil will come from work by BP and China National Petroleum Corp. at Rumaila, an Eni-led group at Zubair and — later in the year — from Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell at West Qurna-Phase 1.”
Chinese oil companies? Only one, in partnership with BP. The rest are part of the “Coalition of the Willing”. I note, for example, a lack of mention of any Russian companies. Or Iraqi, for that matter.
Your argument does not hold water William Joyce. The Libyan and Iraqi governments still control the awarding of oil extraction rights in their nations. They can quite easily withdraw these at some stage in the future.
The fact that these nations are far more democratic now means that there will be in fact less stability in relation to this than if the countries was being run by a brutal dictator. If I sign an agreement with a brutal dictator I can be reasonably assured that he will be in power for a number of years. There is no way of knowing in places like Iraq if the agreement you signed might not be repudiated by another government that is less interested in maintaining good relations with the country that you are based in.
Mcflock – I believe when the article mentions the Iraq’s Missan Oil Co it is fair to assume this is an Iraqi bassed oil company. In fact you can read more about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missan_Oil_Company
What you fail to deal with is the fact that there is Chinese there at all in a major role should be evidence that the West is not controlling Iraq’s oil extraction. Why would the West allow the Chinese a key role when the Chinese were less than happy with the 2003 invasion?
I stand corrected – an Iraqi company has a 25% share in a field that produces 265,000bpd, so they basically account for 70,000bpd out of 4,000,000bpd (based on the cumulative field totals).
As for the Chinese involvement, you always give a taste of the action to the guy who bankrolls your existence at the moment.
But the majority of contracts went to members of the “Coalition of the Willing”.
Gosman, I understand your point that, theoretically, there is a greater certainty of making a deal and having continued supply if there is only one person to deal with.
But there can come a point (and we have seen it so often in US foreign policy) where the ally can become the enemy.
These events more than likely come about for a combination of reasons and so may or may not be about oil. But one thing is certain, when the dust settles, they want to have their foot in the door. Yes, there is less certainty if a democracy is in place but democracies can be surprisingly easy to manipulate/corrupt.
As I said above…
The Ghadaffi (?) dynasty government was far too independent and unreliable to be allowed to continue.
Did the US start the revolution? I don’t know, probably not. But once it was under way I am sure that France and Britain saw a possible end game that would work in their favour – hence the pressure they put on the US to intervene.
It’s one thing to have oil agreements with Libya but a better thing to have an oil supply agreement + access to other resources + an open market to invest in + an economy that can be supplied with western products.
It should be pointed out France and possibly Britain had other reasons to see Gadaffi gone – if I remember rightly something to do with telecommunications, money lent to France (or was his Sarkosy’s political funds – I can’t remember)
Intervention is an action. The motives for intervention can differ. The Neo-Cons who want American dominance in the world see the chance to ease their concerns about supply. The liberals see intervention as a means to support some sort of democratic self-determination.
Dick Cheney made it perfectly clear (and I which I could give you a reference) that the future of US foreign policy (diplomatic and military) was all about securing the supply of oil.
Gosman has always had trouble understanding the difference between conspiracy and opportunism.
Until recently he still had a black and white tv. He only got rid of it because the shades of grey were confusing him.
What makes you think there’s not already an infrastructure? Maybe you think that Libya is just a wide oasis in the desert, with airports comprising a few Nissen huts surrounded by camels and a few WW2 jeeps… (as portrayed in American movies.)
Thank heaven for small mercies. The slash and burn Tea-Party Hamilton City Council has backed down on proposed charges for library books. They will still make huge cuts to their libarary budget, but at least there was some place they were willing to stop.
Damn right they should be thankful Millsy. They are getting a spanking new velodrome (strangely situated at a private school), what the hell do they need books for?
The rate payers group of Hamilton is growing at an alarming rate with more and more young people and ex-Nat voters. Nothing gets people more upset as rising taxes and lowering house prices with the money spend on stupid projects such a velodromes etc. while they can’t afford to buy their necessities anymore. Like $2 per book from the library to name but one.
thankfully the Council has stepped back from that particular brainfart, but has said it will reduce new stock purchases amongst steps to scrape back spending.
My submission on that proposal (the velodrome) indicated my concern over its location. The whole ‘cycling centre of excellence’ is now spread over a 100km triangle – a complete nonsense – it should have been in Rotorua as it was the only place that had all the requirements of the tender, but no money to ‘buy’ a velodrome.
Still, the posh kids can have fun!
obviously part of keys cycleway
You’d think they could start by reducing their bloated roads budget.
Councils have become an even sicker joke over recent decades.
People continue to elect any vain, bombastic buffoon that can pay to get their picture in the paper and then wonder why they end up with motley gaggles of barely-literate car salesmen and intellectually-challenged social climbers who proceed to trip over themselves in farcical efforts to make the most regressive taxation system in history even more punishing to the poorest.
One day someone might examine the huge transfer of the rating burden from rich to poor (via eg UAGCs and targeted rates) but don’t hold your breath.
They’re now easy meat and sitting ducks to any well-heeled lobby group and their own legions of upper-middle-class employees: many council staff and CEOs are now paid massively more than the CEO of the world’s largest bank (which incidentally is $150k – see Bernard Hickey’s blog of a couple of days ago)
It’s a farce. And while they contribute vast amounts of ratepayers’ money to their local rags via advertising, they’ll continue to receive the same sychophantic press fellation as NACT, and the trend will continue.
Either organise locally or expect more amalgamations and wave goodbye to local democracy.
I couldn’t agree more ak.
“Organising locally” is often difficult and time-consuming where ‘community ties’ have become most fractured, but urgently, and unavoidably necessary.
Micheal Redman, Hamiltons ad man form hell. Sorry Auckland he’s yours now.
No mention of the Labour party policy on Agriculture at the moment I see.
It looks like the Labour party has decided to give up any hope of winning over the provinces and are pandering to it’s urban constinuency again.
Yes, because farmers should so be given free reign to ignore the RMA when it comes to water pollution from runoff and shovel off the costs of climate change to the government and public…
Another well researched and clearly reasoned piece of work on the Occupy movement -sarc
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10760490
Why do journos insist on carrying on as if the rest of the world cannot use the Internet? Even if the [Journalist ? ] chooses not to do any basic research, most people i know do some level of fact checking especially when they are told to look the other way. Stories like this seem outdated and more and more desperate in their pathetic attempts to brand a popular global movement as if it is a Sociology capping stunt.
It’s Deborah Hill Cone, Freedom. You can’t really expect much.
It’s always fascinated me that she has chosen (or at least not vetoed) a picture to accompany her “journalism”, in which one eye is covered. If I thought she had any capacity for self-awareness I’d think the one-eyed image was a bit of a joke.
I loved the comment someone left on the page, along the lines of “let them eat cake, eh?”.
It really was a mentally-vacant upper-middle-class opinion piece, the sort of thing someone says at a dinner party after a few too many glasses of chardonnay. With a wee hint of “but we’re smarter than them so we’re richer”.
@ Blue
Have you ever heard her on Jim Mora’s The Panel session? She is the most loud mouthed, ignorant woman that has ever graced that programme. And that includes Christine Rankin before she won – courtesy of that other ignoramus, Paula Bennett – a spot on the Families Commission.
Which facts do you have a problem with?
Care to point out the errors or are you just taking the bog standard approach to an opinion piece that you disagree with by stating it is all based on lies?
I actually didn’t see anything in there that anybody could point out as being factually incorrect. You are entitled to disagree with her opinion and conclusion of course.
I take it you are referring to my “well researched” comment. I guess you didn’t bother reading to the end of the line where i also wrote “clearly reasoned”. The trick to comprehension there gosman is the relationship of information to the intent to persuade. Intent to persuade being a pretty big part of the whole ‘reasoning’ thing.
I did not say she had misrepresented any facts, that issue is your interpretation. My issue is with what she wrote. The piece Ms Cone wrote is, as you point out, an opinion piece.
An opinion published in a National Newspaper is an opportunity to express a view that few get to take advantage of. As a recepient of that privilege it is beholden of Ms Cone to inform herself of the topic she is making comment on. She has clearly failed to do. Her tone and statements, such as “Anyway, I suspect many of the Occupy protesters are not so much against capitalism per se, as feeling miffed that they personally are not rich capitalists. ” expose her ill-informed prejudice.
I respect her right to voice her informed opinion, naturally, as i do yours. Informed opinions are the foundations on which we build our social norms and conventions. With strong foundations great structures can be built. Which is i why i object to foundations built of conjecture and ignorance.
Her insinuation that the 1% got there by merit has the same prejudicial basis. Difficult to argue that one, factually.
I watched a programme on Sky in which the medieval mind was explored. That mind believed the ruling class, the 1%ers, got there by merit and by superior genes, of course.
What utter bollocks. You have no way of knowing how much information Deborah Cone has researched. Just because someone doesn’t share your opinion about a topic that must mean they are not as informed as you. The intellectual arrogance dripping from that is simply astounding to behold.
A (potentially) good point, but it’s shame that you’ve historically failed to follow it yourself. Unfortunately a quick skim over the article shows she done about a year 11 student level of research that borders on “not achieved” if we’re going on NCEA standards, and instead fills in by conjecturing with teh “jealously” hypothesis. Which when dealing with grass roots protests is a pretty clear cut case of pick and chose, instead of doing teh smart thing and looking at all the various voices…
Also highly amusing is her referencing of a shining example of pseudoscience via bullshitting with statistics that is The Bell Curve as a hint that the rich are “smarter” than the poor and thus natural elites. Funny thing about that is that is, if memory serves me right, quick stats tests show little difference between the upper income earners and the rest of the population in terms of average intelligence, and that IQ scores aren’t a statistically significant predictor of a persons income.
But hey, why try and wrap your head around complex causations behind income levels and old boys networks when you can play pretend and believe it’s down to “merit”?…
And as the Occupy Wall Street movement continues to be critiqued from “on high”, it emerges that Goldman Sachs executives have awarded themselves US$10.01 billion in bonuses so far this year.
Multiple highly radioactive spots found all around Tokyo
Japanese MSM seems complicit in keeping this quiet.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/10/more-than-20-radioactive-hotspots-found-in-tokyo.html
Rush Limbaugh Sympathizes With Terrorist Sex Slavers, the Lords Resistance Army.
It just had to be said…
Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse…..
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10760745
Macaroon’s coming to hang out with Key – more photo ops!
Whale stranded on Ohope beach. Conservationists concerned it may have ingested oil.
I bet Key and Bridges won’t show up for a photo op with the whale!
“I didn’t drive that whale onto the beach”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5828339/Whale-strands-on-Ohope-Beach
Good Press Release from the Mana Party where Ikaroa Rawhiti candidate Tawhai McClutchie calls for a complete cancellation on oil and gas development in New Zealand.
“Tauranga Moana needs to be a wake-up call. Our country should be developing more widespread, community-based sustainable energy alternatives. Not only does it behove this country’s clean, green image, such sustainable energy alternatives help break our habit of oil dependence, puts power back into our people’s hands, and it is healthier for the environment and wildlife. All future oil operations must stop.”
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1110/S00359/national-the-party-of-irresponsibility-and-greed.htm
I agree with this call because further exploitations are based on selfishness and greed and the myth of unending growth, which is false and illusory – it just isn’t going to happen – peak oil and the effects of climate change are happening now and the world as we have known it is changing, drastically. Community and connection are the only answer and this Press Release is part of the solution to the problems many refuse to acknowledge. As Tawhai says, “Their greed is insatiable.”
The rights war on the poor continues.
The Economist: The heat is on.
A new analysis of the temperature record leaves little room for the doubters. The world is warming
There’s always room for doubt, you only have to look at young earth creationists raging against the far taller mountain of evidence for evolutionary biology on the basis of ideological beliefs 🙁
There ain’t no warmin’, e-volutchun and Jay-zus walked himself with the dyno-saws. And that nice Mista Key, ain’t he just the sweetest thang?
hey joe 90 funny how the temperature graph matches the CO 2 graph
What’s your Number?
I reckon Joky Hen fears a Brashional government and is therefore only prepared to put “Two Ticks National” when he votes.
In fact, with so many current, former, and aspiring leaders of the National Party potentially there in November, they must all be watching their backs.
The country knows where Brash stands on most issues and Key will find it very difficult to work with him.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5830022/ACT-can-t-bank-on-Keys-support
Question: On the official programme for the final, will it say
France vs New Zealand or France vs All Blacks?
From memory, of following the tours of United Kingdom, the provincial/club games used to be against the All Blacks but the games against the then Five Nations, i.e the internationals, it was vs New Zealand.
The All Blacks used to be the official touring party, bit like the MCC in cricket. The tests were against England but state and minor games were against the MCC.
Has someone made a killing therefore on the printing of all those flags with All Blacks rather than New Zealand on them.
Greece continues to disintegrate as their politicians again choose the banksters over their own people
The guillotine is the only answer at this stage.
http://www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday#p/u/4/YdL97_SE9nc
That’s always what it comes down to once the psychopaths take control.
Haere ra Muammar
You gave em shit for a while
Danced em in circles
Let the crushed masses smile
But in the end it’s numbers
And the width of the gall
You sacrificed thousands
While they’d take us all.
Rest easy Muammar
As they prance on your grave
Join the warrior rank
And sup deep to the brave.
Uh huh
Amene!
-304
Good words, ak!