[Please note, we are trialling something new for Open Mike and Daily Review.
In order to keep OM and DR free for other conversations, all comments, link postings etc about the US election now need to go in the dedicated US election discussion here.
If you are unsure, post in that thread rather than here. It’s not possible for moderators to shift comments from OM to there, so any comments here may get deleted.
“They’ve been prepared to defend. It’s going to be tough fighting, but I think we can take back Mosul and then we can move on into Syria and take back Raqqa.”
Odd, none of the Kurd’s I follow are saying anything about this.
I think you don’t get how hated ISIS is by the Kurd’s, nor the other ethnic and religious minorities in the region. To them, contemplating having to fight ISIS later is not part of there thinking, they want to finish them now.
Mosul will be the hard fight they expect.
I think the Russians are forgetting this is a civil war, hearts and minds are everything. So big propaganda pieces from the Iraq and Kurdish forces is to be expected, to extrapolate some theory of ISIS safe passage deal, seems wonky at best.
Also I’m hearing the US staying out as much as possible (air strikes), because this is a civil war. They know they can’t win one of those for someone.
Gable Tostee “not guilty”. If you disagree with that “verdict”, then that
legal sage and philosopher Chris Trotter has some stern advice for you.
Gable Tostee, 30, was charged after Warriena Wright, 26, fell from his balcony in Queensland’s Gold Coast in August 2014. Prosecutors argued that she was so intimidated that she tried to escape by climbing to a lower floor, but fell.
After four days of deliberation, the jury has found Gable Tostee not guilty of murder and manslaughter.
In case you are foolish enough to be disgusted by that “verdict”, then you should consider the following piece of solemn admonition….
I think all this talk about the jury is most unfortunate. You have, even in this case I think, to trust the jury. In any trial, there are always items of evidence that we do not know about, even in this case I think.
Guilty of something, at least. I can see why a jury might eventually come down to rejecting murder, but as a juror I’d find it pretty hard to vote not guilty of manslaughter for a guy pleading “self-defence” against a woman who was screaming “No no no, let me go home!” at the time.
Miss-trial due to instagram, the accused should be made to take the stand. I expect it to be appealed. Weird case, creepy as after discovering more about Tostee.
Sad for the young ladies family, so sad, so public for them, love and energy to her family.
Exactly… there is no legal requirement… just good lawyers, and you tend to get what you pay for.
More profitable to sell ones story than tell it publically on the stand anyways, which media outlet will offer the best price for his story I wonder? Will it be enough to cover his legal fee’s?
It appears that Miss Wright did not receive competent representation. There are way too many unanswered questions.
“I would [let you go home], but you have been a naughty girl..”. Tells us that Tostee had unfinished business.
Intimidation, pure and simple. Just this remark alone from his creepy recording (why did he record this in the first place? Blackmail? More intimidation?) is evidence enough. He clearly intended to cause her mental and emotional harm. His intentions led directly to her death. He could have chosen to push her out the front door but instead chose to isolate her. The balcony is not “off the property” it is an isolated, outdoor part of said property. Judge got that completely wrong.
Syria Solidarity: National day of action 29th October
Civilians in Aleppo and across Syria are being intensively bombed by Russia with bunker bombs, phosphorous bombs, napalm, thermobaric and cluster bombs; and by the Syrian regime with chlorine containing barrel bombs; targetting homes, schools, hospitals, rescue teams, and underground shelters .
Like many Syrian cities, Aleppo has been under a starvation siege. The regime and Russian have even bombed the city’s water supply.
Despite these atrocious crimes against humanity, Aleppo’s people show tremendous solidarity and caring for each other, as they work to find the wounded under the rubble, and rush them to undergound clinics for treatment. Hundreds of democratically run community councils have been formed across Syria in the liberated areas. They have produced a tremendous amount of art, literature, music, and electronic media documenting the revolution and counter revolution in Syria.
The “peace” talks have broken down. It is clear that Russia and the Assad regime are looking for a military solution to enable the genocidal Assad regime to continue in power.
Most of the fighters killing Syrian civilians are not Syrians. They include soliders from Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq, many of them conscripted or desperately poor with no other options for a living.
The Assad regime and Russia have killed half a million Syrian people. The genocide has to stop! The regime regularly uses rape and torture as weapons.
The war started because people across Syria went onto the streets to demand democracy, and instead were shot, rounded up, tortured, raped and killed. So the people took up arms to defend themselves. The Assad regime has vowed to continue to obliterate the population until it accepts his rule.
Both the United States and Russia have re-defined the people’s struggle for democracy as a “war on terror” and are both responsible for killing civilians.
Isis grew in Syria with the encouragement of the Assad regime. Assad deliberately released extremists from his jails, who went on to join Isis in Syria. The regime leaves Isis alone, and Isis is continually attacking the democratic opposition groups. The democratic opposition has been forced to fight on two fronts, against the attacks from the regime and from Isis. Despite the evils perpetrated by Isis, it has killed a fraction of the number of people, that the Assad regime has. The Assad regime with its Russian and Iranian allies are the greater evil.
Stop the bombing! Troops out!
No more genocide! Solidarity with the Syrian Revolution!
Victory for Syrian people now!
Nah – they’re backing the wrong horse. The West are only in there to push for regime change – like in Libya. Same fucked up principle will give the same result as Libya. Please note how the yanks are also doing Israels and Saudi Arabias dirty work as they try to squash Shia regimes one by one.
Here is the news, Cinny. No way will the bombing stop. It never does. Our media blame it on the other side through blaming ‘human shield’ tactics, etc, when our bombs kill civilians. Are our side going to stop bombing Mosul because of civilians? Nup – but we will get publicity about the nasty Russian and Assad bombs in Aleppo. Get used to it.
Superprofits off the back of ratepayer/taxpayer subsidies and a broken housing market. https://t.co/8UivWVVBcJ— TransportBlog (@TransportBlog) October 20, 2016
a note to cv – I put this on the post you put up but I suspect that post won’t stay up so I’m reposting here
Why not read the signs and actually take time off from the bubble you have created around yourself. You’ll probably come back fresher. What you are doing now isn’t working – that’s my advice – read the signs mate because imo all of your credibility capital is pretty well gone down the gurgler because of some of those ‘calls’ you have recently made.
anyway delete, ban or ignore – or maybe listen – your call.
@MM Weka, PM, The Ex, J 90 etc,
you guys appear to me to be just bullies who have undertaken an irrational, abusive and vindictive attack on CV who, at least originally, tried to discuss the matter of The Clintons, Trump and American politics. A discussion centred within a framework of big business, political elitism and social inequality. You have pushed him in the the corner he now finds himself in, and to what end other than to shut down a differing view point.
I’m sure i’m not the only one who thinks this. I have found you all disappointing.
it’s not really the case here though – cv does not identify as left. I identify as left. cv and I are not in the same camp and therefore he isn’t my own and I’m not his own. I really tried to come from a place of compassion in my comment to him above – it is sad to me that some (maybe including you gsays) don’t get that.
We (of the left) have to get rid of this government and get more equality and equity in play for so many disadvantaged people in our society – life is getting so hard for so so many and it is happening now, this minute and only getting worse. I want to focus on that, not have to deal with lies and misinformation designed, yes DESIGNED to disrupt the left, from someone who shoots wildly, never aims correctly and dismisses as unimportant the innocent bystanders who end up recipients of his output. And this is done under cover like a wolf with a sheepskin on its back.
Sure I could ignore, let it go, concentrate on my passionate areas but you know, this is MY community too, in that I visit, I consider, I contribute, I laugh, I cry – all here, in this community – I am not going to sit on my hands and allow trojan horse pretenders to take MY community away – I won’t have anywhere to go if that happens… 🙁
hey cheers marty,
a couple of things..
i did get yr compassion earlier.
for me andrew’s comment was a chance to have 10 cents worth.
i had been thinking that tensions had been running high in the last few days without much sign of a backdown or releasing of tensions. generally over excitement generated by opinions of the american popularity contest.
in the cold light of day neither candidate is a great example of a leader to deal with what humanity is staring down the barrell of.
about our community; please don’t take this as telling y’all how to suck eggs.. the best thing we can do for our community is to be kinder to each other.
well andrew I don’t think cv was pushed and I don’t agree with you when you imply that cv is able to be pushed – I think he is competently able to have his own agency and responsibility to what he says. My note to him above comes from a place of compassion, because in the past others have given me the same advice when I needed to hear it.
The point is that there is scope for valid political debate outside of gender discrimination and by my observation this is where CV endeavoured to position the conversation, at least initially. It was you guys that seemed to insist the issue had to be viewed through the prism of gender politics only. In doing so you have you have completely undermined a valid discussion on what, strategically speaking, is the best way to end corporate domination of social and political outcomes. It also says a lot about about how illiberal you all really are.
The point is that there is scope for valid political debate outside of gender discrimination and by my observation this is where CV endeavoured to position the conversation, at least initially.
I don’t know what you are referring to and given you are making some hefty accusations, I think you need to explain more clearly what you are talking about.
No Weka I don’t, the meaning is clear enough, and they are observations not accusations. Your reaction is also clear… defensive and antagonistic. It is you that needs to consider more carefully what I might be talking about. There should be a better response to challenging and complex matters of social/political concern than that proffered by J90 below that again just looks to ‘win’ not explore the issue.
[one of the main rules one this site is don’t tell authors/moderators what to do. Another is don’t waste moderators’ time. There are very good reasons for both of those, which boil down to protecting authors so that they want to put up posts and so they have time to write. In that sense authors are considered more important than commenters, not because we’re somehow better but because we’re the ones putting the work in to keep the front page full of posts.
I get that it is complicated when an author/mod is also commenting, so let me be clear. When you called me a bully above, I wasn’t sure if you were referring to my comments or my moderations. I’ve let this subthread run because I’ve been busy and I was hoping that it would settle down. But you are now outright challenging an author and that’s a problem. Please now clarify if you think I am a bully as a commenter or a moderator or both. If you are calling me a bully as a moderator, you need to link to 3 examples in the past month that support that. If you are calling me a bully as a commenter, I will deal with that when I am not in bold. However you need to be aware that if you continue to make accusations without responding to requests for clarification or back up, then at some point a moderator will get involved.
This isn’t negotiable. I suggest you read the Policy and About, because I’m not willing to spend more time on this and if I have to moderate you again I will be putting in a timed ban. I have no problem with people expressing disappointment or dissatisfaction with the moderation here, or specific decisions, or asking questions or making constructive suggestions, but it’s not ok to have a go at authors. I’m putting you in premod so I can more easily pick up your reply. – weka]
Friendly advice from a non-moderator: you definitely make two accusations with no identifying context in 8.1.2.1, and doubling down on it is a good way to annoy moderators. The site does explain all this in its comments policy.
Then I will leave it to others to form an opinion on whether this anti CV clique seeks to shut down rather than engage with dessenting viewpoints. I have no wish to be further dragged in to pedantic argument on the definition of an accusation while you chose to ignore the substance of the observation.
Holding an opinion that an alleged serial sexual offender is a manifestly unsuitable candidate is a view through the prism of gender politics only, really?.
Holding an opinion that an alleged serial sexual offender is a manifestly unsuitable candidate is a view through the prism of gender politics only, really?.
… a candidate who has personally ensured that gender is front and centre of each of the three presidential debates. “Nasty woman”, “she” (repeated in hissing tones many times), doubting her stamina, saying she doesn’t “look” presidential, stalking her onstage in the most repulsive way – and admitting later that he was in fact envisaging her sexually at that time!!! DURING a live, televised presidential debate!!!
I don’t agree with the conclusions you have reached there andrew. I can’t see where there was any insistence at all apart from asking for evidence for blanket, usually insulting and hurtful, accusations against others – when that inevitably didn’t occur then that was named as an opinion and was weighed against other opinions that that writer has made previously – there does develop a cumulative effect where a commenter’s ‘voice’ is known.
You don’t like that as a left left person I don’t like reading and having to argue against bullshit and hate speech, against arguments proven false and with no redeeming qualities I might add, against a self confessed non-left thinker or believer – just because they want to shout loudly their (proven) bigotry. That is fine by me and also fine you make comment on it.
Thank you Andrew Murray. I agree with your comments and am disappointed by the behaviour of many on this site in their relentless vindictive treatment of CV.
BTW, if anyone had noticed my light commenting around these parts recently, a small part of it is due to CV’s behaviour of late. I just can’t be bothered coming here and having to scroll past all his crap. I’m sure there are some who might consider that sweet relief, of course 🙂
I like your posts, they’re normally quite considered but its Penny Brights posts that annoy the heck out of me or rather her posting something then not bothering to reply to people that comment on what she posted
Yes Puck I have observed you partaking in group bullying of Penny in the past and commented on that yesterday …… when you were being insincere about attitudes to women posters ……
Also not one of you trolls ever answered my easy maths question of $2.2 billion divided by $22 million ……….. when comparing the aussie bank fraud featuring a getaway tax vehicle provided by John Shewan ….. versus the $22 million welfare fraud prosecuted in the same year … The answer was of course that Shewans and the bamks fraud was 100x larger … or 100 years worth.
You never answered did you Puck ………
Bring back CV and ban Puck is my opinion …….
I’ve accepted Hillary the Hawk will be the next president over Trump, who I called out as a rapist last fathers day from memory …..
Anyway, New Zealand and the rest of the world should take a lot more refugees …..
Good on them, I think Parkers not at Joshua or Klitschkos level just yet but sometimes you just have to take the opportunity when it comes and, if he can beat Ruiz, his opportunity will come sooner rather later
As long as he gives it everything i’m all good with it , it took me along time to get over the Tua man getting overwhelmed with the occasion and failing to fire a shot.
I’m absolutely sure we are there, Robert. I suggested in a post ages ago that our role over there was not going to be limited to training the Iraqi military and that the SAS would be lurking around as well. I’d like to think that when IS are forced out of Iraq and into Syria that our role, whatever it is, comes to a swift end.
“Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has denied claims in international media that New Zealand special forces are calling in airstrikes in northern Iraq, “or involved in any other combat operations” in the country.”
Of course NZ special forces individuals could be working with/seconded to other nations forces which means they come under those countries mandate and not our own so Gerry Brownlee is probably telling the truth…or interpreting the question the way he wants to
If that doesn’t work out, there’s also this, starting with lignin. But sorry, it doesn’t specifically say ethanol is one of the useful molecules it produces.
Transport grade fuels – Biofuels (second and third generation) are just around the corner, per the link you have supplied the “issue” at the moment is developing catalysts that are commercially viable to use. The rest of the tech is ready to go.
As someone who is involved in the residential building and development industry in Auckland, there appears to be a trend of the banks “de risking” in this industry. I have just completed the yearly banking review for the coy. With our “relationship” banker informing me that the bank has given us 10 months to reduce our credit facility by 1/3rd, which will mean that money that were intended to develop land and houses will now be used to repay the bank back. This on top of that the MOCCL rate we pay is to increase. The reason was that the bank is under pressure to maintain its profit margins in a tight market, in which they cannot lower rates as investors are unwilling to deposit for fixed terms given the low yields.
From discussions with others within the industry we are not the only coy that the banks are placing increasing pressure to reduce debt, this at a time when we are forever being reminded that Auckland needs 14k houses build p.a. ??
As someone who is involved in the residential building and development industry in Auckland, there appears to be a trend of the banks “de risking” in this industry. I have just completed the yearly banking review for the coy. With our “relationship” banker informing me that the bank has given us 10 months to reduce our credit facility by 1/3rd, which will mean that money that were intended to develop land and houses will now be used to repay the bank back. This on top of that the MOCCL rate we pay is to increase. The reason was that the bank is under pressure to maintain its profit margins in a tight market, in which they cannot lower rates as investors are unwilling to deposit for fixed terms given the low yields.
From discussions with others within the industry we are not the only coy that the banks are placing increasing pressure to reduce debt, this at a time when we are forever being reminded that Auckland needs 14k houses build p.a. whilst building less than 9k??
interesting, ty for the info. I wonder if banks are expecting some people to default on loans, so are making sure businesses are able to counter balance it by paying down more debt at this time? Are interest rates about to rise? Will people be able to maintain massive mortgages on over priced properties?
How much profit do the banks need? It’s not as a result of recent property investor/banking lending rules changes?
Sounds like it could be a stumbling block for many in the trade whom are trying to build housing. Or is nick smith trying to dig himself out of a gaping cavernous hole, maybe he’ll blame the banks next for lack of action on his housing promises? Building boom? Housing Crisis?
Either way sounds like a pain for the people in your industry for sures.
With a massive Russian fleet now heading from the Baltic to the Syrian coast, and the US effectively expelling 5000 ISIS fighters from Iraq to Syria, I see a nod-wink for a Russian bloodbath of the remaining Isis. In Syria.
Recent events suggest the potential of a (sorry about that) deliberate mistake is also high. I’m not sure about the US strike that hit Assad forces, but I don’t believe they expected the Russian reprisal.
ISIS may disperse if they face a genuine existential threat – some at least of them can do that.
This has the potential to be a very good war not to be involved in – no high moral ground, and small players get hurt if the giants dance.
[In order to keep OM and DR free for other conversations, all comments, link postings etc about the US election now need to go in the dedicated US election discussion here.
If you are unsure, post in that thread rather than here. It’s not possible for moderators to shift comments from OM to there, so any comments here may get deleted – weka]
What has happened to CV’s post about US-Filipino relations? I saw the post in my RSS feed but when I clicked through to the site it was gone!
All I can see is some cryptic references to CV being banned, but no official notice or anything. It all comes across as a bit Stalinist in form. That post about Duterte I was looking forward to reading but perhaps it wasn’t politically correct? Who can enlighten me?
I don’t know – I’m not a mod.
But I really do hope CV is able to bring it back. It is a topic that immediately affects some of my wider family by marriage, and friends.
(Reply to Conal)
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Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from 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 public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
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:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles and that ...
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 ...
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. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
Today marks a tragic milestone for New Zealanders as the Coalition Government side with big tobacco to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins and Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti. Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jason Nassios, Associate Professor, Centre of Policy Studies, Victoria University This article is part of The Conversation’s series examining the housing crisis. Read the other articles in the series here. Australian state and federal governments spend money in many ways to ...
The finance minister is denying that there’s a $5.6b shortfall in paying for the government’s campaign promises, including tax cuts. At his post-cabinet press conference yesterday, the PM refused to rule out new taxes to pay for the cuts, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s ...
Kāinga Ora tenants abused by their neighbours are doubting the government's crackdown on disruptive tenants will make a difference on their behaviour. ...
Kāinga Ora is New Zealand’s biggest residential landlord, housing more than 180,000 vulnerable people in more than 67,000 properties. Yesterday the government announced a crackdown on its tenants who fall behind on rent. One longtime Kāinga Ora tenant shares her experience.For 18 years I lived in a 1960s standalone ...
Why does this myth persist, and what’s the real reason our skin is suffering?It’s one of the biggest international grievances New Zealanders hold, up there with the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior and 1981’s underarm incident. We’re quick to tell international travellers that the world’s pollution led to the ...
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Bob’s relationship with certain members of Lincoln’s academic staff continued to deteriorate in the 1990s. Others supported him publicly, though articles such as Roland Clark’s 1993 piece in Growing Today cannot have pleased the university management. Clark wrote that Bob was selling onions from the Biological Husbandry Unit to a ...
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[Please note, we are trialling something new for Open Mike and Daily Review.
In order to keep OM and DR free for other conversations, all comments, link postings etc about the US election now need to go in the dedicated US election discussion here.
If you are unsure, post in that thread rather than here. It’s not possible for moderators to shift comments from OM to there, so any comments here may get deleted.
Have fun folks – weka]
US and Saudis grant 9,000 ISIS fighters free passage from Iraqi Mosul to Syria
http://robinwestenra.blogspot.co.nz/2016/10/us-and-saudis-grant-9000-isis-fighters.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bRv5LKRRGU
Gosh, it’s almost like the various governments involved in this conflict have competing interests that they’re promoting. I’m shocked!
I particularly liked the bit that there are only a thousand ISIS fighters left in all of Mosul, and that the entire attack is a charade.
Dude blown to smithereens on telly means only 999 left, I guess.
Trump referred to this in last night’s debate. Clinton scoffed in response.
“They’ve been prepared to defend. It’s going to be tough fighting, but I think we can take back Mosul and then we can move on into Syria and take back Raqqa.”
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/full-transcript-third-2016-presidential-debate-230063#ixzz4NfXuCyck
US and Saudi’s allowing rebels safe passage into Syria as excuse to invade Syria?
Odd, none of the Kurd’s I follow are saying anything about this.
I think you don’t get how hated ISIS is by the Kurd’s, nor the other ethnic and religious minorities in the region. To them, contemplating having to fight ISIS later is not part of there thinking, they want to finish them now.
Mosul will be the hard fight they expect.
I think the Russians are forgetting this is a civil war, hearts and minds are everything. So big propaganda pieces from the Iraq and Kurdish forces is to be expected, to extrapolate some theory of ISIS safe passage deal, seems wonky at best.
Also I’m hearing the US staying out as much as possible (air strikes), because this is a civil war. They know they can’t win one of those for someone.
The Yazidis may have the greatest reason to hate ISIL – but lacking a superpower sponsor we don’t hear much from them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide_of_Yazidis_by_ISIL
Gable Tostee “not guilty”. If you disagree with that “verdict”, then that
legal sage and philosopher Chris Trotter has some stern advice for you.
Gable Tostee, 30, was charged after Warriena Wright, 26, fell from his balcony in Queensland’s Gold Coast in August 2014. Prosecutors argued that she was so intimidated that she tried to escape by climbing to a lower floor, but fell.
After four days of deliberation, the jury has found Gable Tostee not guilty of murder and manslaughter.
In case you are foolish enough to be disgusted by that “verdict”, then you should consider the following piece of solemn admonition….
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-19072013/#comment-664870
I mean its a fair call about the information the jury gets but on the face of it I’d have thought he was guilty
Agree with you there PR, quite shocking & sad for the family.
Guilty of something, at least. I can see why a jury might eventually come down to rejecting murder, but as a juror I’d find it pretty hard to vote not guilty of manslaughter for a guy pleading “self-defence” against a woman who was screaming “No no no, let me go home!” at the time.
Miss-trial due to instagram, the accused should be made to take the stand. I expect it to be appealed. Weird case, creepy as after discovering more about Tostee.
Sad for the young ladies family, so sad, so public for them, love and energy to her family.
” the accused should be made to take the stand”
Why?
There is no legal requirement for this and in a lot of cases it is the norm for the accused not to take the stand.
Exactly… there is no legal requirement… just good lawyers, and you tend to get what you pay for.
More profitable to sell ones story than tell it publically on the stand anyways, which media outlet will offer the best price for his story I wonder? Will it be enough to cover his legal fee’s?
“I would [let you go home], but you have been a naughty girl..”.
I dont know why Tostee just didnt let her go home.
It appears that Miss Wright did not receive competent representation. There are way too many unanswered questions.
“I would [let you go home], but you have been a naughty girl..”. Tells us that Tostee had unfinished business.
Intimidation, pure and simple. Just this remark alone from his creepy recording (why did he record this in the first place? Blackmail? More intimidation?) is evidence enough. He clearly intended to cause her mental and emotional harm. His intentions led directly to her death. He could have chosen to push her out the front door but instead chose to isolate her. The balcony is not “off the property” it is an isolated, outdoor part of said property. Judge got that completely wrong.
Yup. Kidnapping basically.
US election discussion thread is available now.
Syria Solidarity: National day of action 29th October
Civilians in Aleppo and across Syria are being intensively bombed by Russia with bunker bombs, phosphorous bombs, napalm, thermobaric and cluster bombs; and by the Syrian regime with chlorine containing barrel bombs; targetting homes, schools, hospitals, rescue teams, and underground shelters .
Like many Syrian cities, Aleppo has been under a starvation siege. The regime and Russian have even bombed the city’s water supply.
Despite these atrocious crimes against humanity, Aleppo’s people show tremendous solidarity and caring for each other, as they work to find the wounded under the rubble, and rush them to undergound clinics for treatment. Hundreds of democratically run community councils have been formed across Syria in the liberated areas. They have produced a tremendous amount of art, literature, music, and electronic media documenting the revolution and counter revolution in Syria.
The “peace” talks have broken down. It is clear that Russia and the Assad regime are looking for a military solution to enable the genocidal Assad regime to continue in power.
Most of the fighters killing Syrian civilians are not Syrians. They include soliders from Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iran and Iraq, many of them conscripted or desperately poor with no other options for a living.
The Assad regime and Russia have killed half a million Syrian people. The genocide has to stop! The regime regularly uses rape and torture as weapons.
The war started because people across Syria went onto the streets to demand democracy, and instead were shot, rounded up, tortured, raped and killed. So the people took up arms to defend themselves. The Assad regime has vowed to continue to obliterate the population until it accepts his rule.
Both the United States and Russia have re-defined the people’s struggle for democracy as a “war on terror” and are both responsible for killing civilians.
Isis grew in Syria with the encouragement of the Assad regime. Assad deliberately released extremists from his jails, who went on to join Isis in Syria. The regime leaves Isis alone, and Isis is continually attacking the democratic opposition groups. The democratic opposition has been forced to fight on two fronts, against the attacks from the regime and from Isis. Despite the evils perpetrated by Isis, it has killed a fraction of the number of people, that the Assad regime has. The Assad regime with its Russian and Iranian allies are the greater evil.
Stop the bombing! Troops out!
No more genocide! Solidarity with the Syrian Revolution!
Victory for Syrian people now!
Wellington action:
2-3pm 29th October, Russian Embassy, 57 Messines Road, Karori
[https://www.facebook.com/events/1837996156434984/]
Auckland action:
2-3pm 29th October, Aotea Square
[https://www.facebook.com/events/104432090029183/]
Awesome initiative, kudos to all those whom attend.
Nah – they’re backing the wrong horse. The West are only in there to push for regime change – like in Libya. Same fucked up principle will give the same result as Libya. Please note how the yanks are also doing Israels and Saudi Arabias dirty work as they try to squash Shia regimes one by one.
Stop the bombing! I’d say they just want less death and suffering from war, I’m down with that, everyone should be.
So sick of the killing, i don’t care whom is doing it, it needs to stop
Here is the news, Cinny. No way will the bombing stop. It never does. Our media blame it on the other side through blaming ‘human shield’ tactics, etc, when our bombs kill civilians. Are our side going to stop bombing Mosul because of civilians? Nup – but we will get publicity about the nasty Russian and Assad bombs in Aleppo. Get used to it.
Judge Goddard got it in the neck in an ”overseas” rantsite yesterday.
No byline to identify the author but really it was hardly needed.
a note to cv – I put this on the post you put up but I suspect that post won’t stay up so I’m reposting here
Why not read the signs and actually take time off from the bubble you have created around yourself. You’ll probably come back fresher. What you are doing now isn’t working – that’s my advice – read the signs mate because imo all of your credibility capital is pretty well gone down the gurgler because of some of those ‘calls’ you have recently made.
anyway delete, ban or ignore – or maybe listen – your call.
@MM Weka, PM, The Ex, J 90 etc,
you guys appear to me to be just bullies who have undertaken an irrational, abusive and vindictive attack on CV who, at least originally, tried to discuss the matter of The Clintons, Trump and American politics. A discussion centred within a framework of big business, political elitism and social inequality. You have pushed him in the the corner he now finds himself in, and to what end other than to shut down a differing view point.
I’m sure i’m not the only one who thinks this. I have found you all disappointing.
I’m very disappointed too. E UNUM PLURIBUS.
gotta say i feel rather dismayed at what has played out in this community lately.
Yeah normally its the right leaning posters on this site that have people calling for bans
you should be banned for that 🙂
Don’t worry, it’ll happen again sooner or later 😉
Well, it might happen one day, anyway.
its a special kind of ire the left saves for its own.
it’s not really the case here though – cv does not identify as left. I identify as left. cv and I are not in the same camp and therefore he isn’t my own and I’m not his own. I really tried to come from a place of compassion in my comment to him above – it is sad to me that some (maybe including you gsays) don’t get that.
We (of the left) have to get rid of this government and get more equality and equity in play for so many disadvantaged people in our society – life is getting so hard for so so many and it is happening now, this minute and only getting worse. I want to focus on that, not have to deal with lies and misinformation designed, yes DESIGNED to disrupt the left, from someone who shoots wildly, never aims correctly and dismisses as unimportant the innocent bystanders who end up recipients of his output. And this is done under cover like a wolf with a sheepskin on its back.
Sure I could ignore, let it go, concentrate on my passionate areas but you know, this is MY community too, in that I visit, I consider, I contribute, I laugh, I cry – all here, in this community – I am not going to sit on my hands and allow trojan horse pretenders to take MY community away – I won’t have anywhere to go if that happens… 🙁
hey cheers marty,
a couple of things..
i did get yr compassion earlier.
for me andrew’s comment was a chance to have 10 cents worth.
i had been thinking that tensions had been running high in the last few days without much sign of a backdown or releasing of tensions. generally over excitement generated by opinions of the american popularity contest.
in the cold light of day neither candidate is a great example of a leader to deal with what humanity is staring down the barrell of.
about our community; please don’t take this as telling y’all how to suck eggs.. the best thing we can do for our community is to be kinder to each other.
You insight is valued by me.
well andrew I don’t think cv was pushed and I don’t agree with you when you imply that cv is able to be pushed – I think he is competently able to have his own agency and responsibility to what he says. My note to him above comes from a place of compassion, because in the past others have given me the same advice when I needed to hear it.
The point is that there is scope for valid political debate outside of gender discrimination and by my observation this is where CV endeavoured to position the conversation, at least initially. It was you guys that seemed to insist the issue had to be viewed through the prism of gender politics only. In doing so you have you have completely undermined a valid discussion on what, strategically speaking, is the best way to end corporate domination of social and political outcomes. It also says a lot about about how illiberal you all really are.
The point is that there is scope for valid political debate outside of gender discrimination and by my observation this is where CV endeavoured to position the conversation, at least initially.
I don’t know what you are referring to and given you are making some hefty accusations, I think you need to explain more clearly what you are talking about.
No Weka I don’t, the meaning is clear enough, and they are observations not accusations. Your reaction is also clear… defensive and antagonistic. It is you that needs to consider more carefully what I might be talking about. There should be a better response to challenging and complex matters of social/political concern than that proffered by J90 below that again just looks to ‘win’ not explore the issue.
[one of the main rules one this site is don’t tell authors/moderators what to do. Another is don’t waste moderators’ time. There are very good reasons for both of those, which boil down to protecting authors so that they want to put up posts and so they have time to write. In that sense authors are considered more important than commenters, not because we’re somehow better but because we’re the ones putting the work in to keep the front page full of posts.
I get that it is complicated when an author/mod is also commenting, so let me be clear. When you called me a bully above, I wasn’t sure if you were referring to my comments or my moderations. I’ve let this subthread run because I’ve been busy and I was hoping that it would settle down. But you are now outright challenging an author and that’s a problem. Please now clarify if you think I am a bully as a commenter or a moderator or both. If you are calling me a bully as a moderator, you need to link to 3 examples in the past month that support that. If you are calling me a bully as a commenter, I will deal with that when I am not in bold. However you need to be aware that if you continue to make accusations without responding to requests for clarification or back up, then at some point a moderator will get involved.
This isn’t negotiable. I suggest you read the Policy and About, because I’m not willing to spend more time on this and if I have to moderate you again I will be putting in a timed ban. I have no problem with people expressing disappointment or dissatisfaction with the moderation here, or specific decisions, or asking questions or making constructive suggestions, but it’s not ok to have a go at authors. I’m putting you in premod so I can more easily pick up your reply. – weka]
Friendly advice from a non-moderator: you definitely make two accusations with no identifying context in 8.1.2.1, and doubling down on it is a good way to annoy moderators. The site does explain all this in its comments policy.
Then I will leave it to others to form an opinion on whether this anti CV clique seeks to shut down rather than engage with dessenting viewpoints. I have no wish to be further dragged in to pedantic argument on the definition of an accusation while you chose to ignore the substance of the observation.
http://images.memes.com/meme/290340
Holding an opinion that an alleged serial sexual offender is a manifestly unsuitable candidate is a view through the prism of gender politics only, really?.
Holding an opinion that an alleged serial sexual offender is a manifestly unsuitable candidate is a view through the prism of gender politics only, really?.
… a candidate who has personally ensured that gender is front and centre of each of the three presidential debates. “Nasty woman”, “she” (repeated in hissing tones many times), doubting her stamina, saying she doesn’t “look” presidential, stalking her onstage in the most repulsive way – and admitting later that he was in fact envisaging her sexually at that time!!! DURING a live, televised presidential debate!!!
And that is all a-ok with Mr Murray?
I don’t agree with the conclusions you have reached there andrew. I can’t see where there was any insistence at all apart from asking for evidence for blanket, usually insulting and hurtful, accusations against others – when that inevitably didn’t occur then that was named as an opinion and was weighed against other opinions that that writer has made previously – there does develop a cumulative effect where a commenter’s ‘voice’ is known.
You don’t like that as a left left person I don’t like reading and having to argue against bullshit and hate speech, against arguments proven false and with no redeeming qualities I might add, against a self confessed non-left thinker or believer – just because they want to shout loudly their (proven) bigotry. That is fine by me and also fine you make comment on it.
Thank you Andrew Murray. I agree with your comments and am disappointed by the behaviour of many on this site in their relentless vindictive treatment of CV.
BTW, if anyone had noticed my light commenting around these parts recently, a small part of it is due to CV’s behaviour of late. I just can’t be bothered coming here and having to scroll past all his crap. I’m sure there are some who might consider that sweet relief, of course 🙂
I’m sure you are not the only one.
I like your posts, they’re normally quite considered but its Penny Brights posts that annoy the heck out of me or rather her posting something then not bothering to reply to people that comment on what she posted
Yes Puck I have observed you partaking in group bullying of Penny in the past and commented on that yesterday …… when you were being insincere about attitudes to women posters ……
Also not one of you trolls ever answered my easy maths question of $2.2 billion divided by $22 million ……….. when comparing the aussie bank fraud featuring a getaway tax vehicle provided by John Shewan ….. versus the $22 million welfare fraud prosecuted in the same year … The answer was of course that Shewans and the bamks fraud was 100x larger … or 100 years worth.
You never answered did you Puck ………
Bring back CV and ban Puck is my opinion …….
I’ve accepted Hillary the Hawk will be the next president over Trump, who I called out as a rapist last fathers day from memory …..
Anyway, New Zealand and the rest of the world should take a lot more refugees …..
made not in ………. but by the u.s.a
Quietly following this Todd&Clare shenanigans and I reckon the whole thing is just a bit too cute, so, putting on my bestest tinny –
Obviously it’s taken time and resources to launch but would a professional hit piece on Assange:
Coincide with an internet rumour about Assange’s well being.
Coincide with Assange’s loss of internet services
Offer a payment from the Russian government to promote a women’s dating site.
Todd &Clare front be so easily exposed and connected to Clinton associates, within hours, by internet sleuths.
Allegations be so easily refuted, again, within hours, by contacting Bahamian police.
Had enough time to go viral and just before it got legs, it’s squashed.
Tinny off.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article109255732.html#1
plus wikileaks anniversary and/or major announcement this month.
I don’t quote get which conspiracy it is though – the one to attempt to discredit Assange or the one to discredit Clinton?
Sorting the black flags from the white hats black flagging sounds just the job for ugly truth…or trav….
I see Pete George has something to say on the CV banning.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Be good to see: (1) the outcome of this; and (2) it happen here. What chances are there of IRD doing something similar??
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/20/hmrc-launch-crackdown-gig-economy-firms-agency-self-employed-staff
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/85600505/parking-joseph-how-a-small-team-from-new-zealand-secured-a-world-heavyweight-title-shot-against-the-odds
Good on them, I think Parkers not at Joshua or Klitschkos level just yet but sometimes you just have to take the opportunity when it comes and, if he can beat Ruiz, his opportunity will come sooner rather later
Here’s hoping Joseph knows how to count.
Its an odd business for sure
Parker put the last falla down with a body blow ,that takes real power, he’s ready for all of them ,
Believe me when I say I hope you’re right and I hope I’m wrong
As long as he gives it everything i’m all good with it , it took me along time to get over the Tua man getting overwhelmed with the occasion and failing to fire a shot.
In a war we should not be in. Directing airstrikes that might be the cause of war crimes. Harming New Zealand’s reputation. So says the Guardian:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/85603946/nz-sas-in-northern-iraq–reports
Do you think we are there?
I think we might be.
I’m absolutely sure we are there, Robert. I suggested in a post ages ago that our role over there was not going to be limited to training the Iraqi military and that the SAS would be lurking around as well. I’d like to think that when IS are forced out of Iraq and into Syria that our role, whatever it is, comes to a swift end.
And like we should believe a spokeperson for Gerry Brownlee’s office? Yeah, right …
“Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee has denied claims in international media that New Zealand special forces are calling in airstrikes in northern Iraq, “or involved in any other combat operations” in the country.”
Of course NZ special forces individuals could be working with/seconded to other nations forces which means they come under those countries mandate and not our own so Gerry Brownlee is probably telling the truth…or interpreting the question the way he wants to
It wouldn’t trouble Gerry to tell bare-faced lies any more than it does Key.
CO2 into ethanol.
Buggered if I know where they get the hydrogen from, but Oak Ridge don’t usually bullshit this stuff.
Fuck fuel, I’m just glad there’s a new source of liquor 🙂
Water??
yeah by the look they were bubbling the co2 through a clear solution onto the catalyst, which is apparently electrified.
So my assumption is that the catalyst and the voltage break the co2 and h2o bonds, leaving everyone to rejiggle into C2H6O and 2xO2.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe so probably not that hard to get hold of
The CO2 is dissolved in water.
https://www.ornl.gov/news/nano-spike-catalysts-convert-carbon-dioxide-directly-ethanol
If that doesn’t work out, there’s also this, starting with lignin. But sorry, it doesn’t specifically say ethanol is one of the useful molecules it produces.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161020143940.htm
Lanza tech (originally from NZ) are also working on similar outcomes…
http://www.lanzatech.com/
Transport grade fuels – Biofuels (second and third generation) are just around the corner, per the link you have supplied the “issue” at the moment is developing catalysts that are commercially viable to use. The rest of the tech is ready to go.
As someone who is involved in the residential building and development industry in Auckland, there appears to be a trend of the banks “de risking” in this industry. I have just completed the yearly banking review for the coy. With our “relationship” banker informing me that the bank has given us 10 months to reduce our credit facility by 1/3rd, which will mean that money that were intended to develop land and houses will now be used to repay the bank back. This on top of that the MOCCL rate we pay is to increase. The reason was that the bank is under pressure to maintain its profit margins in a tight market, in which they cannot lower rates as investors are unwilling to deposit for fixed terms given the low yields.
From discussions with others within the industry we are not the only coy that the banks are placing increasing pressure to reduce debt, this at a time when we are forever being reminded that Auckland needs 14k houses build p.a. ??
As someone who is involved in the residential building and development industry in Auckland, there appears to be a trend of the banks “de risking” in this industry. I have just completed the yearly banking review for the coy. With our “relationship” banker informing me that the bank has given us 10 months to reduce our credit facility by 1/3rd, which will mean that money that were intended to develop land and houses will now be used to repay the bank back. This on top of that the MOCCL rate we pay is to increase. The reason was that the bank is under pressure to maintain its profit margins in a tight market, in which they cannot lower rates as investors are unwilling to deposit for fixed terms given the low yields.
From discussions with others within the industry we are not the only coy that the banks are placing increasing pressure to reduce debt, this at a time when we are forever being reminded that Auckland needs 14k houses build p.a. whilst building less than 9k??
interesting, ty for the info. I wonder if banks are expecting some people to default on loans, so are making sure businesses are able to counter balance it by paying down more debt at this time? Are interest rates about to rise? Will people be able to maintain massive mortgages on over priced properties?
How much profit do the banks need? It’s not as a result of recent property investor/banking lending rules changes?
Sounds like it could be a stumbling block for many in the trade whom are trying to build housing. Or is nick smith trying to dig himself out of a gaping cavernous hole, maybe he’ll blame the banks next for lack of action on his housing promises? Building boom? Housing Crisis?
Either way sounds like a pain for the people in your industry for sures.
With a massive Russian fleet now heading from the Baltic to the Syrian coast, and the US effectively expelling 5000 ISIS fighters from Iraq to Syria, I see a nod-wink for a Russian bloodbath of the remaining Isis. In Syria.
Recent events suggest the potential of a (sorry about that) deliberate mistake is also high. I’m not sure about the US strike that hit Assad forces, but I don’t believe they expected the Russian reprisal.
ISIS may disperse if they face a genuine existential threat – some at least of them can do that.
This has the potential to be a very good war not to be involved in – no high moral ground, and small players get hurt if the giants dance.
some interesting discussion by some geeks trying to find links between clinton campaign and the toddandclair “assange is pedophile” scam.
bring your tinfoil hat but still some rather interesting connections
https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiLeaks/comments/587lbg/i_have_been_looking_into_the_san_fransisco/
Assuming that the people who wanted to set up a website in a false name put their correct address on the registrations…
At least someone’s looking at it, though.
[In order to keep OM and DR free for other conversations, all comments, link postings etc about the US election now need to go in the dedicated US election discussion here.
If you are unsure, post in that thread rather than here. It’s not possible for moderators to shift comments from OM to there, so any comments here may get deleted – weka]
What has happened to CV’s post about US-Filipino relations? I saw the post in my RSS feed but when I clicked through to the site it was gone!
All I can see is some cryptic references to CV being banned, but no official notice or anything. It all comes across as a bit Stalinist in form. That post about Duterte I was looking forward to reading but perhaps it wasn’t politically correct? Who can enlighten me?
I hope to see that article again too, as soon as CV is back. It is quite riveting really, what is happening over there, and relevant for many of us.
So what happened? Why was the Duterte post deleted?
I don’t know – I’m not a mod.
But I really do hope CV is able to bring it back. It is a topic that immediately affects some of my wider family by marriage, and friends.
(Reply to Conal)