I see Garner is having yet another dig at Labour,the coalition and the process and unilaterally setting a 100 day deadline for Jacinda to deliver his list of Labours election policies.
The bitterness of the Natz and their MSM puppets will only get worse so the prposed changes to RNZ and TVNZ should also be a 100 day priority.
Yes that is the exactly the advice I would give Nzsage. We can’t have these people damaging OUR new Government and our country’s reputation yes you idiots you are damaging OUR country O but that is a bit to far forward for you to think .
I think one of OUR more experienced people from Labour or NZFirst anyone with the skills to sort them out but they need to be wise as these people can turn any shit onto you . And put on this task of bringing OUR media to HEEL as this should be a priority plan for the long term of OUR coalition Goverment. We don’t have to control our media but they need a code of conduct slapped on them . Ka pai
If it was not so funny it would make you cry over the opinions of some of the prats out there. I wrote yesterday about all the griping going on @ /open-mike-20102017/#comment-1402555 and all the things that were going to happen under Labour.
With tongue in cheek, I also added a couple of my own. I noticed that the gas had risen in price by 2c a litre and jokingly I said to my wife I should put that on the Standard saying typical Labour have not been in power 1 day and they have already put gas up by 2c
Would you believe it some twat in the opinions to the article you have quoted has written just that, here’s the quote
“Wait to inflation gets a grip. Oh it already has petrol rose 2c a litre on day 1”
Indeed NZsage. I get the feeling with all this 100 days stuff that MSM expect the new government to deliver policy that:
a) does everything the way MSM wants it to be done; and
b) completely solves all the issues within the 100 days.
This is, obviously, not possible so I fear they are setting up the new Government for failure.
Actually, I don’t remember reading in any of the parties manifestos that they will do everything in the first 100 days.
Is this the MSM snatching something from overseas and trying to apply it to the incoming government?
It will be interesting seeing hoe the government will get so many things changed, given the amount of Nat members on select committees, I wonder if they will have to resort to creating law under urgency, like national did?
I actually think this Government is the best fit for equal and fair changes to our systems
As if any of those neo liberal state servants try and stop Jacinda from making these changes needed Winston Peters will kick there asses to touch. And Jamie will keep the focus on OUR environment. And most of the people in OUR new Coalition Government have the same left principles they just have to have there guard up and trust no one till they no they can be trusted I.E test them first before you give them that trust Tino pai
Many thanks to Barack Obama Bill Bush and John McCain for seeing the big pitcher .
We are all human’s we all expect to be treated like humans and when this happens OUR world will truly advance for the better of everything on her OUR mother earth.
I can see that these three family’s love there country and OUR world and are fighting for a equal society . Kia Kaha
Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana-Galizia, played a pivotal role in exposing NZ foreign trusts involvement in corrupt money-laundering – and now she’s dead.
Daphne Carauna-Galizia was blown to pieces in a car bomb assassination on 16 October 2017.
“I am never going to forget, running around the inferno in the field, trying to figure out a way to open the door, the horn of the car still blaring, screaming at two policemen who turned up with a single fire extinguisher to use it.
“They stared at me. “I’m sorry, there is nothing we can do”, one of them said.
“I looked down and there were my mother’s body parts all around me. I realised they were right, it was hopeless.
“Who is in the car?”, they asked me.
“My mother is in the car. She is dead.
She is dead because of your incompetence.”
__________________
A Malta magistrate is investigating explosive claims of money laundering and corruption that have put New Zealand in the middle of a global cash trail from the family of Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev.
President Aliyev’s daughter, Leyla Aliyeva, is alleged to have channelled more than NZ$1.6 million to senior figures of the Malta government, including Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s wife.
These include alleged payments to Panama companies owned by New Zealand trusts set up by the Malta Energy Minister Karl Mizzi and Muscat’s chief of staff, Keith Schembri.
On April 20, Maltese blogger Daphne Caruana-Galizia reported that she held copies of documents originally stored in a kitchen at Pilatus Bank, which showed that Egrant Inc, a mystery Panama Papers company identified by the Financial Review last year, was secretly owned by the Maltese Prime Minister’s wife, Michelle Muscat.
In March 2016, a Dubai company controlled by Leyla Aliyeva had transferred US$1.017 million (NZ$1.47 million) marked as a loan into Egrant’s account at Pilatus Bank, Caruana-Galizia reported.
Joseph Muscat denied the claims, calling it the “biggest political lie in Malta’s history”.
Caruana-Galizia reported that other payments were made from Leyla Aliyeva’s company to Pilatus accounts held by Egrant as well as Tillgate Inc and Hearnville Inc, two Panama companies that are owned by Schembri and Mizzi, through New Zealand trusts.
Schembri and Mizzi vehemently deny Caruana-Galizia’s reports. Mizzi has produced audited accounts for his New Zealand trust which shows it as dormant with no assets or income.
LUXURY YACHTS
Muscat announced on April 20 that magistrate Aaron Buge would conduct an inquiry into the allegations.
In a controversial energy deal, the Maltese government in 2013 contracted with a consortium led by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), which has financed a string of luxury yachts and homes across the world for the Aliyev family, to build a power station and gasification plant in Malta, with SOCAR taking an 18-year contract to supply LPG to Malta.
In 2015, Malta’s auditor general questioned €14 million (NZ$22 million) lost on fuel hedging contracts that the government-owned EneMalta took with SOCAR “at ministerial direction” from Mizzi.
The latest revelations, if substantiated, are an embarrassment for the New Zealand government, which announced an inquiry into its offshore trust laws on April 11 last year, the day after the Financial Review revealed details of how Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca’s Malta agent, BT Nexia, began setting up Tillson, Hearnville and Egrant five days after Muscat’s election victory in 2013.
Mossack Fonseca’s files were obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
New Zealand subsequently amended its offshore trusts regime, requiring foreign trusts to file annual accounts with the New Zealand tax office, but with no further restrictions.
At that time, it appeared the Malta trusts had never been used, after Mizzi and Schembri’s Panama companies were turned down by eight banks who refused to open accounts for them because they were Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs).
The Panama Papers, however, show repeated cases of overseas investors filing false or implausible sets of accounts with New Zealand lawyers, who have limited means to verify the figures.
SIGNIFICANT ROLE
The latest wave of allegations in Malta underline how easily the New Zealand disclosure laws can be avoided, which the new laws do not change.
If the reports are substantiated, they raise a far more serious picture of money-laundering from one of the most corrupt countries in the world, in which New Zealand’s foreign trusts played a significant role.
The saga began in February 2016 when Caruana-Galizia revealed that Schembri and Mizzi had set up two Panama companies, Tillgate Inc and Hearnville Inc, owned by the Haast Trust and Rotorua Trust in New Zealand.
In April 2016, the Financial Review published new details of Schembri and Mizzi’s New Zealand trusts and their attempts to open a bank account in Dubai.
Mossack Fonseca’s Malta files read like a whodunnit.
…..”
I had hopes after seeing this leaked Green policy win in the negotiations:
A referendum on legalising the personal use of cannabis by 2020. Funding for drug and alcohol addiction services will be increased.
But thinking it through, a referendum in 2020 is 3 years away, presumably legislation would follow, so add another year or two to that.
But James Shaw just said on The Nation that they haven’t worked out whether it will be a binding referendum or not.
If not there will be a toothless referendum in three years that the following government will ignore, and if National is back then that's likely.
A disappointingly soft policy.
[formatting fixed for clarity. Link added from below. I’ve had a quick look and see we’ve discussed quoting before.
So to be very clear – either use your own words and be prepared to back up claims of fact, or, if quoting someone else, then cite. This means if you cut and paste from elsewhere you need to provide a link. If the quote is cut and paste but not publicly available (e.g. email or behind a paywall), then name the source and link where you can. If you are quoting someone from offline, then name the source (specifically not vaguely) so others can look it up.
The reasons for that are that it’s a courtesy to the source; it gives readers a chance to understand the context; and it lessens trolls’ and astroturfers’ ability to push certain lines unchallenged. Please take this as a moderation warning. – weka]
[just found the last time I moderated you on this which resulted in a 2 week ban. Next time I’ll start doubling the ban times – weka]
There have been plenty of poll indications of support for drug law reform already, so I don’t know why we need referendum.
Law change is likely to be complex so a simple referendum is unlikely to address it adequately.
If we have a referendum I’d like to see legislation passed through parliament this term, sooner rather than later, then if a referendum is deemed necessary make it a binding ratification or rejection of the legislation.
Then at least we would know exactly what we are deciding on, and enables a simple yes/no referendum on something that is complex.
One would hope that the Greens design a referendum that would pass under the L/NZF/G govt if supported by the voters. I can’t imagine them drafting something that wasn’t acceptable to Labour or NZF, that would be daft. So is there a need for it to be binding?
I’m on my ph so can’t log in to moderate, but when I get home If there is no source or citation for that quote expect me to get out the bold. I’ll be looking up the last time we had this issue too.
I never thought I would do this, but I am going to support Pete George on this one in the interests of fairness – and also because I am surprised that there appears to have been no mention/discussion of this referendum on here that i could find.
That a ‘referendum on legalising the personal use of cannabis at or by the 2020 general election’ appears to be part of the policy gains for the Green Party has been the subject of many media reports and discussions on social media and other blogs for the last 24 or so hours. it has even been the subject of overseas media reports by for example the BBC.
This appears to be as a result of an informal release (aka leak) of an internal Green Party email sent out on Thurs night as part of their SGM via teleconference to decide whether to agree the C & S agreement.
I stress that it is widely available on social media but I have used Russell’s link only because as he is very savvy as to whether or not to post such things. Russell has more in his actual post here (and there is more in the comments) https://publicaddress.net/hardnews/all-change/
The ‘release’ of this email is also mentioned in many of the media articles and reports below on the proposed referendum:
“This appears to be as a result of an informal release (aka leak) of an internal Green Party email sent out on Thurs night as part of their SGM via teleconference to decide whether to agree the C & S agreement.”
That’s the ‘leak’? No, it’s not a leak. It wasn’t an internal email, it was an email sent to the full membership (I got a copy). Emails of that kind aren’t private or confidential and members are free to share the content.
The email wasn’t part of the SGM, it was an email to the full membership after the decision had been reached (and, from memory, announced).
Matthew Whitehead, an active member who afaik wasn’t involved in the SGM posted some of it on TS on Thurs night. I put a copy of part of it in a post on Thurs night, again, after the SGM had made a decision and this had been announced,
As for Shub, honestly, I can’t be bothered looking at what’s happened there and am quite happy to believe they’re shit stirring calling it a ‘leak’ unless proven otherwise.
“I am really sad to see these leaks happening as it casts a shadow over the integrity of the whole coalition/C & S arrangements.”
I think it’s premature to be thinking anything bad has happened. All three parties seem to have taken trouble to be both as transparent as they can be, and to not overstep the bounds because one of the other parties needs time to finish due process.
So Shaw talked on Thurs night about being able to release small amounts of detail e.g. what went to the membership in the email, but not being able to say things like who would be in what positions because Labour still needed to work through that. He reassured the membership that good ground had been gained on key areas, and this was confirmed in the email. It’s inconceivable that the intention was for that email to remain confidential given that there will be journalists who are members of the GP.
Leaked by whom, I wonder …. seems to me to be a bit of Post truth to both undermine, and colour the Greens as … kakariki, together with the coalition….
But James Shaw just said on The Nation that they haven’t worked out whether it will be a binding referendum or not.
If it is a referendum initiated by the government then it is a binding referendum. Of course the government is still free in their in interpretation of that referendum but even National won’t be able to reneg on it.
The question is, if it’s a Green Party initiated referendum, will it be considered a Government initiated referendum? Technically, the Greens aren’t the Government.
A few days ago Wayne Mapp was relying on OECD figures to back his view about how great the economy is under National. Lots of growth… would like his comment on the following given it shows growing GDP hasnt solved this problem…
So Tracey, if you follow the link from the magazine that it came from you may gain a balanced view on what it’s point is. In fact the main title of the article is this;
“As Cities Grow Worldwide, So Do the Numbers of Homeless.
Homelessness is more visible and varying definitions prevent global comparisons; experts debate if the problem is even solvable.”
adam , “do I support eugenics”, pffffft. How do you get that from my sentence.
Do I sit around and wax lyrical about the state of the world. I think there is more than enough people on this site who do that day in / day out.
adam , I just followed Traceys link back to the original core article that NewsHub commented on. The point I was making is that if you actually read it & it is interesting , its not as supportive to Traceys anti Nat Govt argument as she has been making out.
Rob, Wayne suggests that when the OECD ranks us highly it means the govt is great.He does not delve deeper nor observe IMF pronouncements that counter his world view.
By Waynes logic, the reverse must, ipso facto, mean the govt is bad. It is Wayne making simplistic conclusions, not me.
Whenever the meme “What a wonderful economy we have – just look at the growth rate!” rears its ugly head, one has always to ask the question – “But what is the economy for?”
A countries economy is not an end in itself – it is only a means to an end.
If the one boasting about the wondrous economy cannot say what this wonderful thing is for, then it is just as useless as the wonderful toy that the singer got when he was a boy. It went whizz when it moved, bopped when it stopped, and whirred when it stood still – he never knew just what it was, and I guess they never will.
The thing is, to worship a means, and not seek the end, is simply idolatry. If the means is not delivering the end, then no matter how wonderful you might think it is – it is useless.
So what is the economy for, anyway?
I would answer this question thus:
“The role of the economy is to deliver the most good, to the most people, over the longest time” If it does not do that, then it is a failing economy.
The rate of growth may or may not be a useful indicator but only over a short term – take for instance the lack of clean water supplies in Puerto Rico following the Hurricane. One month later only 2/3 of the population have access to potable water.
This is a slow rate of growth on the provision of a vital human need. But money is pouring into this “Island in an ocean .. a very big ocean” to use the words of Trump at a astonishing rate. ie over the past month the GDP of Puerto Rico would have been off the scale – but just how effective has it been?
Capitalism is a “blatant failure” when it comes to housing the poor, says Jacinda Ardern.
…
“What is the point of economic growth when we have some of the worst homelessness in the developed world?”
…
“When you have a market economy, it all comes down to whether or not you acknowledge where the market has failed and where intervention is required. Has it failed our people in recent times? Yes. How can you claim you’ve been successful when you have growth roughly 3 percent, but you’ve got the worst homelessness in the developed world?”
Ms Ardern said her Government wouldn’t measure economic success just on things like GDP.
“The measures for us have to change. We need to make sure we are looking at people’s ability to actually have a meaningful life, an enjoyable life, where their work is enough to survive and support their families.”
Asked directly if capitalism had failed low-income Kiwis, Ms Ardern was unequivocal.
“If you have hundreds of thousands of children living in homes without enough to survive, that’s a blatant failure. What else could you describe it as?”
Oh how the Nat shills will be spinning on the spot….. hope this kind of narrative can be kept up, and that more mainstreamers really begin to take note of the failures of capitalism, and the need for change.
Great piece macro but I would add to your definition. It must be measured by how it caters for its vulnerable who have a right to thrive not just survive
Interestingly around 4000 years ago someone inscribed a piece of wisdom on a clay tablet that has survived until today. I’m afraid I cannot find a link to this because I found this in a book some years back, and it is something that has not been digitized as far as I know.
Anyway the ancient sage wrote something like this:
” The greatness of a king will be judged not on the strength of his armies, but on the way he treats the most vulnerable of his subjects.”
There have been others to whom this sentiment has been attributed, but as far as I know the Babylonian clay tablet is the first expression. And this from what could be considered the cradle of civilization.
Thanks for this. I have long thought that to label ourselves civilised while simultaneously running down health, education and leaving the disabled to less than subsistence makes us barbarians
This mornings The Nation,what delight to see and hear from a true face of compassion, our new vibrant exiting Prime Minister,hope again is in the air optimism and a better future for families and those in need,how exiting.
Ardern stepped up into the leadership role exceptionally well in August, then lost a bit of ground when campaign weariness and lack of breadth and depth of policy became obvious.
But she has stepped up further coming out of the negotiations. One notable thing she indicated in The Nation interview was she says she has stood her ground against Winston on immigration, retaining Labour’s position on it.
It’s a long way to go for her but she generally looks very impressive. Not many successfully rise above hope and ambition to be a successful political leader, but so far she looks very capable.
Minor quibbles – too much over the top language, especially ‘absolutely’, and while she sounded natural when she first became leader she is starting to sound like she is reciting written language rather than talking naturally. She’s likely to sort that out as she goes.
You probably dont mean to but this comes across as slightly patronising. From what basis do you make these observations? What is your experience I mean.
Ardern: capitalism a ‘blatant failure’ for poor children of New Zealand
“If you have hundreds of thousands of children living in homes without enough to survive, that’s a blatant failure. What else could you describe it as?”
It looks like dear Claire Robinson is pissed off she was wrong.
She’s doing a lot of projection from National and placing it at the door of Labour and NZ First. Couched in academic-ese, her petulance and anger is plain to see.
That’s a piece written by somebody whose (intellectual) world has been rocked because “NZ First has challenged the established business model” [my bold] and her “innovation lens” was out of focus. Robinson seems to be oblivious to the fact that all her (academic) tools & models are just that. Robinson also appears to be at the second of five stages of grief: anger.
I can only hope that Robinson and many other ‘experts’ will find themselves outwitted and wrong-footed many times as a result of real change rather than the having to endure a “modified status quo” that Robinson seems to pine for.
“I can only hope that Robinson and many other ‘experts’ will find themselves outwitted and wrong-footed many times as a result of real change rather than the having to endure a “modified status quo” that Robinson seems to pine for.”
Well, of course this is the woman who was telling us just a week or so ago that Ardern and Labour must be “gutted” at the Specials result…
Who’s checked out the latest rant from Richard Prebble? http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11935125
He’s trying to tell us that Ardern is just a puppet to Peters, who has “stolen” the election – comparing it to a coup, and that the result is undemocratic (no surprises there). He also says “I blame Bill English for this debacle. He ran a great First Past the Post campaign – and a losing MMP campaign.” This comment is fair enough, maybe, but how does it compare with this one, from his last piece (on September 21st): “Bill has run a mistake-free campaign but he took too long to attack Labour’s tax policy”? Let’s forget that it can’t be mistake-free if there’s a “but” coming up and focus on the fact that before the final result was known our friend Richard thought Bill E had run a great campaign and now he thinks it was a debacle. Which was it, Richard? And why no mention of the campaign manager, Stephen Joyce? Thos two decided together to run a “take ’em all out” campaign, and were perfectly prepared to tell lies and countenance leaking of personal information as part of the strategy.
Doesn’t look too smart now, does it? All those blue joggers running off to the opposition benches, still alone and monochromatic.
I’ve not an ounce of empathy for them because they conducted themselves so dishonestly and – dare I say it – corruptly over the last 9 years. Yet their supporters turned a blind eye to it all and continue to turn a blind eye. Did Labour and the Greens respond with such venom when they were ousted in 2008? No. They did not. They were just as disappointed of course – and particularly with the blatant lies and the innuendo during the campaign – but they were all gracious in defeat and continued to be gracious in defeat for the next two elections.
When Labour lost in 2008, a disabled man in Wellington was so frightened by the news that he rang the police. This was reported, as I remember it, with wry amusement. This time around, the howls are all about a perceived threat to the privilege and licence enjoyed by the well- heeled, that expanded exponentially under John Key.
I never heard about that incident but it is a profoundly story. He might have been disabled but he clearly sensed there would be a gradual removal of the support and assistance he – and others in his situation desperately needed and my goodness… how right he was.
Some of the letters to the editor in today’s Herald are simply appalling in their venality. I will see if can find an online link…
I haven’t seen today’s Herald, but members of my family have told me some of the vile comments they have seen and heard. National, under Key, certainly unleashed a nasty streak in certain quarters, and it is still hanging around although he has moved on.
ACT people do have some knowledge of puppetry… but there seems to be so much writing from a perspective of;
This is how I behave so others must be the same.
“Business model”, “innovation lens”.
Lol. If Robinson swims in the shallow pool of business language she will never understand the real world. It’s desperate and incoherent drivel.
Worked for some years with CR. Epitomises the careerist academic. Vain, devoid of anything resembling humour or humility, and not at all an empathic, insightful or imaginative person. Made up for those deficiencies in ambition, realised that riding the coattails of the powerful and repeating their jargon back at them would serve that. Seeing her turn this bitter when she embarrasses herself is no surprise.
… and unfortunately, far from the worst that Massey has. The place is a menagerie of malice and stupidity.
Even RNZ’s regular gal with the balanced portfolio and work-life equilibrium (going forward) seems to have recognised things can’t continue as they are – I think she began to realise a year or 18 months ago.
(btw – for those prepared to jump on the ‘dearest’, and ‘regular gal’ remarks above – it was said with the same intent as is common by Garners, Richardsons and many other gNats in the media and those in the political class sweetie. shorthand: /sarc
An increasing number of academics behave this way due to the great ideological culls ratchetted up under Joyce. Academic integrity sold to the highest bidders
This is the important stuff.
Any chance we cold have a thread based on this article by George Monbiot?
Here are some excerpts…..
‘Which of these would you name as the world’s most pressing environmental issue? Climate breakdown, air pollution, water loss, plastic waste or urban expansion? My answer is none of the above. Almost incredibly, I believe that climate breakdown takes third place, behind two issues that receive only a fraction of the attention.
This is not to downgrade the danger presented by global heating – on the contrary, it presents an existential threat. It is simply that I have come to realise that two other issues have such huge and immediate impacts that they push even this great predicament into third place.
One is industrial fishing, which, all over the blue planet, is now causing systemic ecological collapse. The other is the erasure of non-human life from the land by farming.
Some information from his article…
‘A study published this week in the journal Plos One reveals that flying insects surveyed on nature reserves in Germany have declined by 76% in 27 years.‘
One study in Britain suggests that, if we stopped using animal products, everyone in Britain could be fed on just 3m of our 18.5m hectares of current farmland (or on 7m hectares if all our farming were organic).
A recent study in Nature Plants reveals that most farms would increase production if they cut their use of pesticides
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, at current rates of soil loss, driven largely by poor farming practice, we have just 60 years of harvests left.
‘Over the past 33 years, the neo-liberal idea of a ‘free market’ ruled by naked self-interest has led to radical disparities of wealth and privilege, and an erosion of care for others and our beautiful land.
It has also undermined democratic institutions in New Zealand. Elections are seen as a Darwinian contest among political parties, in which the winners and their supporters take all, while the losers are shafted.
The independence of the civil service has been corroded, with chief executives who kowtow to their ministers, rather than serving the public interest. Government bodies are stacked with political cronies, while lobby groups dominate much decision-making.
In New Zealand, it is not just our waterways that have turned toxic as a result of greedy, self-interested politics. This is the real challenge for the new government – to clean up and restore life to our democracy, as well as to rivers and lakes across the land.‘
And the free market has not ruled in its entirety. When the free market dictates that skill shortages = higher wages those industries turned to the govt and immigration to circumvent free market and keep wages down.
That’s correct, as Ardern and Peters have stated, capitalism can be made to work for the people through “REGULATION”, something sadly missing in most countries today, preferring market driven outcomes which have been distorted by MONOPOLISATION.
There is considerable backlash on social media by those who now don’t like MMP and how it delivers democracy, still pushing moral right and how they had 44.5% of the vote, but it appears they’re not quite intelligent enough to work out that 55% is actually a majority and MMP stands for “Mixed Member Proportional” representation, still living in the FPP days, even after requiring the support of Dunne, ACT and the Maori Party for there previous Governments.
One of the articles goes:
92.8% didn’t vote for NZF
93.7% didn’t vote for the Greens
63.1% didn’t vote for Labour
And when you add that up??
And then there’s this one
Breaking news
All Blacks lose Rugby world Championship as
Aus, SA and Argentina combine their points and become coalition winners!
I have NO sympathy for any of them, just bad LOSERS
🙂
They had it so damm good for so long. All that power and prestige fed down the line to the henchmen and henchwomen from those at the top and suddenly… its gone. No wonder Mike Hoskings went berserk. They’ll be demanding a change of name for Labour Weekend next.
The thing is, to further complete the analogy, the All Blacks were playing in a different competition. They were playing in the Federation of Past Players, under the old rules, and the other three were competing for the Modern Mixed Players cup. Guess who won the MMP Cup?
Who gives a shit anyway. If National was in the same position they would have done it. And they know it.
Some times you need a coup. This was the coup we needed — a second October Revolution.
When you play the Game of Thrones, you play to win. Jacinda did iust that. Power was sitting right in front of her, and all she had to do was take it. She took it alright, outflanking National in the process. Completely within the rules.
The intent is to delegitimise the expression of a majority of voters and paint as palpable high morality the expression of a minority of voters. This is a seminal fight for democracy.
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by Philip Ferguson This weekend just past marks the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, the most famous of the great 1960s music festivals. It was held over the weekend (Friday-Monday) of August 15-18, 1969. Woodstock was a highpoint of the US ‘counter-culture’, and also the beginning of its end. When exploring the ...
It looks like the government has won over the public on its vehicle feebate scheme:A feebate scheme that would transfer hundreds of millions of dollars from buyers of higher-emission cars into the pockets of people buying EVs and other more fuel-efficient vehicles has been winning favour with submitters, the Government ...
When people suggest lowering the voting age, others argue that the young are too uneducated or silly to exercise the duties of citizenship. Australian John Quiggin has just blown that argument out of the water:Looking at the array of ignorant and vindictive old men attacking Greta Thunberg and other young ...
In the previous two posts, I laid out the context and set the theoretical framework to answer a question: whether indigenous economies should take the LEAP. This final part outlines ways to conceive of practicing mana motuhake within the existing legal system by carving out special jurisdictions that enable Indigenous ...
Fully Informed? Labour’s 2017 promises raised expectations that were little short of revolutionary. Unfortunately, they were never adequately shaken through the fiscal sieve. The hard economic work was not done – and it shows. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s critics have long complained that her grasp of the way the New ...
You cannot expect to pound communities into the ground day after day, year after year, decade after decade and just expect them to take it lying down. There’s a point at which the place will explode. And we’re faced with some very big ructions on both sides of the Atlantic ...
Back in May, Destiny Church leaders Brian and Hannah Tamaki launched another political party. Despite consisting entirely of followers of their religion, they grandly called it "Coalition New Zealand", in a vain effort to suggest it was something broader. But when they applied for registration, submitters opposed the name, as ...
The following article is excerpted and translated from two articles in recent issues of Lutte de Classe (Class Struggle), the magazine of Lutte Ouvrière (Workers Struggle), the revolutionary workers group active in France. We don’t necessarily agree with everything in it – for instance, the 1956-62 war for independence involved rather more revolutionary forces than ...
The Pacific is on the front line of climate change, and if we don't cut emissions quickly, some countries are literally going to be underwater. Because of this, small Pacific states had tried to use this week's Pacific Islands Forum meeting to get Pacific countries to agree to ending coal ...
To Limit Another's Rights Is To Limit One's Own: Is it too much to expect senior members of our Government to be capable of explaining that we protect the rights of human-beings precisely because not even the most depraved act can cancel-out the fact that its perpetrator is also a ...
Going Down? Once truth and propaganda become fused in the minds of one’s followers, debate and discussion become redundant. If one’s opponents are all outrageous liars, then engaging with them in any way is pointless. Rather than waste its time, a political party should, instead, target all its messages at ...
This section builds on Part 1 of this series to provide a theoretical basis for the final instalment (part 3 – to come). Self-determination: law or resurgence — or both? International law promotes the principal of equal treatment and self-determination, which includes peoples’ rights to freely pursue their social, cultural and ...
Everyone was outraged yesterday to learn that the Christchurch shooting accused had been able to send mail from prison to his Nazi fans, apparently pushing more hate. "How could this possibly happen", people asked. Simple: because New Zealand is a civilised country, and so we let prisoners send and receive ...
If we are to avoid dangerous anthropogenic climate change, we need to rapidly decarbonise our transport fleet. The good news: its starting to happen:The number of electric vehicles on New Zealand's roads have nearly tripled in the past two years. There are currently 15,453 registered electric vehicles (EVs), up ...
We need to fundamentally reframe our systems settings to address the drivers causing and underpinning inequality; structural change in systems especially financial. The Equality Network Hui was held in Wellington on 27 June 2019. The hui covered important topics such as child poverty; a living wage; taxation; public health; mental ...
The views-per-page for some of my recent postings:Depressing, isn't it? Provide thoughtful and wise commentary on the mainstream of British politics and no-one notices. Make a passing reference to Tommy DICKHEAD Robinson in a thread title and you get hundreds of views. Write something about anti-Semitism and you get another ...
The government has announced plans to move the Treaty of Waitangi and other taonga to a new site. Great news! So where are they going? Right next to the old one:The new plan will see a new 22,000-square-metre archive built on the former site of Defence House - the former ...
Back in June, StatsNZ went public about a project to track population data on an hourly level by using people's cellphones. It wasn't as bad as it initially looked - they were receiving no individual data, only counts by suburb - but there was still a huge consent problem, so ...
Most economists agree that a currently slowing economy could do with some stimulus – and they would also agree that there is no shortage of infrastructure projects which could be brought to productive fruition with help from that stimulus. In view of the current practice of sub-contracting economic policy decisions ...
I did an interview on the TVNZ Breakfast Show about the situation in Hong Kong. I tried to frame the issue as a collective action problem between two sides with very different end games. The video is here. Because of time constraints we could not discuss the fact that the ...
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ...
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ...
AN OPEN LETTER FOR SIGN ON BY ORGANISATIONS AND MOVEMENTS ACROSS THE WORLD, ALLIED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST INEQUALITY. This letter was released at the UN Political Forum on 9 July, where the Sustainable Development Goal on inequality was reviewed. The purpose of the letter is to call out the ...
We asked a young gay science student and critic of trans ideology and the trans activists’ assault on women’s and gay rights to outline his views on Redline. Thanks to him for his article. by Cian Ó Catháin Gender identity ideology (Gender ID) is ripping through western society at full ...
The Environment Committee is currently hearing submissions on the Zero Carbon Bill, and Stuff is reporting on the submissions. Today, they're covering yesterday they heard from "NZ" Steel:NZ Steel has told MPs it may be forced to close with the loss of thousands of jobs if changes aren't made to ...
Students are striking against climate change on September 27. And this time, they're asking everyone to join them:Students are taking to the streets, beaches and parks on 27 September, and we're inviting everyone to join us. That's right, this is an intergenerational issue, and you're all invited to put pressure ...
Peter McKenzie has a piece on Newsroom this morning about how local body politics is awash with property developer cash. 70% of all the donations in the 2016 Wellington mayoral election came from property developers. And its pretty obvious what they want in exchange:That’s particularly important in local government, according ...
Source: Unknown, twitter user Recently, I wrote a (relatively) short paper titled as above, to explore what self-determination could like in a practical sense. Maybe I’m a bit of an international trade truther or something, but I absolutely believe trade is at the heart of achieving peace and self-determination. Since ...
In the 1960s, after I had graduated with a first-class Oxford postgraduate law degree, I joined the British Foreign Office as the top entrant of my year. There, I worked for a couple of years on European affairs and was eventually posted to the Embassy in Brussels. After this exposure ...
Alone, Alone. All, All Alone: Will it be a good or a bad thing, when humanity’s bright blue spacecraft is stricken by the civilisation-destroying problem of Climate Change, that no Huston Control will be standing-by to rescue the crew?“WE HAVE A PROBLEM, HUSTON.” These were the words used by the ...
I heard a 45 minute interview with Monica Lewinsky talking to TED’s Chris Anderson on BBC Radio 4 over the weekend, and have listened to it another two times out walking. I recommend it. Highly. Man, I am so impressed with how this woman has integrated her life experiences and ...
Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff, The Coddling of the American Mind: how good intentions and bad ideas are setting up a generation for failure, London, Penguin, 2019, 352pp; reviewed by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff’s book The Coddling of the American Mind is a timely book, whose ...
When the Justice Committee reported back on the Administration of Justice (Reform of Contempt of Court) Bill, free speech advocates breathed a sigh of relief. As originally introduced, the Bill reitered the ancient offence of "scandalising the court" - basicly, a special sedition law protecting judges from criticism. The select ...
Eighteen months ago, the government promised to strengthen the Bill of Rights Act, by explicitly affirming the power of the courts to issue declarations of inconsistency and requiring Parliament to formally respond to them. Since then - crickets. Which raises the obvious question: are they actually going to do this, ...
Back in March, the Ministry of Justice conducted a public consultation exercise on whether to hold a review of the Official Information Act. 285 people submitted on it. Now, Stuff has trawled through those submissions, and the case for reform is strong:The Justice Ministry asked Kiwis what they thought was ...
National's prisoner voting ban has gone down as one of the worst laws in New Zealand history. Passed after a farcical debate (including this farcial speech from ACT MP Hilary Calvert), it has subsequently been found to be inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act by the High Court, Court ...
Divided Loyalties: Can the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, be relied upon? That’s what the boys and girls at Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon needed to be reassured about. Because, from the perspective of Washington, it’s looking more and more like Jacinda Ardern and her Labour Party comrades are getting ready ...
This handy Queer Theory Glossary is from thetranswidow.com In case you’ve had trouble keeping up with the spate of new queer theory terms, here’s a handy glossary for your reference. Queer – A straight person with an interesting haircut. Non-binary/genderqueer – A chubby young female, typically 16-28, who has ...
by Daphna Whitmore US social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt spoke on 1 August in Auckland to a crowd of around one thousand people. He is best known for his bookThe Coddling of the American Mind which examines the new climate of trigger warnings and acute sensitivity of Gen Z. ...
What an extraordinarily depressing experience it is to be compelled to watch, at 12,000 miles distance, the contortions and machinations of the British political class as they set about their determined attempt to overturn the decision taken by the British people that they wish to leave the European Union. The ...
The winter grazing issue is becoming a highly sensitised one that I hope will not become so politicised that it delays solutions and results in the suicides of some very stressed farmers.Winter grazing has hit the headlines after a determined campaign, including the release of a video of some very ...
by Don Franks Way back when British guitar virtuoso Joe Brown was a beginning session guy he got to back a visiting American artist. Young Joe was an able technician but had yet to learn some points of professionalism. Part way through “Five foot high and rising” Joe tired of ...
Since scientists started studying climate change, they have warned that it will reduce food production. And now, its happening:The climate crisis is damaging the ability of the land to sustain humanity, with cascading risks becoming increasingly severe as global temperatures rise, according to a landmark UN report compiled by some ...
The Abortion Legislation Bill just passed its first reading, 94-23. Its a far bigger margin than I expected, even allowing for the Winston factor, and it reflects the overwhelming support there is in this country for reform. but that support isn't a new thing - it has existed for literally ...
The Justice Committee has called for submissions on the Referendums Framework Bill. The Bill does what it says on the label - establishes a framework for referenda. Things you may want to address in your submission: Whether the bill should apply only at the 2020 election, or whether it should ...
The Thompson and Clark / MBIE spying scandal continues to result in fallout, this time in the form of a report on the implementation of MBIE's "Operation Exploration", its internal operation to enforce the infamous Anadarko Amendment which criminalised protests against the oil industry. MBIE's enforcement operation was tainted by ...
So, Winston Peters is defending his last-minute demand for a referendum on abortion by claiming he was "blindsided" by the bill. Really? The bill is a government bill. It has been working through the cabinet approval process since December last year. As part of that process, NZ First was consulted, ...
The Green Part has been accused of lack of transparency in two recent situations. The first was the claimed media lockdown during Green's annual conference and the second was Julie Ann Genter's refusal to release a letter she had sent to Phil Twyford.I do get frustrated when journalist's succumb to ...
The Green Part has been accused of lack of transparency in two recent situations. The first was the claimed media lockdown during Green's annual conference and the second was Julie Ann Genter's refusal to release a letter she had sent to Phil Twyford.I do get frustrated when journalist's succumb to ...
Last week, the ongoing democracy protests in Hong Kong saw a pro-Hong Kong student assaulted at the University of Auckland. The Chinese consulate in Auckland followed this up with a press release "express[ing] its appreciation to the students for their spontaneous patriotism" - effectively condoning the assault and inciting further ...
Only those who close their eyes and minds to the evidence can still be in any doubt that we are facing a climate change crisis. The evidence is conclusive that the world is not only getting inexorably hotter, but also that the rising temperatures are creating a number of other ...
Rural communities are wailing about forestry conversions "taking land out of production" and putting it into locking up carbon. Its driven purely by economics: there's more money and lower costs in carbon than in sheep or beef, and if carbon prices rise, there'll be more net money than dairy even. ...
This week, the government introduced its (underwhelming) Abortion Legislation Bill. And despite having negotiated the text of the bill through the coalition process, Winston Peters is now suggesting that he will demand a referendum on it:NZ First leader Winston Peters has hinted that his party may only support the Government's ...
Blowing-Up The House: Is Winston Peters planning to put himself at the head of all those New Zealanders who refuse to countenance the Coalition Government caving-in to the Ihumatao protesters? The most effective way of doing this would be to issue Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with an ultimatum. If she ...
Opportunities to dodge tax are shrinking with the completion of a new tax agreement with Switzerland, Revenue Minister Stuart Nash announced today. Mr Nash and the Swiss Ambassador David Vogelsanger have today signed documents to update the double tax agreement (DTA). The previous DTA was signed in 1980. “Double tax ...
The organiser of the annual YWCA Equal Pay Awards has expressed her disappointment with the latest Gender Pay Gap figure for New Zealand workers. The figure rose slightly from 9.2% in 2018 to 9.3% for the quarter ended 30 June 2019. ...
The Council of Licenced Firearm Owners (COLFO) is urging firearms owners to pass on information to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques now that the period for submissions has been extended to 27 September. ...
An application was filed in the Employment Relations Authority in Wellington today, seeking an injunction to prevent the Board of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation from removing the President from office. ...
The Government’s commitment to support literacy and numeracy training in the workplace is a strong signal from Government on recognising the importance of upskilling, reskilling and increasing productivity alongside their commitment to address the challenges ...
“The infrastructure sector sees a major role for the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission/Te Waihanga in lifting the nation’s sagging infrastructure performance,” says Paul Blair, incoming CEO of Infrastructure NZ. ...
The AA is calling on the Government to bring forward critical highway projects while time is spent properly developing the plans for a rapid transit system in Auckland. ...
Between 2015/16 and 2017/18, DHBs spent $280 million treating patients due to adverse drug reactions, reveals the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union in its latest briefing paper on health productivity . ...
The Pay Equity Coalition Auckland (PECA) is pleased the gender pay gap has decreased slightly. Statistics released today show the gap is now 11.9%, nearly 2 percent less than last year. ...
The Council of Licenced Firearm Owners (COLFO) is urging firearms owners to make sure they pass on any information they have to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques before submissions close tomorrow (Friday). ...
The big electricity companies consider solar energy “disruptive” and want pricing to suppress it. In contrast, advocates of local energy say that solar, energy efficiency, and other local energy solutions are the cheapest ways to reduce carbon emissions. ...
The Earthquake Commission and Shine Lawyers are delighted to announce that EQC has reached an agreement with the Gibling family, agreeing to cover the cost of repairs of remaining earthquake damage on their property. ...
Four months into the inquiry, the Royal Commission is gathering significant information and continues to receive valuable submissions from the public, from current and former State servants, experts and community groups. ...
While Fish & Game New Zealand is pleased to see Federated Farmers Environment Spokesperson Chris Allen say that 'we all want good, fresh water', he conveniently overlooks some key facts. ...
What: Wellington demo “Save the Amazon Forest/Salve a Amazônia!” When: Friday, 6 September 2019 from 12:30-13:30 Where: Embassy of Brazil in Wellingtona ...
Rt Hon Trevor Mallard, Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, welcomes the visit of His Excellency Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, President of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal. ...
A cross political Mental Health and Addictions Wellbeing group will be launched on Wednesday 28 August hosted by Sir John Kirwan and Moe Milne (ONZM) who have both been at the forefront of our country’s often difficult conversations about mental ...
Confirmation that the government will be progressing an independent Parliamentary Budget Office is great news for democracy and transparency, Federated Farmers says. ...
At first glance, Simon Bridges’ strident opposition to the government’s proposal to establish an independent office to cost political parties’ election spending plans looks childish and petty. ...
Euthanasia-Free NZ is appalled that Parliament spent so little time debating Part 2 of the End of Life Choice Bill and voted to leave it full of holes. ...
Jordan Williams, a spokesman for the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance and its nationwide sister group the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Auckland Mayor Phil Goff for his comments today that John Tamihere would need the Government’s support to ...
A ‘one size fits all’, inflexible and punitive regulatory regime for water quality just gets backs - and costs - up and most importantly will not work, Federated Farmers says. ...
Mediation yesterday between secondary principals and the government has resulted in a deal that the principals' negotiating team is recommending to its members. ...
Clubs New Zealand welcomes the decision of Justice Minister Andrew Little to put forward a bill amending the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow all licensed premises to remain open for Rugby World Cup matches. ...
The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation has ordered a review looking at labelling of added sugars in food and drinks. An option under investigation is ‘a pictorial approach applied to sugary beverages / sugar-sweetened beverages’ ...
Labour market data released by Statistics New Zealand today indicates that a gender pay gap persists in New Zealand, despite improvement in some areas. ...
In the midst of the 6th Great Extinction Event the coalition, STOP Trashing Our Planet is urging voters to take full responsibility for the legacy we are leaving our children. ...
LGNZ will carefully consider the proposed National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) to assess if it meets the Government’s aim of enabling urban development or simply adds more red tape to the planning process. ...
Statistics out today from the Government show that the gender wage imbalance, or gap, in the average wage is 11.9%, a strong 2 percentage point improvement from 13.9% last year. The gender pay imbalance in the median wage is 9.3%. ...
Newstalk ZB Drive host and Herald on Sunday columnist Heather du Plessis-Allan is taking on the challenge of keeping 2019 Auckland Mayoral contenders Phil Goff and John Tamihere in line and on point in tonight’s live NZ Herald Newstalk ZB debate. ...
After twenty years Napier residents have endured heavy sleep and health disruptive noise and air pollution from freight trucks gridlock operations to and from the Napier port and other regions. ...
The EMA says much is riding on the board and chief executive of the new National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) announced by Infrastructure Minister Hon Shane Jones today, with a difficult task ahead to deliver on its purpose. ...
The Public Service Association welcomes the introduction of workplace standards by the State Services Commission that make it clear public services should expect positive and safe workplaces. ...
The Financial Services Federation (FSF) - the voice of responsible lenders and leasing companies - and FinCap - working with consumers facing financial hardship - are signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this Thursday 22 August in Auckland. It will ...
Wellington, 20 August 2019 — Lawyers for Vulnerable New Zealanders (LVNZ) has lent its support to the amendments proposed by MP Chris Penk to better protect vulnerable people from being coerced to end their lives under the End of Life Choice Bill, currently ...
The Government’s decision to establish and independent Parliamentary Budget Office, outside of Treasury, is a taxpayer victory and will improve democracy, says the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union . Taxpayers' Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “It's ...
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that the cost-benefit analysis prepared by Ministry of Transport and used to advise Ministers on the Government’s Clean Car Standard and ‘Feebate’ policies has serious flaws which undermine justifications for the ...
The Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) welcomes new proposals for prison reform put forward by the Minister of Corrections and non-government organisations recently. ...
The New Zealand Maori Council has called on the nation to address all forms of racism and not to shy away from an honest conversation about where it’s taking hold. The call comes after the Nelson Club decided to keep a member after his comments became ...
Wellington (20 August 2019): The New Zealand Initiative enthusiastically welcomes the Coalition Government’s announcement of an Independent Parliamentary Budget Office. Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Associate Finance Minister James Shaw ...
Drs Say No agree with Chris Penk’s amendment to protect vulnerable patients from coercion, although the organisation still maintains that no safe euthanasia legislation can ever be drafted and continues to urge MPs to defeat the End of Life Choice Bill. ...
The Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says the Northland Regional Corrections Facility is persisting with policies that are preventing it from achieving its full potential. ...
The second national hui in the Māori-led Inquiry into Oranga Tamariki concluded yesterday ahead of schedule after a capacity audience formally ratified the terms of reference that determines the scope and purpose of the independent investigation ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Even Scott Morrison, with his abundant self-belief, couldn’t have imagined that on Saturday’s first anniversary of his seizing the prime ministership, he’d be winging his way to France for a G7 meeting, where Australia has ...
A group of students, including some Youth MPs, have been banned from Parliament for a year, after singing a waiata in the public gallery in support of the Ihumātao hīkoi. ...
National MP Nick Smith has lodged a serious accusation against Parliament's Speaker calling him "biased" after once again being booted out of the debating chamber. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sunanda Creagh, Head of Digital Storytelling Last weekend, hundreds of thousands of people again took to the streets in Hong Kong to protest against the government – the 11th straight weekend of demonstrations that began in June over a proposed extradition bill. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott Hamilton, Strategic Advisory Panel Member, Australian-German Energy Transition Hub, University of Melbourne Australia’s primary federal renewable energy target – to have 33 terawatts of renewable energy by 2020 – has essentially been achieved. There is much uncertainty as to what is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lewis Mitchell, Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, University of Adelaide I swear by Hypatia, by Lovelace, by Turing, by Fisher (and/or Bayes), and by all the statisticians and data scientists, making them my witnesses, that I will carry out, according to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Just when we thought Australia was getting serious about shifting priorities away from the Middle East to its own neighbourhood, the prime minister has announced another Middle East step up. Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Keogh, ARC DECRA Fellow, Queensland University of Technology In the last three months, the Australian Classification Board has “refused classification” for at least four video games – effectively banning them in Australia. The latest is zombie-survival shooter DayZ. Despite being previously ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle The Heart Foundation now recommends full-fat milk, cheese and yoghurt or reduced-fat options as part of its updated dietary advice released yesterday. This moves away from earlier advice that recommended only reduced-fat ...
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Paris Georgia co-founders Paris Mitchell Temple and Georgia Cherrie.This week’s podcast features a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer, who has died aged 73 of cancer, leaves a political and personal legacy as a man of courage, conviction and congeniality. The support that Fischer as National Party leader ...
One part telenovela, one part family drama, one part addictive love story. Sam Brooks reviews Jane the Virgin, the great show with an unfortunate name that should be your next Netflix binge.The following piece contains very mild spoilers for Jane the Virgin.While watching the last season of Jane the Virgin, ...
Before Zumba, before Just Dance, before it was cool again to move in public group settings, there was Jump Jam. Madeleine Chapman reflects.Jump Jam entered the lives of New Zealand kids in 2001, a year filled with historic cultural movements. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released in 2001; ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Jensz, Research associate professor, University of Münster Donald Trump is not the first US President to make an offer of buying Greenland from Denmark – but he might be the last. Home of some 56,000 people and around 80% covered by ...
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, Tara Ward taste-tests the best hot chips in the country. Everyone loves a hot chip because they’re a) hot, and b) a chip, but there’s nothing more disappointing than a bad chip experience. A ...
Sky Network Television has written down the value of large parts of its business and scrapped paying a dividend as it changes direction to counter falling pay TV subscribers. ...
Strict word limits for Māori translations of local body election candidate profiles is a form of "institutional racism" and should be changed, a candidate says. ...
ACT Party leader David Seymour's voluntary euthanasia bill has cleared another stage in Parliament with a suite of changes aimed at securing support. ...
A finalist for New Zealander of the Year for her work with Māori smokers is at war with academics because her research is funded by tobacco giant Philip Morris. Guyon Espiner reports. ...
Keith Rankin’s Chart Analysis Auckland Māori exodus after 2014The 2018 census has had such a low compliance rate, that it really acted as a large convenience sample (therefore a biased sample) of the New Zealand population. (See my Census Survey from March 2018.) Despite the assurances we are getting, ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Housing Bernard Hickey (Newsroom): Lecturing councils won’t work for Labour either Marc Daalder (Newsroom): ‘Nice pointers, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Prudence Flowers, Lecturer in US History, College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Flinders University As the abortion decriminalisation bill gradually makes its way through the NSW parliament, opponents have been increasingly drawing on their long relationship with the right-to-life movement in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Hansen, Chief of Staff, The Conversation With the advent of online ancestry DNA testing, and advancements in genetic screening for various medical aliments, we’re able to know more than ever about the genes that make us who we are. But is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda Galligan, Associate professor, University of Southern Queensland If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au.How was maths discovered? Who made up the numbers and rules? – Bianca, age 12, Strathfield, Sydney. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Borroz, PhD candidate in international business and comparative political economy, University of Auckland India’s Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft has settled into lunar orbit, ahead of its scheduled Moon landing on September 7. If it succeeds India will join a very select club, now ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Twyford and Parker propose new urban development policy statement, Tamihere unveils transport plans, and Māori King issues challenge on child abuse.For a lead today, a nudge towards one of those deeply dense announcements that could end up having a huge ...
Just like its National predecessor, this Labour-led Government is trying to lecture councils into growing the 'right' kinds of cities without giving them the funding tools or help to do it. ...
Part three of our debate on the state of New Zealand fiction continues as Chris Else, whose opening essay was strongly rebutted last week by Catherine Robertson, returns to put the boot in once more. ...
This morning the five shortlisted songs for the 2019 Silver Scroll Award were announced. Here, exclusively for The Spinoff, the finalists discuss each other’s nominated songs.Tom Scott of Avantdale Bowling Club on ‘The Barrel’ by Aldous Hardingit’s such a beautiful stunt to witness. breaking just before the cliff edge. the ...
A group is currently holding seminars around NZ which appear to be based on misinformation about vaccines. Dr Helen Petousis-Harris fact checks some of their claims. ...
The Football Ferns are at a crossroads - they need to move on from simply being "competitive" to make a serious impression on the world football stage. ...
Countless stories from women who have a right to be safe on campus still go unanswered, writes Kate Hannah, deputy director equity and inclusion, Te Pūnaha MatatiniDespite the hashtags and the headlines, universities in New Zealand seem to have largely avoided facing up to their own “#MeToo moment”. It is ...
The government’s plan to avoid another ‘fiscal hole’ fiasco has an unlikely fan: the chief economist of the corporate think tank New Zealand Initiative. Eric Crampton explains what else it could do.Have you ever driven past one of those stores that mostly sells blinds but calls itself ‘Not Just Blinds’ ...
Over the course of the local elections period, The Spinoff will be publishing primers on some of the most interesting races around the country. Today, Alex Braae casts his eyes over the Otago Regional Council contest.The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The SpinoffMembers. For more about ...
By Michael Andrew Journalists across Papua New Guinea have spoken out in support of EMTV news director Neville Choi after his “unacceptable” termination from a role he had held for six years. A public statement released on Monday listed the reasons for his termination, one of which was his ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Camellia Webb-Gannon, Lecturer, University of Wollongong Last weekend, the Indonesian police took 43 West Papuan students into custody for allegedly disrespecting the Indonesian flag during an independence day celebration (an allegation the students deny). Police stormed the students’ dorm and used teargas ...
Open Mike 21/10/2017 
Spark is bracing for a customer backlash as rugby fans all across the country struggle to get a picture on their wireless router. With the Rugby World Cup fast approaching, an elderly Taranaki couple are furious after being told that they still won’t be able to watch the tournament, even ...2 hours ago
Several explosions have been reported across Auckland, as well-meaning environmentalists have already begun purchasing too much petrol Starting from next week, customers will no longer need a car to purchase petrol directly from the pump, a development that two major fuel providers are billing as an opportunity to help fight ...3 hours ago
A new study claims to find that a mother’s exposure to fluoridated water during pregnancy may decrease the IQ of male children – but is it correct? (Photo: Getty Images) Anti-fluoride campaigners are promoting ... 5 hours ago
Donald Trump seems to be eager to start a war with Iran, and naturally Australia is yapping at its heels like a good little vassal. The UK also asked New Zealand to get involved, but fortunately, we had a good excuse: we simply didn't have the toys available:Britain asked New ...10 hours ago
Television advertising has a huge impact on our lives. Even if we don’t recognise that, we know it has to be true, since otherwise why would advertisers spend so much on it? Its significance, however, is greater than simply the influence it has on what we purchase and consume. It ...2 days ago
by Jan Rivers More than 30 years ago a Commission of Inquiry was held in New Zealand to investigate, amongst other things, whether women with cervical cancer were aware that they had been part of a research project and whether they were properly informed of the treatment options ...2 days ago
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I see Garner is having yet another dig at Labour,the coalition and the process and unilaterally setting a 100 day deadline for Jacinda to deliver his list of Labours election policies.
The bitterness of the Natz and their MSM puppets will only get worse so the prposed changes to RNZ and TVNZ should also be a 100 day priority.
See:https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/98090961/duncan-garner–the-accidental-pm-and-the-utopian-expectations
Yes that is the exactly the advice I would give Nzsage. We can’t have these people damaging OUR new Government and our country’s reputation yes you idiots you are damaging OUR country O but that is a bit to far forward for you to think .
I think one of OUR more experienced people from Labour or NZFirst anyone with the skills to sort them out but they need to be wise as these people can turn any shit onto you . And put on this task of bringing OUR media to HEEL as this should be a priority plan for the long term of OUR coalition Goverment. We don’t have to control our media but they need a code of conduct slapped on them . Ka pai
If it was not so funny it would make you cry over the opinions of some of the prats out there. I wrote yesterday about all the griping going on @ /open-mike-20102017/#comment-1402555 and all the things that were going to happen under Labour.
With tongue in cheek, I also added a couple of my own. I noticed that the gas had risen in price by 2c a litre and jokingly I said to my wife I should put that on the Standard saying typical Labour have not been in power 1 day and they have already put gas up by 2c
Would you believe it some twat in the opinions to the article you have quoted has written just that, here’s the quote
“Wait to inflation gets a grip. Oh it already has petrol rose 2c a litre on day 1”
Indeed NZsage. I get the feeling with all this 100 days stuff that MSM expect the new government to deliver policy that:
a) does everything the way MSM wants it to be done; and
b) completely solves all the issues within the 100 days.
This is, obviously, not possible so I fear they are setting up the new Government for failure.
Actually, I don’t remember reading in any of the parties manifestos that they will do everything in the first 100 days.
Is this the MSM snatching something from overseas and trying to apply it to the incoming government?
It will be interesting seeing hoe the government will get so many things changed, given the amount of Nat members on select committees, I wonder if they will have to resort to creating law under urgency, like national did?
Nationals damage will take up to a decade in some cases to fix.
It’s not going to be easy with this caterwauling going on top of the entrenching and bridge burning to overcome in fixing rail as one example.
To paraphrase the other WInston — it is much easier to wreck a country than it is to build it.
Committees will consist of 3 gov parties plus Nats. They will always be outnumbered.
The 100 days is for essential items of change Jacinda outlined, mentioning 1 out and 1 in through negotiations.
MSM can tie themselves in knots. Jacinda will make official announcements as and when to communicate.
She will tease Garner again, saying ‘God loves a trier’
I actually think this Government is the best fit for equal and fair changes to our systems
As if any of those neo liberal state servants try and stop Jacinda from making these changes needed Winston Peters will kick there asses to touch. And Jamie will keep the focus on OUR environment. And most of the people in OUR new Coalition Government have the same left principles they just have to have there guard up and trust no one till they no they can be trusted I.E test them first before you give them that trust Tino pai
Many thanks to Barack Obama Bill Bush and John McCain for seeing the big pitcher .
We are all human’s we all expect to be treated like humans and when this happens OUR world will truly advance for the better of everything on her OUR mother earth.
I can see that these three family’s love there country and OUR world and are fighting for a equal society . Kia Kaha
EMK
You have got the family’s mixed up..
Why would you thank any of the three you name, other than for showing who the faces are that represent the true ‘enemy’ of lifes existence..
NZ WHISTLE-BLOWER ALERT!
21 October 2017
Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana-Galizia, played a pivotal role in exposing NZ foreign trusts involvement in corrupt money-laundering – and now she’s dead.
Daphne Carauna-Galizia was blown to pieces in a car bomb assassination on 16 October 2017.
https://www.google.co.nz/amp/www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/car-bomb-killed-panama-papers-11378880.amp
Matthew Carauna-Galizia, son:
“I am never going to forget, running around the inferno in the field, trying to figure out a way to open the door, the horn of the car still blaring, screaming at two policemen who turned up with a single fire extinguisher to use it.
“They stared at me. “I’m sorry, there is nothing we can do”, one of them said.
“I looked down and there were my mother’s body parts all around me. I realised they were right, it was hopeless.
“Who is in the car?”, they asked me.
“My mother is in the car. She is dead.
She is dead because of your incompetence.”
__________________
Malta scandal exposes New Zealand trusts again
Neil Chenoweth and Susan Edmunds
April 28 2017
http://i.stuff.co.nz/business/world/91999096/malta-scandal-exposes-new-zealand-trusts-again
A Malta magistrate is investigating explosive claims of money laundering and corruption that have put New Zealand in the middle of a global cash trail from the family of Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev.
President Aliyev’s daughter, Leyla Aliyeva, is alleged to have channelled more than NZ$1.6 million to senior figures of the Malta government, including Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s wife.
These include alleged payments to Panama companies owned by New Zealand trusts set up by the Malta Energy Minister Karl Mizzi and Muscat’s chief of staff, Keith Schembri.
On April 20, Maltese blogger Daphne Caruana-Galizia reported that she held copies of documents originally stored in a kitchen at Pilatus Bank, which showed that Egrant Inc, a mystery Panama Papers company identified by the Financial Review last year, was secretly owned by the Maltese Prime Minister’s wife, Michelle Muscat.
In March 2016, a Dubai company controlled by Leyla Aliyeva had transferred US$1.017 million (NZ$1.47 million) marked as a loan into Egrant’s account at Pilatus Bank, Caruana-Galizia reported.
Joseph Muscat denied the claims, calling it the “biggest political lie in Malta’s history”.
Caruana-Galizia reported that other payments were made from Leyla Aliyeva’s company to Pilatus accounts held by Egrant as well as Tillgate Inc and Hearnville Inc, two Panama companies that are owned by Schembri and Mizzi, through New Zealand trusts.
Schembri and Mizzi vehemently deny Caruana-Galizia’s reports. Mizzi has produced audited accounts for his New Zealand trust which shows it as dormant with no assets or income.
LUXURY YACHTS
Muscat announced on April 20 that magistrate Aaron Buge would conduct an inquiry into the allegations.
In a controversial energy deal, the Maltese government in 2013 contracted with a consortium led by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), which has financed a string of luxury yachts and homes across the world for the Aliyev family, to build a power station and gasification plant in Malta, with SOCAR taking an 18-year contract to supply LPG to Malta.
In 2015, Malta’s auditor general questioned €14 million (NZ$22 million) lost on fuel hedging contracts that the government-owned EneMalta took with SOCAR “at ministerial direction” from Mizzi.
The latest revelations, if substantiated, are an embarrassment for the New Zealand government, which announced an inquiry into its offshore trust laws on April 11 last year, the day after the Financial Review revealed details of how Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca’s Malta agent, BT Nexia, began setting up Tillson, Hearnville and Egrant five days after Muscat’s election victory in 2013.
Mossack Fonseca’s files were obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
New Zealand subsequently amended its offshore trusts regime, requiring foreign trusts to file annual accounts with the New Zealand tax office, but with no further restrictions.
At that time, it appeared the Malta trusts had never been used, after Mizzi and Schembri’s Panama companies were turned down by eight banks who refused to open accounts for them because they were Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs).
The Panama Papers, however, show repeated cases of overseas investors filing false or implausible sets of accounts with New Zealand lawyers, who have limited means to verify the figures.
SIGNIFICANT ROLE
The latest wave of allegations in Malta underline how easily the New Zealand disclosure laws can be avoided, which the new laws do not change.
If the reports are substantiated, they raise a far more serious picture of money-laundering from one of the most corrupt countries in the world, in which New Zealand’s foreign trusts played a significant role.
The saga began in February 2016 when Caruana-Galizia revealed that Schembri and Mizzi had set up two Panama companies, Tillgate Inc and Hearnville Inc, owned by the Haast Trust and Rotorua Trust in New Zealand.
In April 2016, the Financial Review published new details of Schembri and Mizzi’s New Zealand trusts and their attempts to open a bank account in Dubai.
Mossack Fonseca’s Malta files read like a whodunnit.
…..”
RIP Daphne Carauna-Galizia.
Penny Bright
‘Anti-corruption whistle-blower’.
I had hopes after seeing this leaked Green policy win in the negotiations:
But thinking it through, a referendum in 2020 is 3 years away, presumably legislation would follow, so add another year or two to that.
But James Shaw just said on The Nation that they haven’t worked out whether it will be a binding referendum or not.
If not there will be a toothless referendum in three years that the following government will ignore, and if National is back then that's likely.
A disappointingly soft policy.
[formatting fixed for clarity. Link added from below. I’ve had a quick look and see we’ve discussed quoting before.
So to be very clear – either use your own words and be prepared to back up claims of fact, or, if quoting someone else, then cite. This means if you cut and paste from elsewhere you need to provide a link. If the quote is cut and paste but not publicly available (e.g. email or behind a paywall), then name the source and link where you can. If you are quoting someone from offline, then name the source (specifically not vaguely) so others can look it up.
The reasons for that are that it’s a courtesy to the source; it gives readers a chance to understand the context; and it lessens trolls’ and astroturfers’ ability to push certain lines unchallenged. Please take this as a moderation warning. – weka]
[just found the last time I moderated you on this which resulted in a 2 week ban. Next time I’ll start doubling the ban times – weka]
What’s the mechanism by which you imagine James Shaw holding a future National government to the results of a “binding” referendum, Pete?
There have been plenty of poll indications of support for drug law reform already, so I don’t know why we need referendum.
Law change is likely to be complex so a simple referendum is unlikely to address it adequately.
If we have a referendum I’d like to see legislation passed through parliament this term, sooner rather than later, then if a referendum is deemed necessary make it a binding ratification or rejection of the legislation.
Then at least we would know exactly what we are deciding on, and enables a simple yes/no referendum on something that is complex.
Probably should be a Royal Commission IMO – let all New Zealanders have their say that way, then make the recommendations binding.
Interestingly, New Zealand First was in fact pushing for a binding referendum on cannabis last year.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/83173728/NZ-First-are-on-their-own-calling-for-a-referendum-on-decriminalising-cannabis
This lead to Bradbury posting this on the Daily Blog in May this year
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/05/07/why-nz-first-is-the-only-route-to-legalising-cannabis-and-why-we-will-need-to-start-a-citizens-initiated-referendum-to-get-real-change/
So I hope that this this proposed referendum is not going to be a sticking point for the new government.
One would hope that the Greens design a referendum that would pass under the L/NZF/G govt if supported by the voters. I can’t imagine them drafting something that wasn’t acceptable to Labour or NZF, that would be daft. So is there a need for it to be binding?
Hippy!
I’m on my ph so can’t log in to moderate, but when I get home If there is no source or citation for that quote expect me to get out the bold. I’ll be looking up the last time we had this issue too.
I think it’s obvious where the quote ends.
Source Newshub:
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/10/the-greens-10-big-policy-gains.html
Also Robert Guyton:
https://yournz.org/2017/10/20/greens-ratify-agreement-with-labour/#comment-225633
Please see moderation note above.
I never thought I would do this, but I am going to support Pete George on this one in the interests of fairness – and also because I am surprised that there appears to have been no mention/discussion of this referendum on here that i could find.
That a ‘referendum on legalising the personal use of cannabis at or by the 2020 general election’ appears to be part of the policy gains for the Green Party has been the subject of many media reports and discussions on social media and other blogs for the last 24 or so hours. it has even been the subject of overseas media reports by for example the BBC.
This appears to be as a result of an informal release (aka leak) of an internal Green Party email sent out on Thurs night as part of their SGM via teleconference to decide whether to agree the C & S agreement.
The actual email has been circulating widely on social media and a copy posted by Russell Brown on Public Address can be viewed here:
https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-all-change/?p=376620#post376620
I stress that it is widely available on social media but I have used Russell’s link only because as he is very savvy as to whether or not to post such things. Russell has more in his actual post here (and there is more in the comments)
https://publicaddress.net/hardnews/all-change/
The ‘release’ of this email is also mentioned in many of the media articles and reports below on the proposed referendum:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98101382/greens-policy-grabbag-where-are-they-rousing-for-a-shakeup
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/10/the-greens-10-big-policy-gains.html
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/10/referendum-on-obsolete-cannabis-law-long-overdue-drug-foundation.html
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98081732/greens-promised-referendum-on-personal-cannabis-use
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98081802/greens-promised-referendum-on-legalising-the-personal-use-of-cannabis
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11935119
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/342008/cannabis-referendum-part-of-greens-deal
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/green-party-secure-referendum-legalising-cannabis-documents-claim
http://www.radiolive.co.nz/home/audio/2017/10/how-a-referendum-on-personal-use-of-cannabis-could-look.html
Overseas reports
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41693728
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/20/legalizing-cannabis-new-zealand-government-open-to-referendum.html
Bit over the top, but there are plenty more where those came from.
The policy gains are not the only details that appear to have been released informally – this Newshub report also speaks directly of leaks of the green ministerial roles
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/10/leak-greens-ministerial-roles-revealed.html
I am really sad to see these leaks happening as it casts a shadow over the integrity of the whole coalition/C & S arrangements.
Thanks, will have a look at the links later.
My comment to Pete was simply about him not providing a reference for his quote. He’s not the only one that does it, but he’s been warned before.
“This appears to be as a result of an informal release (aka leak) of an internal Green Party email sent out on Thurs night as part of their SGM via teleconference to decide whether to agree the C & S agreement.”
That’s the ‘leak’? No, it’s not a leak. It wasn’t an internal email, it was an email sent to the full membership (I got a copy). Emails of that kind aren’t private or confidential and members are free to share the content.
The email wasn’t part of the SGM, it was an email to the full membership after the decision had been reached (and, from memory, announced).
Matthew Whitehead, an active member who afaik wasn’t involved in the SGM posted some of it on TS on Thurs night. I put a copy of part of it in a post on Thurs night, again, after the SGM had made a decision and this had been announced,
As for Shub, honestly, I can’t be bothered looking at what’s happened there and am quite happy to believe they’re shit stirring calling it a ‘leak’ unless proven otherwise.
“I am really sad to see these leaks happening as it casts a shadow over the integrity of the whole coalition/C & S arrangements.”
I think it’s premature to be thinking anything bad has happened. All three parties seem to have taken trouble to be both as transparent as they can be, and to not overstep the bounds because one of the other parties needs time to finish due process.
So Shaw talked on Thurs night about being able to release small amounts of detail e.g. what went to the membership in the email, but not being able to say things like who would be in what positions because Labour still needed to work through that. He reassured the membership that good ground had been gained on key areas, and this was confirmed in the email. It’s inconceivable that the intention was for that email to remain confidential given that there will be journalists who are members of the GP.
Leaked by whom, I wonder …. seems to me to be a bit of Post truth to both undermine, and colour the Greens as … kakariki, together with the coalition….
More Dirty Shit to Come!
Shaw also stated (on the Nation today) that binding referendums go against Green Party policy.
So it doesn’t look like they (the Greens) will be supporting holding a binding referendum.
If it is a referendum initiated by the government then it is a binding referendum. Of course the government is still free in their in interpretation of that referendum but even National won’t be able to reneg on it.
The question is, if it’s a Green Party initiated referendum, will it be considered a Government initiated referendum? Technically, the Greens aren’t the Government.
George W Bush gives a speech, and it really quite good. How much is the world up side down? One line from Bush in particular, is stunning.
Here highlights from Young Turks. With commentary about republican leadership issues.
Jonathan Pie on Trump.
+10000000
A few days ago Wayne Mapp was relying on OECD figures to back his view about how great the economy is under National. Lots of growth… would like his comment on the following given it shows growing GDP hasnt solved this problem…
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/07/nz-s-homelessness-the-worst-in-oecd-by-far.html
So Tracey, if you follow the link from the magazine that it came from you may gain a balanced view on what it’s point is. In fact the main title of the article is this;
“As Cities Grow Worldwide, So Do the Numbers of Homeless.
Homelessness is more visible and varying definitions prevent global comparisons; experts debate if the problem is even solvable.”
Experts, and there is the problem. Experts has turned into code for – look our ideological agenda can be hidden behind this vernier of knowledge.
So Rob will you be out supporting eugenics next? That was a movement full of experts – waxing lyrical about the state of the world.
adam , “do I support eugenics”, pffffft. How do you get that from my sentence.
Do I sit around and wax lyrical about the state of the world. I think there is more than enough people on this site who do that day in / day out.
adam , I just followed Traceys link back to the original core article that NewsHub commented on. The point I was making is that if you actually read it & it is interesting , its not as supportive to Traceys anti Nat Govt argument as she has been making out.
You misunderstood my point. Read below.
Rob, Wayne suggests that when the OECD ranks us highly it means the govt is great.He does not delve deeper nor observe IMF pronouncements that counter his world view.
By Waynes logic, the reverse must, ipso facto, mean the govt is bad. It is Wayne making simplistic conclusions, not me.
I know that nothing is as simple as it seems.
Whenever the meme “What a wonderful economy we have – just look at the growth rate!” rears its ugly head, one has always to ask the question – “But what is the economy for?”
A countries economy is not an end in itself – it is only a means to an end.
If the one boasting about the wondrous economy cannot say what this wonderful thing is for, then it is just as useless as the wonderful toy that the singer got when he was a boy. It went whizz when it moved, bopped when it stopped, and whirred when it stood still – he never knew just what it was, and I guess they never will.
The thing is, to worship a means, and not seek the end, is simply idolatry. If the means is not delivering the end, then no matter how wonderful you might think it is – it is useless.
So what is the economy for, anyway?
I would answer this question thus:
“The role of the economy is to deliver the most good, to the most people, over the longest time” If it does not do that, then it is a failing economy.
The rate of growth may or may not be a useful indicator but only over a short term – take for instance the lack of clean water supplies in Puerto Rico following the Hurricane. One month later only 2/3 of the population have access to potable water.
This is a slow rate of growth on the provision of a vital human need. But money is pouring into this “Island in an ocean .. a very big ocean” to use the words of Trump at a astonishing rate. ie over the past month the GDP of Puerto Rico would have been off the scale – but just how effective has it been?
Jacinda Ardern on The Nation this weekend according to Newshub:
Oh how the Nat shills will be spinning on the spot….. hope this kind of narrative can be kept up, and that more mainstreamers really begin to take note of the failures of capitalism, and the need for change.
Thank you Macro. That is sensible and sound. We need to measure how our actions help or hinder people’s lives.
Many equate the word economy with money and forget “management of resources”
Great piece macro but I would add to your definition. It must be measured by how it caters for its vulnerable who have a right to thrive not just survive
Interestingly around 4000 years ago someone inscribed a piece of wisdom on a clay tablet that has survived until today. I’m afraid I cannot find a link to this because I found this in a book some years back, and it is something that has not been digitized as far as I know.
Anyway the ancient sage wrote something like this:
” The greatness of a king will be judged not on the strength of his armies, but on the way he treats the most vulnerable of his subjects.”
There have been others to whom this sentiment has been attributed, but as far as I know the Babylonian clay tablet is the first expression. And this from what could be considered the cradle of civilization.
Thanks for this. I have long thought that to label ourselves civilised while simultaneously running down health, education and leaving the disabled to less than subsistence makes us barbarians
The concept of Gross National Happiness has its drawbacks – but is still worthy of consideration.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_National_Happiness
This mornings The Nation,what delight to see and hear from a true face of compassion, our new vibrant exiting Prime Minister,hope again is in the air optimism and a better future for families and those in need,how exiting.
Ardern stepped up into the leadership role exceptionally well in August, then lost a bit of ground when campaign weariness and lack of breadth and depth of policy became obvious.
But she has stepped up further coming out of the negotiations. One notable thing she indicated in The Nation interview was she says she has stood her ground against Winston on immigration, retaining Labour’s position on it.
It’s a long way to go for her but she generally looks very impressive. Not many successfully rise above hope and ambition to be a successful political leader, but so far she looks very capable.
Minor quibbles – too much over the top language, especially ‘absolutely’, and while she sounded natural when she first became leader she is starting to sound like she is reciting written language rather than talking naturally. She’s likely to sort that out as she goes.
You probably dont mean to but this comes across as slightly patronising. From what basis do you make these observations? What is your experience I mean.
Ardern: capitalism a ‘blatant failure’ for poor children of New Zealand
“If you have hundreds of thousands of children living in homes without enough to survive, that’s a blatant failure. What else could you describe it as?”
Ardern was speaking on TV3 show The Nation.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11935456
It will be interesting to see who gets all the jobs at the various SOE and quango boards under the new govt.
Dear oh dear oh dear,
It looks like dear Claire Robinson is pissed off she was wrong.
She’s doing a lot of projection from National and placing it at the door of Labour and NZ First. Couched in academic-ese, her petulance and anger is plain to see.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/342071/labour-nz-first-govt-how-did-it-get-to-this
RW sycophant spits dummy
That’s a piece written by somebody whose (intellectual) world has been rocked because “NZ First has challenged the established business model” [my bold] and her “innovation lens” was out of focus. Robinson seems to be oblivious to the fact that all her (academic) tools & models are just that. Robinson also appears to be at the second of five stages of grief: anger.
I can only hope that Robinson and many other ‘experts’ will find themselves outwitted and wrong-footed many times as a result of real change rather than the having to endure a “modified status quo” that Robinson seems to pine for.
“I can only hope that Robinson and many other ‘experts’ will find themselves outwitted and wrong-footed many times as a result of real change rather than the having to endure a “modified status quo” that Robinson seems to pine for.”
That’s exactly what she’s afraid of!
Well, of course this is the woman who was telling us just a week or so ago that Ardern and Labour must be “gutted” at the Specials result…
Who’s checked out the latest rant from Richard Prebble? http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11935125
He’s trying to tell us that Ardern is just a puppet to Peters, who has “stolen” the election – comparing it to a coup, and that the result is undemocratic (no surprises there). He also says “I blame Bill English for this debacle. He ran a great First Past the Post campaign – and a losing MMP campaign.” This comment is fair enough, maybe, but how does it compare with this one, from his last piece (on September 21st): “Bill has run a mistake-free campaign but he took too long to attack Labour’s tax policy”? Let’s forget that it can’t be mistake-free if there’s a “but” coming up and focus on the fact that before the final result was known our friend Richard thought Bill E had run a great campaign and now he thinks it was a debacle. Which was it, Richard? And why no mention of the campaign manager, Stephen Joyce? Thos two decided together to run a “take ’em all out” campaign, and were perfectly prepared to tell lies and countenance leaking of personal information as part of the strategy.
Doesn’t look too smart now, does it? All those blue joggers running off to the opposition benches, still alone and monochromatic.
I’ve not an ounce of empathy for them because they conducted themselves so dishonestly and – dare I say it – corruptly over the last 9 years. Yet their supporters turned a blind eye to it all and continue to turn a blind eye. Did Labour and the Greens respond with such venom when they were ousted in 2008? No. They did not. They were just as disappointed of course – and particularly with the blatant lies and the innuendo during the campaign – but they were all gracious in defeat and continued to be gracious in defeat for the next two elections.
When Labour lost in 2008, a disabled man in Wellington was so frightened by the news that he rang the police. This was reported, as I remember it, with wry amusement. This time around, the howls are all about a perceived threat to the privilege and licence enjoyed by the well- heeled, that expanded exponentially under John Key.
I never heard about that incident but it is a profoundly story. He might have been disabled but he clearly sensed there would be a gradual removal of the support and assistance he – and others in his situation desperately needed and my goodness… how right he was.
Some of the letters to the editor in today’s Herald are simply appalling in their venality. I will see if can find an online link…
No. They’re not currently publishing letters online. They used to, because I recall linking to one or two in the past.
Edit: my first reply should read “profoundly sad story…”
Having majors with my pc at moment.
I haven’t seen today’s Herald, but members of my family have told me some of the vile comments they have seen and heard. National, under Key, certainly unleashed a nasty streak in certain quarters, and it is still hanging around although he has moved on.
What was that Blog he used..?
ACT people do have some knowledge of puppetry… but there seems to be so much writing from a perspective of;
This is how I behave so others must be the same.
“Business model”, “innovation lens”.
Lol. If Robinson swims in the shallow pool of business language she will never understand the real world. It’s desperate and incoherent drivel.
Worked for some years with CR. Epitomises the careerist academic. Vain, devoid of anything resembling humour or humility, and not at all an empathic, insightful or imaginative person. Made up for those deficiencies in ambition, realised that riding the coattails of the powerful and repeating their jargon back at them would serve that. Seeing her turn this bitter when she embarrasses herself is no surprise.
… and unfortunately, far from the worst that Massey has. The place is a menagerie of malice and stupidity.
Well said @Rhino.
And, as I watched “the sage” Lisa Owen this morning interviewing both JA and JS, I was mindful of dearest Clair Robinson.
I thought both would benefit from a listen to this – let alone a few others:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018618291/audit-culture-the-creeping-problem-of-our-age
Even RNZ’s regular gal with the balanced portfolio and work-life equilibrium (going forward) seems to have recognised things can’t continue as they are – I think she began to realise a year or 18 months ago.
(btw – for those prepared to jump on the ‘dearest’, and ‘regular gal’ remarks above – it was said with the same intent as is common by Garners, Richardsons and many other gNats in the media and those in the political class sweetie. shorthand: /sarc
An increasing number of academics behave this way due to the great ideological culls ratchetted up under Joyce. Academic integrity sold to the highest bidders
Interesting. How does she get on with Maharey?
Fortunately only on the site temporarily!
Disappeared within the hour, (An attempt at Balance perhaps) despite the offence!
The shocking collapse of insect populations hints at a global ecological meltdown
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/20/insectageddon-farming-catastrophe-climate-breakdown-insect-populations
This is the important stuff.
Any chance we cold have a thread based on this article by George Monbiot?
Here are some excerpts…..
‘Which of these would you name as the world’s most pressing environmental issue? Climate breakdown, air pollution, water loss, plastic waste or urban expansion? My answer is none of the above. Almost incredibly, I believe that climate breakdown takes third place, behind two issues that receive only a fraction of the attention.
This is not to downgrade the danger presented by global heating – on the contrary, it presents an existential threat. It is simply that I have come to realise that two other issues have such huge and immediate impacts that they push even this great predicament into third place.
One is industrial fishing, which, all over the blue planet, is now causing systemic ecological collapse. The other is the erasure of non-human life from the land by farming.
Some information from his article…
‘A study published this week in the journal Plos One reveals that flying insects surveyed on nature reserves in Germany have declined by 76% in 27 years.‘
One study in Britain suggests that, if we stopped using animal products, everyone in Britain could be fed on just 3m of our 18.5m hectares of current farmland (or on 7m hectares if all our farming were organic).
A recent study in Nature Plants reveals that most farms would increase production if they cut their use of pesticides
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, at current rates of soil loss, driven largely by poor farming practice, we have just 60 years of harvests left.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/oct/20/insectageddon-farming-catastrophe-climate-breakdown-insect-populations
Convert quickly to broad-scale, managed woodland forest gardens.
Edit: very quickly!
And how does this happen quickly?
Can’t be just personal responsibility.
Tweets by GlobalFishWatch
Dame Anne Salmond: A new start for NZ
‘Over the past 33 years, the neo-liberal idea of a ‘free market’ ruled by naked self-interest has led to radical disparities of wealth and privilege, and an erosion of care for others and our beautiful land.
It has also undermined democratic institutions in New Zealand. Elections are seen as a Darwinian contest among political parties, in which the winners and their supporters take all, while the losers are shafted.
The independence of the civil service has been corroded, with chief executives who kowtow to their ministers, rather than serving the public interest. Government bodies are stacked with political cronies, while lobby groups dominate much decision-making.
In New Zealand, it is not just our waterways that have turned toxic as a result of greedy, self-interested politics. This is the real challenge for the new government – to clean up and restore life to our democracy, as well as to rivers and lakes across the land.‘
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/10/19/54722/dame-anne-salmond-a-new-start-for-nz
And the free market has not ruled in its entirety. When the free market dictates that skill shortages = higher wages those industries turned to the govt and immigration to circumvent free market and keep wages down.
Oh yes. Regulation is very useful, when applied in the “Right” way.
That’s correct, as Ardern and Peters have stated, capitalism can be made to work for the people through “REGULATION”, something sadly missing in most countries today, preferring market driven outcomes which have been distorted by MONOPOLISATION.
There is considerable backlash on social media by those who now don’t like MMP and how it delivers democracy, still pushing moral right and how they had 44.5% of the vote, but it appears they’re not quite intelligent enough to work out that 55% is actually a majority and MMP stands for “Mixed Member Proportional” representation, still living in the FPP days, even after requiring the support of Dunne, ACT and the Maori Party for there previous Governments.
One of the articles goes:
92.8% didn’t vote for NZF
93.7% didn’t vote for the Greens
63.1% didn’t vote for Labour
And when you add that up??
And then there’s this one
Breaking news
All Blacks lose Rugby world Championship as
Aus, SA and Argentina combine their points and become coalition winners!
I have NO sympathy for any of them, just bad LOSERS
I’ve got some figures too:
55.6% didn’t vote for the Nats
99.5% didn’t vote for Act.
99.9% didn’t vote for UF
99% didn’t vote for MP
And since it’s leader indicated he would go with the Nats;
97.6% didn’t vote for Top.
If they want to go down that road, its a much more damming outcome for the Right.
Anne
These people only like democracy when they win, but it’s not working properly when they lose.
🙂
They had it so damm good for so long. All that power and prestige fed down the line to the henchmen and henchwomen from those at the top and suddenly… its gone. No wonder Mike Hoskings went berserk. They’ll be demanding a change of name for Labour Weekend next.
The thing is, to further complete the analogy, the All Blacks were playing in a different competition. They were playing in the Federation of Past Players, under the old rules, and the other three were competing for the Modern Mixed Players cup. Guess who won the MMP Cup?
Good one!!
Who gives a shit anyway. If National was in the same position they would have done it. And they know it.
Some times you need a coup. This was the coup we needed — a second October Revolution.
When you play the Game of Thrones, you play to win. Jacinda did iust that. Power was sitting right in front of her, and all she had to do was take it. She took it alright, outflanking National in the process. Completely within the rules.
The intent is to delegitimise the expression of a majority of voters and paint as palpable high morality the expression of a minority of voters. This is a seminal fight for democracy.
I agree, also I think, venting disatisfaction