Frontpage of today’s Herald: ‘Record Queues For Christmas Food’.
… More than 100 people were lined up on Hobson St and round a corner into a neighbouring lot yesterday, some since 5am, to receive charity – Christmas food parcels and donated gifts for children.
The majority did not want to appear in the newspaper. “Maybe if I had won something or it was something lucky,” a woman said.
Ms Robertson said the mission’s clients were struggling with unemployment and entitlement cuts. “They’re losing options.”
And the continuing recession was adding people to the queue as those on low incomes fell into the same poverty cycle as beneficiaries.
“As an agency we really try to get people off benefits and employed – make life better than it’s been,” Ms Robertson said. “But right now we’re just alleviating poverty, because there’s no place to go.”…
That’s appalling. John Key, Bill English, Paula Bennett – this is the result of your ‘tax switch’ and benefit restructuring… don’t say no-one told you at the time. I guess the government ministers have disappeared for their summer hols so aren’t seeing this. A twitter bombardment so they can take a look may be in order methinks.
And those politicians’ salaries are being backdated by months! They’re on Cloud 9 looking down on the ants below.
A quote I’ve read applies. Timothy Noah has written The Great Divergence: America’s inequality crisis and what we can do about it, reviewed by the Listener 18/8/2012.
Noah says that although America was an angrier place in the 1960s, when it was riven by conflict over issues like civil rights and the Vietnam War, “It’s meaner today. There are quieter resentments at work in our society today, a deeper, quieter estrangement.”
Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest film The Dictator has led to the praise typical of movie reviewers for corporate publications. Baron Cohen, according to most of these reviewers, is something of a maverick: an iconoclastic outsider, an unorthodox entertainer, an erstwhile rebel, a genius provocateur. None of these superlatives is accurate.
What is Baron Cohen, then? Lots of descriptors work: a gifted role-player, an excellent self-promoter, a potty-mouthed prankster, a religious zealot, a white male who uses his privileges of race and gender to exploit people who cannot access those privileges.
There is one descriptor that is too infrequently applied to him: Zionist shill. Plenty of writers have noted Baron Cohen’s ardent Zionism, but few have suggested that his Zionism should cast him in a negative light (“Before ‘The Dictator’ and ‘Borat’, friends recall, Sacha Baron Cohen was a very nerdy, very funny, Israel-oriented guy,” The Times of Israel, 11 May 2012). Even fewer have examined how that Zionism visibly influences his thematic choices and public role-playing.
His commitment to Zionism is troublesome for numerous reasons: it supports the historical and current dispossession of Palestinians, situates him as an advocate of militaristic state power, calls into question his ethical commitments, and places him in Hollywood’s safest political space, that of fealty to Israel, a space in which the title of maverick loses all significant meaning.
It isn’t difficult to find evidence of Baron Cohen’s politics in his invented characters. While there are obvious iterations of Zionism in the dictator, Shabazz Aladeen, tomfoolery on behalf of Israel is also evident in earlier characters Brüno and Borat. Through both characters, Baron Cohen engaged in questionable behavior, what can accurately be called outright exploitation.
With Borat, for example, Baron Cohen named an actual country, Kazakhstan, when the concept behind that movie could have accomplished the same comic purpose with a made-up nation. Even with a made-up nation, however, Borat’s appearance as a stupid, swarthy, sexist Muslim conflated the Third World with pre-modern sensibilities, a feat that could be accomplished only through an unspoken juxtaposition of whiteness and modernity.
Sad, Morrisey. You attack Populuxe for not backing up his assertions, then go into epic fail mode yourself when accusing Sacha Baron Cohen of support for mass murder. Buck up your ideas fella.
Mozza’s comment yesterday:
“That guy’s not funny. He’s even unfunnier when you look at his actual (not “satirical” or “ironic”) support for the mass murder perpetrated by his favorite real-life regime.”
If you defiantly assert your support for a state that is engaging in mass murder, and heaping ridicule on the victims, you are ergo supporting mass murder.
Read the article, my friend. You say it’s not proof that Baron Cohen is a militant supporter of Israel? You obviously have not read it. Please do so as soon as you can.
Then you can read more, of course, or you can keep pretending that this vile buffoon does not have a nasty agenda.
I will keep you posted over the next few days—but I should not really need to.
So no evidence at all? You’ve been looking for 24 hours and have found … nothing. Why don’t you just apologise for your hyperbole and move on? It’d be the mature thing to do.
Oh, I see your tactic, you’re just going to continue your defiance, and steadfastly refuse to look into the telescope.
You keep doing that if you want, Te Reo, but people who have an earnest desire to learn something will read that article, as well as the ones I will post up over the next few days.
Yeah, you’re still a-flailing and a-failing Mozza. Really disapointed that you could spend a couple days moaning about Populuxe not providing proof of an assertation, then failing so spectacularly when you are asked to do the same. Your credibility obviously doesn’t mean much to you.
Hence why I generally just skip Morrissey’s comments.
I don’t believe for a moment that you skip my comments.
I can, however, understand why you want to have a go at me. I recall you making a huge song and dance over a transcript I did last year of a particularly incompetent Hekia Parata interview, where most of what she said was “ummm, ahhh, errrrr, aaaaaahhhhhmmmm”. Hilariously, at one point she even used the immortal phrase “a variety of various variables”. Ms. Parata was apparently trying to play the role of a Minister of the Crown, but anybody who tuned in late would have thought she was a particularly dim, uneducated talkback caller.
Your stated “objection” was that my transcript, which I did from memory five minutes after the broadcast, was not one hundred percent verbatim. Your real objection was that she was trying to defend a corrupt and destructive government “policy” that you, for some unconvincing reason, support. For those who enjoy seeing a second-rate mind o’er-taxed, here’s that remarkable Parata performance again, followed by Lanthanide’s complaint, and a pettifogging performance by our friend Te Reo Putake, then operating under his English moniker…
Thanks for reminding me, Moz, I would have thought you would have learned from that spanking, but apparently not. Still, you at least got one thing correct:
“All right, Voice of Reason, I must concede that, strictly speaking, you are right.”
SBC is an actor supported by Hollywood which is used to sell *stories*, it also does a pretty good job at bullying governments, or lets say using their tools inside of governments to give them favours, a la Warners, John Key.
Selling stories, read branwashing the simple minded while they are incapable of defending the limited thoughts they do have, then become shaped into what the programming arm woops I mean Hollywood, want you to relate to.
Of course SBC is being used, just like almost any named politician, *official*, actor and so on, you could name….
Edit Lanthanide, were you being ironic when saying you skip over others posts, jog along!
Te Reo, you’ll note that I stressed you were correct, “strictly speaking”, as in, yes, I posted Ms. Parata’s cretinous utterances from memory, rather than from a tape recording. You yourself had to admit I got it right, however—even if I missed out several lines of “ummmmm”, “ahhhhhh” and “aaahhhhhhhhm” from this floundering embarrassment who enjoys the full support of the Prime Minister.
Thanks for the advice, McFliper. I WILL take that walk!
Lanthanide, thanks for reading me so attentively. I appreciate and enjoy your comments, even when we disagree occasionally.
It’s really way worse than that, strip the ‘growth’ currently occurring in Christchurch out of the figures and we have a 2 step economy which allows the Slippery National Government to claim an annual 2% growth for the total economy,
The ‘reality’ is that ‘the rest’ of the economy shrank over the year by 2%, it then becomes easy to see why there are lines of people lining up around the block in Auckland looking to receive Christmas charity,
The effects of the high New Zealand dollar can be said to have had a large negative effect upon the overall New Zealand economy with the rest of the -2% GDP ‘growth’ being ‘owned’ by the idiot from Dipton who has been running deliberate depressive economics,
I have been watching as the figures unfold and have had cause to think, ( i know, dangerous), that the village idiot from down Dipton way has been deliberately depressing the overall economy so as to have the Christchurch re-build occur while keeping inflation within the Reserve Bank’s inflation target band,
I take issue with the fact that the Christchurch rebuild is being classed in the GDP figures as ‘growth’ at all, ‘growth’ it obviously isn’t as that rebuild is in terms of bean counting the recovery of a loss of ‘growth’ that has previously occurred in the economy,
From a ‘human’ point of view, (as opposed to dry bean counting), if the village idiot is in fact ‘proved’ to have been deliberately suppressing economic activity in the wider New Zealand economy so as that ‘re-build’ does not breach the inflation target band i am getting the rope out of the shed and over the holidays will begin the tedious task of fashioning a noose,
There’s one hell of a load of human misery inherent in a 2% slide in over-all GDP and to think this may be occurring for no other reason than to make the village idiot from Dipton look good makes the blood boil….
Don’t forget we now need to take growth out of the economy to restock EQC coffers…
…then there is all the restrengthening and rebuilding poor design systemic to buildings,
public and private, up and down the country.
Its like kiwi kids are not taught the for-want-of-a-horse-the-battle-was-lost. Since the
higher up the totem poll a person gets, the more disinclined they are to admit error and
resign, the mor likely they build CTV building, or Pike River Mines, or roads in the
wrong place (or of the wrong design for peak oil, or not invest in flat straight low energy
rail lines), or think leaky homes are cool looking, or that climate change impacts never
happen even if we weren’t globally forcing the biosphere with huge forces (from tarmac to
digging up prehistoric carbon and burning it).
If you build a road, don’t get pathetic and make the pedestrians walk around flower beds
to cross doubling their time through the intersection, the list goes on on poor social
design in NZ. For want of a nail, the horse shoe was not ?clod?, for want of the horse
the king could not lead the army, for want of a king the battle was lost, for want of
victory the kingdom was lost, all for one nail.
“I’m fairly happy with how things have gone in the past year”.
That is from John Key on RNZ just now.
And he has every reason to feel that way. The polls have National in the same positions as at the elections of 2008 and 2011. Labour are back at the same position they had when they lost in 2008 and where they were for most of the time under Phil Goff.
Key should feel satisfied, despite multiple screw-ups by his very second rate team.
Key is getting this result because Labour has not changed it’s strategy in that time. If you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same result.
The galling frustration of being a Labour supporter at this time is watching the leadership repeat the same strategy that failed us under Phil.
The strategy of trying to get high personal ratings for the Leader (Goff/Shearer) involved suppressing the better front bench people. That has proven to be a failed failed failed failed strategy for the past four years.
Had they allowed each spokesperson space to perform we would have been stronger on a wider front. A wider connection between the Caucus and the Public would emerge. Much of the membership’s unease about the current “kitchen cabinet” would not have arisen. And the feckless macho demotion of Cunliffe would not have happened.
And we woukd be at 40%+ .
The political comment on radionz was that Key is seen as blokey, cheery sort and he’s advancing that image as when yesterday he was on some radio program doing something that appeals to the pub crowd, dancing and singing maybe. Meanwhile back in parliament, they are enjoying a ‘well-earned’ holiday, and government has to bump and grind its way through its problems. Gather round everybody, smile, cheeeese!
Fucknuckle of the week award must go to Gerry Brownlee.
The Court of Appeal has just upheld a previous High Court decision that he acted unlawfully in changing urban boundaries using his CERA powers. The Court said it was invalid because he failed to consider whether or not he should use other more democratic powers to achieve the same end. Details are at http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/8104262/Court-rules-Brownlees-actions-unlawful.
Radio NZ has just reported (no link yet) that Brownlee had criticised the Court by saying that in his affidavit he did say that he had considered using the alternative powers. He said that the Court should have contacted him before making the decision to clarify matters and darkly that he was considering his legal options.
What a doofus. He really thinks that he lives or ought to live in a banana republic.
I also heard that Radio NZ report – and was dumbfounded by Brownlee’s comment as reported and bolded in your comment in terms of court process. Power really has gone to Brownlee’s head – not unsurprisingly.
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
Friedrich Nietzsche
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Yourself, Lonely, Struggle
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Back, Long, Enough
Ah, women. They make the highs higher and the lows more frequent.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Stationary orbit locked over southern seas.
Launching probe. HLM, you’re all go on green.
Commence your scan for intelligent life forms.
Logic machine Al1, do you read? Tell me, what do you see?
Do you see anything? Or anyone?
Make sure they receive on all frequencies?
Breaking from orbit, lighting the upper skies.
Extend your search. HLM, Keep that eye on the prize.
Continue with plan to find intelligent life forms.
Logic machine Al1, do you read? If you please. Broadcast for me.
If you hear anything, anyone.
We’re making first contact. I come in peace. Is there anyone home?
First you have to believe, I come in peace. I’m here to save the world.
Confirm you receive. M class planet diseased.
‘Cause you’ve got it so wrong, and before too long, you’ll fade away to dust.
And you need to hold on and be very strong to make the change you must.
Descending through climate over the Northern Isle.
Remember they’re hurt HLM, you’ll get quite a surprise.
Implement logic for inferior life forms.
Logic machine Al1, do you read? Good luck, friend. Now bring them to me.
If you love anything, or anyone.
I’m making first contact. I come in peace. Please just pick up the phone.
I’m not here to deceive. I come in peace. We can save the world.
Please, confirm you receive. Confirm you receive.
‘Cause you’ve got it so wrong, and before too long, we’ll fade away to dust.
And you need to hold on and be very strong to make the change you must.
And you must. You are us.
I been eating a lot of sandwiches these past two weeks D. ; luncheon and chippies are my favourite on my budget along with a lot of avocado or salmon on Burgen toast, but then, thats our egalitarian society for ya 🙂
(I read that patronage, and punctuality, of Ak rail services are down D. reminds me of Alice and the Conductor; is your memory as good as mine 🙂 )
still, what does not kill ya certainly makes ya stronger (and comparitively famous literary wise in H.B)
see ya see ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya (just a wee Jokerman)
Today on RNZ mid-day news. Report by Treasury that states Charter Schools would be worse and more expensive than public schools AND a similar report from the Ministry of Education.
So this disgraceful regime is more ideologically extreme than Treasury. In any country that took politics seriously, John Banks would be serving time in prison now; instead he is given free rein to slash and rip at our education system.
Parata was working on the Charter School Scam with Rodger Douglas and Heather Roy in NActs first term of office, now she’s trying to ram the scam through. I agree with you re Banks.
How was it that teacher salaries were paid for15-20 years without major hassle, and then the NACT party changed to Novopay. Why the need for change you might ask!
Did I get it right that John Banks sold his shares in the company just before the change was implemented? Conflict of interest?
Reasons no one should trust the Grauniad
Reason No. 94: The Grauniad fears and resents dissenters
Bradley Manning was declared the Guardian‘s ‘person of the year’ in 2012. He beat Pussy Riot to win this accolade. The Guardian then published a tiny article to celebrate the fact, while carefully including the following ‘sour grapes’ comment:
‘The Guardian‘s 2012 person of the year vote has concluded and the winner, after some rather fishy voting patterns that belied earlier reader comments on the poll, is Bradley Manning, the US whistleblower on trial for leaking state secrets.’
No further article was commissioned in memory of Manning, and nothing was said about his torture and incarceration by the Obama administration. The editorial staff had obviously decided to throw the most muted celebration imaginable.
Contrast Manning’s poor editorial treatment with a recent piece of stenography on Pussy Riot by Dorian Lynskey:
‘Pussy Riot were the Band of 2012’ [title appears on front page of the Guardian]
It seems the US State Department were not happy with the final results of the original poll, hence the need for this trashy piece of churnalism. On the positive side: most of the comments are against the article and most of the commentators seems to understand the pernicious agenda of the editorial staff. All of which is rather refreshing – don’t you think?
Unfortunately, muzza, the persecution of Assange and Manning is all too real. As is the cooperative attitude of the “liberal” media like the Grauniad and the British State Broadcasting Corporation.
Hi Morrissey, and can you confirm how you would know the stories to be genuine?
The way I see it that the bigger the resources available, the easier it is to create big lies. Actors, script writers, directors, producers etc, the wonders of *Hollywood*
Indicated when you write about the BBC, Guardian etc, and your post today (sat) on the festival protest, you believe that Hollyood is a type of Zionist propagana machine, which it clearly is, I agree.
Following on from this, to me anyway makes it all very easy that due to resources, all of them, (take a look at how the occupy/arab uprisings, got front footed and taken over, re-directed/snuffed out etc). How does that happen, well its called creating the debate, and when resources are so plentiful and professionally employed, then not only can events be front footed, they can be created, played out and killed off with ease, while giving the illusion of *revolution* , or what ever it might be referred as. By the time the technology has been used against these *uprisings*, there is little likelihood that any genuine situation/movement that might have existed, will see the light of day!
What is wrong with Wellington International Airport LTD? Do they get the WTF award of the day or what?
“Airport fire service manager Daniel Debono confirmed that the appliances had been ordered last month from the Austrian manufacturer but declined to answer questions on the contract or tender process, citing commercial sensitivity…………”
The article goes on to quote Martin Simpson of Fraser Engineering in Lower Hutt who said “Their price had been lower than 2.8 million ( the price the contract has reportedly gone for), their tender had fully complied with the specifications and also included the first five years of maintenance”
So do you cite ‘commercial sensitivity’ when you know your decision is daft and that you have shafted NZ workers and businesses and know at some level that it is wrong but you don’t have the guts to face up to it?
Hi Rosie, one would needless have to pick the way through the complex mesh of relationships, but there will be a clear reason why the foreign firm was selected, and it will have nothing to do with process or proceedure, and everything to do with influence!
Shame, this is really just another shame, hidden behind *commercial sensitivty*
“one would needless have to pick the way through the complex mesh of relationships…………” Indeed……..
Infratil owns over 66% in Wgtn airport, the council own the rest. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infratil
Infratil also own airports in the UK and previously owned 90% of one in Germany. The “fingers in pies” scenario possibly comes into play and my guess its to do with Infratil’s influence rather than the Wgtn City Council. One things for sure, they don’t have any morals or any intention to repair their damaged reputation they have in Wgtn.
Yeah as soon as I saw the Infratil link, that was about where the effort to unravel the relationships ended, and will be the reason why the production went off-shore…
The real reasons are that the owners of the companies behind the Infratils of the world, have big foundations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, among others,and while the real puppet masters will be domiciled elsewhere, they are loyal to their own patch, NZ is nothing to them but another island to have control over, to be milked
So you’re right to say the Council will have had nothing to do with it.
It may be a high hope but we can only hope that Labour’s new ‘hands on’ approach to the economy will signal to all and sundry that IF it can be done here at the same or lower cost than elsewhere then HERE is where it’s done,
Infratril should in the new year perhaps seek a new company name, SCUM seems appropriate…
Kids! Thinking of doing drugs this Xmas? Just say NO! :
“Mr Key also rated the Government’s handling of a number of issues, giving Pike River 9, the Bain case 8, Dotcom 5, and their handling of the economy 7.”
Did someone slip Slippery some truth drug or something, what the Slippery little shyster is saying is that He and His Government have FAILED on most of the big issues of the year,
This Governments legacy will be seen as nothing but a puke stain across the fabric of New Zealand society….
Just listened to an ‘interesting’ discussion on RadioNZ National’s Afternoon with Jim Moron, where one of His commenter’s blames ‘lifestyle’ choices for the hundreds of people lined up at the Auckland City Mission hoping for Christmas charity,
I beg to differ, it is not lifestyle choices, it is in fact LIFE, those who earn a decent salary make as many wrong choices in life as does the average beneficiary, it is a natural part of being human and we all at times make wrong choices,
The difference??? those getting a decent living wage when they make a wrong choice usually have the discretionary income to gloss over their previous mistakes,(some even have enough coin coming in to allow them that mistake over and over),
Those living upon benefits have no such luxury, a mistake made by a beneficiary may lead to weeks, months and even years of negative repercussions simply because the benefit system is carefully costed as the bare minimum requirement of the individual or family….
Aha, i have recently decided to switch off the afternoon offering from RadioNZ National,(nine to noon is also frequently suffering the same fate),
I only listened this afternoon as the topics were advertised befor-hand, the Auckland City Missioner put that egg firmly in His place except for the fact that His preconceived notions about beneficiaries and others lining up round the block for a charity Christmas made Him deaf to what She had to say…
I do realise that teacher’s pay is reasonably complex … but there is nothing new or difficult about pay systems. They’ve been around for decades and it’s impossible in this day and age to be getting it this wrong.
But is there anyone else listening to the endless litany of absurd errors thrown up by the Novapay debacle beginning to think that this might be a deliberate attempt to ‘break the education system’?
Anytime a cock-up is seemingly so bad , to do with what is a well known set of processes/systems, by a company with a “reasonable” track record, and it breaks the way it allegedly has, then its deliberate.
You can’t accidentally make this many errors
Apply the same to the ACC leaks, deliberate attempt to break down ACC.
Aha, here too, havn’t wanted to comment on what seems best described as ‘Hekia’s revenge’ befor as other than ‘the sense’ of the absurd continuous teachers pay ‘f**k-up’ there’s no evidence of it being deliberate,
It’s not just teachers that are effected, the no-pay debacle effects the schools as well as payments come straight out of the individual schools budgets…
Light rain fall.
End of hillside workshops.
People gathered in memorial.
MPs in the three, union flags a flutter,
I stood silently and grim.
Old dear friends deepest red greeted.
Last three stood and chatted, not leaving till the end.
Now another bastion lost.
Time to take a stand.
Will it be feb or in 2014.
Take a stand united together strong, divide we beg.
Jordan Williams tries, and mostly fails, to run amok on the Panel
The Panel, National Radio, Friday 21 December 2012
Panelists: Jim Mora, Bernard Hickey, Jordan Williams
There are any number of nasty, unsympathetic and smug right-wing commentators infesting public discourse in this country. One of the nastiest is Jordan Williams. People like him thrive when they are allowed to state their extreme views without being called to explain or defend them. Jordan Williams got away with it at the start of the programme, but was then called out by a fellow Panelist (Bernard Hickey) and a guest. As usual, Jim Mora did nothing, other than an embarrassing, wandery rant at halftime about the Mayan calendar….
After what seemed an eternity of petty and dull opening pleasantries, host Jim Mora brought up the first topic for discussion: the steep increase in poverty in Auckland, as advised by aid and welfare agencies. Jordan Williams immediately poured scorn on the idea that there was any poverty in this country. Mora said that the idea there was no poverty was the Rodney Hide position. Williams snorted and said, “That’s not what Rodney says.”
But it is “what Rodney says”, and both Mora and Hickey knew that. However, neither of them uttered a word of contradiction to that barefaced lie. Williams then went on to spend the next ten minutes scoffing at the Auckland City Mission’s Diane Robertson. Outrageously, he claimed that the stingy welfare payments to the poor are “robbing Peter to pay Paul”.
This time, Hickey did not stay silent.
“Our taxes being used to pay welfare for the poor is ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’?” he said, slowly, mockingly, in tones of rising exasperation.
Williams, defiant, refused to modify or explain his statement. Sadly, Mora did not insist on his responding to Hickey’s challenge. He was allowed to carry on with his assault on Diane Robertson.
Later in the programme, Williams had a go at feminist campaigner Denise Ritchie, who is in the news today for her condemnation of the crude and sexist regime run by the CEO of Air New Zealand, Rob Fyfe. When she told Williams of the extreme and brutal hate comments directed at women following a series of demeaning advertisements, and of the harassment faced by female employees on Air New Zealand flights, he was forced to back down.
It’s a pity more people don’t take on smug right-wing bullies like this in similar fashion to Denise Ritchie.
At one point when he made an insinuation “that poverty may be about not enough income or lifestyle choices … but he didn’t know which” .. I said to my partner right there and then “I’d ban someone from the The Standard” for that kind of behaviour.
It was perfectly clear he was dog-whistling what he really believed, but was too gutless to own it.
It’s just a pity that Mora lacked the presence of mind to call him to account. The contrast with his carping, nit-picking, skeptical attitude toward liberal or left wing commentators is telling.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10855577
Chief executive of Australian company Talent2 John Rawlinson said there was no reason for staff to go unpaid because they could get cash advances from their individual schools who would be reimbursed..
We as a family who has just experienced no pay yesterday – I should ring: Talent2? No, MOE ? No The school. And who is the innocent party in this group and they are the one to fix the issue. So our local headmaster has to spend their Christmas eve fixing my problem ? And as most schools have spent their budgets that these payments are to made out of. And on TV1 news an MOE official made the statement that in her opinion it will take 26 pay cycles (1 year) for confidence in the system to be established.
Rawlinson is correct in one aspect “there was no reason for staff to go unpaid” Shouldn’t that be a given and isn’t that what his company is paid to deliver?
I work in schools and was at one today and found Admin staff (who are supposed to be on holiday) at work trying to fix Payroll problems, asked how it was going I was told that Novopay was not accepting phone calls now and problems had to be emailed in, no response today so they will have to come in on Christmas eve to check, if no response back again the day after boxing day and on and on it ******* goes WTF
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Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
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The campaign will engage the community and encourage submissions on the bill to the New Zealand government by the closing submission deadline of Friday 31st of May 2024 4pm. ...
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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10855446
Frontpage of today’s Herald: ‘Record Queues For Christmas Food’.
… More than 100 people were lined up on Hobson St and round a corner into a neighbouring lot yesterday, some since 5am, to receive charity – Christmas food parcels and donated gifts for children.
The majority did not want to appear in the newspaper. “Maybe if I had won something or it was something lucky,” a woman said.
Ms Robertson said the mission’s clients were struggling with unemployment and entitlement cuts. “They’re losing options.”
And the continuing recession was adding people to the queue as those on low incomes fell into the same poverty cycle as beneficiaries.
“As an agency we really try to get people off benefits and employed – make life better than it’s been,” Ms Robertson said. “But right now we’re just alleviating poverty, because there’s no place to go.”…
emboldening mine
That’s appalling. John Key, Bill English, Paula Bennett – this is the result of your ‘tax switch’ and benefit restructuring… don’t say no-one told you at the time. I guess the government ministers have disappeared for their summer hols so aren’t seeing this. A twitter bombardment so they can take a look may be in order methinks.
Poverty? What poverty? Salaries have gone up. Like $7790.
And those politicians’ salaries are being backdated by months! They’re on Cloud 9 looking down on the ants below.
A quote I’ve read applies. Timothy Noah has written The Great Divergence: America’s inequality crisis and what we can do about it, reviewed by the Listener 18/8/2012.
http://www.listener.co.nz/current-affairs/economy/americas-income-inequality-crisis/
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/12/18/government-can-reduce-inequality-but-chooses-not-to/
Sacha Baron Cohen: a buffoonish ideologue, at Israel’s service
by STEVEN SALAITA The Electronic Intifada 25 May 2012
http://electronicintifada.net/content/sacha-baron-cohen-buffoonish-ideologue-israels-service/11333
Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest film The Dictator has led to the praise typical of movie reviewers for corporate publications. Baron Cohen, according to most of these reviewers, is something of a maverick: an iconoclastic outsider, an unorthodox entertainer, an erstwhile rebel, a genius provocateur. None of these superlatives is accurate.
What is Baron Cohen, then? Lots of descriptors work: a gifted role-player, an excellent self-promoter, a potty-mouthed prankster, a religious zealot, a white male who uses his privileges of race and gender to exploit people who cannot access those privileges.
There is one descriptor that is too infrequently applied to him: Zionist shill. Plenty of writers have noted Baron Cohen’s ardent Zionism, but few have suggested that his Zionism should cast him in a negative light (“Before ‘The Dictator’ and ‘Borat’, friends recall, Sacha Baron Cohen was a very nerdy, very funny, Israel-oriented guy,” The Times of Israel, 11 May 2012). Even fewer have examined how that Zionism visibly influences his thematic choices and public role-playing.
His commitment to Zionism is troublesome for numerous reasons: it supports the historical and current dispossession of Palestinians, situates him as an advocate of militaristic state power, calls into question his ethical commitments, and places him in Hollywood’s safest political space, that of fealty to Israel, a space in which the title of maverick loses all significant meaning.
It isn’t difficult to find evidence of Baron Cohen’s politics in his invented characters. While there are obvious iterations of Zionism in the dictator, Shabazz Aladeen, tomfoolery on behalf of Israel is also evident in earlier characters Brüno and Borat. Through both characters, Baron Cohen engaged in questionable behavior, what can accurately be called outright exploitation.
With Borat, for example, Baron Cohen named an actual country, Kazakhstan, when the concept behind that movie could have accomplished the same comic purpose with a made-up nation. Even with a made-up nation, however, Borat’s appearance as a stupid, swarthy, sexist Muslim conflated the Third World with pre-modern sensibilities, a feat that could be accomplished only through an unspoken juxtaposition of whiteness and modernity.
Read more…..
http://electronicintifada.net/content/sacha-baron-cohen-buffoonish-ideologue-israels-service/11333
Sad, Morrisey. You attack Populuxe for not backing up his assertions, then go into epic fail mode yourself when accusing Sacha Baron Cohen of support for mass murder. Buck up your ideas fella.
Mozza’s comment yesterday:
“That guy’s not funny. He’s even unfunnier when you look at his actual (not “satirical” or “ironic”) support for the mass murder perpetrated by his favorite real-life regime.”
Proof supplied by Mozza so far:
er, nothing.
Agreed. Bad debating form.
Are you feeling all right, “ad”? You appear to be out of your depth. What on earth are you talking about?
If you defiantly assert your support for a state that is engaging in mass murder, and heaping ridicule on the victims, you are ergo supporting mass murder.
Read the article, my friend. You say it’s not proof that Baron Cohen is a militant supporter of Israel? You obviously have not read it. Please do so as soon as you can.
Then you can read more, of course, or you can keep pretending that this vile buffoon does not have a nasty agenda.
I will keep you posted over the next few days—but I should not really need to.
However, horse, water, and all that.
So no evidence at all? You’ve been looking for 24 hours and have found … nothing. Why don’t you just apologise for your hyperbole and move on? It’d be the mature thing to do.
Oh, I see your tactic, you’re just going to continue your defiance, and steadfastly refuse to look into the telescope.
You keep doing that if you want, Te Reo, but people who have an earnest desire to learn something will read that article, as well as the ones I will post up over the next few days.
I read the article, but so what? I asked you to back up your lie about Baron Cohen and you have failed miserably. Facts, man. Give us some facts!
I read the article,
Did you really?
…but so what?
I don’t think you did read it!
Yeah, you’re still a-flailing and a-failing Mozza. Really disapointed that you could spend a couple days moaning about Populuxe not providing proof of an assertation, then failing so spectacularly when you are asked to do the same. Your credibility obviously doesn’t mean much to you.
Hence why I generally just skip Morrissey’s comments.
Hence why I generally just skip Morrissey’s comments.
I don’t believe for a moment that you skip my comments.
I can, however, understand why you want to have a go at me. I recall you making a huge song and dance over a transcript I did last year of a particularly incompetent Hekia Parata interview, where most of what she said was “ummm, ahhh, errrrr, aaaaaahhhhhmmmm”. Hilariously, at one point she even used the immortal phrase “a variety of various variables”. Ms. Parata was apparently trying to play the role of a Minister of the Crown, but anybody who tuned in late would have thought she was a particularly dim, uneducated talkback caller.
Your stated “objection” was that my transcript, which I did from memory five minutes after the broadcast, was not one hundred percent verbatim. Your real objection was that she was trying to defend a corrupt and destructive government “policy” that you, for some unconvincing reason, support. For those who enjoy seeing a second-rate mind o’er-taxed, here’s that remarkable Parata performance again, followed by Lanthanide’s complaint, and a pettifogging performance by our friend Te Reo Putake, then operating under his English moniker…
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-30082011/#comment-369467
Thanks for reminding me, Moz, I would have thought you would have learned from that spanking, but apparently not. Still, you at least got one thing correct:
“All right, Voice of Reason, I must concede that, strictly speaking, you are right.”
Chillax, M, and take a look out the window.
Go for a walk in a park.
We all need to be reminded to do that, on occasion.
“I don’t believe for a moment that you skip my comments.”
LOL! Get over yourself!
SBC is an actor supported by Hollywood which is used to sell *stories*, it also does a pretty good job at bullying governments, or lets say using their tools inside of governments to give them favours, a la Warners, John Key.
Selling stories, read branwashing the simple minded while they are incapable of defending the limited thoughts they do have, then become shaped into what the programming arm woops I mean Hollywood, want you to relate to.
Of course SBC is being used, just like almost any named politician, *official*, actor and so on, you could name….
Edit Lanthanide, were you being ironic when saying you skip over others posts, jog along!
Te Reo, you’ll note that I stressed you were correct, “strictly speaking”, as in, yes, I posted Ms. Parata’s cretinous utterances from memory, rather than from a tape recording. You yourself had to admit I got it right, however—even if I missed out several lines of “ummmmm”, “ahhhhhh” and “aaahhhhhhhhm” from this floundering embarrassment who enjoys the full support of the Prime Minister.
Thanks for the advice, McFliper. I WILL take that walk!
Lanthanide, thanks for reading me so attentively. I appreciate and enjoy your comments, even when we disagree occasionally.
So …
How is everyone’s end of the world day going?
I think we’ll still be here at the end of the day ! We’d better be – I’m looking forward to a Christmas Day with a toddler grandson ………
“Knock knock”
Who’s there?”
“Death”
“Death h…”
(Rowan Atkinson)
David Shearer’s still leader of Labour, John Key still runs the country, I mean it’s not the end of the world is it?
You have a question to answer, on thread 2, above.
Good. I can definitely sense a change in the air. It;s like all the molecules are jiggling to a different dance…. anyone else feel it?
That might be the heroin, v.
ha ha, I think now it is due to the lunchtime beeeeeeerrr
Oh, I forgot. Thanks for the reminder micky. Better do the Xmas supermarket shop today. Tomorrow might be too late!
Talking of predictions, Imperator Fish’s predicts. for 2013 are worth a read.
http://www.imperatorfish.com/
Busy organising Januarys’ diary…………….
Turns out National’s policies triggered a double-dip recession in 2010
It’s really way worse than that, strip the ‘growth’ currently occurring in Christchurch out of the figures and we have a 2 step economy which allows the Slippery National Government to claim an annual 2% growth for the total economy,
The ‘reality’ is that ‘the rest’ of the economy shrank over the year by 2%, it then becomes easy to see why there are lines of people lining up around the block in Auckland looking to receive Christmas charity,
The effects of the high New Zealand dollar can be said to have had a large negative effect upon the overall New Zealand economy with the rest of the -2% GDP ‘growth’ being ‘owned’ by the idiot from Dipton who has been running deliberate depressive economics,
I have been watching as the figures unfold and have had cause to think, ( i know, dangerous), that the village idiot from down Dipton way has been deliberately depressing the overall economy so as to have the Christchurch re-build occur while keeping inflation within the Reserve Bank’s inflation target band,
I take issue with the fact that the Christchurch rebuild is being classed in the GDP figures as ‘growth’ at all, ‘growth’ it obviously isn’t as that rebuild is in terms of bean counting the recovery of a loss of ‘growth’ that has previously occurred in the economy,
From a ‘human’ point of view, (as opposed to dry bean counting), if the village idiot is in fact ‘proved’ to have been deliberately suppressing economic activity in the wider New Zealand economy so as that ‘re-build’ does not breach the inflation target band i am getting the rope out of the shed and over the holidays will begin the tedious task of fashioning a noose,
There’s one hell of a load of human misery inherent in a 2% slide in over-all GDP and to think this may be occurring for no other reason than to make the village idiot from Dipton look good makes the blood boil….
Don’t forget we now need to take growth out of the economy to restock EQC coffers…
…then there is all the restrengthening and rebuilding poor design systemic to buildings,
public and private, up and down the country.
Its like kiwi kids are not taught the for-want-of-a-horse-the-battle-was-lost. Since the
higher up the totem poll a person gets, the more disinclined they are to admit error and
resign, the mor likely they build CTV building, or Pike River Mines, or roads in the
wrong place (or of the wrong design for peak oil, or not invest in flat straight low energy
rail lines), or think leaky homes are cool looking, or that climate change impacts never
happen even if we weren’t globally forcing the biosphere with huge forces (from tarmac to
digging up prehistoric carbon and burning it).
If you build a road, don’t get pathetic and make the pedestrians walk around flower beds
to cross doubling their time through the intersection, the list goes on on poor social
design in NZ. For want of a nail, the horse shoe was not ?clod?, for want of the horse
the king could not lead the army, for want of a king the battle was lost, for want of
victory the kingdom was lost, all for one nail.
“I’m fairly happy with how things have gone in the past year”.
That is from John Key on RNZ just now.
And he has every reason to feel that way. The polls have National in the same positions as at the elections of 2008 and 2011. Labour are back at the same position they had when they lost in 2008 and where they were for most of the time under Phil Goff.
Key should feel satisfied, despite multiple screw-ups by his very second rate team.
http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2012/4847/
Key is getting this result because Labour has not changed it’s strategy in that time. If you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same result.
The galling frustration of being a Labour supporter at this time is watching the leadership repeat the same strategy that failed us under Phil.
So I guess Labour will do the same thing with the same people and the same leader, and woo-hoo, get the same result as last time.
May nobody say we are grateful for 33%.
The strategy of trying to get high personal ratings for the Leader (Goff/Shearer) involved suppressing the better front bench people. That has proven to be a failed failed failed failed strategy for the past four years.
Had they allowed each spokesperson space to perform we would have been stronger on a wider front. A wider connection between the Caucus and the Public would emerge. Much of the membership’s unease about the current “kitchen cabinet” would not have arisen. And the feckless macho demotion of Cunliffe would not have happened.
And we woukd be at 40%+ .
The political comment on radionz was that Key is seen as blokey, cheery sort and he’s advancing that image as when yesterday he was on some radio program doing something that appeals to the pub crowd, dancing and singing maybe. Meanwhile back in parliament, they are enjoying a ‘well-earned’ holiday, and government has to bump and grind its way through its problems. Gather round everybody, smile, cheeeese!
Fucknuckle of the week award must go to Gerry Brownlee.
The Court of Appeal has just upheld a previous High Court decision that he acted unlawfully in changing urban boundaries using his CERA powers. The Court said it was invalid because he failed to consider whether or not he should use other more democratic powers to achieve the same end. Details are at http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/8104262/Court-rules-Brownlees-actions-unlawful.
Radio NZ has just reported (no link yet) that Brownlee had criticised the Court by saying that in his affidavit he did say that he had considered using the alternative powers. He said that the Court should have contacted him before making the decision to clarify matters and darkly that he was considering his legal options.
What a doofus. He really thinks that he lives or ought to live in a banana republic.
Morning MS.
I also heard that Radio NZ report – and was dumbfounded by Brownlee’s comment as reported and bolded in your comment in terms of court process. Power really has gone to Brownlee’s head – not unsurprisingly.
Its weird. Surely Brownlee must check himself. His flies are done up, right. So why wouldn’t he dot the power grab when he makes it. Pure doofus.
Right, thats enough from you lot for the year.
Don’t spend all your dole money over the christmas break at once.
King Kong
Apropos the line about gorillas reading Nietzsche but not understanding it – here is a link to some of his best quotes which you can imbibe over Christmas and spew out next year.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/friedrich_nietzsche.html
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
Friedrich Nietzsche
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Yourself, Lonely, Struggle
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Back, Long, Enough
Ah, women. They make the highs higher and the lows more frequent.
Friedrich Nietzsche
On Red Alert, in CC Two minutes silence thread – Your comment is awaiting moderation
It didn’t make it 😆
“For the record, I don’t want my personal details released”
Maybe tomorrow I’ll upload the song I wrote and sent to CC when months ago, she censored me for the first time.
But for now, third song from my album Human (R)evolution @ http://www.al1en.org
First contact – I come in peace.
Stationary orbit locked over southern seas.
Launching probe. HLM, you’re all go on green.
Commence your scan for intelligent life forms.
Logic machine Al1, do you read? Tell me, what do you see?
Do you see anything? Or anyone?
Make sure they receive on all frequencies?
Breaking from orbit, lighting the upper skies.
Extend your search. HLM, Keep that eye on the prize.
Continue with plan to find intelligent life forms.
Logic machine Al1, do you read? If you please. Broadcast for me.
If you hear anything, anyone.
We’re making first contact. I come in peace. Is there anyone home?
First you have to believe, I come in peace. I’m here to save the world.
Confirm you receive. M class planet diseased.
‘Cause you’ve got it so wrong, and before too long, you’ll fade away to dust.
And you need to hold on and be very strong to make the change you must.
Descending through climate over the Northern Isle.
Remember they’re hurt HLM, you’ll get quite a surprise.
Implement logic for inferior life forms.
Logic machine Al1, do you read? Good luck, friend. Now bring them to me.
If you love anything, or anyone.
I’m making first contact. I come in peace. Please just pick up the phone.
I’m not here to deceive. I come in peace. We can save the world.
Please, confirm you receive. Confirm you receive.
‘Cause you’ve got it so wrong, and before too long, we’ll fade away to dust.
And you need to hold on and be very strong to make the change you must.
And you must. You are us.
Just in case you were having difficulty in deciding what’s for lunch.
I been eating a lot of sandwiches these past two weeks D. ; luncheon and chippies are my favourite on my budget along with a lot of avocado or salmon on Burgen toast, but then, thats our egalitarian society for ya 🙂
(I read that patronage, and punctuality, of Ak rail services are down D. reminds me of Alice and the Conductor; is your memory as good as mine 🙂 )
still, what does not kill ya certainly makes ya stronger (and comparitively famous literary wise in H.B)
see ya see ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya (just a wee Jokerman)
meanwhile, night slowly closes in.
TODAY – FRIDAY 21 DECEMBER 2012 – FINAL DAY FOR SUBMISSIONS ON LOCAL ELECTORAL AMENDMENT BILL!!!
Help to stop the dodgy John Banks electoral debacle ever happening again.
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/SC/MakeSub/3/d/a/50SCJE_SCF_00DBHOH_BILL11821_1-Local-Electoral-Amendment-Bill-No-2.htm
Penny Bright
‘anti-corruption campaigner’
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
Today on RNZ mid-day news. Report by Treasury that states Charter Schools would be worse and more expensive than public schools AND a similar report from the Ministry of Education.
So this disgraceful regime is more ideologically extreme than Treasury. In any country that took politics seriously, John Banks would be serving time in prison now; instead he is given free rein to slash and rip at our education system.
Parata was working on the Charter School Scam with Rodger Douglas and Heather Roy in NActs first term of office, now she’s trying to ram the scam through. I agree with you re Banks.
How was it that teacher salaries were paid for15-20 years without major hassle, and then the NACT party changed to Novopay. Why the need for change you might ask!
Did I get it right that John Banks sold his shares in the company just before the change was implemented? Conflict of interest?
She worked for David Lange, too, where she no doubt picked up a lot of his contempt for teachers.
Morrissey
David Lange ushered in Tomorrows Schools didn’t he? Not a complete success. What did he do that showed he didn’t like teachers?
Reasons no one should trust the Grauniad
Reason No. 94: The Grauniad fears and resents dissenters
Bradley Manning was declared the Guardian‘s ‘person of the year’ in 2012. He beat Pussy Riot to win this accolade. The Guardian then published a tiny article to celebrate the fact, while carefully including the following ‘sour grapes’ comment:
‘The Guardian‘s 2012 person of the year vote has concluded and the winner, after some rather fishy voting patterns that belied earlier reader comments on the poll, is Bradley Manning, the US whistleblower on trial for leaking state secrets.’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2012/dec/10/bradley-manning-guardian-person-of-the-year-2012
No further article was commissioned in memory of Manning, and nothing was said about his torture and incarceration by the Obama administration. The editorial staff had obviously decided to throw the most muted celebration imaginable.
Contrast Manning’s poor editorial treatment with a recent piece of stenography on Pussy Riot by Dorian Lynskey:
‘Pussy Riot were the Band of 2012’ [title appears on front page of the Guardian]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/dec/20/pussy-riot-activists-not-pin-ups
It seems the US State Department were not happy with the final results of the original poll, hence the need for this trashy piece of churnalism. On the positive side: most of the comments are against the article and most of the commentators seems to understand the pernicious agenda of the editorial staff. All of which is rather refreshing – don’t you think?
First published by zemblan in Media Lens.
Actually Morrissey, for mine I happen to think that the Bradley Manning, as well as the Julian Assange stories are just that, stories.
I don’t actually believe that there is anything behind them, and they are effectively *staged*!
Total control – Thats the MSM!
Unfortunately, muzza, the persecution of Assange and Manning is all too real. As is the cooperative attitude of the “liberal” media like the Grauniad and the British State Broadcasting Corporation.
Hi Morrissey, and can you confirm how you would know the stories to be genuine?
The way I see it that the bigger the resources available, the easier it is to create big lies. Actors, script writers, directors, producers etc, the wonders of *Hollywood*
Indicated when you write about the BBC, Guardian etc, and your post today (sat) on the festival protest, you believe that Hollyood is a type of Zionist propagana machine, which it clearly is, I agree.
Following on from this, to me anyway makes it all very easy that due to resources, all of them, (take a look at how the occupy/arab uprisings, got front footed and taken over, re-directed/snuffed out etc). How does that happen, well its called creating the debate, and when resources are so plentiful and professionally employed, then not only can events be front footed, they can be created, played out and killed off with ease, while giving the illusion of *revolution* , or what ever it might be referred as. By the time the technology has been used against these *uprisings*, there is little likelihood that any genuine situation/movement that might have existed, will see the light of day!
From the company that brought you Unnecessary and Unoriginal Placename Sign That Pisses Off Locals
http://static.stuff.co.nz/1343346440/323/7362323.jpg
comes another Genuis!! moment in the form of Taking Business Offshore In A Time Of Recession and Unemployment.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/8102573/2-8m-fire-engine-deal-goes-offshore
What is wrong with Wellington International Airport LTD? Do they get the WTF award of the day or what?
“Airport fire service manager Daniel Debono confirmed that the appliances had been ordered last month from the Austrian manufacturer but declined to answer questions on the contract or tender process, citing commercial sensitivity…………”
The article goes on to quote Martin Simpson of Fraser Engineering in Lower Hutt who said “Their price had been lower than 2.8 million ( the price the contract has reportedly gone for), their tender had fully complied with the specifications and also included the first five years of maintenance”
So do you cite ‘commercial sensitivity’ when you know your decision is daft and that you have shafted NZ workers and businesses and know at some level that it is wrong but you don’t have the guts to face up to it?
Hi Rosie, one would needless have to pick the way through the complex mesh of relationships, but there will be a clear reason why the foreign firm was selected, and it will have nothing to do with process or proceedure, and everything to do with influence!
Shame, this is really just another shame, hidden behind *commercial sensitivty*
Hi Muzza:-)
“one would needless have to pick the way through the complex mesh of relationships…………” Indeed……..
Infratil owns over 66% in Wgtn airport, the council own the rest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infratil
Infratil also own airports in the UK and previously owned 90% of one in Germany. The “fingers in pies” scenario possibly comes into play and my guess its to do with Infratil’s influence rather than the Wgtn City Council. One things for sure, they don’t have any morals or any intention to repair their damaged reputation they have in Wgtn.
Yeah as soon as I saw the Infratil link, that was about where the effort to unravel the relationships ended, and will be the reason why the production went off-shore…
The real reasons are that the owners of the companies behind the Infratils of the world, have big foundations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, among others,and while the real puppet masters will be domiciled elsewhere, they are loyal to their own patch, NZ is nothing to them but another island to have control over, to be milked
So you’re right to say the Council will have had nothing to do with it.
Anyways Rosie, have a good one, and be well.
It may be a high hope but we can only hope that Labour’s new ‘hands on’ approach to the economy will signal to all and sundry that IF it can be done here at the same or lower cost than elsewhere then HERE is where it’s done,
Infratril should in the new year perhaps seek a new company name, SCUM seems appropriate…
Kids! Thinking of doing drugs this Xmas? Just say NO! :
“Mr Key also rated the Government’s handling of a number of issues, giving Pike River 9, the Bain case 8, Dotcom 5, and their handling of the economy 7.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10855506
Did someone slip Slippery some truth drug or something, what the Slippery little shyster is saying is that He and His Government have FAILED on most of the big issues of the year,
This Governments legacy will be seen as nothing but a puke stain across the fabric of New Zealand society….
Stay away from whatever he’s on…
Is these MPs were in the private sector eh’d be giving them all and of year bonuses then.
Just listened to an ‘interesting’ discussion on RadioNZ National’s Afternoon with Jim Moron, where one of His commenter’s blames ‘lifestyle’ choices for the hundreds of people lined up at the Auckland City Mission hoping for Christmas charity,
I beg to differ, it is not lifestyle choices, it is in fact LIFE, those who earn a decent salary make as many wrong choices in life as does the average beneficiary, it is a natural part of being human and we all at times make wrong choices,
The difference??? those getting a decent living wage when they make a wrong choice usually have the discretionary income to gloss over their previous mistakes,(some even have enough coin coming in to allow them that mistake over and over),
Those living upon benefits have no such luxury, a mistake made by a beneficiary may lead to weeks, months and even years of negative repercussions simply because the benefit system is carefully costed as the bare minimum requirement of the individual or family….
That commentator was one JORDAN WILLIAMS, one of the nastiest and most ideologically rigid of the new wave of rightists in this country.
Did you note that Jim Mora did not once challenge anything that Williams said?
Aha, i have recently decided to switch off the afternoon offering from RadioNZ National,(nine to noon is also frequently suffering the same fate),
I only listened this afternoon as the topics were advertised befor-hand, the Auckland City Missioner put that egg firmly in His place except for the fact that His preconceived notions about beneficiaries and others lining up round the block for a charity Christmas made Him deaf to what She had to say…
I do realise that teacher’s pay is reasonably complex … but there is nothing new or difficult about pay systems. They’ve been around for decades and it’s impossible in this day and age to be getting it this wrong.
But is there anyone else listening to the endless litany of absurd errors thrown up by the Novapay debacle beginning to think that this might be a deliberate attempt to ‘break the education system’?
RL – Upstairs for thinking…
Anytime a cock-up is seemingly so bad , to do with what is a well known set of processes/systems, by a company with a “reasonable” track record, and it breaks the way it allegedly has, then its deliberate.
You can’t accidentally make this many errors
Apply the same to the ACC leaks, deliberate attempt to break down ACC.
Many other examples I’m sure, so fire away!
Aha, here too, havn’t wanted to comment on what seems best described as ‘Hekia’s revenge’ befor as other than ‘the sense’ of the absurd continuous teachers pay ‘f**k-up’ there’s no evidence of it being deliberate,
It’s not just teachers that are effected, the no-pay debacle effects the schools as well as payments come straight out of the individual schools budgets…
Light rain fall.
End of hillside workshops.
People gathered in memorial.
MPs in the three, union flags a flutter,
I stood silently and grim.
Old dear friends deepest red greeted.
Last three stood and chatted, not leaving till the end.
Now another bastion lost.
Time to take a stand.
Will it be feb or in 2014.
Take a stand united together strong, divide we beg.
Jordan Williams tries, and mostly fails, to run amok on the Panel
The Panel, National Radio, Friday 21 December 2012
Panelists: Jim Mora, Bernard Hickey, Jordan Williams
There are any number of nasty, unsympathetic and smug right-wing commentators infesting public discourse in this country. One of the nastiest is Jordan Williams. People like him thrive when they are allowed to state their extreme views without being called to explain or defend them. Jordan Williams got away with it at the start of the programme, but was then called out by a fellow Panelist (Bernard Hickey) and a guest. As usual, Jim Mora did nothing, other than an embarrassing, wandery rant at halftime about the Mayan calendar….
After what seemed an eternity of petty and dull opening pleasantries, host Jim Mora brought up the first topic for discussion: the steep increase in poverty in Auckland, as advised by aid and welfare agencies. Jordan Williams immediately poured scorn on the idea that there was any poverty in this country. Mora said that the idea there was no poverty was the Rodney Hide position. Williams snorted and said, “That’s not what Rodney says.”
But it is “what Rodney says”, and both Mora and Hickey knew that. However, neither of them uttered a word of contradiction to that barefaced lie. Williams then went on to spend the next ten minutes scoffing at the Auckland City Mission’s Diane Robertson. Outrageously, he claimed that the stingy welfare payments to the poor are “robbing Peter to pay Paul”.
This time, Hickey did not stay silent.
“Our taxes being used to pay welfare for the poor is ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’?” he said, slowly, mockingly, in tones of rising exasperation.
Williams, defiant, refused to modify or explain his statement. Sadly, Mora did not insist on his responding to Hickey’s challenge. He was allowed to carry on with his assault on Diane Robertson.
Later in the programme, Williams had a go at feminist campaigner Denise Ritchie, who is in the news today for her condemnation of the crude and sexist regime run by the CEO of Air New Zealand, Rob Fyfe. When she told Williams of the extreme and brutal hate comments directed at women following a series of demeaning advertisements, and of the harassment faced by female employees on Air New Zealand flights, he was forced to back down.
It’s a pity more people don’t take on smug right-wing bullies like this in similar fashion to Denise Ritchie.
Yes I was listening to Jordan myself.
At one point when he made an insinuation “that poverty may be about not enough income or lifestyle choices … but he didn’t know which” .. I said to my partner right there and then “I’d ban someone from the The Standard” for that kind of behaviour.
It was perfectly clear he was dog-whistling what he really believed, but was too gutless to own it.
It’s just a pity that Mora lacked the presence of mind to call him to account. The contrast with his carping, nit-picking, skeptical attitude toward liberal or left wing commentators is telling.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10855577
Chief executive of Australian company Talent2 John Rawlinson said there was no reason for staff to go unpaid because they could get cash advances from their individual schools who would be reimbursed..
We as a family who has just experienced no pay yesterday – I should ring: Talent2? No, MOE ? No The school. And who is the innocent party in this group and they are the one to fix the issue. So our local headmaster has to spend their Christmas eve fixing my problem ? And as most schools have spent their budgets that these payments are to made out of. And on TV1 news an MOE official made the statement that in her opinion it will take 26 pay cycles (1 year) for confidence in the system to be established.
Rawlinson is correct in one aspect “there was no reason for staff to go unpaid” Shouldn’t that be a given and isn’t that what his company is paid to deliver?
I bet Talent2 isn’t going short paid this holiday season.
I work in schools and was at one today and found Admin staff (who are supposed to be on holiday) at work trying to fix Payroll problems, asked how it was going I was told that Novopay was not accepting phone calls now and problems had to be emailed in, no response today so they will have to come in on Christmas eve to check, if no response back again the day after boxing day and on and on it ******* goes WTF