As someone who has lived in the region for 35 plus years, be assured it will be the 50.92% (Nat) and 10.98% (ACT) who will be doing 90% of the screaming and hollering.
TBH, I doubt it.
My understanding is that the majority of the work was emplacement of bus and cycle lanes on Lake Rd. I'd expect these to be more highly valued by the GP voters.
We have no bus lanes except a side lane at Belmont one way. If we had them we would have no car lanes. Don't know what they're planning to do. Remove the cycle lanes perhaps which are not used by many cyclists because it is too dangerous on that particular road.
The downside of this is, as we've seen everywhere else in Auckland, this increases travel time for single-occupancy vehicles (in the medium term) as well as making every commuter's life a misery with roadworks (in the short term).
I seriously doubt that the majority of Natioal-voting Devonport residents either use, or would plan to use a bus. And that the majority of them are single-occupancy vehicle users.
"be assured it will be the Nat and ACT who will be doing 90% of the screaming and hollering." Wait until the banning cells from school kids gets implemented later this year, they'll be "yes ban phones from schools, but don't dare my kids phone!".
I don't know what got into Ginny Anderson yesterday on NewsTalk ZB with Mark Mitchell and Hosking. I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing. On Newstalk ZB Week on Demand at 8.15 yesterday for the discussion.
She accused Mitchell, in his previous role as a security contractor, of having been paid to kill people, and asked him if he had kept a tally. Hipkins also disagreed with the comments and, as a result she has apologised. Personally I think the apology should be public rather than a text as it has at the moment, given the comment was public.
It isn't the first time Anderson has apologised for her (alleged) behaviour. So, perhaps it might be good for her to put her brain into gear before she opens her mouth.
Very little according ti former Labour Leader David Shearer who actually does know a great deal about the topic.
He says "It was during that work he interacted with many companies akin to Mitchell’s and said Andersen’s recent claim that the current Police Minister was “paid to kill people” is not a fair description of the work those companies do.
“I think that’s over the top and pretty divorced from reality, it would be better if she had sat down and had a chat with Mark and understood exactly how it works."
David Shearer would seem to be saying that the term "private military" would be a little misleading. He is proposing, at least as I read it, that they don't really behave like a military force but rather closer to the armed police that we see at New Zealand airports.
Let's assume for a minute that TMG does both police like security and grey area military work. Do you really think they're going to be upfront and honest about the grey area military work?
Shearer is obviously grateful for the security work that was done when he was in those countries. Equally obvious is that the security is needed. Neither of those preclude those companies also being involved in morally ambiguous work or outright unethical work. It seems unlikely that Shearer would have been exposed to that.
Shearer telling Andersen to talk with Mitchell is a nonsense. Let’s be generous and say it’s naive. If Mitchell started and ran a company that also does private military work, and he’s already been running PR lines on that, do you really think he’s going to tell Andersen?
"Let's assume for a minute that TMG does both police like security and grey area military work"
But, in the light of what Shearer says why should we assume that at all. There doesn't seem to be any evidence that they were involved in the "grey area" work you are talking about. Certainly Shearer, who was there doesn't seem to think they were. He says
“Given what I think Mark’s company was doing, it was pretty much what I would call a run-of-the-mill security company.
“It would have been doing passive security operations that basically entailed securing goods, compounds, embassies from attack and the only time they would have used their weapons would have been if they came under attack themselves.”
What evidence do we have that they were doing what people here are accusing them of? What evidence is there that that was the case?
Can I suggest the looking up of the definition of mercenary soldier..?
That may help in clarifying your view of what mitchell is/was…
And back in the mists of time there is an interview of mitchell by wallace chapman…where the subject of killing while a mercenary was raised..(sorry..no idea of link..)
My memory there is that mitchell gave a nude/nudge/wink/wink non-answer..
One that left me forever viewing him as mark 'the mercenary' mitchell.
“I say, therefore, that the arms with which a prince defends his state are either his own, or they are mercenaries, auxiliaries, or mixed. Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous; and if one holds his state based on these arms, he will stand neither firm nor safe; for they are disunited, ambitious and without discipline, unfaithful, valiant before friends, cowardly before enemies; they have neither the fear of God nor fidelity to men, and destruction is deferred only so long as the attack is; for in peace one is robbed by them, and in war by the enemy. The fact is, they have no other attraction or reason for keeping the field than a trifle of stipend, which is not sufficient to make them willing to die for you. They are ready enough to be your soldiers whilst you do not make war, but if war comes they take themselves off or run from the foe; which I should have little trouble to prove, for the ruin of Italy has been caused by nothing else than by resting all her hopes for many years on mercenaries, and although they formerly made some display and appeared valiant amongst themselves, yet when the foreigners came they showed what they were.”
And the Roman Empire itself ultimately degenerated and dissolved because of (among other things) an increasingly mercenary attitude on the part of the Emperor's Praetorian Guard – they supported whoever was going to reward them the most.
Mr Mitchell was a sell sword in a dirty war, as a mercenary he deserves no quarter. The arms industry and associated corporations made billions on the back of unjustified misery. Money that should have been spent on the US and other nations taxpayers that funded the shit show.
Mitchell hounded Andersen in Parliament and he deserves a good slap down. Mark Mitchell scammed his way into electorate selection originally if you read Nicky Hager’s “Dirty Politics”. He talks tough like a lot of politicians but I’d like to see him try and take patches off gang members–that will be a fight (possibly a war) they won’t easily win.
As Hipkins said in her defence, he is often provocative. And of course there is an element of truth in what she said.
I guess you could claim an "element of truth'' in the same way it could be claimed that the police or armed forces may end up killing people in the performance of their duties, and hence are "paid to kill''. That is not the same as being paid specifically to do that though. Nor is it something they generally seek to do, if it can be otherwise avoided.
Tiger and Phillip, I think you need to provide evidence to support your replies, otherwise you are just as bad as Anderson:
Mitchell went to Iraq in 2003 to work for British kidnap and ransom risk-management company Control Risks, providing security to officials of the Coalition Provisional Authority government.[3] He and his men were besieged in the Italian-run An Nasiriyah compound in southern Iraq by the Mahdi militia for five days in 2004.
So, the only mention of active conflict he was involved in was self-defence in a siege scenario. What was he supposed to do in that situation? Just stand back and let the attackers come in and kill everyone?
No..I am not 'speculating'..I am respecting the accepted meaning of the word mercenary..in this context..and I am repeating what I heard when mitchell was interviewed by wallace chapman…it is mitchell's own words I am using…
Whereas you are giving us a bunch of your 'reckons'..and the sparse wikipedia profile of mitchell..
If wanting to disprove my recollections..you could email wallace chapman and ask him his recollections of that interview..and also if it is still able to be heard..?
I was thinking about this in relation to my post about the upset residents of Devonport not getting their Lake road upgrades. In all the conversations on RNZ, the head of the local business association was not once asked a simple question – "The North Shore voted heavily for National at the election. Getting rid of the RFT was a National party policy. Do you think people are just getting what they voted for?" A provocative but necessary question IMHO. Same with Mark Mitchell. They guy was a hired gun. Did he not think his decisions might lead to some people to question him?
We seem to have a political class where questions about the negative consequences of their personal decisions are akin to asking the vicar about God at afternoon tea. One simply doesn’t do it in polite society. These people believe they are never accountable – accountability is for the lesser sorts. It is a class based arrogance that is riddled through our elite political discourse.
They moaned like hell when the cycle lanes were put in on Lake Road, but they are not wide enough for an extra lane. To widen much of Lake Road you have to bulldoze a lot of very valuable real estate. There are certainly places where you can tinker, but that just moves the problem up a bit to the next area of congestion around the motorway approaches.
I note that Mitchell doesn't deny what she alleges. I don't know why he can't just be honest that his work included killing people.
I just wish Anderson been more prepared to explain what mercenaries do in language that sounded credible. And to explain clearly what Mitchell's company was and did. Then it wouldn't have sounded like a personal attack.
… as a result she has apologised.
according to your link, she apologised for going to too far, she didn't apologise for what she said.
Weka, as I pointed out above, the only Wiki mention of him being in actual conflict that could have incurred deaths was a self-defence situation. I expect that if you, I, or any of our politicians, including Anderson, were in that compound, we would be very greatful of having people such as that there to defend us.
According to Mitchell, in his interview with HDPA, later in the day. He admits being invovled that self-defence scenario, but has no idea if the bullets he fired actually resulted in deaths on the otherside. I guess when there are lots of bullets flying around, it would be very hard to determine the outcome of specific bullets fired.
As a self declared mercenary he was there to kill.No questions asked.He was paid to execute that service.Whether he killed or not makes no difference.He was a hit man waiting for a job .
As a self declared mercenary he was there to kill.No questions asked.
Francesca, I think that statement is bordering on defamatory. You need to back that statement up with evidence. I agree that a possible consequence of him being there was that he might be required to exert lethal force, the same as with the police or armed forces. But, to claim that was his specific purpose goes far beyond that.
He fired bullets at people and was paid to do so?
Again, a possible outcome of him being there. But as far as I can see, not the express purpose. If he was in the army in the same circumstances, would you have a problem with the actions in those specific circumstances? If not, then I don't see any grounds for complaint.
Did Mitchell operate in wars that New Zealand was officially involved in, or was he up for any conflict that might be an earner for him?
If he had the blessings and support of the New Zealand Government and the people of New Zealand, then, perhaps, but if he was just freewheeling' across the globe, as a gun for hire, nah.
I agree about the self-declared mercenary bit, that needs a back up, because Mitchell is on record as saying he doesn't like the term 😉
But he founded a company that provides private sercurity services in war zones. Mercenary might not be technically the right term, but I think it's stretching credibility to suggest that a company like Threat Management Group is doing 'security' only and is not using private military contractors to do other kinds of work.
Typically, the US military has relied on American PSCs for armed guards such as Triple Canopy, MPRI,
Threat Management Group, Sabre International Security, EOD Technology, Blue Hackle, and Special
Operations Consulting – Security Management Group (SOC-SMG), but it also employs British, regional
and local firms such as Aegis Defense Services, ArmorGroup, Olive Group, Hart Group, Safenet Security
and Falcon Group.
The expansion of security contracting by the US military has been supported by the decision of the US
government to officially endorse the use of ‘deadly force’ by US security contractors in 2006.66
The fully
amended DFARS (2009) rule applicable today reads: ‘Contractor personnel performing security
functions are also authorized to use deadly force when such force reasonably appears necessary to
execute their security mission to protect assets/persons, consistent with the terms and conditions
contained in their contract or with their job description and terms of employment.’
Much of that relies on the definition of security. I see no reason to trust Mitchell on this, as outlined in my earlier comment about his PR skills and approach.
As far as I'm concerned a cigarette paper could be slid between a private military security contractor and a mercenary
Both private military contractors (PMC) and mercenaries work for money. Mercenaries are individual soldiers who can be hired by whoever pays them while PMCs recruit these people in an organisation.
I don't find private military companies particularly tasteful either tbh.
But I think the blame for their existence needs to be laid equally at the feet of Western governments who don't want to be seen to be directly involved in various scenarios around the world.
But there is a difference between that and accusing someone of essentially running around enjoying killing people as Anderson seemed to be implying when she asserted that Mitchell was a killer and enquired if he kept a tally of his kills, implying that it was something he was proud of doing.
But I think the blame for their existence needs to be laid equally at the feet of Western governments who don't want to be seen to be directly involved in various scenarios around the world.
sure. But the issue here isn't that some dude ran a PSC, it's that he then entered parliament bringing those values with him, and held a number of Ministerial positions including Defence and Police. It's entirely reasonable to look at his background, ask questions and hold him to account.
Andersen didn't imply he liked killing people, she said he made money from it.
“But the issue here isn’t that some dude ran a PSC, it’s that he then entered parliament bringing those values with him, and held a number of Ministerial positions including Defence and Police.”
I guess that would depend on the motivations for running such an organisation. If the motivation was to help with humanitarian assistance (as Mitchell claims) in areas where civilian workers are at risk of attack from various warlords etc, that is one thing. A lot of those sorts of organisations likely would not be able to function in that sort of environment otherwise.
If it’s objective was to hire itself out to any organisaiton or government for any purpose regardless of how henious or repressive, then that is something else entirely.
“Andersen didn’t imply he liked killing people,”
I think the question about keeping a tally implied that. As why would you do such a thing unless your goal was to keep increasing the tally?
I don’t find it credible that TMG were there for the fluffy bunnies. You seem to be putting up a false dichotomy. Either they’re there for humanitarian reasons, or they’re evil murderers. Whereas I think they’re a business that is there it make a profit and their niche is providing private security/military services in war zones. And that, by consent of the companies and governments, involves sometimes killing people.
There’s plenty of critique about such companies and why the profit motive is a problem. There’s further critique about putting someone with Mitchell’s values into Ministerial roles. Did you real the links I gave you?
If it’s objective was to hire itself out to any organisaiton or government for any purpose regardless of how henious or repressive, then that is something else entirely.
That really is a profoundly …. limited … understanding of why armed guards (whether paid by a government, or by private companies) might be needed in a conflict zone.
One of the standard reasons for armed guards, is to protect aid convoys.
Because, if you don't, they get stopped at the first insurgent roadblock and looted. Nothing gets through to the people who need it.
Even the UN Security Service employs private military and security companies in high-risk areas.
Despite an official stance by UN working groups against the use of private military and security companies except as a last resort, the UNDSS has widely contracted private military companies across deployments in various nations
Mitchell's problem here is that private companies that use mercenraries aren't known for being upfront about this. So when he talks about self-defence, we don't know if that is all he ever did, or if that's PR speak.
He founded a private military company, that makes profit from war. It's incredibly naive to think there was no killing involved by his company.
Anderson should have been better prepared. This from the Spinoff when Mitchell announced he was standing for parliament in 2018,
Rather than asking, as a nine-year-old might, if this aspiring party leader has killed anyone, we should be asking what he intends to do to ensure New Zealand money doesn’t end up promoting further violence. The signs are not encouraging where that’s concerned, as Mitchell has already been proactive in promoting private company bids for New Zealand Defence Force money. Billions of dollars of it.
To be clear, it isn’t the man that is necessarily cause for concern here. Rather, it is the relationship that Mitchell has with a highly unregulated and profit-oriented part of violent conflict that should raise concern for New Zealanders. Private military and security contractors have become a fundamental part of war. They have been instrumental in creating the increasingly murky and ethically bankrupt landscape of modern warfare. Quite apart from the absence of any real accountability for violations of human rights, the United Nations states that the use of PMSCs fundamentally threatens democracy in several ways. For instance, the use of contractors absolves nation states from their responsibilities to their own citizens around transparency and democratic control. Additionally, incentivising conflict through massive expenditure of public funds to the private sector increases the influence of private business on political choices and national policies.
At the end of that piece, the journo asked Mitchell three questions. Mitchell didn't answer them.
That raises the issue of honesty and whether Mitchell is inclined to be open and transparent, or manipulate comms to create an impression. Certainly in the Hosking piece yesterday it was clear he is skilled in PR.
I think the 'did you shoot people and how many?' is in fact pertinent, because the fact that Mitchell's PR speak is about avoidance and obfuscation rather than telling the truth in a circumspect way, suggests a level of political dishonesty that doesn't serve NZ or democracy.
Like I said, why doesn't he just be honest? I guess one answer to that is will people believe him given he has a history of avoidance and obfuscation.
That raises the issue of honesty and whether Mitchell is inclined to be open and transparent, or manipulate comms to create an impression.
Weka, I guess there are two answers to that. Firstly, in my experience, people who have been involved in conflict such as this often don't want to talk about their experiences because it very traumatising to them to know they might have ended someone elses life, even though it may have been justifiable in the circumstances. Horrors of war and all that.
Secondly, there may well be confidentiality agreements in place that limit what he is able to disclose.
I think the 'did you shoot people and how many?' is in fact pertinent,
If you listen to the interview, Anderson wasn't really asking the question. She was aserting that he was their to kill people, and wanted to know if he kept a tally.That is quite different IMO to asking the question you have proposed.
tsmithfield I think you are widening the net with this statement
Firstly, in my experience, people who have been involved in conflict such as this often don't want to talk about their experiences because it very traumatising to them to know they might have ended someone elses life, even though it may have been justifiable in the circumstances. Horrors of war and all that.
We need to draw a distinction between soldiers etc fighting for their country ie in declared world wars and those fighting for their pockets, mercenaries.
I know the former do not generally like to talk about these aspects, even if it is at a distance like shelling. People are trying to lump mercenaries in with the soldiers etc who went to answer the call in world wars who in no way resemble mercenaries. In fact some soldiers had distinct drops in pay after volunteering in comparison with their pre war pays. Something that would be untenable to a mercenary as their raison d'etre is to make money while 'fighting'
Weka has already linked to the Spinoff article
This part is important
To be clear, it isn’t the man that is necessarily (my bolding) cause for concern here. Rather, it is the relationship that Mitchell has with a highly unregulated and profit-oriented part of violent conflict that should raise concern for New Zealanders. Private military and security contractors have become a fundamental part of war. They have been instrumental in creating the increasingly murky and ethically bankrupt landscape of modernwarfare. Quite apart from the absence of any real accountability for violations of human rights, the United Nations states that the use of PMSCs fundamentally threatens democracy in several ways. For instance, the use of contractors absolves nation states from their responsibilities to their own citizens around transparency and democratic control. Additionally, incentivising conflict through massive expenditure of public funds to the private sector increases the influence of private business on political choices and national policies.
For what it is worth I personally equate mercenaries with slum landlords, mining companies exploiting people & resources in 3rd world countries, fashion companies selling high priced fashion goods made by, mainly women in unregulated, hazardous 3rd world workplaces, slavers of old and people who through greed place animals on ships so they can get big bucks.
The way you make your money says volumes about you personally I believe.
The blurring of lines between combat regularised by colour of right eg UN and mercenaries is regrettable in this latest instance.
I agree also that Ginny Anderson could have been better prepared. She definitely had the ethical/moral high ground but blew it a little.
Mods this is not going to be regular. I enjoy looking. May I post this just once please?
If you had listened carefully tsmithfield @ 2, you would have picked up Mitchell's attempt to run down the previous government with bald faced lies and the now tedious claims of 'death and destruction' (my phrasing) around everything the former government did and said.
We have had to listen to the crap for a long time and Mitchell has also been dumping on the former police minster for a long time. Ginny Anderson finally lost her temper and I don't blame her one bit. Mitchell is a nasty little creep.
You seem to be surprised by a government minister attempting to run down a previous government?
That's what every government, since the beginning of time, in every democracy in the world has done. It what makes politics both infuriating, while at the same time being a funny kind of spectator sport.
Losing her temper live on air in front of the largest listening audience in the country wasn't a great thing to do to win support. Which is why Chippy made the comments he did to fix the damage.
Mitchell must have clout through Judith Collins, and she has come up smelling of roses/ or should that be lillies after her prayer. i.e. Her active work through her relative Whale Oil to recruit "suitable" National candidates . Nicky Hager "The Hollow Men."
I think Andersen botched the attack on Mitchell. Because there is a legitimate critique of his time in Iraq. The question to ask him is this: does he think the Iraq war was justified?
If he says "no", the onus is on him to pass the money he made there back to the Iraqi people via some reputable charitable or humanitarian organisation.
If he says "yes", then that puts him offside with all civilised opinion and suggests he's unfit for public office.
My issue with Mitchell is this: how the hell could he not plainly see at the time that the whole invasion was a war crime cooked up on the back of a pack of lies and so decide to stay well clear of the place? Terrible judgment due to an authoritarian mindset would be my pick for why he could not see it.
I get it. Mitchell is accused of being a mercernary – alleged to have been involved in the business of killing people. He prevaricates in one explanation I saw from him.
So, politics being what they are, the baddie is Ginny Anderson. Her woeful lack of preparedness is around her appreciating the environment she operates in. The way we operate is that many would have her awarded the most grave of punishments whilst Mitchell would line up for a Victoria Cross.
What's worse is here 'we' are 6.00pm and 50 + comments and still thrashing about with our views on Mitchell and what we think his proclivities are.
This is a total own goal from Labour. If the centre left, is keen on re-election, this ain't a winning way.
They wanna appease the greed of some of our agricultural cousins by restarting live animal exports.
Nicotine Willis, as astute a financial mind parliament has know, needs fag tax to fund six properties Luxon the landlord tax.
They've scrapped the much needed ferries from being built which was not the major cost of Kiwirail's prudent investment.
(I bet the ship building outfit is laughing all the way to the bank, they will get paid a default plus have made progress on items that will be 40% more valuable to them.)
We've gotta get organised and energised by the right things.
So the NZ government subsidy comes off electric cars and sales crash …
… and o wait mek minnit Volkswagen and Tesla and BYD slash their prices to way below what the subsidy offered – not only here but across all the key markets.
"Debuting a new marketing campaign for the discount overnight, the deal sees the entry-level ID.4 Pro and ID.5 Pro prices get slashed from $79,990 and $86,490 to $59,990 and $67,490 — a significant drop of $20,000 and $19,000, respectively.
The flagship ID.5 Pro+ has also been given a discount; its price dropping from $95,490 to $88,490."
Early adopters often get stung as markets adjust, some of the initial rise in NZ EV sales was due to fleets for Govt. Dept.s. and companies.
Battery technology and charging networks are improving and for personal vehicles ICE will be taken over by EV eventually.
I’ve an EV Ioniq 5, mainly charged at home by solar panels–which have also got way cheaper–the feeling of driving past gas stations unless you need a cold drink–priceless.
Also have a mint XR BA Falcon which mainly sits in the garage…
The Chinese plan to tank the western automotive industry with a flood of cheap electric vehicles, The Germans are crapping themselves, having complacently done not very much about electric vehicles (everyone wants a 3 litre BMW for the Autobahn!) and the Japanese have also dropped the EV ball, with Toyota in particular on a Canute like campaign to convince us all hydrogen is the way to go.
⁵Do you really think EVs are that much of a panacea?
It means business as usual as we still go shopping at the unsustainable supermarkets, carry on driving through the drive throughs and get dropped off at the airport in our relatively low emission waka.
I must observe that this (removal of subsidy that had TS wringing it's hands when contemplated), can be viewed as a win for 7 house Luxon the Prime Minister.
EV ownership was not within short term reality of this household, now that we have helped fund a bunch of more affluent folk into their Teslas, it has become a shade more possible for us.
Edit, as you were, newsense makes a good point that may alter my comment.
Agree Phillip. I’m an old “V8 boy” from way back–Galaxies, Fairlanes and many others in my time, but am a fan now of EVs. They have great torque and way less moving parts to replace and pay for. Some of my mates have said the same but sub culture peer pressure and machoism is strong and they can’t quite go there yet.
EVs are no supreme answer but they help cut down on fossil fuel use.
A long, narrow, sparsely populated country like ours makes it difficult to have public transport everywhere, and neo liberalism makes it even more difficult.
Ahem, I got pantsed by some hippy dude in a trolley bus across the lights on a bike that was rather quick for mid 70's Like I was halfway down the bus…
That could have been me…I was the first long-haired person hired by the bus company..
I fought that battle through the levels up to the head of the then a.r.a….
It was an early lesson for me that a well-crafted/logical argument..and not giving up/in..can get you quite a long way…
Bus drivers then we're the straightest looking of all..even cops were sprouting hair in all sorts of places…
And I told them when first hired for training school..that I wasn't going to cut my hair…which was halfway down my back at the time..
I flew thru the training..having learnt to drive trucks at about age 12..I aced it..
Then the day before being released onto the public..I was told I had to cut my hair..which was the start of my climb thru the levels..
And eventually I faced the man himself…behind his huge desk..
I pointed the hairy policemen out to him and asked..'what's the problem?'
He babbled out some anecdotal about a fringe falling over eyes..and a bus crashing into a lampost..
I had like a super mullet..kinda tidy around the face..so I said to him: 'if I can stand in front of you and shake my head vigorously and no hair goes over my eyes..my hair can't be a danger..eh..?'
And victory was mine to savour…
And just as a heads-up the next windmill I will tilt at is the hypocrisies/irrationalities around elder drug use..
I am building a suite of arguments in support of elders (70 +) being able to access cocaine.. should they so desire..
During those decades I used it..when younger…I thought 'this drug will be brilliant when I get old'…and I bookmarked it for then…fully expecting rational drug laws to be in place by then..
Labour should of course have offered the subsidy only to manufacturers who would slash pre-subsidy prices below stipulated price points. And they should have selected only one or two manufacturers to receive the subsidy based on how much they slashed prices, the reliability record of their cars and the quality of their service network.
In any case, these are still extraordinarily expensive cars and even at these prices, EVs are no solution to anything. Not until something like a BYD Seagull turns up and is priced under $20k. But that's unlikely, because the local dealer network won't want to sabotage the rest of of their product range.
Mmmm. Don't think so. Or at least not stock brought into NZ.
I suspect that the stock levels were kept low by importers, in anticipation of a drop in sales in early 2024. I also suspect that they saw their sales being impacted by the lower-priced Chinese EVs – and that's another factor in the discounting.
If the same was done in removing all subsidies (hidden such as income being not income for income tax purposes and obvious ones such as tax on mortgage interest) to landlords and land owners then maybe house prices would come down?
Wellington City Council proposal to remove 2 disabled parking spots from the centre of a suburban shopping area to replace with EV charging spots so "EV owners can do their shopping while charging up." Disabled/mobility impaired booted to the end of the road and around the corner. EV charging is quite feasible there, and the drivers are far more likely to manage the (not much further) distance by foot.
Or is it a cynical ploy to force mobility card holders into purchasing EVs?
Weka, adding the link to this very specific plan would extremely narrow down my location, which I don't feel very easy about, despite using a pseudonym here. I'm aware of the providing a link rule, I hope that's not a problem. I can give the link to all the current traffic resolutions going on though
thanks Kay. The only rule is to link when quoting. People are free to talk about things without linking. In this case I couldn't find anything myself online and was interested to see what they were doing and why. I'm also fine with you not putting your pseudonym at risk.
Yes..!..very good..that defining/refining of the link rules..
I'm of a mind to think that the most useful use of a link..is as a tool to refute ill thought-out arguments/ideas..
It's good that ideas/concepts can be raised/discussed.. without having to footnote them with links…
I feel that the peak of the need for 'link' was back in those bad old days of squealing internet. .
Then it was a courtesy to readers..to help them navigate a torturously slow internet..
That was then..now everyone has access to blindingly fast internet..and if interested in topic being discussed..can access reams of information in seconds..
So no longer that much need for that link- courtesy ..
This includes making assertions that you are unable to substantiate with some proof (and that doesn’t mean endless links to unsubstantial authorities) or even argue when requested to do so.
If you're asked to provide proof for something you assert as a 'fact' then you should be prepared to do so.
Whenever I read about that lady and the rest of her cohort, I call vividly to mind a Tom Scott cartoon from a previous time NZF returned to the House after a spell outside it. Winston was portrayed as a hayseed mid-west US farmer, driving a cartload of straw-chewing hicks and warning them: "Now just keep quiet and say you're with me!".
For someone who rails against waka jumpers, when you look back at the crew of MPs NZ First has had, there’s been a diverse bunch of occasionally diametrically opposed folk. Winston is fairly much the only constant. From Neil Kirton to the Maori seats of Tuku and Tau to Richard Prosser to Tracey Martin to this most recent crop…
A minister of the Crown who dishonourably lies to parliament and someone who can provide evidence of this loses their job for doing so.
The government’s lack of standards are now obvious.
This is a government that intends to get away with lies.
Someone needs to set up a system for receiving "public service" leaks, because when whistleblowers are compromised representative and accountable government is compromised.
The case for a rent freeze or at the very least the Greens rent increase cap of 3% pa from 2021 – to reduce inflation and prevent poverty – explained. .
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 ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
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 National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
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 ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. 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 ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Upper class turkeys vote for Xmas, unhappy when it arrives.
Devonport key road upgrades at risk by loss of regional fuel tax
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/509811/devonport-key-road-upgrades-at-risk-by-loss-of-regional-fuel-tax
Let's look at the old scoreboard for the North Shore…
Yes that local board chair is going to meet with their local MP.
The last government got us used to a very high level of funding keeping our boats afloat. It was the Robertson underpinning of our entire economy.
But National are pulling the tide out so fast that everyone can see none of their political boats can float anymore.
As someone who has lived in the region for 35 plus years, be assured it will be the 50.92% (Nat) and 10.98% (ACT) who will be doing 90% of the screaming and hollering.
TBH, I doubt it.
My understanding is that the majority of the work was emplacement of bus and cycle lanes on Lake Rd. I'd expect these to be more highly valued by the GP voters.
We have no bus lanes except a side lane at Belmont one way. If we had them we would have no car lanes. Don't know what they're planning to do. Remove the cycle lanes perhaps which are not used by many cyclists because it is too dangerous on that particular road.
Well, yes, the point of the Lake Road improvements was to introduce bus and high-occupancy vehicle lanes, as well as cycle lanes.
https://at.govt.nz/projects-roadworks/lake-road-improvements
The downside of this is, as we've seen everywhere else in Auckland, this increases travel time for single-occupancy vehicles (in the medium term) as well as making every commuter's life a misery with roadworks (in the short term).
I seriously doubt that the majority of Natioal-voting Devonport residents either use, or would plan to use a bus. And that the majority of them are single-occupancy vehicle users.
"be assured it will be the Nat and ACT who will be doing 90% of the screaming and hollering." Wait until the banning cells from school kids gets implemented later this year, they'll be "yes ban phones from schools, but don't dare my kids phone!".
That's quite funny. Speaks truth to 'you get the government you deserve'.
I don't know what got into Ginny Anderson yesterday on NewsTalk ZB with Mark Mitchell and Hosking. I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing. On Newstalk ZB Week on Demand at 8.15 yesterday for the discussion.
She accused Mitchell, in his previous role as a security contractor, of having been paid to kill people, and asked him if he had kept a tally. Hipkins also disagreed with the comments and, as a result she has apologised. Personally I think the apology should be public rather than a text as it has at the moment, given the comment was public.
It isn't the first time Anderson has apologised for her (alleged) behaviour. So, perhaps it might be good for her to put her brain into gear before she opens her mouth.
As Hipkins said in her defence, he is often provocative. And of course there is an element of truth in what she said.
"Truth in what she said"?
Very little according ti former Labour Leader David Shearer who actually does know a great deal about the topic.
He says "It was during that work he interacted with many companies akin to Mitchell’s and said Andersen’s recent claim that the current Police Minister was “paid to kill people” is not a fair description of the work those companies do.
“I think that’s over the top and pretty divorced from reality, it would be better if she had sat down and had a chat with Mark and understood exactly how it works."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/former-labour-leader-david-shearer-says-ginny-andersens-claims-about-mark-mitchell-divorced-from-reality/B6DPEPL555F6LDIXJGTZXJRG7Y/
meanwhile, the public would be better served with more honesty and less PR bullshit from Mitchell.
Of course they do useful work. That doesn’t preclude them being private military.
David Shearer would seem to be saying that the term "private military" would be a little misleading. He is proposing, at least as I read it, that they don't really behave like a military force but rather closer to the armed police that we see at New Zealand airports.
Shearer (your link above),
Let's assume for a minute that TMG does both police like security and grey area military work. Do you really think they're going to be upfront and honest about the grey area military work?
Shearer is obviously grateful for the security work that was done when he was in those countries. Equally obvious is that the security is needed. Neither of those preclude those companies also being involved in morally ambiguous work or outright unethical work. It seems unlikely that Shearer would have been exposed to that.
Shearer telling Andersen to talk with Mitchell is a nonsense. Let’s be generous and say it’s naive. If Mitchell started and ran a company that also does private military work, and he’s already been running PR lines on that, do you really think he’s going to tell Andersen?
"Let's assume for a minute that TMG does both police like security and grey area military work"
But, in the light of what Shearer says why should we assume that at all. There doesn't seem to be any evidence that they were involved in the "grey area" work you are talking about. Certainly Shearer, who was there doesn't seem to think they were. He says
“Given what I think Mark’s company was doing, it was pretty much what I would call a run-of-the-mill security company.
“It would have been doing passive security operations that basically entailed securing goods, compounds, embassies from attack and the only time they would have used their weapons would have been if they came under attack themselves.”
What evidence do we have that they were doing what people here are accusing them of? What evidence is there that that was the case?
Shearer wasn't talking about TMG, he was talking about private security companies generally.
I've already explained the rationales for using that hypothetical.
Shearer is talking rubbish..
Just because he has had security from these goons..doesn't mean he knows anything of what else they do/did…in those dirty wars…
He is blowing it out of his lowest orifice..
@smithfield..
Can I suggest the looking up of the definition of mercenary soldier..?
That may help in clarifying your view of what mitchell is/was…
And back in the mists of time there is an interview of mitchell by wallace chapman…where the subject of killing while a mercenary was raised..(sorry..no idea of link..)
My memory there is that mitchell gave a nude/nudge/wink/wink non-answer..
One that left me forever viewing him as mark 'the mercenary' mitchell.
With all the complications that label carries…
And certainly not deserving of any whitewash…
Niccolò had their number.
― Niccolò Machiavell
And the Roman Empire itself ultimately degenerated and dissolved because of (among other things) an increasingly mercenary attitude on the part of the Emperor's Praetorian Guard – they supported whoever was going to reward them the most.
"We're not something wriggling with too many legs that you found in your sleeping bag. The proper tone of voice is Mercenaries! – with a glad cry."
Genius!
Mr Mitchell was a sell sword in a dirty war, as a mercenary he deserves no quarter. The arms industry and associated corporations made billions on the back of unjustified misery. Money that should have been spent on the US and other nations taxpayers that funded the shit show.
Mitchell hounded Andersen in Parliament and he deserves a good slap down. Mark Mitchell scammed his way into electorate selection originally if you read Nicky Hager’s “Dirty Politics”. He talks tough like a lot of politicians but I’d like to see him try and take patches off gang members–that will be a fight (possibly a war) they won’t easily win.
I guess you could claim an "element of truth'' in the same way it could be claimed that the police or armed forces may end up killing people in the performance of their duties, and hence are "paid to kill''. That is not the same as being paid specifically to do that though. Nor is it something they generally seek to do, if it can be otherwise avoided.
Tiger and Phillip, I think you need to provide evidence to support your replies, otherwise you are just as bad as Anderson:
According to Wikipedia
So, the only mention of active conflict he was involved in was self-defence in a siege scenario. What was he supposed to do in that situation? Just stand back and let the attackers come in and kill everyone?
The 'only mention' does not mean that was the only conflict he was involved in…
That may or may not be true. But the onus is on you to produce the evidence. Otherwise you are just speculating.
No..I am not 'speculating'..I am respecting the accepted meaning of the word mercenary..in this context..and I am repeating what I heard when mitchell was interviewed by wallace chapman…it is mitchell's own words I am using…
Whereas you are giving us a bunch of your 'reckons'..and the sparse wikipedia profile of mitchell..
Meh..!
No. You're actually giving us your synopsis of your recollection of what Mitchell may have said.
That's why quotes and linked evidence is asked for – so people can evaluate what was actually said.
If wanting to disprove my recollections..you could email wallace chapman and ask him his recollections of that interview..and also if it is still able to be heard..?
I tried google..it let me down..again..
Not how the Standard works. You made the claim, it's up to you to provide evidence for it – if called for.
Or withdraw your claim that "it's Mitchell's own words I'm repeating"
when, approximately, did Chapman interview Mitchell?
It was early on in mitchell's career here..and it wasn't on the panel..
It was a show where he could go quite deep in interviews..
Maybe he was sitting in for someone..?..and it must have been rnz..
Did John Keys ever apologist for this, by text or any other means? I can't remember.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/john-key-accuses-labour-of-backing-rapists/H5LX5UMIFCAVKWAZF5X3BCFWU4/
Still, 12 months later he was gone.
I was thinking about this in relation to my post about the upset residents of Devonport not getting their Lake road upgrades. In all the conversations on RNZ, the head of the local business association was not once asked a simple question – "The North Shore voted heavily for National at the election. Getting rid of the RFT was a National party policy. Do you think people are just getting what they voted for?" A provocative but necessary question IMHO. Same with Mark Mitchell. They guy was a hired gun. Did he not think his decisions might lead to some people to question him?
We seem to have a political class where questions about the negative consequences of their personal decisions are akin to asking the vicar about God at afternoon tea. One simply doesn’t do it in polite society. These people believe they are never accountable – accountability is for the lesser sorts. It is a class based arrogance that is riddled through our elite political discourse.
They moaned like hell when the cycle lanes were put in on Lake Road, but they are not wide enough for an extra lane. To widen much of Lake Road you have to bulldoze a lot of very valuable real estate. There are certainly places where you can tinker, but that just moves the problem up a bit to the next area of congestion around the motorway approaches.
I note that Mitchell doesn't deny what she alleges. I don't know why he can't just be honest that his work included killing people.
I just wish Anderson been more prepared to explain what mercenaries do in language that sounded credible. And to explain clearly what Mitchell's company was and did. Then it wouldn't have sounded like a personal attack.
according to your link, she apologised for going to too far, she didn't apologise for what she said.
Weka, as I pointed out above, the only Wiki mention of him being in actual conflict that could have incurred deaths was a self-defence situation. I expect that if you, I, or any of our politicians, including Anderson, were in that compound, we would be very greatful of having people such as that there to defend us.
According to Mitchell, in his interview with HDPA, later in the day. He admits being invovled that self-defence scenario, but has no idea if the bullets he fired actually resulted in deaths on the otherside. I guess when there are lots of bullets flying around, it would be very hard to determine the outcome of specific bullets fired.
As a self declared mercenary he was there to kill.No questions asked.He was paid to execute that service.Whether he killed or not makes no difference.He was a hit man waiting for a job .
In fact he owned and ran the company that employed contracted soldiers, so it's not only about his own actions, but those of his staff.
Andersen was woefully underprepared.
He fired bullets at people and was paid to do so?
Hmmmm….
Francesca, I think that statement is bordering on defamatory. You need to back that statement up with evidence. I agree that a possible consequence of him being there was that he might be required to exert lethal force, the same as with the police or armed forces. But, to claim that was his specific purpose goes far beyond that.
Again, a possible outcome of him being there. But as far as I can see, not the express purpose. If he was in the army in the same circumstances, would you have a problem with the actions in those specific circumstances? If not, then I don't see any grounds for complaint.
Did Mitchell operate in wars that New Zealand was officially involved in, or was he up for any conflict that might be an earner for him?
If he had the blessings and support of the New Zealand Government and the people of New Zealand, then, perhaps, but if he was just freewheeling' across the globe, as a gun for hire, nah.
I agree about the self-declared mercenary bit, that needs a back up, because Mitchell is on record as saying he doesn't like the term 😉
But he founded a company that provides private sercurity services in war zones. Mercenary might not be technically the right term, but I think it's stretching credibility to suggest that a company like Threat Management Group is doing 'security' only and is not using private military contractors to do other kinds of work.
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/etudes/join/2011/433829/EXPO-SEDE_ET%282011%29433829_EN.pdf
Much of that relies on the definition of security. I see no reason to trust Mitchell on this, as outlined in my earlier comment about his PR skills and approach.
That may have been hasty of me Smithfield .
But in my book anyone who sets up a private company , and trains people to kill , has at the least , questionable morals.And where was he?
In Iraq!! An illegal war that Helen Clark kept us out of, despite National and Act screaming across the floor
I have a revulsion to killing anyway, whether state endorsed or not .
Here's a take from the Spinoff
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/21-02-2018/why-aspiring-national-leader-mark-mitchells-war-for-profit-past-matters
That's getting to the crux of it.
It's one thing to be a mercenary.
It's totally another, vulgar, base and reprehensible to seek to profit from others mercenary actions.
As far as I'm concerned a cigarette paper could be slid between a private military security contractor and a mercenary
https://www.trtworld.com/americas/are-private-military-contractors-any-different-from-mercenaries-20680
there's also the paper thin difference between PMC and PSC.
Thanks Weka .I get my dander up and should be more careful and accurate
it was fine. Teasing it out worked in this case.
I don't find private military companies particularly tasteful either tbh.
But I think the blame for their existence needs to be laid equally at the feet of Western governments who don't want to be seen to be directly involved in various scenarios around the world.
But there is a difference between that and accusing someone of essentially running around enjoying killing people as Anderson seemed to be implying when she asserted that Mitchell was a killer and enquired if he kept a tally of his kills, implying that it was something he was proud of doing.
He was just earning a crust – not everyone gets to choose how they put bread on the table.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/21-02-2018/why-aspiring-national-leader-mark-mitchells-war-for-profit-past-matters
sure. But the issue here isn't that some dude ran a PSC, it's that he then entered parliament bringing those values with him, and held a number of Ministerial positions including Defence and Police. It's entirely reasonable to look at his background, ask questions and hold him to account.
Andersen didn't imply he liked killing people, she said he made money from it.
“But the issue here isn’t that some dude ran a PSC, it’s that he then entered parliament bringing those values with him, and held a number of Ministerial positions including Defence and Police.”
I guess that would depend on the motivations for running such an organisation. If the motivation was to help with humanitarian assistance (as Mitchell claims) in areas where civilian workers are at risk of attack from various warlords etc, that is one thing. A lot of those sorts of organisations likely would not be able to function in that sort of environment otherwise.
If it’s objective was to hire itself out to any organisaiton or government for any purpose regardless of how henious or repressive, then that is something else entirely.
“Andersen didn’t imply he liked killing people,”
I think the question about keeping a tally implied that. As why would you do such a thing unless your goal was to keep increasing the tally?
I don’t find it credible that TMG were there for the fluffy bunnies. You seem to be putting up a false dichotomy. Either they’re there for humanitarian reasons, or they’re evil murderers. Whereas I think they’re a business that is there it make a profit and their niche is providing private security/military services in war zones. And that, by consent of the companies and governments, involves sometimes killing people.
There’s plenty of critique about such companies and why the profit motive is a problem. There’s further critique about putting someone with Mitchell’s values into Ministerial roles. Did you real the links I gave you?
TMG do work for the US government /shrug.
Apparently shop lifting is on the rise amongst the middle class, since the advent of self service kiosks.
Ok, it makes it easier, but does that absolve anyone of dishonesty?
No smithfield…he was there to make money…from war…
He was a mercenary…by any definition..
Make of that what you will..
No moral ambiguities there for you..?…smithfield..?
That really is a profoundly …. limited … understanding of why armed guards (whether paid by a government, or by private companies) might be needed in a conflict zone.
One of the standard reasons for armed guards, is to protect aid convoys.
Because, if you don't, they get stopped at the first insurgent roadblock and looted. Nothing gets through to the people who need it.
Even the UN Security Service employs private military and security companies in high-risk areas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Department_for_Safety_and_Security#Criticism_and_Controversy
Mitchell's problem here is that private companies that use mercenraries aren't known for being upfront about this. So when he talks about self-defence, we don't know if that is all he ever did, or if that's PR speak.
He founded a private military company, that makes profit from war. It's incredibly naive to think there was no killing involved by his company.
Anderson should have been better prepared. This from the Spinoff when Mitchell announced he was standing for parliament in 2018,
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/21-02-2018/why-aspiring-national-leader-mark-mitchells-war-for-profit-past-matters
At the end of that piece, the journo asked Mitchell three questions. Mitchell didn't answer them.
That raises the issue of honesty and whether Mitchell is inclined to be open and transparent, or manipulate comms to create an impression. Certainly in the Hosking piece yesterday it was clear he is skilled in PR.
I think the 'did you shoot people and how many?' is in fact pertinent, because the fact that Mitchell's PR speak is about avoidance and obfuscation rather than telling the truth in a circumspect way, suggests a level of political dishonesty that doesn't serve NZ or democracy.
Like I said, why doesn't he just be honest? I guess one answer to that is will people believe him given he has a history of avoidance and obfuscation.
Weka, I guess there are two answers to that. Firstly, in my experience, people who have been involved in conflict such as this often don't want to talk about their experiences because it very traumatising to them to know they might have ended someone elses life, even though it may have been justifiable in the circumstances. Horrors of war and all that.
Secondly, there may well be confidentiality agreements in place that limit what he is able to disclose.
If you listen to the interview, Anderson wasn't really asking the question. She was aserting that he was their to kill people, and wanted to know if he kept a tally.That is quite different IMO to asking the question you have proposed.
tsmithfield I think you are widening the net with this statement
We need to draw a distinction between soldiers etc fighting for their country ie in declared world wars and those fighting for their pockets, mercenaries.
I know the former do not generally like to talk about these aspects, even if it is at a distance like shelling. People are trying to lump mercenaries in with the soldiers etc who went to answer the call in world wars who in no way resemble mercenaries. In fact some soldiers had distinct drops in pay after volunteering in comparison with their pre war pays. Something that would be untenable to a mercenary as their raison d'etre is to make money while 'fighting'
Weka has already linked to the Spinoff article
This part is important
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/21-02-2018/why-aspiring-national-leader-mark-mitchells-war-for-profit-past-matters
For what it is worth I personally equate mercenaries with slum landlords, mining companies exploiting people & resources in 3rd world countries, fashion companies selling high priced fashion goods made by, mainly women in unregulated, hazardous 3rd world workplaces, slavers of old and people who through greed place animals on ships so they can get big bucks.
The way you make your money says volumes about you personally I believe.
The blurring of lines between combat regularised by colour of right eg UN and mercenaries is regrettable in this latest instance.
I agree also that Ginny Anderson could have been better prepared. She definitely had the ethical/moral high ground but blew it a little.
Mods this is not going to be regular. I enjoy looking. May I post this just once please?
If you had listened carefully tsmithfield @ 2, you would have picked up Mitchell's attempt to run down the previous government with bald faced lies and the now tedious claims of 'death and destruction' (my phrasing) around everything the former government did and said.
We have had to listen to the crap for a long time and Mitchell has also been dumping on the former police minster for a long time. Ginny Anderson finally lost her temper and I don't blame her one bit. Mitchell is a nasty little creep.
You seem to be surprised by a government minister attempting to run down a previous government?
That's what every government, since the beginning of time, in every democracy in the world has done. It what makes politics both infuriating, while at the same time being a funny kind of spectator sport.
Losing her temper live on air in front of the largest listening audience in the country wasn't a great thing to do to win support. Which is why Chippy made the comments he did to fix the damage.
Mitchell must have clout through Judith Collins, and she has come up smelling of roses/ or should that be lillies after her prayer. i.e. Her active work through her relative Whale Oil to recruit "suitable" National candidates . Nicky Hager "The Hollow Men."
I think Andersen botched the attack on Mitchell. Because there is a legitimate critique of his time in Iraq. The question to ask him is this: does he think the Iraq war was justified?
If he says "no", the onus is on him to pass the money he made there back to the Iraqi people via some reputable charitable or humanitarian organisation.
If he says "yes", then that puts him offside with all civilised opinion and suggests he's unfit for public office.
My issue with Mitchell is this: how the hell could he not plainly see at the time that the whole invasion was a war crime cooked up on the back of a pack of lies and so decide to stay well clear of the place? Terrible judgment due to an authoritarian mindset would be my pick for why he could not see it.
As crass as this whole mercenary thing is, it's another ineffectual effort from Labour.
Very close to their 'curriculum petition', a very weak response to a meh issue. Just a bit of Middle class virtue signalling.
Sure, a few here are in a tizz, but it's a slow news day
I'd suggest that it would very probably not put him offside with the opinion of the people who vote for National.
Could well be. But I was talking about civilised opinion.
No doubt they'd be equally scathing about the people you consider 'civilised'.
Funny coz RW usually like politicians who "tell it like it is" & say "what we are all thinking", except from women lefties of course.
Also, Metiria Turei, hounded out of parliament for what she did before politics.
I have a suspicion that what she did "before politics" is pretty much a political career killer.
We are all the sum of our decisions as adults. Politicians especially should be held accountable for them.
Especially NZ Police Ministers that have prior involvement in for profit operations in an international armed conflict i.e.war.
This is relevant because of the overlaps of the arms industry and mercenary firms in nation states police forces. Militarisation of Police is a thing, some cops have even trained with the IDF!
https://www.amnestyusa.org/updates/with-whom-are-many-u-s-police-departments-training-with-a-chronic-human-rights-violator-israel/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militarization_of_police#:~:text=Criminal%20justice%20professor%20Peter%20Kraska,militarism%20and%20the%20military%20model%22.
The backdrop to Mitchell’s murky world is more important than some petulant response to Ms Andersen. He is now in a position to enable NZ Police to move righter regarding carrying arms, surveillance and more US technology. Vigilance is needed more than ever when cops initiate face recognition tech without approval,
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/416483/police-trialled-facial-recognition-tech-without-clearance#:~:text=New%20Zealand%20Police%20first%20contacted,necessary%20clearance%20before%20using%20it.
and routinely stop and photograph young people for “driving while Māori”.
I get it. Mitchell is accused of being a mercernary – alleged to have been involved in the business of killing people. He prevaricates in one explanation I saw from him.
So, politics being what they are, the baddie is Ginny Anderson. Her woeful lack of preparedness is around her appreciating the environment she operates in. The way we operate is that many would have her awarded the most grave of punishments whilst Mitchell would line up for a Victoria Cross.
What's worse is here 'we' are 6.00pm and 50 + comments and still thrashing about with our views on Mitchell and what we think his proclivities are.
This is a total own goal from Labour. If the centre left, is keen on re-election, this ain't a winning way.
They wanna appease the greed of some of our agricultural cousins by restarting live animal exports.
Nicotine Willis, as astute a financial mind parliament has know, needs fag tax to fund
six properties Luxonthe landlord tax.They've scrapped the much needed ferries from being built which was not the major cost of Kiwirail's prudent investment.
(I bet the ship building outfit is laughing all the way to the bank, they will get paid a default plus have made progress on items that will be 40% more valuable to them.)
We've gotta get organised and energised by the right things.
So the NZ government subsidy comes off electric cars and sales crash …
… and o wait mek minnit Volkswagen and Tesla and BYD slash their prices to way below what the subsidy offered – not only here but across all the key markets.
"Debuting a new marketing campaign for the discount overnight, the deal sees the entry-level ID.4 Pro and ID.5 Pro prices get slashed from $79,990 and $86,490 to $59,990 and $67,490 — a significant drop of $20,000 and $19,000, respectively.
The flagship ID.5 Pro+ has also been given a discount; its price dropping from $95,490 to $88,490."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/350188423/volkswagen-slashes-its-electric-vehicle-prices-nz-again
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/17/tesla-slashes-prices-on-germany-cars-after-similar-cuts-in-china.html
The big winners in this game will be the one(s) who offer a model t of electric cars…
Basic/efficient sub 20 grand…
And that winner will come from most likely china..with india with an outside chance…
And maybe with a brand name(s) we have not yet seen ..
Musk acknowledges that with the announcement of a sub-thirty grand tesla…
The top-end of electric cars is well over-crowded..
Early adopters often get stung as markets adjust, some of the initial rise in NZ EV sales was due to fleets for Govt. Dept.s. and companies.
Battery technology and charging networks are improving and for personal vehicles ICE will be taken over by EV eventually.
I’ve an EV Ioniq 5, mainly charged at home by solar panels–which have also got way cheaper–the feeling of driving past gas stations unless you need a cold drink–priceless.
Also have a mint XR BA Falcon which mainly sits in the garage…
The Chinese plan to tank the western automotive industry with a flood of cheap electric vehicles, The Germans are crapping themselves, having complacently done not very much about electric vehicles (everyone wants a 3 litre BMW for the Autobahn!) and the Japanese have also dropped the EV ball, with Toyota in particular on a Canute like campaign to convince us all hydrogen is the way to go.
My understanding is that toyota is also working on a universal conversion kit…able to turn ice vehicles into ev's..
Another exciting conversion possiblity was reported by rnz a little while ago..
An engineering student in oz has developed small electric motors that can be clamped onto each wheel…and can thus turn ice vehicles into ev's..
Cheap ev's and universal conversions of existing stock will do the trick…
It's gonna happen…!..and it can't come soon enough…
⁵Do you really think EVs are that much of a panacea?
It means business as usual as we still go shopping at the unsustainable supermarkets, carry on driving through the drive throughs and get dropped off at the airport in our relatively low emission waka.
 
100% gsays!
I don't want to sour a lovely moment…
I must observe that this (removal of subsidy that had TS wringing it's hands when contemplated), can be viewed as a win for
7 house Luxonthe Prime Minister.EV ownership was not within short term reality of this household, now that we have helped fund a bunch of more affluent folk into their Teslas, it has become a shade more possible for us.
Edit, as you were, newsense makes a good point that may alter my comment.
No gsays..@ 4.3.1.1. it won't solve every problem..but it will solve one important one..
Namely the crap ice vehicles pump into the atmosphere..
No small thing..?..surely..?
Agree Phillip. I’m an old “V8 boy” from way back–Galaxies, Fairlanes and many others in my time, but am a fan now of EVs. They have great torque and way less moving parts to replace and pay for. Some of my mates have said the same but sub culture peer pressure and machoism is strong and they can’t quite go there yet.
EVs are no supreme answer but they help cut down on fossil fuel use.
A long, narrow, sparsely populated country like ours makes it difficult to have public transport everywhere, and neo liberalism makes it even more difficult.
My first ev experience was a long time ago…
For a time I drove auckland trolley buses…powered by electricity..
They had fantastic acceleration…and were such fun to drive…and that was when I fell in love with electric vehicles…
Ahem, I got pantsed by some hippy dude in a trolley bus across the lights on a bike that was rather quick for mid 70's Like I was halfway down the bus…
That could have been me…I was the first long-haired person hired by the bus company..
I fought that battle through the levels up to the head of the then a.r.a….
It was an early lesson for me that a well-crafted/logical argument..and not giving up/in..can get you quite a long way…
Bus drivers then we're the straightest looking of all..even cops were sprouting hair in all sorts of places…
And I told them when first hired for training school..that I wasn't going to cut my hair…which was halfway down my back at the time..
I flew thru the training..having learnt to drive trucks at about age 12..I aced it..
Then the day before being released onto the public..I was told I had to cut my hair..which was the start of my climb thru the levels..
And eventually I faced the man himself…behind his huge desk..
I pointed the hairy policemen out to him and asked..'what's the problem?'
He babbled out some anecdotal about a fringe falling over eyes..and a bus crashing into a lampost..
I had like a super mullet..kinda tidy around the face..so I said to him: 'if I can stand in front of you and shake my head vigorously and no hair goes over my eyes..my hair can't be a danger..eh..?'
And victory was mine to savour…
And just as a heads-up the next windmill I will tilt at is the hypocrisies/irrationalities around elder drug use..
I am building a suite of arguments in support of elders (70 +) being able to access cocaine.. should they so desire..
The arguments are hanging together quite well…
Ha!
Let's hear 'em!
Ok robert..as a teaser..
1)why not..?
2) quality of life..
2. It's what we all desire!
Indeed ! to yr 2..
During those decades I used it..when younger…I thought 'this drug will be brilliant when I get old'…and I bookmarked it for then…fully expecting rational drug laws to be in place by then..
But..no..
Labour should of course have offered the subsidy only to manufacturers who would slash pre-subsidy prices below stipulated price points. And they should have selected only one or two manufacturers to receive the subsidy based on how much they slashed prices, the reliability record of their cars and the quality of their service network.
In any case, these are still extraordinarily expensive cars and even at these prices, EVs are no solution to anything. Not until something like a BYD Seagull turns up and is priced under $20k. But that's unlikely, because the local dealer network won't want to sabotage the rest of of their product range.
This is dumping stock that was brought in under a friendlier regime surely?
Mmmm. Don't think so. Or at least not stock brought into NZ.
I suspect that the stock levels were kept low by importers, in anticipation of a drop in sales in early 2024. I also suspect that they saw their sales being impacted by the lower-priced Chinese EVs – and that's another factor in the discounting.
Or stock being re-routed from the US as Biden walks back EV plans?
If the same was done in removing all subsidies (hidden such as income being not income for income tax purposes and obvious ones such as tax on mortgage interest) to landlords and land owners then maybe house prices would come down?
Wellington City Council proposal to remove 2 disabled parking spots from the centre of a suburban shopping area to replace with EV charging spots so "EV owners can do their shopping while charging up." Disabled/mobility impaired booted to the end of the road and around the corner. EV charging is quite feasible there, and the drivers are far more likely to manage the (not much further) distance by foot.
Or is it a cynical ploy to force mobility card holders into purchasing EVs?
do you have something I can read about that Kay?
Weka, adding the link to this very specific plan would extremely narrow down my location, which I don't feel very easy about, despite using a pseudonym here. I'm aware of the providing a link rule, I hope that's not a problem. I can give the link to all the current traffic resolutions going on though
https://www.letstalk.wellington.govt.nz/traffic-resolutions-april-2024
thanks Kay. The only rule is to link when quoting. People are free to talk about things without linking. In this case I couldn't find anything myself online and was interested to see what they were doing and why. I'm also fine with you not putting your pseudonym at risk.
"The only rule is to link when quoting"
Wahoo!
Yes..!..very good..that defining/refining of the link rules..
I'm of a mind to think that the most useful use of a link..is as a tool to refute ill thought-out arguments/ideas..
It's good that ideas/concepts can be raised/discussed.. without having to footnote them with links…
I feel that the peak of the need for 'link' was back in those bad old days of squealing internet. .
Then it was a courtesy to readers..to help them navigate a torturously slow internet..
That was then..now everyone has access to blindingly fast internet..and if interested in topic being discussed..can access reams of information in seconds..
So no longer that much need for that link- courtesy ..
From the site policy
If you're asked to provide proof for something you assert as a 'fact' then you should be prepared to do so.
Well, yes, Phil, well said, only when "bald assertions" are made, links are required, imo.
Otoh, opinions, vague and waffly, needn't be, imo.
Tricky for the mods, but irksome to the free-wheelers, like you and I 🙂
And Cancer sticks Casey Costello reveals more of her true self and it is a black soul indeed…
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/509863/tobacco-tax-document-leaker-no-longer-working-at-ministry-of-health
The important thing at the ministry of tobacco and other cashed up industries is not to get in the minister’s way…
The Fascist Cancer Stick killer who also dislikes Maori and history: Casey Costello
Is she the worst MP of this government?
Whenever I read about that lady and the rest of her cohort, I call vividly to mind a Tom Scott cartoon from a previous time NZF returned to the House after a spell outside it. Winston was portrayed as a hayseed mid-west US farmer, driving a cartload of straw-chewing hicks and warning them: "Now just keep quiet and say you're with me!".
For someone who rails against waka jumpers, when you look back at the crew of MPs NZ First has had, there’s been a diverse bunch of occasionally diametrically opposed folk. Winston is fairly much the only constant. From Neil Kirton to the Maori seats of Tuku and Tau to Richard Prosser to Tracey Martin to this most recent crop…
A minister of the Crown who dishonourably lies to parliament and someone who can provide evidence of this loses their job for doing so.
The government’s lack of standards are now obvious.
This is a government that intends to get away with lies.
Someone needs to set up a system for receiving "public service" leaks, because when whistleblowers are compromised representative and accountable government is compromised.
Oh yes.
The UK uses Air Jordan to drop some aid in north Gaza.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68360902
After this, they had to do something.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2024/02/israeli-forces-opened-fire-on-food-aid-truck-un-documents-and-satellite-analysis-reveals.html
Auckland trains have "total signal failure" right now.
Total signal failure pretty much describes the relationship between Auckland Transport and Kiwirail.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/auckland-train-disruption-total-signal-failure-causing-ongoing-delays-across-network/TDFAFDIAOJHNRNVAN4S3IYSILQ/
why are they not saying what today's "technical issue" was?
Auckland is a joke,
Auckland's train system is a not-very-funny, but very expensive joke.
The case for a rent freeze or at the very least the Greens rent increase cap of 3% pa from 2021 – to reduce inflation and prevent poverty – explained. .
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2024/02/new-statistics-nz-child-poverty-figures-show-increase-in-material-hardship.html