Stuff’s slavery investigation concludes that “no slave-tainted fish are ending up in New Zealand”, and also that “it’s almost certain that we have eaten fish caught by crew under conditions of forced labour.”
Always look for the label. If it says “Fabrique en Nouvelle Zelande” there might be a problem. How much are corporate reassurances worth? More importantly, how can they be verified?
My son has a friend who fishes for 3 months at a time at sea near the Auckland Islands , with a crew of around 55 people … he says its a hard life but the captain and crew are a close knit family and they get looked after well ,… and when you compare the two… and whats been going on in the Stuff article,… it just shows that it doesn’t have to be that way at all.
Further proof globalisation and neoliberalism is literally killing people and species as it’s ruthlessly exploits the finite resources of capitalism his planet.
Add that to bananas from slave plantations in the Philippines and electronics from slave mines in the Congo.
The article presents a neoliberal solution- consumers can change things.
Much better would be government actions to rid the oceans of these death factories.
That would be a good use for our navy.
Yes it would , the Navy has a long tradition of hunting down these sort of high sea pirates , and that’s what they are – pirates. Criminals. The trick then is to bring them before the courts on human rights abuses with so many of these govt’s shielding them. And to do that we need the assistance of the ICC- International Criminal Court, if indeed, they manage these sorts of offences.
The other problem is lack of jurisdiction in certain waters, and the sheer size of the area , which enables these criminals to indulge these behaviors,… when we consider that the ocean is a massive water filled desert,… we get an idea of its expanse.
It would need several cases to be made an example of using an international policing force , a power of legal workers behind that , – in short , – some sort of international agreement with teeth, – and therein lies the problem; so many big business interests… which takes us back to the Stuff answer… widespread public education to bring international political solutions.
Wows, OAB, cheers for the link, really pleased the fishing industry is being brought to light, again, so much goes on out there.
WK, this bit…. “The other problem is lack of jurisdiction in certain waters, and the sheer size of the area” absolutely bang on.
It’s important to understand that MOST officers are treated well in the fishing industry, this ensures their flexibility.
What goes on at sea stays at sea, open your mouth and someone may shut it for you, loose lips sink ships etc. Good on Stuff for gaining some insight.
Get the job done, stress runs high out there, fish are money.
In many instances, officers (cook to captain) are paid a salary plus a % of the catch, as a result, the crew are worked hard if the fish are running, no sleep for you, shall we bring up the P epidemic, time is money and all that.
Those in the factory or on deck are often graded to earn their percentage, so if any officers have it in for you, that will impact your grade.
Factory/deck crew from other countries are treated like shite, depending on the ‘culture’ of the vessel. It’s easy as to pick up more offshore factory and deck crews, easy as.
And if you spend 3mths at sea, there’s not much you can do or say about it and there is def nowhere to run.
The RNZN/ MOD have asked for a 3rd OPV that is design to operate in the Southern Ocean in the last DWP as the current two OPV’s are barely Fit for Purpose for Southern Ocean duties (fit for only the Summer run down Sth, but I believe it can’t take a Seasprite down Sth as it pushes the ships ice belt below the waterline). But from the sounds of it the 3rd OPV is on hold until they work out what’s going to replace the P3’s so they can line up right Combat Mission Systems etc so that OPV, Fixed and Rotary Wing assets can have and provide update SA to each other plus future proof the system when the UAV’s entry service sooner or later down the track.
Once that is sorted out I think you would the NZDF spending a lot more time down Sth all yr round instead of usual runs down during the summer periods. With having everybody on the same sheet of music unlike it atm will allow NZDF to effectively enforce the Southern Fishies. If the ODT is right about this one and it’s something that I have been suggesting as well.Then our wishes for a permanent presence in the Southern Ocean might come true.
Then there will be whining from the Fishing Industry as they well able to enforce the quota, Labour and Maritime Laws etc more effectively than at the present time.
The government ought to be looking at whether NZ crews can buy a house. Because if working a couple of months away on rotating shifts won’t let you do that, only a fool would do it. And that’s how the industry falls into the hands of the charter and slave fishing companies.
Here’s a classic example of a slave ship by an Aussie company (by that i mean it used to be Aussie based), their PR via the net would make people think otherwise lololz.
What this particular company does is grow their abalone on a factory ship outside of Aussie waters, that particular ship is a freaking disgrace, workers are treated like dirt, it’s hell on earth for them. The grown abalone is then collected by a small vessel and new spawn are dropped off along with ships stores. No reason for the factory vessels crew to go anywhere near land, keep them onboard as long as possible.
Edit… found an article about their ‘true colours’, was a fair while back, but I doubt they’ve changed.
Suspicions have increased because the ship’s owners have refused to publicly say how much its sailors are being paid, and it is believed that some of the Chinese crew are earning as little as US$300 a month.”
These practices have been going on for too long, may stuff continue to inform kiwis about it.
Because companies will always deny it, check out Polly, bold faced lies from her…
“Polly Kwok Wing-wah, a Hong Kong-based director of the firm, said: ‘The attack has taken the form of false submissions to local media, lies, and untrue allegations to union-biased government ministers and intimidation of company employees.'” LIAR !!!
Pac N save must be using some cheaper fish supplier than other supermarkets are as we have bought three times some red cod with fish bones in them. The cost per kilo is much cheaper than other supermarkets at only $16 a kilo, where other supermarkets are charging over $23 a kilo.
Beware as I got two large fish bones struck between my gums and teeth that caused a gum injury.
We see Jacinda ignoring the elephant in the room again today and was on the media mainly seeming to be worried about something other than mycoplama bovis as the main theme of this day!!!!!!!
We need a moritorium on cow movements until we do this now or we risk a widespread catastrope of this disease now.
Subject; Mycoplasma bovis can be spread on trucks among shared containment areas unless every truck is sterilised see below.
Everyone is asking how did mycoplasma bovis spread across the North Island from the south Island?
It can travel on trucks John, and we cannot allow moving of stock now until it is made safe otherwise we are all going to spread the disease before long now.
This is according to this article from the website.
The new threat of disease to our entire cattle stock is a case of point as we have now allowed the unchecked transport of cows all around NZ on trucks and the Mycoplasma_bovis dsease which may destroy our second largest export earner and biggest company.
Prevention[edit]
There are many ways by which cattle can be prevented from catching Mycoplasma bovis and other pathogenic bacteria.[7]
Transport of animals[edit]
When transporting the animals from one farm to another, It would be appropriate if the transport vehicle could be cleaned with disinfectants before and after use. For better care, environmental swabbing should be taken place and samples sent to a microbiology lab if any harmful bacteria will be detected, further actions should be taken place.[8]
Visitors[edit]
Only authorized people should be allow to visit a farm. Visitors shall arrive with clean clothing and footwear and disinfectant on arrival and departure can be used to stop getting the introduction of bacteria’s. For example, a water mat with disinfectant can be used in the entrance of the farm, water bath, company can provide sanitized clothes for people.
Weekly inspection and maintenance[edit]
In the end of the week, cleaning of all the areas and equipment reduces the chances of animals getting sick. Also, it is important to clean the feedlot container and keep the feed dry. Doubling the boundary fence with a 6-inch gap prevents the animals contacting neighbouring animals.
Well if loosing our largest export earner and farming bussinesses along with their company to overseas (Fonterra) this should now be a full blown five alarm amergency.
I am astounded that anything else is as important as keeping the direct focus on the major loss we are about to encounter if we sit there and ‘dilly dally’ while saying figuratively “rome burns”.
It is all about what’s most important as last governments lost the plot so will we if we dilly dally.
Well if loosing our largest export earner and farming bussinesses along with their company to overseas (Fonterra) this should now be a full blown five alarm amergency.
You do know why there’s cautionary tails about sticking all your eggs one basket right?
I don’t understand the dithering about on this issue. For a country that fines people hundreds of dollars for bringing a piece fruit into an airport it’s bizarre.
Short term pain. Ban all cattle movement for six months, slaughter any infected animals, massive cleaning operation of all associated infrastructure and name all infected farms.
Just make sure if any are driven to the wall they’re not sold offshore. Glomming the mortgaged dairy farms was a major cause of the SCF abuse of state power.
A press release from the nz embassy in Japan.- Translated by Google.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, the prime minister of the New Zealand, instructed Vice Prime Minister to give birth to the second child in June, and the prime minister of’s will be on maternity leave on may 14th. The Vice Prime Minister published a letter showing his duties as prime minister.
I think we need to have provision set up to go at a moment’s notice with give a little ready for each time some NZr is discriminated into oblivion by the Australian government. Ours is helpless with confronting these intransigent, callous, spiteful non-friendly foreign politicians.
It may well be the case that there is no other country in the world that pays direct transfers for the social welfare of their citizens in another country, but honestly this government does need to go there.
The alternative is that these street waifs are going to be arrested, put into Australian jails, in which they are fully criminalised, after which they will be deported back to New Zealand as criminals.
Yes Ad it makes sense from an objective, economic sense. And there is also the moral imperative. They are being punished by the Australian government for being New Zealanders. It has become clear from recent happenings that sanctions are applied to us that they don’t apply to any other country’s citizens. This was actually stated in the interview with the NZ woman with a convalescent husband on Radionz this morning. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018645943/australian-pension-rules-leaving-nz-family-poor
A NZ family living in Perth are struggling to make ends meet after a father broke his leg and cannot gain access to any benefits.
Johno Walsh broke his leg playing in the park with his children at the end of April.
Because his injury occurred outside of his work as a diesel engineer he was ineligible for sick pay or work cover. Now he and his wife Debbie, originally from Hawke’s Bay, found out their income protection insurance won’t pay out until the end of June. They have four children.
So Ms Walsh went to the social welfare office, Centrelink, to see about getting access to their seven years of superannuation paid while living in Australia….
New Zealanders on the Special Category Visa are not eligible for federal benefits. No one can withdraw super for hardship unless they had been on a benefit for six months.
Centrelink staff [were] asked how it was possible permanent residents from other countries were able to qualify for benefits and New Zealanders with seven years in Australia could not…
They and their New Zealand friends both had no idea that their income protection nor superannuation would buffer them.
We’re trying to play it cool cos we don’t want our kids to know, because I don’t think they need to worry about where their next meal is coming from.
“That’s the life of a New Zealand citizen in Australia.”
They have income protection insurance but didn’t shape the policy to cover this, and in a modern society expect that they can get help in times of need and emergency. But not us in Australia. They are following the neoliberal line even more rigidly than our RW governments have done.
I think that we have shown them up in Oz, irritated them, not followed an order etc, and they have decided that they don’t owe us respect, or anything. They have got themselves into a liege lord situation over us by owning our banks, and competing successfully for any business that still manages to run here, and have nothing to lose by acting out of character, that is, in a principled manner.
A moral imperative is a strongly-felt principle that compels that person to act. It is a kind of categorical imperative, as defined by Immanuel Kant. Kant took the imperative to be a dictate of pure reason, in its practical aspect. Not following the moral law was seen to be self-defeating and thus contrary to reason.
Moral imperative – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_imperative
Australian Government Department of Human Services.
This is spelled out so you don’t get confused and end up in the Animal Services Department.
I am wondering whether there will soon be a parallel entity called the A.G. Dept of Robot, Android and AI Services. It will be funded out of the budget for Human Services which will need less funding as much of the work will be carried out by the A.I.R. Service crawlers!
I see that Winston has had another policy altered to favour his benefactors in the Fishing Industry. Years of work down the drain because the fishing industry has called in a debt from Tsar Winston. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104082934/government-dfrops-plan-to-restrict-deep-sea-trawling-protect-orange-roughy
Have a look at the photo of Ardern and Peters in this story.
Puppeteer Winston feeding Ardern with the lines she must utter. Then his final words.
“Just do what I tell you Jacinda.” is his order.
You really should learn to read properly.
It was wild Katipo who raised this as an apparently serious comment.
After all Ms Ardern tells us that Winston is going to be Acting PM.
That means she will still be PM and Winnie will only be filling in for her.
Wild Katipo tells us that he is going to actually be Prime Minister. You can only have one at a time so he will have to replace Ardern, won’t he?
Why don’t you ask Wild Katipo where he gets his information from?
You know how folks will react to you posting that link, wrapped up in your usual invective…and success! Because they’re all piling onto you rather than reading the actual article…which demands our attention.
So…now you’ve all taken alwyn’s bait…go and read the article…
I’m afraid they don’t want to read the story Rosemary. If they did they would have to accept the fact that this Government is simply made up of politicians whose main interest is just like every other politician.
They want the power and the perks of office. They aren’t paragons of virtue.
My real complaint about them is not that they are in power. It is that they simply aren’t competent and didn’t spend their time in Opposition preparing to be a Government with a set of well thought out policies.
I mean look at Twyford and Kiwibuild. Have you ever seen anyone in quite such a muddle?
National were tired and really needed replacing. No Government should last more than three terms, at least in my opinion. Unfortunately we have had a group who are incompetent taking over. The only one who actually knows what he is doing is Tsar Winston and he is running things for his mates, like those who run the Fishing Industry and people like Sir Patrick Hogan and the horseracing fraternity.
So, we have a discussion going on about David ‘Footloose’ Seymour trying to raise a rabble in Remmers against a potential invasion of mentally ill folk…and I contributed this link to an article about Seymour’s reaction to the professional opinions of a panel of palliative care experts to the euthanasia select committee.
“Act leader David Seymour, who introduced the bill to Parliament in June last year has hit back, accusing the experts of fearmongering.
He insisted the vulnerable would be protected.
“Our own Attorney-General has written that my bill has sufficient safeguards and is consistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights. So these guys, frankly, need to go jump in a lake, start debating on the evidence and stop speculating to create fear, uncertainty and doubt.””
“ACT leader David Seymour said he was deeply disappointed that Ms Tesoriero was “spreading misinformation” as intellectually disabled people did not qualify under the bill.
“It’s very ironic that the Disabilities Commissioner of all people would be saying that a person who’s perfectly capable of making a decision … should have fewer rights and choices than other people.””
Tesoreiro had quite rightly pointed out that in NZ people with disabilities “could not freely exercise their choice in New Zealand.
“We live in a world where people focus on fixing us, not on removing the barriers that make us disabled.
“In the absence of adequate services, we run the risk that choice under this bill becomes a Clayton’s choice for disabled people.””
Seymour was supported by none other than Greg ‘give all the cops guns all the time’ O’Connor, who because he has a son with an intellectual disability claims to have looked at the Bill and has not seen any problems.
“A “Clayton’s choice” is a choice that exists in name only and isn’t genuine.
But Mr O’Connor said many disabled people were perfectly able to give well-informed consent.
“You have to be careful – because it’s almost like you’re saying, ‘Leave disabled people over here, because they’re not capable of the same … mental capability””
I know M O’ Connor still uses MP training wheels, but he really needs to be more nuance aware.
What the Disabilities Commissioner is saying Greg, is that while far too many disabled New Zealanders struggle to get the supports they need and have to battle all the way to the United Nations to have they basic rights as humans recognised, it is really inafuckingppropriate to be defending the rights of disabled people to choose euthanasia while dismissing the concerns of a disabled person who represents the rights of all disabled New Zealanders.
Not without making a clear and unequivocal statement on behalf on the government that the rights of all disabled New Zealanders will be respected.
Go have a lie down Gosman. I used far too many words, and there are subtleties that may be difficult to sense for those outside of the disability community.
I just suggest Rosemary that some disabled persons might wish to have the right to choose euthanasia in the present or at some future specified time.
I note that the antis regard their opinions as sacred, and the final authority. This assumes that other people have no agency in their own lives; that they don’t have the intellect, that they must do what society and those around them decide for them. It is strange that others want to own others body and soul.
“….that some disabled persons might wish to have the right to choose euthanasia in the present or at some future specified time. ”
And no one is saying otherwise.
BUT…and this is a very big BUT…there must be no question at all that the disabled person who chooses euthanasia is doing so because the lack of proper support is making their life unbearable.
And at the present point in time this cannot be guaranteed.
Most of the people living with disability in New Zealand have no entitlement to funded supports from the Ministry of Health whatsoever.
And seeking supports from the Ministry of Health has actually made people wish that they were dead.
“I note that the antis regard their opinions as sacred, and the final authority.”
Funny that, I’ve noted the exact same tone from the pros…did you actually read Seymour’s responses to the Commissioner and the palliative care professionals that I referenced in my comment?
Telling the palliative care professionals that they “need to go jump in a lake,”…..
An interesting article to read for those interested? With a 11pg document in English from Sweden on what to do if Sweden is attack from a hostile country.
I was reading a Janes Defence report a mths ago saying Russia Submarine activity in the Baltic Sea is almost back to Cold War levels and a huge increase around the Northern Approaches to Norway, Iceland and UK gap, but not to the same levels as during Cold War although there has been the odd surge or a increase rate of effort too Cold War levels during Russian Navy Summer Manoeuvres or NATO Ex’s.
Everyone is now having to relearn the art of ASW and tracking Subs etc as everything was either cut, mothballed or quietly drop as a peace dividend or the same to find cost savings to fund the “War on Terror” in the Gan and forgetting the need to have the “The Utility of Force” because the silly pollie’s didn’t want rise taxes to fund the “War on Terror” as British Armed Forces have found out thanks to that muppet Blair.
Yes I had seen that article as well, an interesting design and common sense prevail that it was unlikely to work. But they design this wee beauty of Submarine for use in and around the Baltic Sea until the Aussies got hold of it and completely bugged it up.
The design was so good that yanks got hold of a Swedish one on lease complete with it crew to train it scope dopes on how to find a diesel electric sub. When the aussies finally got their subs work properly and gave the yanks a right royal thrashing on RIMPAC Ex’s. As they got inside a Carrier Battle Group Anti Submarine Screen, then tailing the Carrier for couple days taking pictures of it before surfacing beside the Carrier after proclaiming to every Tom, Dick and Harry that no one can penetrate it a Anti Sub screen.
Both Sweden and Finland both cut back it Defence expenditure after the end of the Cold War to a point where they mothballed bases, equipment and move to suspend the National Service requirements of National’s Defence Force including the Civil Defence Forces. The Nordic countries have their own battle group with NATO for UN operations or for NATO’s Out of Area Operations aka The Gan. Which according to a couple of Swedish girl’s who work the bar at near bush block said they and many others are not impressed the close tries that Sweden has developed with NATO since the end of the Cold War. But on the other hand they could under stand the UN operations like Bosnia but not Gan as it comprises its Neutrality and if we run down our Defence Forces then we only have ourselves to blame. They also said Russia is a major concern to them as they see Russia wanting to rebuild its former Tsar Empire across the Baltic Nations and a threat to Nordic Values, Lifestyle and Freedoms.
It’s was only about 5 or so yrs ago (maybe longer not sure) that the last Swedish Troops left Gotland Defences and turn the lights off. Here they now standing its up Defences on Gotland and as my friends were saying it’s little bit concerning that is is happening.
My first book Ticket to Paradise: A Journey to Find the Australian Colony in Paraguay Among Nazis, Mennonites and Japanese Beekeepers
about my search for the remnants of the Australian utopian colony in Paraguay was published by ABC Books in 2012.
I am a writing and journalism academic. My background is as a travel and features journalist for publications in Australia and overseas. I have written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Toronto Star, The Sydney Morning Herald and Rough Guides among many others. My current academic research focuses on exploring the plurality of the travel writing form.
I am fluent in Spanish and my latest book After Dark: A Nocturnal Exploration of… Read more
China is happy that it is turning sand dunes into productive growing areas.
We could be going ahead with something special for NZ since we are such a beautiful country and we love it. I’m sure we could be forging ahead with organics. I think that the Falklands has done this. Robert G would have good ideas. Let’s do it !
the auckland sandflys are just like the ones in vags the get shitty because I can smell them and cheat and block all my devices from getting this site ———- ka kite ano
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Students are striking against climate change on September 27. And this time, they're asking everyone to join them:Students are taking to the streets, beaches and parks on 27 September, and we're inviting everyone to join us. That's right, this is an intergenerational issue, and you're all invited to put pressure ...
Peter McKenzie has a piece on Newsroom this morning about how local body politics is awash with property developer cash. 70% of all the donations in the 2016 Wellington mayoral election came from property developers. And its pretty obvious what they want in exchange:That’s particularly important in local government, according ...
Source: Unknown, twitter user Recently, I wrote a (relatively) short paper titled as above, to explore what self-determination could like in a practical sense. Maybe I’m a bit of an international trade truther or something, but I absolutely believe trade is at the heart of achieving peace and self-determination. Since ...
In the 1960s, after I had graduated with a first-class Oxford postgraduate law degree, I joined the British Foreign Office as the top entrant of my year. There, I worked for a couple of years on European affairs and was eventually posted to the Embassy in Brussels. After this exposure ...
Alone, Alone. All, All Alone: Will it be a good or a bad thing, when humanity’s bright blue spacecraft is stricken by the civilisation-destroying problem of Climate Change, that no Huston Control will be standing-by to rescue the crew?“WE HAVE A PROBLEM, HUSTON.” These were the words used by the ...
I heard a 45 minute interview with Monica Lewinsky talking to TED’s Chris Anderson on BBC Radio 4 over the weekend, and have listened to it another two times out walking. I recommend it. Highly. Man, I am so impressed with how this woman has integrated her life experiences and ...
Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff, The Coddling of the American Mind: how good intentions and bad ideas are setting up a generation for failure, London, Penguin, 2019, 352pp; reviewed by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff’s book The Coddling of the American Mind is a timely book, whose ...
When the Justice Committee reported back on the Administration of Justice (Reform of Contempt of Court) Bill, free speech advocates breathed a sigh of relief. As originally introduced, the Bill reitered the ancient offence of "scandalising the court" - basicly, a special sedition law protecting judges from criticism. The select ...
Eighteen months ago, the government promised to strengthen the Bill of Rights Act, by explicitly affirming the power of the courts to issue declarations of inconsistency and requiring Parliament to formally respond to them. Since then - crickets. Which raises the obvious question: are they actually going to do this, ...
Back in March, the Ministry of Justice conducted a public consultation exercise on whether to hold a review of the Official Information Act. 285 people submitted on it. Now, Stuff has trawled through those submissions, and the case for reform is strong:The Justice Ministry asked Kiwis what they thought was ...
National's prisoner voting ban has gone down as one of the worst laws in New Zealand history. Passed after a farcical debate (including this farcial speech from ACT MP Hilary Calvert), it has subsequently been found to be inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act by the High Court, Court ...
Divided Loyalties: Can the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, be relied upon? That’s what the boys and girls at Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon needed to be reassured about. Because, from the perspective of Washington, it’s looking more and more like Jacinda Ardern and her Labour Party comrades are getting ready ...
This handy Queer Theory Glossary is from thetranswidow.com In case you’ve had trouble keeping up with the spate of new queer theory terms, here’s a handy glossary for your reference. Queer – A straight person with an interesting haircut. Non-binary/genderqueer – A chubby young female, typically 16-28, who has ...
by Daphna Whitmore US social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt spoke on 1 August in Auckland to a crowd of around one thousand people. He is best known for his bookThe Coddling of the American Mind which examines the new climate of trigger warnings and acute sensitivity of Gen Z. ...
What an extraordinarily depressing experience it is to be compelled to watch, at 12,000 miles distance, the contortions and machinations of the British political class as they set about their determined attempt to overturn the decision taken by the British people that they wish to leave the European Union. The ...
The winter grazing issue is becoming a highly sensitised one that I hope will not become so politicised that it delays solutions and results in the suicides of some very stressed farmers.Winter grazing has hit the headlines after a determined campaign, including the release of a video of some very ...
by Don Franks Way back when British guitar virtuoso Joe Brown was a beginning session guy he got to back a visiting American artist. Young Joe was an able technician but had yet to learn some points of professionalism. Part way through “Five foot high and rising” Joe tired of ...
Since scientists started studying climate change, they have warned that it will reduce food production. And now, its happening:The climate crisis is damaging the ability of the land to sustain humanity, with cascading risks becoming increasingly severe as global temperatures rise, according to a landmark UN report compiled by some ...
The Abortion Legislation Bill just passed its first reading, 94-23. Its a far bigger margin than I expected, even allowing for the Winston factor, and it reflects the overwhelming support there is in this country for reform. but that support isn't a new thing - it has existed for literally ...
The Justice Committee has called for submissions on the Referendums Framework Bill. The Bill does what it says on the label - establishes a framework for referenda. Things you may want to address in your submission: Whether the bill should apply only at the 2020 election, or whether it should ...
The Thompson and Clark / MBIE spying scandal continues to result in fallout, this time in the form of a report on the implementation of MBIE's "Operation Exploration", its internal operation to enforce the infamous Anadarko Amendment which criminalised protests against the oil industry. MBIE's enforcement operation was tainted by ...
So, Winston Peters is defending his last-minute demand for a referendum on abortion by claiming he was "blindsided" by the bill. Really? The bill is a government bill. It has been working through the cabinet approval process since December last year. As part of that process, NZ First was consulted, ...
The Green Part has been accused of lack of transparency in two recent situations. The first was the claimed media lockdown during Green's annual conference and the second was Julie Ann Genter's refusal to release a letter she had sent to Phil Twyford.I do get frustrated when journalist's succumb to ...
The Green Part has been accused of lack of transparency in two recent situations. The first was the claimed media lockdown during Green's annual conference and the second was Julie Ann Genter's refusal to release a letter she had sent to Phil Twyford.I do get frustrated when journalist's succumb to ...
Last week, the ongoing democracy protests in Hong Kong saw a pro-Hong Kong student assaulted at the University of Auckland. The Chinese consulate in Auckland followed this up with a press release "express[ing] its appreciation to the students for their spontaneous patriotism" - effectively condoning the assault and inciting further ...
Only those who close their eyes and minds to the evidence can still be in any doubt that we are facing a climate change crisis. The evidence is conclusive that the world is not only getting inexorably hotter, but also that the rising temperatures are creating a number of other ...
Rural communities are wailing about forestry conversions "taking land out of production" and putting it into locking up carbon. Its driven purely by economics: there's more money and lower costs in carbon than in sheep or beef, and if carbon prices rise, there'll be more net money than dairy even. ...
This week, the government introduced its (underwhelming) Abortion Legislation Bill. And despite having negotiated the text of the bill through the coalition process, Winston Peters is now suggesting that he will demand a referendum on it:NZ First leader Winston Peters has hinted that his party may only support the Government's ...
Blowing-Up The House: Is Winston Peters planning to put himself at the head of all those New Zealanders who refuse to countenance the Coalition Government caving-in to the Ihumatao protesters? The most effective way of doing this would be to issue Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with an ultimatum. If she ...
Opportunities to dodge tax are shrinking with the completion of a new tax agreement with Switzerland, Revenue Minister Stuart Nash announced today. Mr Nash and the Swiss Ambassador David Vogelsanger have today signed documents to update the double tax agreement (DTA). The previous DTA was signed in 1980. “Double tax ...
The organiser of the annual YWCA Equal Pay Awards has expressed her disappointment with the latest Gender Pay Gap figure for New Zealand workers. The figure rose slightly from 9.2% in 2018 to 9.3% for the quarter ended 30 June 2019. ...
The Council of Licenced Firearm Owners (COLFO) is urging firearms owners to pass on information to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques now that the period for submissions has been extended to 27 September. ...
An application was filed in the Employment Relations Authority in Wellington today, seeking an injunction to prevent the Board of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation from removing the President from office. ...
The Government’s commitment to support literacy and numeracy training in the workplace is a strong signal from Government on recognising the importance of upskilling, reskilling and increasing productivity alongside their commitment to address the challenges ...
“The infrastructure sector sees a major role for the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission/Te Waihanga in lifting the nation’s sagging infrastructure performance,” says Paul Blair, incoming CEO of Infrastructure NZ. ...
The AA is calling on the Government to bring forward critical highway projects while time is spent properly developing the plans for a rapid transit system in Auckland. ...
Between 2015/16 and 2017/18, DHBs spent $280 million treating patients due to adverse drug reactions, reveals the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union in its latest briefing paper on health productivity . ...
The Pay Equity Coalition Auckland (PECA) is pleased the gender pay gap has decreased slightly. Statistics released today show the gap is now 11.9%, nearly 2 percent less than last year. ...
The Council of Licenced Firearm Owners (COLFO) is urging firearms owners to make sure they pass on any information they have to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques before submissions close tomorrow (Friday). ...
The big electricity companies consider solar energy “disruptive” and want pricing to suppress it. In contrast, advocates of local energy say that solar, energy efficiency, and other local energy solutions are the cheapest ways to reduce carbon emissions. ...
The Earthquake Commission and Shine Lawyers are delighted to announce that EQC has reached an agreement with the Gibling family, agreeing to cover the cost of repairs of remaining earthquake damage on their property. ...
Four months into the inquiry, the Royal Commission is gathering significant information and continues to receive valuable submissions from the public, from current and former State servants, experts and community groups. ...
While Fish & Game New Zealand is pleased to see Federated Farmers Environment Spokesperson Chris Allen say that 'we all want good, fresh water', he conveniently overlooks some key facts. ...
What: Wellington demo “Save the Amazon Forest/Salve a Amazônia!” When: Friday, 6 September 2019 from 12:30-13:30 Where: Embassy of Brazil in Wellingtona ...
Rt Hon Trevor Mallard, Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, welcomes the visit of His Excellency Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, President of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal. ...
A cross political Mental Health and Addictions Wellbeing group will be launched on Wednesday 28 August hosted by Sir John Kirwan and Moe Milne (ONZM) who have both been at the forefront of our country’s often difficult conversations about mental ...
Confirmation that the government will be progressing an independent Parliamentary Budget Office is great news for democracy and transparency, Federated Farmers says. ...
At first glance, Simon Bridges’ strident opposition to the government’s proposal to establish an independent office to cost political parties’ election spending plans looks childish and petty. ...
Euthanasia-Free NZ is appalled that Parliament spent so little time debating Part 2 of the End of Life Choice Bill and voted to leave it full of holes. ...
Jordan Williams, a spokesman for the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance and its nationwide sister group the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is slamming Auckland Mayor Phil Goff for his comments today that John Tamihere would need the Government’s support to ...
A ‘one size fits all’, inflexible and punitive regulatory regime for water quality just gets backs - and costs - up and most importantly will not work, Federated Farmers says. ...
Mediation yesterday between secondary principals and the government has resulted in a deal that the principals' negotiating team is recommending to its members. ...
Clubs New Zealand welcomes the decision of Justice Minister Andrew Little to put forward a bill amending the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow all licensed premises to remain open for Rugby World Cup matches. ...
The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation has ordered a review looking at labelling of added sugars in food and drinks. An option under investigation is ‘a pictorial approach applied to sugary beverages / sugar-sweetened beverages’ ...
Labour market data released by Statistics New Zealand today indicates that a gender pay gap persists in New Zealand, despite improvement in some areas. ...
In the midst of the 6th Great Extinction Event the coalition, STOP Trashing Our Planet is urging voters to take full responsibility for the legacy we are leaving our children. ...
LGNZ will carefully consider the proposed National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) to assess if it meets the Government’s aim of enabling urban development or simply adds more red tape to the planning process. ...
Statistics out today from the Government show that the gender wage imbalance, or gap, in the average wage is 11.9%, a strong 2 percentage point improvement from 13.9% last year. The gender pay imbalance in the median wage is 9.3%. ...
Newstalk ZB Drive host and Herald on Sunday columnist Heather du Plessis-Allan is taking on the challenge of keeping 2019 Auckland Mayoral contenders Phil Goff and John Tamihere in line and on point in tonight’s live NZ Herald Newstalk ZB debate. ...
After twenty years Napier residents have endured heavy sleep and health disruptive noise and air pollution from freight trucks gridlock operations to and from the Napier port and other regions. ...
The EMA says much is riding on the board and chief executive of the new National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) announced by Infrastructure Minister Hon Shane Jones today, with a difficult task ahead to deliver on its purpose. ...
The Public Service Association welcomes the introduction of workplace standards by the State Services Commission that make it clear public services should expect positive and safe workplaces. ...
The Financial Services Federation (FSF) - the voice of responsible lenders and leasing companies - and FinCap - working with consumers facing financial hardship - are signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this Thursday 22 August in Auckland. It will ...
Wellington, 20 August 2019 — Lawyers for Vulnerable New Zealanders (LVNZ) has lent its support to the amendments proposed by MP Chris Penk to better protect vulnerable people from being coerced to end their lives under the End of Life Choice Bill, currently ...
The Government’s decision to establish and independent Parliamentary Budget Office, outside of Treasury, is a taxpayer victory and will improve democracy, says the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union . Taxpayers' Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “It's ...
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that the cost-benefit analysis prepared by Ministry of Transport and used to advise Ministers on the Government’s Clean Car Standard and ‘Feebate’ policies has serious flaws which undermine justifications for the ...
The Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) welcomes new proposals for prison reform put forward by the Minister of Corrections and non-government organisations recently. ...
The New Zealand Maori Council has called on the nation to address all forms of racism and not to shy away from an honest conversation about where it’s taking hold. The call comes after the Nelson Club decided to keep a member after his comments became ...
Wellington (20 August 2019): The New Zealand Initiative enthusiastically welcomes the Coalition Government’s announcement of an Independent Parliamentary Budget Office. Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Associate Finance Minister James Shaw ...
Drs Say No agree with Chris Penk’s amendment to protect vulnerable patients from coercion, although the organisation still maintains that no safe euthanasia legislation can ever be drafted and continues to urge MPs to defeat the End of Life Choice Bill. ...
The Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says the Northland Regional Corrections Facility is persisting with policies that are preventing it from achieving its full potential. ...
The second national hui in the Māori-led Inquiry into Oranga Tamariki concluded yesterday ahead of schedule after a capacity audience formally ratified the terms of reference that determines the scope and purpose of the independent investigation ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Even Scott Morrison, with his abundant self-belief, couldn’t have imagined that on Saturday’s first anniversary of his seizing the prime ministership, he’d be winging his way to France for a G7 meeting, where Australia has ...
A group of students, including some Youth MPs, have been banned from Parliament for a year, after singing a waiata in the public gallery in support of the Ihumātao hīkoi. ...
National MP Nick Smith has lodged a serious accusation against Parliament's Speaker calling him "biased" after once again being booted out of the debating chamber. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sunanda Creagh, Head of Digital Storytelling Last weekend, hundreds of thousands of people again took to the streets in Hong Kong to protest against the government – the 11th straight weekend of demonstrations that began in June over a proposed extradition bill. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott Hamilton, Strategic Advisory Panel Member, Australian-German Energy Transition Hub, University of Melbourne Australia’s primary federal renewable energy target – to have 33 terawatts of renewable energy by 2020 – has essentially been achieved. There is much uncertainty as to what is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lewis Mitchell, Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, University of Adelaide I swear by Hypatia, by Lovelace, by Turing, by Fisher (and/or Bayes), and by all the statisticians and data scientists, making them my witnesses, that I will carry out, according to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Blaxland, Professor, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University Just when we thought Australia was getting serious about shifting priorities away from the Middle East to its own neighbourhood, the prime minister has announced another Middle East step up. Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Keogh, ARC DECRA Fellow, Queensland University of Technology In the last three months, the Australian Classification Board has “refused classification” for at least four video games – effectively banning them in Australia. The latest is zombie-survival shooter DayZ. Despite being previously ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle The Heart Foundation now recommends full-fat milk, cheese and yoghurt or reduced-fat options as part of its updated dietary advice released yesterday. This moves away from earlier advice that recommended only reduced-fat ...
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Paris Georgia co-founders Paris Mitchell Temple and Georgia Cherrie.This week’s podcast features a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer, who has died aged 73 of cancer, leaves a political and personal legacy as a man of courage, conviction and congeniality. The support that Fischer as National Party leader ...
One part telenovela, one part family drama, one part addictive love story. Sam Brooks reviews Jane the Virgin, the great show with an unfortunate name that should be your next Netflix binge.The following piece contains very mild spoilers for Jane the Virgin.While watching the last season of Jane the Virgin, ...
Before Zumba, before Just Dance, before it was cool again to move in public group settings, there was Jump Jam. Madeleine Chapman reflects.Jump Jam entered the lives of New Zealand kids in 2001, a year filled with historic cultural movements. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released in 2001; ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Jensz, Research associate professor, University of Münster Donald Trump is not the first US President to make an offer of buying Greenland from Denmark – but he might be the last. Home of some 56,000 people and around 80% covered by ...
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, Tara Ward taste-tests the best hot chips in the country. Everyone loves a hot chip because they’re a) hot, and b) a chip, but there’s nothing more disappointing than a bad chip experience. A ...
Sky Network Television has written down the value of large parts of its business and scrapped paying a dividend as it changes direction to counter falling pay TV subscribers. ...
Strict word limits for Māori translations of local body election candidate profiles is a form of "institutional racism" and should be changed, a candidate says. ...
ACT Party leader David Seymour's voluntary euthanasia bill has cleared another stage in Parliament with a suite of changes aimed at securing support. ...
A finalist for New Zealander of the Year for her work with Māori smokers is at war with academics because her research is funded by tobacco giant Philip Morris. Guyon Espiner reports. ...
Keith Rankin’s Chart Analysis Auckland Māori exodus after 2014The 2018 census has had such a low compliance rate, that it really acted as a large convenience sample (therefore a biased sample) of the New Zealand population. (See my Census Survey from March 2018.) Despite the assurances we are getting, ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Housing Bernard Hickey (Newsroom): Lecturing councils won’t work for Labour either Marc Daalder (Newsroom): ‘Nice pointers, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Prudence Flowers, Lecturer in US History, College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Flinders University As the abortion decriminalisation bill gradually makes its way through the NSW parliament, opponents have been increasingly drawing on their long relationship with the right-to-life movement in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Hansen, Chief of Staff, The Conversation With the advent of online ancestry DNA testing, and advancements in genetic screening for various medical aliments, we’re able to know more than ever about the genes that make us who we are. But is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda Galligan, Associate professor, University of Southern Queensland If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au.How was maths discovered? Who made up the numbers and rules? – Bianca, age 12, Strathfield, Sydney. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicholas Borroz, PhD candidate in international business and comparative political economy, University of Auckland India’s Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft has settled into lunar orbit, ahead of its scheduled Moon landing on September 7. If it succeeds India will join a very select club, now ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Twyford and Parker propose new urban development policy statement, Tamihere unveils transport plans, and Māori King issues challenge on child abuse.For a lead today, a nudge towards one of those deeply dense announcements that could end up having a huge ...
Just like its National predecessor, this Labour-led Government is trying to lecture councils into growing the 'right' kinds of cities without giving them the funding tools or help to do it. ...
Part three of our debate on the state of New Zealand fiction continues as Chris Else, whose opening essay was strongly rebutted last week by Catherine Robertson, returns to put the boot in once more. ...
This morning the five shortlisted songs for the 2019 Silver Scroll Award were announced. Here, exclusively for The Spinoff, the finalists discuss each other’s nominated songs.Tom Scott of Avantdale Bowling Club on ‘The Barrel’ by Aldous Hardingit’s such a beautiful stunt to witness. breaking just before the cliff edge. the ...
A group is currently holding seminars around NZ which appear to be based on misinformation about vaccines. Dr Helen Petousis-Harris fact checks some of their claims. ...
The Football Ferns are at a crossroads - they need to move on from simply being "competitive" to make a serious impression on the world football stage. ...
Countless stories from women who have a right to be safe on campus still go unanswered, writes Kate Hannah, deputy director equity and inclusion, Te Pūnaha MatatiniDespite the hashtags and the headlines, universities in New Zealand seem to have largely avoided facing up to their own “#MeToo moment”. It is ...
The government’s plan to avoid another ‘fiscal hole’ fiasco has an unlikely fan: the chief economist of the corporate think tank New Zealand Initiative. Eric Crampton explains what else it could do.Have you ever driven past one of those stores that mostly sells blinds but calls itself ‘Not Just Blinds’ ...
Over the course of the local elections period, The Spinoff will be publishing primers on some of the most interesting races around the country. Today, Alex Braae casts his eyes over the Otago Regional Council contest.The Spinoff local election coverage is made possible thanks to The SpinoffMembers. For more about ...
By Michael Andrew Journalists across Papua New Guinea have spoken out in support of EMTV news director Neville Choi after his “unacceptable” termination from a role he had held for six years. A public statement released on Monday listed the reasons for his termination, one of which was his ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Camellia Webb-Gannon, Lecturer, University of Wollongong Last weekend, the Indonesian police took 43 West Papuan students into custody for allegedly disrespecting the Indonesian flag during an independence day celebration (an allegation the students deny). Police stormed the students’ dorm and used teargas ...
Open Mike 22/05/2018 
Spark is bracing for a customer backlash as rugby fans all across the country struggle to get a picture on their wireless router. With the Rugby World Cup fast approaching, an elderly Taranaki couple are furious after being told that they still won’t be able to watch the tournament, even ...2 hours ago
Several explosions have been reported across Auckland, as well-meaning environmentalists have already begun purchasing too much petrol Starting from next week, customers will no longer need a car to purchase petrol directly from the pump, a development that two major fuel providers are billing as an opportunity to help fight ...3 hours ago
A new study claims to find that a mother’s exposure to fluoridated water during pregnancy may decrease the IQ of male children – but is it correct? (Photo: Getty Images) Anti-fluoride campaigners are promoting ... 5 hours ago
Donald Trump seems to be eager to start a war with Iran, and naturally Australia is yapping at its heels like a good little vassal. The UK also asked New Zealand to get involved, but fortunately, we had a good excuse: we simply didn't have the toys available:Britain asked New ...10 hours ago
Television advertising has a huge impact on our lives. Even if we don’t recognise that, we know it has to be true, since otherwise why would advertisers spend so much on it? Its significance, however, is greater than simply the influence it has on what we purchase and consume. It ...2 days ago
by Jan Rivers More than 30 years ago a Commission of Inquiry was held in New Zealand to investigate, amongst other things, whether women with cervical cancer were aware that they had been part of a research project and whether they were properly informed of the treatment options ...2 days ago
Everyone Wants To Be Fuhrer: When fascist groups are discussed, the image conjured-up in the minds of most New Zealanders is one of pathetic misfits. This negative impression is reinforced by the latter’s idiotic embrace of the swastika. Even in the second decade of the twenty-first century, the baleful legacy ...3 days ago
In the previous two posts, I laid out the context and set the theoretical framework to answer a question: whether indigenous economies should take the LEAP. This final part outlines ways to conceive of practicing mana motuhake within the existing legal system by carving out special jurisdictions that enable Indigenous ...4 days ago
Fully Informed? Labour’s 2017 promises raised expectations that were little short of revolutionary. Unfortunately, they were never adequately shaken through the fiscal sieve. The hard economic work was not done – and it shows. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s critics have long complained that her grasp of the way the New ...5 days ago
You cannot expect to pound communities into the ground day after day, year after year, decade after decade and just expect them to take it lying down. There’s a point at which the place will explode. And we’re faced with some very big ructions on both sides of the Atlantic ...6 days ago
6 days ago
Going Down? Once truth and propaganda become fused in the minds of one’s followers, debate and discussion become redundant. If one’s opponents are all outrageous liars, then engaging with them in any way is pointless. Rather than waste its time, a political party should, instead, target all its messages at ...7 days ago
We need to fundamentally reframe our systems settings to address the drivers causing and underpinning inequality; structural change in systems especially financial. The Equality Network Hui was held in Wellington on 27 June 2019. The hui covered important topics such as child poverty; a living wage; taxation; public health; mental ...1 week ago
The views-per-page for some of my recent postings:Depressing, isn't it? Provide thoughtful and wise commentary on the mainstream of British politics and no-one notices. Make a passing reference to Tommy DICKHEAD Robinson in a thread title and you get hundreds of views. Write something about anti-Semitism and you get another ...1 week ago
The government has announced plans to move the Treaty of Waitangi and other taonga to a new site. Great news! So where are they going? Right next to the old one:The new plan will see a new 22,000-square-metre archive built on the former site of Defence House - the former ...1 week ago
Back in June, StatsNZ went public about a project to track population data on an hourly level by using people's cellphones. It wasn't as bad as it initially looked - they were receiving no individual data, only counts by suburb - but there was still a huge consent problem, so ...1 week ago
I did an interview on the TVNZ Breakfast Show about the situation in Hong Kong. I tried to frame the issue as a collective action problem between two sides with very different end games. The video is here. Because of time constraints we could not discuss the fact that the ...1 week ago
Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ... 1 week ago
Alone, Alone. All, All Alone: Will it be a good or a bad thing, when humanity’s bright blue spacecraft is stricken by the civilisation-destroying problem of Climate Change, that no Huston Control will be standing-by to rescue the crew?“WE HAVE A PROBLEM, HUSTON.” These were the words used by the ...1 week ago
Divided Loyalties: Can the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, be relied upon? That’s what the boys and girls at Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon needed to be reassured about. Because, from the perspective of Washington, it’s looking more and more like Jacinda Ardern and her Labour Party comrades are getting ready ...2 weeks ago
This handy Queer Theory Glossary is from thetranswidow.com In case you’ve had trouble keeping up with the spate of new queer theory terms, here’s a handy glossary for your reference. Queer – A straight person with an interesting haircut. Non-binary/genderqueer – A chubby young female, typically 16-28, who has ...2 weeks ago
The winter grazing issue is becoming a highly sensitised one that I hope will not become so politicised that it delays solutions and results in the suicides of some very stressed farmers.Winter grazing has hit the headlines after a determined campaign, including the release of a video of some very ...2 weeks ago
The Green Part has been accused of lack of transparency in two recent situations. The first was the claimed media lockdown during Green's annual conference and the second was Julie Ann Genter's refusal to release a letter she had sent to Phil Twyford.I do get frustrated when journalist's succumb to ...2 weeks ago
Blowing-Up The House: Is Winston Peters planning to put himself at the head of all those New Zealanders who refuse to countenance the Coalition Government caving-in to the Ihumatao protesters? The most effective way of doing this would be to issue Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with an ultimatum. If she ...2 weeks ago
Opportunities to dodge tax are shrinking with the completion of a new tax agreement with Switzerland, Revenue Minister Stuart Nash announced today. Mr Nash and the Swiss Ambassador David Vogelsanger have today signed documents to update the double tax agreement (DTA). The previous DTA was signed in 1980. “Double tax ...2 weeks ago
The organiser of the annual YWCA Equal Pay Awards has expressed her disappointment with the latest Gender Pay Gap figure for New Zealand workers. The figure rose slightly from 9.2% in 2018 to 9.3% for the quarter ended 30 June 2019. ...4 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Even Scott Morrison, with his abundant self-belief, couldn’t have imagined that on Saturday’s first anniversary of his seizing the prime ministership, he’d be winging his way to France for a G7 meeting, where Australia has ...1 hour ago
By distorting the climate truth Federated Farmers is making its members complacent about their performance and blind to the threats they face. ...2 hours ago
ANALYSIS: By Camellia Webb-Gannon of the University of Wollongong Last weekend, the Indonesian police took 43 West Papuan students into custody for allegedly disrespecting the Indonesian flag during an independence day celebration (an allegation the students deny). Police stormed the students’ dorm and used teargas to force them out, ...3 hours ago
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Stuff’s slavery investigation concludes that “no slave-tainted fish are ending up in New Zealand”, and also that “it’s almost certain that we have eaten fish caught by crew under conditions of forced labour.”
Always look for the label. If it says “Fabrique en Nouvelle Zelande” there might be a problem. How much are corporate reassurances worth? More importantly, how can they be verified?
^^^
Just read that too,… it was appalling.
My son has a friend who fishes for 3 months at a time at sea near the Auckland Islands , with a crew of around 55 people … he says its a hard life but the captain and crew are a close knit family and they get looked after well ,… and when you compare the two… and whats been going on in the Stuff article,… it just shows that it doesn’t have to be that way at all.
Thank you for sharing.
Awful.
Further proof globalisation and neoliberalism is literally killing people and species as it’s ruthlessly exploits the finite resources of capitalism his planet.
Add that to bananas from slave plantations in the Philippines and electronics from slave mines in the Congo.
The article presents a neoliberal solution- consumers can change things.
Much better would be government actions to rid the oceans of these death factories.
That would be a good use for our navy.
– That would be a good use for our navy –
Yes it would , the Navy has a long tradition of hunting down these sort of high sea pirates , and that’s what they are – pirates. Criminals. The trick then is to bring them before the courts on human rights abuses with so many of these govt’s shielding them. And to do that we need the assistance of the ICC- International Criminal Court, if indeed, they manage these sorts of offences.
The other problem is lack of jurisdiction in certain waters, and the sheer size of the area , which enables these criminals to indulge these behaviors,… when we consider that the ocean is a massive water filled desert,… we get an idea of its expanse.
It would need several cases to be made an example of using an international policing force , a power of legal workers behind that , – in short , – some sort of international agreement with teeth, – and therein lies the problem; so many big business interests… which takes us back to the Stuff answer… widespread public education to bring international political solutions.
It should be done. Murder is going on out there.
Wows, OAB, cheers for the link, really pleased the fishing industry is being brought to light, again, so much goes on out there.
WK, this bit…. “The other problem is lack of jurisdiction in certain waters, and the sheer size of the area” absolutely bang on.
It’s important to understand that MOST officers are treated well in the fishing industry, this ensures their flexibility.
What goes on at sea stays at sea, open your mouth and someone may shut it for you, loose lips sink ships etc. Good on Stuff for gaining some insight.
Get the job done, stress runs high out there, fish are money.
In many instances, officers (cook to captain) are paid a salary plus a % of the catch, as a result, the crew are worked hard if the fish are running, no sleep for you, shall we bring up the P epidemic, time is money and all that.
Those in the factory or on deck are often graded to earn their percentage, so if any officers have it in for you, that will impact your grade.
Factory/deck crew from other countries are treated like shite, depending on the ‘culture’ of the vessel. It’s easy as to pick up more offshore factory and deck crews, easy as.
And if you spend 3mths at sea, there’s not much you can do or say about it and there is def nowhere to run.
An electronics mine. I’d love to see that in action. Do you get working equipment of just components?
The RNZN/ MOD have asked for a 3rd OPV that is design to operate in the Southern Ocean in the last DWP as the current two OPV’s are barely Fit for Purpose for Southern Ocean duties (fit for only the Summer run down Sth, but I believe it can’t take a Seasprite down Sth as it pushes the ships ice belt below the waterline). But from the sounds of it the 3rd OPV is on hold until they work out what’s going to replace the P3’s so they can line up right Combat Mission Systems etc so that OPV, Fixed and Rotary Wing assets can have and provide update SA to each other plus future proof the system when the UAV’s entry service sooner or later down the track.
Once that is sorted out I think you would the NZDF spending a lot more time down Sth all yr round instead of usual runs down during the summer periods. With having everybody on the same sheet of music unlike it atm will allow NZDF to effectively enforce the Southern Fishies. If the ODT is right about this one and it’s something that I have been suggesting as well.Then our wishes for a permanent presence in the Southern Ocean might come true.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/dunedin-navy-base-rumour
Then there will be whining from the Fishing Industry as they well able to enforce the quota, Labour and Maritime Laws etc more effectively than at the present time.
The government ought to be looking at whether NZ crews can buy a house. Because if working a couple of months away on rotating shifts won’t let you do that, only a fool would do it. And that’s how the industry falls into the hands of the charter and slave fishing companies.
Here’s a classic example of a slave ship by an Aussie company (by that i mean it used to be Aussie based), their PR via the net would make people think otherwise lololz.
“To satisfy the surging Asian appetite for its abalone, the company said it will base its abalone grow-out ship, the MV Destiny Queen, in Asian waters.”
What this particular company does is grow their abalone on a factory ship outside of Aussie waters, that particular ship is a freaking disgrace, workers are treated like dirt, it’s hell on earth for them. The grown abalone is then collected by a small vessel and new spawn are dropped off along with ships stores. No reason for the factory vessels crew to go anywhere near land, keep them onboard as long as possible.
Edit… found an article about their ‘true colours’, was a fair while back, but I doubt they’ve changed.
“The 120-metre, 65-tonne ship has been under close scrutiny by Australian unions, who are furious that all but four of the vessel’s Australian crew were dismissed last September and replaced with much cheaper Chinese sailors and Ukrainian officers and engineers.
Suspicions have increased because the ship’s owners have refused to publicly say how much its sailors are being paid, and it is believed that some of the Chinese crew are earning as little as US$300 a month.”
These practices have been going on for too long, may stuff continue to inform kiwis about it.
Because companies will always deny it, check out Polly, bold faced lies from her…
“Polly Kwok Wing-wah, a Hong Kong-based director of the firm, said: ‘The attack has taken the form of false submissions to local media, lies, and untrue allegations to union-biased government ministers and intimidation of company employees.'” LIAR !!!
Pac N save must be using some cheaper fish supplier than other supermarkets are as we have bought three times some red cod with fish bones in them. The cost per kilo is much cheaper than other supermarkets at only $16 a kilo, where other supermarkets are charging over $23 a kilo.
Beware as I got two large fish bones struck between my gums and teeth that caused a gum injury.
Is it ostrich day today????
We see Jacinda ignoring the elephant in the room again today and was on the media mainly seeming to be worried about something other than mycoplama bovis as the main theme of this day!!!!!!!
We need a moritorium on cow movements until we do this now or we risk a widespread catastrope of this disease now.
Subject; Mycoplasma bovis can be spread on trucks among shared containment areas unless every truck is sterilised see below.
Everyone is asking how did mycoplasma bovis spread across the North Island from the south Island?
It can travel on trucks John, and we cannot allow moving of stock now until it is made safe otherwise we are all going to spread the disease before long now.
This is according to this article from the website.
The new threat of disease to our entire cattle stock is a case of point as we have now allowed the unchecked transport of cows all around NZ on trucks and the Mycoplasma_bovis dsease which may destroy our second largest export earner and biggest company.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycoplasma_bovis
Prevention[edit]
There are many ways by which cattle can be prevented from catching Mycoplasma bovis and other pathogenic bacteria.[7]
Transport of animals[edit]
When transporting the animals from one farm to another, It would be appropriate if the transport vehicle could be cleaned with disinfectants before and after use. For better care, environmental swabbing should be taken place and samples sent to a microbiology lab if any harmful bacteria will be detected, further actions should be taken place.[8]
Visitors[edit]
Only authorized people should be allow to visit a farm. Visitors shall arrive with clean clothing and footwear and disinfectant on arrival and departure can be used to stop getting the introduction of bacteria’s. For example, a water mat with disinfectant can be used in the entrance of the farm, water bath, company can provide sanitized clothes for people.
Weekly inspection and maintenance[edit]
In the end of the week, cleaning of all the areas and equipment reduces the chances of animals getting sick. Also, it is important to clean the feedlot container and keep the feed dry. Doubling the boundary fence with a 6-inch gap prevents the animals contacting neighbouring animals.
People can concern themselves with more than one thing at a time!!!!!!!!! Especially Prime Ministers!!!!!!!!
Well if loosing our largest export earner and farming bussinesses along with their company to overseas (Fonterra) this should now be a full blown five alarm amergency.
I am astounded that anything else is as important as keeping the direct focus on the major loss we are about to encounter if we sit there and ‘dilly dally’ while saying figuratively “rome burns”.
It is all about what’s most important as last governments lost the plot so will we if we dilly dally.
You do know why there’s cautionary tails about sticking all your eggs one basket right?
I don’t understand the dithering about on this issue. For a country that fines people hundreds of dollars for bringing a piece fruit into an airport it’s bizarre.
Short term pain. Ban all cattle movement for six months, slaughter any infected animals, massive cleaning operation of all associated infrastructure and name all infected farms.
We can point fingers and blame each other later.
Hooch, 100%
Yes we agree.
We now need an imeadiate ‘moritorium’ on this spreading of movements of diseased cattle now or we are done.
Stop trucking cattle now.
and charge them for the clean up.
Just make sure if any are driven to the wall they’re not sold offshore. Glomming the mortgaged dairy farms was a major cause of the SCF abuse of state power.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12054158
I agree, its Judith time! Yes!
What is Peters up to now.
Peters is pregnant?
A press release from the nz embassy in Japan.- Translated by Google.
Hahaha excellent
Well he has been instructed
He had better get on with it
A.
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2018/05/study_finds_journalists_drink_too_much_and_are_bad_at_managing_emotions.html
Submitted without comment 🙂
I think we need to have provision set up to go at a moment’s notice with give a little ready for each time some NZr is discriminated into oblivion by the Australian government. Ours is helpless with confronting these intransigent, callous, spiteful non-friendly foreign politicians.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2018/05/advocates-for-homeless-kiwis-in-australia-pen-letter-asking-pm-jacinda-ardern-for-help.html
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/video/homeless-kiwis-in-australia-pen-letter-asking-pm-to-help/vp-AAxzu7j
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018645943/australian-pension-rules-leaving-nz-family-poor
It may well be the case that there is no other country in the world that pays direct transfers for the social welfare of their citizens in another country, but honestly this government does need to go there.
The alternative is that these street waifs are going to be arrested, put into Australian jails, in which they are fully criminalised, after which they will be deported back to New Zealand as criminals.
Which would of course be even worse.
Yes Ad it makes sense from an objective, economic sense. And there is also the moral imperative. They are being punished by the Australian government for being New Zealanders. It has become clear from recent happenings that sanctions are applied to us that they don’t apply to any other country’s citizens. This was actually stated in the interview with the NZ woman with a convalescent husband on Radionz this morning.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018645943/australian-pension-rules-leaving-nz-family-poor
A NZ family living in Perth are struggling to make ends meet after a father broke his leg and cannot gain access to any benefits.
Johno Walsh broke his leg playing in the park with his children at the end of April.
Because his injury occurred outside of his work as a diesel engineer he was ineligible for sick pay or work cover. Now he and his wife Debbie, originally from Hawke’s Bay, found out their income protection insurance won’t pay out until the end of June. They have four children.
So Ms Walsh went to the social welfare office, Centrelink, to see about getting access to their seven years of superannuation paid while living in Australia….
New Zealanders on the Special Category Visa are not eligible for federal benefits. No one can withdraw super for hardship unless they had been on a benefit for six months.
Centrelink staff [were] asked how it was possible permanent residents from other countries were able to qualify for benefits and New Zealanders with seven years in Australia could not…
They and their New Zealand friends both had no idea that their income protection nor superannuation would buffer them.
We’re trying to play it cool cos we don’t want our kids to know, because I don’t think they need to worry about where their next meal is coming from.
“That’s the life of a New Zealand citizen in Australia.”
They have income protection insurance but didn’t shape the policy to cover this, and in a modern society expect that they can get help in times of need and emergency. But not us in Australia. They are following the neoliberal line even more rigidly than our RW governments have done.
I think that we have shown them up in Oz, irritated them, not followed an order etc, and they have decided that they don’t owe us respect, or anything. They have got themselves into a liege lord situation over us by owning our banks, and competing successfully for any business that still manages to run here, and have nothing to lose by acting out of character, that is, in a principled manner.
Needs / must.
This should be a priority.
Rates of payment here:
https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/enablers/payment-rates-youth-allowance/30496
The link above takes you to the –
Australian Government Department of Human Services.
This is spelled out so you don’t get confused and end up in the Animal Services Department.
I am wondering whether there will soon be a parallel entity called the A.G. Dept of Robot, Android and AI Services. It will be funded out of the budget for Human Services which will need less funding as much of the work will be carried out by the A.I.R. Service crawlers!
I see that Winston has had another policy altered to favour his benefactors in the Fishing Industry. Years of work down the drain because the fishing industry has called in a debt from Tsar Winston.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104082934/government-dfrops-plan-to-restrict-deep-sea-trawling-protect-orange-roughy
Have a look at the photo of Ardern and Peters in this story.
Puppeteer Winston feeding Ardern with the lines she must utter. Then his final words.
“Just do what I tell you Jacinda.” is his order.
Since you are so concerned you’ll have to vote green next time so nzf has less sway in the next lab/green/and gov
You sour little creep Alwyn, always badmouthing someone trying to do good in running the country besides your losing team.
I really would suggest that you stop reading my comments.
It is obviously not good for your digestion, or for the preservation of your delusions.
Mr Delusional returns. A quote from Alwyn’s rant earlier today:
“I wonder if Ms Ardern realises that she is not just allowing him the role of Acting Prime Minister as she has said. He is going to depose her”
Don’t take anything Alwyn says as being a rational comment. He lives in fantasy land.
You really should learn to read properly.
It was wild Katipo who raised this as an apparently serious comment.
After all Ms Ardern tells us that Winston is going to be Acting PM.
That means she will still be PM and Winnie will only be filling in for her.
Wild Katipo tells us that he is going to actually be Prime Minister. You can only have one at a time so he will have to replace Ardern, won’t he?
Why don’t you ask Wild Katipo where he gets his information from?
And then calm down.
alwyn…playing Machiavelli are you?
You know how folks will react to you posting that link, wrapped up in your usual invective…and success! Because they’re all piling onto you rather than reading the actual article…which demands our attention.
So…now you’ve all taken alwyn’s bait…go and read the article…
There’s something not right about this.
I’m afraid they don’t want to read the story Rosemary. If they did they would have to accept the fact that this Government is simply made up of politicians whose main interest is just like every other politician.
They want the power and the perks of office. They aren’t paragons of virtue.
My real complaint about them is not that they are in power. It is that they simply aren’t competent and didn’t spend their time in Opposition preparing to be a Government with a set of well thought out policies.
I mean look at Twyford and Kiwibuild. Have you ever seen anyone in quite such a muddle?
National were tired and really needed replacing. No Government should last more than three terms, at least in my opinion. Unfortunately we have had a group who are incompetent taking over. The only one who actually knows what he is doing is Tsar Winston and he is running things for his mates, like those who run the Fishing Industry and people like Sir Patrick Hogan and the horseracing fraternity.
So, we have a discussion going on about David ‘Footloose’ Seymour trying to raise a rabble in Remmers against a potential invasion of mentally ill folk…and I contributed this link to an article about Seymour’s reaction to the professional opinions of a panel of palliative care experts to the euthanasia select committee.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/356086/euthanasia-bill-dangerous-palliative-care-workers
“Act leader David Seymour, who introduced the bill to Parliament in June last year has hit back, accusing the experts of fearmongering.
He insisted the vulnerable would be protected.
“Our own Attorney-General has written that my bill has sufficient safeguards and is consistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights. So these guys, frankly, need to go jump in a lake, start debating on the evidence and stop speculating to create fear, uncertainty and doubt.””
Seymour continues his less than respectful response to those expressing concern about his pet project with an attack on the Disabilities Commissioner…https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/357924/euthanasia-bill-a-clayton-s-choice-for-disabled-people
“ACT leader David Seymour said he was deeply disappointed that Ms Tesoriero was “spreading misinformation” as intellectually disabled people did not qualify under the bill.
“It’s very ironic that the Disabilities Commissioner of all people would be saying that a person who’s perfectly capable of making a decision … should have fewer rights and choices than other people.””
Tesoreiro had quite rightly pointed out that in NZ people with disabilities “could not freely exercise their choice in New Zealand.
“We live in a world where people focus on fixing us, not on removing the barriers that make us disabled.
“In the absence of adequate services, we run the risk that choice under this bill becomes a Clayton’s choice for disabled people.””
Seymour was supported by none other than Greg ‘give all the cops guns all the time’ O’Connor, who because he has a son with an intellectual disability claims to have looked at the Bill and has not seen any problems.
“A “Clayton’s choice” is a choice that exists in name only and isn’t genuine.
But Mr O’Connor said many disabled people were perfectly able to give well-informed consent.
“You have to be careful – because it’s almost like you’re saying, ‘Leave disabled people over here, because they’re not capable of the same … mental capability””
I know M O’ Connor still uses MP training wheels, but he really needs to be more nuance aware.
What the Disabilities Commissioner is saying Greg, is that while far too many disabled New Zealanders struggle to get the supports they need and have to battle all the way to the United Nations to have they basic rights as humans recognised, it is really inafuckingppropriate to be defending the rights of disabled people to choose euthanasia while dismissing the concerns of a disabled person who represents the rights of all disabled New Zealanders.
Not without making a clear and unequivocal statement on behalf on the government that the rights of all disabled New Zealanders will be respected.
Eh????
The current bill won’t be able to be used by disabled people unless they are of sound mind, can convince a GP.
Go have a lie down Gosman. I used far too many words, and there are subtleties that may be difficult to sense for those outside of the disability community.
I just suggest Rosemary that some disabled persons might wish to have the right to choose euthanasia in the present or at some future specified time.
I note that the antis regard their opinions as sacred, and the final authority. This assumes that other people have no agency in their own lives; that they don’t have the intellect, that they must do what society and those around them decide for them. It is strange that others want to own others body and soul.
“….that some disabled persons might wish to have the right to choose euthanasia in the present or at some future specified time. ”
And no one is saying otherwise.
BUT…and this is a very big BUT…there must be no question at all that the disabled person who chooses euthanasia is doing so because the lack of proper support is making their life unbearable.
And at the present point in time this cannot be guaranteed.
Most of the people living with disability in New Zealand have no entitlement to funded supports from the Ministry of Health whatsoever.
And seeking supports from the Ministry of Health has actually made people wish that they were dead.
“I note that the antis regard their opinions as sacred, and the final authority.”
Funny that, I’ve noted the exact same tone from the pros…did you actually read Seymour’s responses to the Commissioner and the palliative care professionals that I referenced in my comment?
Telling the palliative care professionals that they “need to go jump in a lake,”…..
An interesting article to read for those interested? With a 11pg document in English from Sweden on what to do if Sweden is attack from a hostile country.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-22/sweden-issues-leaflet-on-how-to-prepare-for-war/9785934
Saw that.
A great read in translation.
Sweden has their own strong reasons to fear Russia, and it is driving them into NATO membership.
Also some concerns about coastal submarines, if I recall correctly.
I was reading a Janes Defence report a mths ago saying Russia Submarine activity in the Baltic Sea is almost back to Cold War levels and a huge increase around the Northern Approaches to Norway, Iceland and UK gap, but not to the same levels as during Cold War although there has been the odd surge or a increase rate of effort too Cold War levels during Russian Navy Summer Manoeuvres or NATO Ex’s.
Everyone is now having to relearn the art of ASW and tracking Subs etc as everything was either cut, mothballed or quietly drop as a peace dividend or the same to find cost savings to fund the “War on Terror” in the Gan and forgetting the need to have the “The Utility of Force” because the silly pollie’s didn’t want rise taxes to fund the “War on Terror” as British Armed Forces have found out thanks to that muppet Blair.
Oh, I knew I’d read something else a while back:
the Swedish nuclear sub design of old.
Deary me.
Yes I had seen that article as well, an interesting design and common sense prevail that it was unlikely to work. But they design this wee beauty of Submarine for use in and around the Baltic Sea until the Aussies got hold of it and completely bugged it up.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4sterg%C3%B6tland-class_submarine
The design was so good that yanks got hold of a Swedish one on lease complete with it crew to train it scope dopes on how to find a diesel electric sub. When the aussies finally got their subs work properly and gave the yanks a right royal thrashing on RIMPAC Ex’s. As they got inside a Carrier Battle Group Anti Submarine Screen, then tailing the Carrier for couple days taking pictures of it before surfacing beside the Carrier after proclaiming to every Tom, Dick and Harry that no one can penetrate it a Anti Sub screen.
Lol those would be the ones being replaced by the ones pauline hansen thought could only stay under water for a few hours?
Both Sweden and Finland both cut back it Defence expenditure after the end of the Cold War to a point where they mothballed bases, equipment and move to suspend the National Service requirements of National’s Defence Force including the Civil Defence Forces. The Nordic countries have their own battle group with NATO for UN operations or for NATO’s Out of Area Operations aka The Gan. Which according to a couple of Swedish girl’s who work the bar at near bush block said they and many others are not impressed the close tries that Sweden has developed with NATO since the end of the Cold War. But on the other hand they could under stand the UN operations like Bosnia but not Gan as it comprises its Neutrality and if we run down our Defence Forces then we only have ourselves to blame. They also said Russia is a major concern to them as they see Russia wanting to rebuild its former Tsar Empire across the Baltic Nations and a threat to Nordic Values, Lifestyle and Freedoms.
It’s was only about 5 or so yrs ago (maybe longer not sure) that the last Swedish Troops left Gotland Defences and turn the lights off. Here they now standing its up Defences on Gotland and as my friends were saying it’s little bit concerning that is is happening.
11 pages…
There is number 11, once again
..
This sounds like an interesting read.
https://people.unisa.edu.au/Ben.Stubbs
My first book Ticket to Paradise: A Journey to Find the Australian Colony in Paraguay Among Nazis, Mennonites and Japanese Beekeepers
about my search for the remnants of the Australian utopian colony in Paraguay was published by ABC Books in 2012.
I am a writing and journalism academic. My background is as a travel and features journalist for publications in Australia and overseas. I have written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Toronto Star, The Sydney Morning Herald and Rough Guides among many others. My current academic research focuses on exploring the plurality of the travel writing form.
I am fluent in Spanish and my latest book After Dark: A Nocturnal Exploration of… Read more
Heart warming and hopeful for the future of our environment.
Together we can make the vital difference and achieve amity and mutuality.
China is happy that it is turning sand dunes into productive growing areas.
We could be going ahead with something special for NZ since we are such a beautiful country and we love it. I’m sure we could be forging ahead with organics. I think that the Falklands has done this. Robert G would have good ideas. Let’s do it !
The dismal Economist deigns to lecture the stone-slingers of Palestine
http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/05/21/smug-economist-but-the-cover-is-priceless-lecturing-david-as-he-confronts-goliath-that-there-is-a-better-way-than-a-slingshot-it-cant-but-amuse-these-tone-deaf-arses/
the auckland sandflys are just like the ones in vags the get shitty because I can smell them and cheat and block all my devices from getting this site ———- ka kite ano