“Everything” is behind liberalism’s (arguably) fascist drift. In politics, you don’t create a space unless you intend to fill it. Pushing the Republicans to supposedly untenable positions, surely means the “lesser evil” intends to occupy the space they’ve cleared out – which by the traditional way of viewing politics, is ever further to the “right”.
A cursory glance at the treatment meted out to the likes of Sanders, Corbyn or Melenchon shows various centres of power certainly don’t favour striking off in a social democratic direction.
And (in line with the “pied piper” strategy) the amount of oxygen and arm waving around the Le Penns and Farages of the world, that then scares the horses back to the status quo and its inexorable drift….
Footnote. Macron – the poster boy of liberalism – two of his body guards (Alexandre Benalla and Vincent Crase) disguised themselves as cops, and Benalla was filmed beating the crap out of protesters on May Day.
Imagine the furore if that had been Le Penn’s body guards? And yet, here we are, nearly two months later, and all we have is disapproving “tsks” that the guys retained their employment.
Why do we allow these disgraced wankers to come here and buy our country? – tell him to piss off I say – buy the land back – give it to Iwi and make the edges and tracks publicly accessible.
“Taxpayers could be forced to pay millions of dollars in compensation to disgraced TV host Matt Lauer to guarantee public access to his high country station.”
The lease will come up for renewal some time in the future…at this point the access available to the public can be improved by the government…lets hope the Greens are in government when the lease comes up.
Meanwhile a little birdy tells me Peter Thiel is about to start building his mansion…since the Nats changed the RMA this can no longer be publicly notified so doubtless his unsightly development will be waved through in the Outstanding Natural Landscape his property is situated within by the pro-rich pro-development Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Talking of Peter Thiel… is he still a close political associate of Donald Trump’s? If so, we don’t want him here thank-you. He qualifies to be of “undesirable character”.
I suppose he wasn’t known to be disgraced when he made the purchase.
What I am curious about is what does it take to fail the good character test?
From the article: November last year, the OIO is concerned about his character after being fired for alleged sexual misconduct and starts an inquiry.
June this year OIO is happy and he ‘passes the test’.
OIO probably should have been added to yesterday’s Open Mike 2.2 and below.
I can hear the “buzz” now from ‘officials’ along the lines “we follow international best practice”; and “we make comprehensive checks with our international partners going forward”; and “good faith” thrown in a few times, and “we’re satisfied we’ve abided by our legal obligations and in compliance with the points system’ etc etc etc rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb
money money money, foreign investment, what’s wrong with it, they can’t take the land with them (/sarc)
Oh, and ComCom that allowed a duopolistic supermarket supply chain that disadvantages the little players (such as the dairy producer also on RNZ Sunday this morning), or NZTA or or or.
Again, let’s hope Skippy’s wish for reform goes a little deeper than window dressing.
On the positive side, there are a few ministers who seem to be aware that they’ve been severely let down by various ‘deficiencies’ in our current ps model.
(you should hear what I really think though – and not just me)
Why did they not put in full access when the granted the lease? Again very bad advice and paper work by the NZ government! Too much sensitive land is being sold and leased without enough provision for public access, it is even worse if it is public land in the first place!
Although with public access there should be responsibilities for those using it, to behave reasonably and enforcement options strict, (no litter, no walking off paths, no noise and partying, fire risks respected, dogs under control, clear ideas on motorised use etc) and there should be instant penalties for those that can’t respect these public paths.
Overseas public access is completely normal and people behave reasonably.
In NZ there are problems of bad behaviour, hooning, dangerous and noisy ATV use with non licensed and registered vehicles destroying the sand dunes around Auckland and making forests dangerous to walk in with crazy ATV use and so forth. As Kiwis get more obese their ideas of public access are becoming motorised actually stopping people from walking with the amount of danger from this. People making fires and driving around drunk. Kauri forests and Kauri die back disease being spread. This is what frightens people about public access.
Public access needs to be protected for everyone that includes safety and enforcement of those who abuse the public access. It is normal overseas for people to enjoy full public access, in NZ there needs to be a bit more thought about why with such small population we seem to not be able to get this right.
Hopefully in remote areas people know how to behave, sadly around urban public areas many people don’t and the enforcement needs to be tightened as well as more access allowed.
Land access to the Hunter has always been severely restricted by the lessees going back a long way. The previous lessee (who’s still there as Lauer’s manager) was particuarly hard nosed about this. So there’s really been no change with the new ownership.
How it’s going to pan out going forward as the owner discovers that owning the lease over Hunter Valley Station becomes a cashflow negative undertaking, and tenure review may not work out on that lease.
I had a wee epiphany yesterday.
Listening to Venus Envy, a podcast from spinoff and RNZ.
Talking about identity and multi cultural feminism intersectionality in the workplace.
I must admit, in the past, to trying to understand and get my head around this and putting it in the too hard basket.
What emerged from the conversation was that it is the practice of manaakitanga.
“To how you bring people together, how you look after them inside a space, how you ensure that their mana, all peoples mana, is taken care of and looked after. Manaaki – to give mana to all sections. By the end of that a lot of people were a lot more comfortable with the term ‘Manaakitanga’, rather than intersectionalising their practice inside the workspace.”
This really helped, ensuring someone’s mana is looked after seems a lot easier.
human Rights Conference organisers denied visas to NZ. Thank goodness we have the Freeze peach Coalition to raise $90,000 to challenge these decisions!
Hearing you, but thinking a campaign against NZ Immigration’s apparent racism would be more in order. And given that, expect “nuffin happenin”. 🙁
From the link.
A woman who campaigns for sex education in Uganda was denied entry because Immigration NZ deemed her at risk of overstaying, and a man who is part of a group starting schools in Uganda is still waiting to find out if he will be granted entry, months after applying. The idea the members would overstay here, when they were heavily invested in projects overseas was laughable, Passmore said.
Nigerian Leo Igwe just finished a PhD in Germany, and arrived in the country this week. He said he was not given a reason his visa was declined initially, but after doing extensive international travel it was a surprise, and he believes it is likely because he holds a passport from a poor country.
Seems odd to me that Bridges has opposed the setting up of a Review system for doubtful court cases. He concedes that there are miscarriages of justice but is against a system for investigation. Will this help him win friends?
Bridges trying to be relevant, but just hot air behind it, zero substance. Also sounds like the National party and ACT has repeatedly halted the Nepata brother’s requests for defence compensation. Then Pike River, nothing for the Ellis case either over their decade of rule… the National party record is truely despicable.
“I know of a case he prosecuted that has many of the elements of the Ellis case.”
Intriguing.
Can you give another clue please.
By elements of the Ellis case I am keen to know what you mean.
Evidence obtained by leading questioning by ‘experts’- a discredited method from the ’80s?
Selective quoting of children?
The senior investigating officer having ‘relationships’ with the mother of the main witness?
An underworked, over excited police ‘child sex ring’ investigation unit, looking for its first scalp?
You could remove “The senior investigating officer having ‘relationships’ with the mother of the main witness?” The other aspects appear to be common.
The prosecutor’s personal beliefs may have clouded objectivity as well.
I don’t want to say too much here, the guy was convicted, served society’s sanction and now is trying to get on with some sort of life. I’ve only heard that side of it, but knowing both the accuser and convicted I am very sceptical.
The Ellis case would make an interesting interview topic for Mr Bridges, and leading into his time as a prosecutor.
More inequality in NZ
…now you need $60k for ‘experts’ to have your say in court under the new RMA rules trickled in by the Natz to stack the decks to keep the rich getting richer and creating an expensive system to have your say (only a micro amount of ‘issues’ are allowed to be considered all stacked towards industry and excess) .
Considering you can go to most tribunals in NZ like disputes tribunal for under $100 and get a ruling, interesting when it comes to land, taking from communities and plundering of our resources and pushing risks onto others, it’s now taking $60,000+ to have your say…. which is very revealing of where our power interest lie.
We are no longer an equal country but one that is wink wink, open for exploitation to the right sorts…and our legal system has been changed to allow for this.
“… interesting when it comes to land, taking from communities and plundering of our resources and pushing risks onto others, it’s now taking $60,000+ to have your say…. ”
The local activists who stepped up and spoke at the consent hearings in Kaitaia cost bugger all. The hard ground work was done by a few staunch locals who found and dug up their greatest assets. Long term locals with generations of living with the Aquifer. Locals with degrees and engineering experience. Locals who were wise and knowledgeable and one outstanding woman who had taken her legal qualifications around the world.
The $$$ spent by the opposition was from DOC, who sent in a Team to speak on behalf of the vulnerable Kaimaumau wetlands.
Those folk rightfully objecting to the Super Chook Farm need to take a breath or two before spending hard won $$$ on ‘experts’. They should go have a chat with others who have run interference on such plans without going into hock. NZ environmental activist history is peppered with cautionary tales of groups that have formed to fight this kind of shit who have ended up in financial crap because they have tried to fight the moneyed enemy with extremely limited resources.
I’ll be watching closely for when the hearing is….they need to make sure supporters know. So we can plan to be there.
How convenient for corporate interests.
1.3 million chickens in concentration camp conditions.
And Tegels profit from torture, misery and environmental degradation.
The dice are stacked folks.
So the torture and killing of the vast majority of chickens in NZ, the degradation of our environment, the dehumanising of some of our workers all occurs to make a profit for overseas owners.
It leaves you speechless.
We are owned.
And far too many New Zealanders are ignorant, apathetic and too self absorbed.
Ed, stinking out an entire community including Marae, having incinerators burning waste daily, needing copious amounts of water, clogging up and making the ratepayers pay to repair the roads between Dargarville and West Auckland as well as add to the Auckland congestion and increase risks like bird flu with intensive farming like we have never seen before in NZ , while destroying the tourist opportunities of a town so that a Chinese firm can profit, is all in a days work for our RMA, free “rich” market approach and their champions the ‘environmental’ lawyers NZ resource asset stripping.
“Tegel Foods Limited is a poultry company based in New Zealand. It employs approximately 1,700 people at locations across New Zealand. Pacific Equity Partners acquired the company from Heinz in 2005, and sold it to Affinity Equity Partners in 2011.
Affinity Equity Partners is one of the largest dedicated Asian private equity firms and focuses on leveraged buyout and growth capital transactions.
Affinity operates as a Pan-Asian firm focusing on investment opportunities in Korea, Australia and New Zealand, Greater China and Southeast Asia.
The firm is led by Kok-Yew Tang (Founding Chairman and Managing Partner), Young-Taeg Park (Chairman and Managing Partner) and Chul-Joo Lee (Managing Partner). It has over 60 employees with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, South Korea, Sydney, Australia, Jakarta, Indonesia and Beijing, China“
Now I do.
Is anything in New Zealand still owned by New Zealand companies or New Zealanders?
Tegal is owned by Affinity Equity Partners which is one of the largest dedicated Asian private equity firms and focuses on leveraged buyout and growth capital transactions.
The Herald sinks to another new low, publishing this ignorant. Ill-informed piece of war mongering. The level of propaganda emanating from western media atm is McCarthyesque.
The Herald’s owners and editors should enlist for service in Lithuania as they are so keen for World War 3.
Invaded by Russia in 1918, again in 1940, and annexed in 1944 to endure Stalin’s reign of terror as tens of thousands were deported to the far east to make way for ethnic Russians.
So yeah, 50 years worth of oppressive Soviet rule gives Lithuanians a fucking good reason to be terrified by Putin’s posturing.
Dictators come and go and stalins brutality is well documented but its worth remembering it was that same brutality and that same dictators willingness to sacrifice millions of his countrymans lives that led to the eventual defeat of nazism in europe .What has that got to do with putin ?
A falling out between thieves [Molotov–Ribbentrop/Unternehmen Barbarossa] doesn’t change the fact that Putin believes he’s destined to make Russia great again by reunifying the Soviet Union.
You should join Stuart and enlist. Then grab your tin hat and race to the Suwalki Gap, where John Roughan and the rest of the Herald warmongers are scrambling to head off the Russian beast.
Sadly for you name calling, no.
Unlike you though, I support attempts for detente and lowering of tensions between nations.
Jaw jaw beats war war.
If the 2 countries with the biggest stockpiles of nuclear weapons sit down to talk , what is wrong with that.
Russia is not about to invade Europe. Get real.
And be honest about NATO.
It is the expansionist side. The west promised it would not move NATO east in the 1980s .
It lied.
How the Bill Clinton administration successfully meddled in Russia’s 1996 election, elevating Boris Yeltsin to the presidency.
Irony: Yeltsin would later appoint a successor – a then little known former KGB agent by the name of Vladimir Putin.
In 1996, not only did the Clinton team influence Russia’s election to Boris Yeltsin (who collapsed their economy and made the life expectancy go down by 5 years), they bragged about it in Time Magazine. “
Actually the government—-first Clark’s administration and then Key’s—-pretended we were over there “helping the Afghan people to rebuild.”
John Wayne killing Native Americans is in fact pretty much like it was, and is.
By the way, did you hear Paula Penfold on Mora’s show a few weeks ago calling out the retiring head of the “Defence” force? She reminded listeners of how he had consistently refused to answer questions about reports of New Zealand troops committing war crimes in Afghanistan. She called him a “coward”. To my knowledge, he still hasn’t answered the allegations.
Most of the world sees the US as the imperialist thug.
You are in the minority that regards Russia as a clear and present threat.
Does calling me ‘wee’ add strength to your argument?
You seem a very angry person joe.
Give peace a chance.
There is no Planet B.
Give peace a chance while encouraging people to go and kill and die in war is sorta creepily sick mate – you should reread some of 5the he heinous encouragement to war that you are doing – pull your head out your arse ed.
You need to refresh your understanding of McCarthy Ed – try this if books don’t appeal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Night,_and_Good_Luck McCarthy was domestic policy hounding moderates while ostensibly hunting down sympathisers like the Rosenbergs.
Resurgent Russian militarism is a problem for lots of countries. But they won’t lie down and let it happen again.
I provide my sources transparently.
To call Pilger, Chomsky, Greenwald, Fisk, Cockburn, Bartlett and Bealey uninformed is quite a statement by you Stuart.
What are your sources?
And again swearing doesn’t strengthen your argument.
You seem very angry.
Give peace a chance.
In your own world.
And the whole world.
I’m not telling them. They just seem so keen for war that these armchair warriors should back up theirs views rather than forcing others to die for their Russophobia.
I know you can barely read, but journalists produce a lot of material. Some of it is professional, it goes to multiple and original sources and takes care to uncover the position of local people.
And some doesn’t.
But you argue from authority – as if the journalist is an authority in their own right, rather than according to how assiduously they make sure that they have the real facts.
You might want to consider how it is with such a list of luminaries supposedly informing you, you consistently manage to be completely wrong on everything pertaining to Russia and Syria.
So that you – a self-styled progressive, have become a vociferous apologist for the murdering and invading Putin regime.
Resurgent Russian militarism is a problem for lots of countries.
And what about the militarism of the United States, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., and Israel? And what about the Al Qaeda-linked forces they support in Syria?
Yeah You’re right – Chechenya, Georgia, the Ukraine – bordering Russia is a really dangerous place to be. Because of Russia, though of course the extremity of your biases won’t let you see that.
Russian murder is good, US murder is bad – politics according to Ed.
You seem to be implying that U.S. militarism is comparable to Russia’s. It’s far, far more widespread, and far more lethal. The U.S. is directly responsible for massive destruction in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Palestine and much of the African continent.
Russia’s aggression is, by comparison, negligible.
Not at all. That’s not what I said and not what I implied. What I did point out—and I’m sure you already knew it anyway—was that if Russia is bad, and I acknowledge that it is bad, then the United States and its vassals like the U.K. are off the scale.
And you won’t ever hear an admission of that from Stuart.
Humans rights and independence for the Ukrainians, the Latvians, the Poles, the Georgians…
Yemenis, Palestinians, Iraqis, Chileans……not so much.
Calm down.
Did you not read my last comment.
I agree with Morrissey on this statement.
“What I did point out—and I’m sure you already knew it anyway—was that if Russia is bad, and I acknowledge that it is bad, then the United States and its vassals like the U.K. are off the scale.”
So I guess what we would like to see a more balanced critique by you on joe. You seem to see the world In a simple goody/ baddy framing, whereas – even in the Ukraine, Lithuania etc its a lot more complex than that.
Crimea voted to rejoin Russia.
The present Ukrainian government was established by an anti democratic coup, aided by fascists.
NATO, not Russia, has expanded since the Reagan Gorbachev agreements.
We were lied to abt it chemical weapons in Syria by our western governments.
We were lied to about Salisbury.
It’s not that simple Stuart.
We are not living in a Bruce Willis film.
“You can support Trump talking with Putin and not be a sopportercof either.”
It’s certainly possible.
But you have established time and again that you are nothing more a lickspittle lackey of Putin without an independent thought in your head.
I’m for peace with Russia Ed – but that doesn’t license them to murder Chechens, Georgians, Ukranians, journalists, political opponents or former spys. Or Syrians come to that.
Your conspicuous silence on those issues looks a lot like guilt.
So, long time US allies Canada, Germany, and Japan’s aluminum and steel is lumbered with tariffs because national security threat, but Russia’s off the hook because…..oh, oligarch mates.
You couldn’t make this shit up.
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury is open to removing Russian aluminum producer Rusal from a U.S. sanctions list, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday, adding the objective was “not to put Rusal out of business.”
West Ukraine or East Ukraine.
They are quite different ethnically.
Most of the country voted for the government which was ousted by an anti democratic coup, supported by the CIA and fascist groups in west Ukraine.
“The attempt to lever Kiev into the western camp by ousting an elected leader made conflict certain. It could be a threat to us all
The threat of war in Ukraine is growing. As the unelected government in Kiev declares itself unable to control the rebellion in the country’s east, John Kerry brands Russia a rogue state. The US and the European Union step up sanctions against the Kremlin, accusing it of destabilising Ukraine. The White House is reported to be set on a new cold war policy with the aim of turning Russia into a “pariah state”.
That might be more explicable if what is going on in eastern Ukraine now were not the mirror image of what took place in Kiev a couple of months ago. Then, it was armed protesters in Maidan Square seizing government buildings and demanding a change of government and constitution. US and European leaders championed the “masked militants” and denounced the elected government for its crackdown, just as they now back the unelected government’s use of force against rebels occupying police stations and town halls in cities such as Slavyansk and Donetsk.
Ed, you’re in an environment now where reading and understanding something is a liability. This site is more and more being dominated by the sorts of people who would normally have only posted on Whaleoil or Kiwiblog, or spent their time ringing up Leighton Smith to agree with him.
I’m realising this.
Stuart Munro is an out and out bully boy.
He doesn’t debate, doesn’t actually read my links: he just attacks like a pit bull with lies about me.
I shall give up replying to him.
There is no point.
This excellent article I recommend to you Morrissey,
It is by Craig Murray. He is an author, broadcaster and human rights activist. He was British Ambassador to Uzbekistan from August 2002 to October 2004 and Rector of the University of Dundee from 2007 to 2010.
Oh, I SEE now! If you point out the intellectual and moral bankruptcy of the Democrats and their media megaphones like Rachel Maddow, that makes you a Trump supporter.
What’s wrong with all these people?
Surely Iraq in 2003 made them start to look at what their governments, ‘intelligence’ agencies and media told them with a touch of critical thinking and skepticism.
You saw the link to US meddling in Ruusia’s elections in the 1990s.
Bill was so proud he bragged about it.
And of course US interference in other countries ‘ democratic processes – we ignore all that, don’t we.
And we beat the war drums……
Russia bad.
Putin bad.
Russia bad.
Putin bad.
Russia bad.
Putin bad……..
LONDON—Steve Bannon plans to go toe-to-toe with George Soros and spark a right-wing revolution in Europe.
Trump’s former White House chief advisor told The Daily Beast that he is setting up a foundation in Europe called The Movement which he hopes will lead a right-wing populist revolt across the continent starting with the European Parliament elections next spring.
The non-profit will be a central source of polling, advice on messaging, data targeting, and think-tank research for a ragtag band of right-wingers who are surging all over Europe, in many cases without professional political structures or significant budgets.
Bannon’s ambition is for his organization ultimately to rival the impact of Soros’s Open Society, which has given away $32 billion to largely liberal causes since it was established in 1984.
Over the past year, Bannon has held talks with right-wing groups across the continent from Nigel Farage and members of Marine Le Pen’s Front National (recently renamed Rassemblement National) in the West, to Hungary’s Viktor Orban and the Polish populists in the East.
He envisions a right-wing “supergroup” within the European Parliament that could attract as many as a third of the lawmakers after next May’s Europe-wide elections. A united populist bloc of that size would have the ability to seriously disrupt parliamentary proceedings, potentially granting Bannon huge power within the populist movement.
“The Useful Altruists: How NGOs Serve Capitalism and Imperialism
Global imperialism doesn’t just give NGOs a reason to exist, but involves them actively in the project of imperialist domination.”
James Renwick tweets with reference to an article about Arizona.
“The water that we can’t see, the groundwater, is quietly disappearing.”
Capitalism + disregard for environmental limits = disaster. Is the Mackenzie any different?”
A follows up tweet from Peter Harkess nail it.
“It’s almost as if our economic system will simply not allow humanity to avoid complete global catastrophe.”
We have a choice.
Capitalism or a sustainable planet.
The Wealthy business owner’s are having a tangi because there hoiho tripped up on the last leg of te race and ended up with ———- on there faces .
They poured te putea into backing this hoiho .
Business confidence has no correlation to economic performance its just a trick to get the .99% to let business get there way with employment laws that are inhumane.
The 90 day trial is a farce the employer can sack some one with no reason no paper work given .??????????????????? it could be because one is brown or many reason that have nothing to do with the employee work performance . It could be that the employer only wanted the employee for 89 days and did not tell the employee this because if he did the employee would not take the job as it would put them in hardship at the end of the job.
Employers think that employees are not human that they don’t deserve to be treated with respect and dignity . What they have to know is that employment is a major part of ones life and if one loses a job for bullshit reasons they are placing the employee in hardship they are placing the person whole whano in hardship. The hardship is even greater if your a Dairy-farm worker as you lose your house . But are it doesn’t matter they are not humans .
I my eyes employees should be treated like diamonds if you look after them and polish them the will make you putea if you don’t well you lose your daimond and your putea .
Yes I know there are some bad employees out there its up to the employer to find the correct employee and train them to be productive employees and a bit of polishing will go a long in improving the prospects of this relationship being positive for the employer and the employee. ANY WAY Eco Maori says the 90 day clause is a breach of the human rights act.
link is below ka kite ano
This is why I say the 90 day trial breaches the Human Rights ACT .
ACT 27 The rights to justices . When a employer can sack a employee without giving a written warning or reason in writing during the 90 day trial . This employment act breaches the employee rights to justice or a fair trial they can not defend there employment rights fairly if the employer does not give a written reason why they sacked the employee.
No written evidence and the employer can change the facts they uses to suit there dismissal of the employee employer wins case .Thats it in a karaka shell. link below. ka kite ano
Good evening Newshub Mike I will have to chose my words wisely .
Winston handles te media in his unique way he is Maori ka pai some will have
nightmares because of this fact. Who wants to get involved with that circus in America at the minute .
Condolences to the whanau of the boy who died in Tokomaru Bay of a heart attack .
With our homeless this is still the tsunami of the inhumane policy’s that national have imposed on us for the last nine years thats a fact . Helen Kelly will be smiling at the humane changes that the Coalition Government has made to our society ka pai.
One day our beaches could like the Cuban beaches if we keep putting our head in Papatuanuku on this subject of waste its everyones problem and we should all pay to get rubbish recycled in a sustainable way manufactures and consumers .
Ka kite ano
The Crowd Goes Wild James and Mulls Congratulations to our AllBlack 7 teams win in the Rugby Papatuanuku Cup Kia Kaha .
I will preform a Haka for one person I tautoko who is on the up.
Some people still have to learn to stop spraying on Eco Maori.
Mulls how the guys at the Rock Radio going I heard you when you first come back to the Rock you were a bit quite for the first 2 days then you got your hilarious mojoe going the first week I thought you were James till my Son in law corrected my mistake .
Ka kite ano i would not like those ear warmers
Good morning Newshub The block Mark is a unfair contest to be fair each team should have one person who is qualified In a trade in the construction industry per team the way it is at the minute you have two teams with a big advantage over the other teams.
And that creates tensions was that the plan.
Aotearoa produces some of the best meat in Papatuanuku grass feed Meat has properties beneficial to the consumer . The animals get to live a life close to what they would in the wild they are less stressed =better meat quality less stress = more humane way of farming. I see some organization is still scare mongering saying meat prouduction is going to wreck our environment YEA RIGHT .. These studys are conducted in country’s were the have to irrigate grow harvest and feed the stock in feed lots . 1 This is not a natural environment for the animals 2 they have to use alot of carbon to produce this meat they probably have to pump the water from hundreds of miles away as well’.
Were as in Aotearoa most farms the wai falls from tawhiri for free the stock harvest the grass for free they get a wider variety of fodder . Producing meat in Aotearoa has a lot less carbon input and more humane that meat produced else were . And I know that Aotearoa farmers can reduce there carbon foot print they just need to be guided in correct direction to achieve that goal of lowering our farming foot print .
Its so hypercritical the Tsunami of home less people. people who are living in squalor mokopunas going hungry is still growing .This phenomenon has been created by nationals policy’s of the last nine years and they decide to kick sand in the common persons face who cares who these statements hurt so long as they mite get a lift in there poles so primitive .
The problem with OUR employment is wages to the common tangata has only risen by %50 in 30 years this is lower for contracted piece rates 30% mean while the cost of living has risen 300% .Rents were $60 now they are $400 to $600 so with these facts poking us in the eyes any intelligent person can predict from the math that there was going to be big problems but O tangata its better to rent than buy a house YEA RIGHT. Mark a common person most likely pays more tax than you they don’t have the fancy accountant that you have to minimizes your tax bill O we will not raise GST whose are those words . Ka kite ano .P.S I have been missing your right clawed guest Duncan I will sort them out in good time
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
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 ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
Photo by Alvan Nee on UnsplashIt’s that new day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when and I co-host our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm. Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news ...
Buzz from the Beehive One minister is talking tough while a colleague – whose ministry had acted tough and drawn a barrage of flak – has shown an official softening. Some ministers are doing what Labour was good at, which is distributing public funds to causes regarded as worthy or ...
A ballot for 4 Member's Bills was held today, and the following bills were drawn: Insurance Contracts Bill (Duncan Webb) Income Tax (Clean Transport FBT Exclusion) Amendment Bill (Julie Anne Genter) Crimes (Increased Penalties for Slavery Offences) Amendment Bill (Greg Fleming) Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) ...
One of the strongest narratives about "our" spy agencies is that they are basically institutional traitors, working for foreign powers (or just themselves), without any control or oversight by the elected government. And today, we have yet another report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security which explicitly confirms this. ...
“It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April to meet the Prime Minister’s ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
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 A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
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COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, 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 up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
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On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
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A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
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Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
As a young gymnast, Aimee Didierjean was always conscious of making sure her underwear wasn’t showing on the competition floor. A peek of a bra strap, or briefs if a leotard rode up, would cost a gymnast points in her routines. “When I was growing and going through puberty, it ...
Jubi/West Papua Daily Repeated cases of Indonesian military (TNI) soldiers torturing civilians in Papua have been evident, as seen in the viral video depicting the torture of civilians in the Puncak Regency allegedly done by soldiers of Raider 300/Brajawijaya Infantry Battalion. There is a pressing need for stringent law enforcement ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In 2023, Anthony Albanese was shooting for the moon, his eyes on the Voice referendum. On one view, he looked like the idealist reflecting his left-wing roots. In 2024, we’re seeing a pragmatic, determined, ...
The House - The principle that all MPs are honourable and that they should be taken at their word has been tested multiple times this week in Parliament. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock Since the review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) released its recommendations in December, there has been a series of Town Hall events to discuss them around the country ...
Noam Chomsky on Trump – a salutary listen for a Sunday morning! 24 minutes. Particularly the first minutes about the orange powder-puff.
The Republican Party the most dangerous organisation on earth!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=sDYIINbaKWs
Google search “Pied Piper Democracts”.
“Everything” is behind liberalism’s (arguably) fascist drift. In politics, you don’t create a space unless you intend to fill it. Pushing the Republicans to supposedly untenable positions, surely means the “lesser evil” intends to occupy the space they’ve cleared out – which by the traditional way of viewing politics, is ever further to the “right”.
A cursory glance at the treatment meted out to the likes of Sanders, Corbyn or Melenchon shows various centres of power certainly don’t favour striking off in a social democratic direction.
And (in line with the “pied piper” strategy) the amount of oxygen and arm waving around the Le Penns and Farages of the world, that then scares the horses back to the status quo and its inexorable drift….
Footnote. Macron – the poster boy of liberalism – two of his body guards (Alexandre Benalla and Vincent Crase) disguised themselves as cops, and Benalla was filmed beating the crap out of protesters on May Day.
Imagine the furore if that had been Le Penn’s body guards? And yet, here we are, nearly two months later, and all we have is disapproving “tsks” that the guys retained their employment.
Why do we allow these disgraced wankers to come here and buy our country? – tell him to piss off I say – buy the land back – give it to Iwi and make the edges and tracks publicly accessible.
“Taxpayers could be forced to pay millions of dollars in compensation to disgraced TV host Matt Lauer to guarantee public access to his high country station.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/105595864/controversial-tv-star-demands-millions-to-give-public-access-to-south-island-station
The land is still owned by NZ, he has the bought the lease,
BUT obviously the principle of access is not a problem, its ONLY the money.
AND why not cancel his visa as he is an undesirable.
From what I have seen allegations have been made but none proven legally. Innocent until proven guilty and all that.
Nots on the tellys anymores is he.
The lease will come up for renewal some time in the future…at this point the access available to the public can be improved by the government…lets hope the Greens are in government when the lease comes up.
Meanwhile a little birdy tells me Peter Thiel is about to start building his mansion…since the Nats changed the RMA this can no longer be publicly notified so doubtless his unsightly development will be waved through in the Outstanding Natural Landscape his property is situated within by the pro-rich pro-development Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Talking of Peter Thiel… is he still a close political associate of Donald Trump’s? If so, we don’t want him here thank-you. He qualifies to be of “undesirable character”.
I think his interest in young blood would be reason enough:
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/08/peter-thiel-wants-to-inject-himself-with-young-peoples-blood#~o
I suppose he wasn’t known to be disgraced when he made the purchase.
What I am curious about is what does it take to fail the good character test?
From the article: November last year, the OIO is concerned about his character after being fired for alleged sexual misconduct and starts an inquiry.
June this year OIO is happy and he ‘passes the test’.
OIO probably should have been added to yesterday’s Open Mike 2.2 and below.
I can hear the “buzz” now from ‘officials’ along the lines “we follow international best practice”; and “we make comprehensive checks with our international partners going forward”; and “good faith” thrown in a few times, and “we’re satisfied we’ve abided by our legal obligations and in compliance with the points system’ etc etc etc rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb
money money money, foreign investment, what’s wrong with it, they can’t take the land with them (/sarc)
Interesting RNZ’s Insight this morning http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/2018654295/insight-money-laundering-in-nz
which kind of scratched the surface re the kinds of rackets going on
1000+
Oh, and ComCom that allowed a duopolistic supermarket supply chain that disadvantages the little players (such as the dairy producer also on RNZ Sunday this morning), or NZTA or or or.
Again, let’s hope Skippy’s wish for reform goes a little deeper than window dressing.
On the positive side, there are a few ministers who seem to be aware that they’ve been severely let down by various ‘deficiencies’ in our current ps model.
(you should hear what I really think though – and not just me)
Why did they not put in full access when the granted the lease? Again very bad advice and paper work by the NZ government! Too much sensitive land is being sold and leased without enough provision for public access, it is even worse if it is public land in the first place!
Although with public access there should be responsibilities for those using it, to behave reasonably and enforcement options strict, (no litter, no walking off paths, no noise and partying, fire risks respected, dogs under control, clear ideas on motorised use etc) and there should be instant penalties for those that can’t respect these public paths.
Overseas public access is completely normal and people behave reasonably.
In NZ there are problems of bad behaviour, hooning, dangerous and noisy ATV use with non licensed and registered vehicles destroying the sand dunes around Auckland and making forests dangerous to walk in with crazy ATV use and so forth. As Kiwis get more obese their ideas of public access are becoming motorised actually stopping people from walking with the amount of danger from this. People making fires and driving around drunk. Kauri forests and Kauri die back disease being spread. This is what frightens people about public access.
Public access needs to be protected for everyone that includes safety and enforcement of those who abuse the public access. It is normal overseas for people to enjoy full public access, in NZ there needs to be a bit more thought about why with such small population we seem to not be able to get this right.
Hopefully in remote areas people know how to behave, sadly around urban public areas many people don’t and the enforcement needs to be tightened as well as more access allowed.
Land access to the Hunter has always been severely restricted by the lessees going back a long way. The previous lessee (who’s still there as Lauer’s manager) was particuarly hard nosed about this. So there’s really been no change with the new ownership.
How it’s going to pan out going forward as the owner discovers that owning the lease over Hunter Valley Station becomes a cashflow negative undertaking, and tenure review may not work out on that lease.
Taxpayers aren’t “forced” to do anything. Change the law and tell him to fuck off.
I had a wee epiphany yesterday.
Listening to Venus Envy, a podcast from spinoff and RNZ.
Talking about identity and multi cultural feminism intersectionality in the workplace.
I must admit, in the past, to trying to understand and get my head around this and putting it in the too hard basket.
What emerged from the conversation was that it is the practice of manaakitanga.
“To how you bring people together, how you look after them inside a space, how you ensure that their mana, all peoples mana, is taken care of and looked after. Manaaki – to give mana to all sections. By the end of that a lot of people were a lot more comfortable with the term ‘Manaakitanga’, rather than intersectionalising their practice inside the workspace.”
This really helped, ensuring someone’s mana is looked after seems a lot easier.
https://thespinoff.co.nz/partner/are-we-there-yet/21-07-2018/people-would-always-compare-us-to-the-boys-we-came-out-on-top/
Filmic effects on Te Whanganui a Tara property values
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/1015078.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/whats-on/entertainment/10.
human Rights Conference organisers denied visas to NZ. Thank goodness we have the Freeze peach Coalition to raise $90,000 to challenge these decisions!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/105660382/humanists-conference-organisers-shocked-at-immigration-nz-denials-for-hero-members
Hearing you, but thinking a campaign against NZ Immigration’s apparent racism would be more in order. And given that, expect “nuffin happenin”. 🙁
From the link.
A woman who campaigns for sex education in Uganda was denied entry because Immigration NZ deemed her at risk of overstaying, and a man who is part of a group starting schools in Uganda is still waiting to find out if he will be granted entry, months after applying. The idea the members would overstay here, when they were heavily invested in projects overseas was laughable, Passmore said.
Nigerian Leo Igwe just finished a PhD in Germany, and arrived in the country this week. He said he was not given a reason his visa was declined initially, but after doing extensive international travel it was a surprise, and he believes it is likely because he holds a passport from a poor country.
Typical, human rights activists seem more ‘dangerous’ to immigration than the abusers of them, who are waived through.
Seems odd to me that Bridges has opposed the setting up of a Review system for doubtful court cases. He concedes that there are miscarriages of justice but is against a system for investigation. Will this help him win friends?
AND he has discovered the Ellis case from ChCh.
Shame he didn’t find it in the 9 years of Nat power.
Bridges trying to be relevant, but just hot air behind it, zero substance. Also sounds like the National party and ACT has repeatedly halted the Nepata brother’s requests for defence compensation. Then Pike River, nothing for the Ellis case either over their decade of rule… the National party record is truely despicable.
Maybe he’s a little concerned some of the work he did in his previous occupation might come under scrutiny.
I know of a case he prosecuted that has many of the elements of the Ellis case.
“I know of a case he prosecuted that has many of the elements of the Ellis case.”
Intriguing.
Can you give another clue please.
By elements of the Ellis case I am keen to know what you mean.
Evidence obtained by leading questioning by ‘experts’- a discredited method from the ’80s?
Selective quoting of children?
The senior investigating officer having ‘relationships’ with the mother of the main witness?
An underworked, over excited police ‘child sex ring’ investigation unit, looking for its first scalp?
Do share.
You could remove “The senior investigating officer having ‘relationships’ with the mother of the main witness?” The other aspects appear to be common.
The prosecutor’s personal beliefs may have clouded objectivity as well.
I don’t want to say too much here, the guy was convicted, served society’s sanction and now is trying to get on with some sort of life. I’ve only heard that side of it, but knowing both the accuser and convicted I am very sceptical.
The Ellis case would make an interesting interview topic for Mr Bridges, and leading into his time as a prosecutor.
Does Ministerial connivance fit into the picture as well?
Thanks Graeme for your response.
I’d be curious as to how much Mr Bridges would reveal and how clearly he would state his position or beliefs.
More inequality in NZ
…now you need $60k for ‘experts’ to have your say in court under the new RMA rules trickled in by the Natz to stack the decks to keep the rich getting richer and creating an expensive system to have your say (only a micro amount of ‘issues’ are allowed to be considered all stacked towards industry and excess) .
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/07/dargaville-group-falls-short-of-funds-to-oppose-tegel-factory-build.html
Considering you can go to most tribunals in NZ like disputes tribunal for under $100 and get a ruling, interesting when it comes to land, taking from communities and plundering of our resources and pushing risks onto others, it’s now taking $60,000+ to have your say…. which is very revealing of where our power interest lie.
We are no longer an equal country but one that is wink wink, open for exploitation to the right sorts…and our legal system has been changed to allow for this.
“… interesting when it comes to land, taking from communities and plundering of our resources and pushing risks onto others, it’s now taking $60,000+ to have your say…. ”
https://www.nzgeo.com/audio/avocado-growers-water-take-divides-northland-communities/
The local activists who stepped up and spoke at the consent hearings in Kaitaia cost bugger all. The hard ground work was done by a few staunch locals who found and dug up their greatest assets. Long term locals with generations of living with the Aquifer. Locals with degrees and engineering experience. Locals who were wise and knowledgeable and one outstanding woman who had taken her legal qualifications around the world.
The $$$ spent by the opposition was from DOC, who sent in a Team to speak on behalf of the vulnerable Kaimaumau wetlands.
Despite presenting a staunch opposition at the hearings (which were heavily weighted in favour of the applicants, with some seriously dubious shit going on) the consents were granted…https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/359123/suck-it-and-see-avo-water-consents-worry-conservationists
And after a pause for breath….DOC, bless them, are taking the bastards to the Environment Court.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/360455/doc-challenge-council-over-water-consent-for-growers
Those folk rightfully objecting to the Super Chook Farm need to take a breath or two before spending hard won $$$ on ‘experts’. They should go have a chat with others who have run interference on such plans without going into hock. NZ environmental activist history is peppered with cautionary tales of groups that have formed to fight this kind of shit who have ended up in financial crap because they have tried to fight the moneyed enemy with extremely limited resources.
I’ll be watching closely for when the hearing is….they need to make sure supporters know. So we can plan to be there.
How convenient for corporate interests.
1.3 million chickens in concentration camp conditions.
And Tegels profit from torture, misery and environmental degradation.
The dice are stacked folks.
Yes and they bought out Inghams.
So the torture and killing of the vast majority of chickens in NZ, the degradation of our environment, the dehumanising of some of our workers all occurs to make a profit for overseas owners.
It leaves you speechless.
We are owned.
And far too many New Zealanders are ignorant, apathetic and too self absorbed.
Ed, stinking out an entire community including Marae, having incinerators burning waste daily, needing copious amounts of water, clogging up and making the ratepayers pay to repair the roads between Dargarville and West Auckland as well as add to the Auckland congestion and increase risks like bird flu with intensive farming like we have never seen before in NZ , while destroying the tourist opportunities of a town so that a Chinese firm can profit, is all in a days work for our RMA, free “rich” market approach and their champions the ‘environmental’ lawyers NZ resource asset stripping.
I never knew that Tegel was owned by China.
“Tegel Foods Limited is a poultry company based in New Zealand. It employs approximately 1,700 people at locations across New Zealand. Pacific Equity Partners acquired the company from Heinz in 2005, and sold it to Affinity Equity Partners in 2011.
Affinity Equity Partners is one of the largest dedicated Asian private equity firms and focuses on leveraged buyout and growth capital transactions.
Affinity operates as a Pan-Asian firm focusing on investment opportunities in Korea, Australia and New Zealand, Greater China and Southeast Asia.
The firm is led by Kok-Yew Tang (Founding Chairman and Managing Partner), Young-Taeg Park (Chairman and Managing Partner) and Chul-Joo Lee (Managing Partner). It has over 60 employees with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, South Korea, Sydney, Australia, Jakarta, Indonesia and Beijing, China“
Now I do.
Is anything in New Zealand still owned by New Zealand companies or New Zealanders?
Tegal is owned by Affinity Equity Partners which is one of the largest dedicated Asian private equity firms and focuses on leveraged buyout and growth capital transactions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affinity_Equity_Partners
Yes just checked it out.
Has anything in New Zealand not been sold to foreign interests?
The smartest parts of the NZ economy have been strangled over recent years, says Global Innovation Index: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12091676
@Sacha, interesting stats. We seem to have been going towards a scary path under National hopefully the rot starts being reversed…
Can’t afford not to improve or we will just be a low-wage economy owned from overseas.
The Herald sinks to another new low, publishing this ignorant. Ill-informed piece of war mongering. The level of propaganda emanating from western media atm is McCarthyesque.
The Herald’s owners and editors should enlist for service in Lithuania as they are so keen for World War 3.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12093282
Invaded by Russia in 1918, again in 1940, and annexed in 1944 to endure Stalin’s reign of terror as tens of thousands were deported to the far east to make way for ethnic Russians.
So yeah, 50 years worth of oppressive Soviet rule gives Lithuanians a fucking good reason to be terrified by Putin’s posturing.
Dictators come and go and stalins brutality is well documented but its worth remembering it was that same brutality and that same dictators willingness to sacrifice millions of his countrymans lives that led to the eventual defeat of nazism in europe .What has that got to do with putin ?
A falling out between thieves [Molotov–Ribbentrop/Unternehmen Barbarossa] doesn’t change the fact that Putin believes he’s destined to make Russia great again by reunifying the Soviet Union.
Lithuanians believe him, and so do I.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Europe_1815_map_en.png
There’s a name for folk who’re prepared to allow an imperialist thug to ride roughshod over anyone’s self determination and hard fought independence.
Supporters of the U.S. ?
Supporters of neoliberalism?
…..running dog….
You should join Stuart and enlist. Then grab your tin hat and race to the Suwalki Gap, where John Roughan and the rest of the Herald warmongers are scrambling to head off the Russian beast.
Or you could just stop talking utter crap.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12093282
Oh look, wee Eddies a cowardly appeaser of an imperialist thug.
I never supported the imperialist thuggery of the US in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Laos, Chile,…….
Did you?
so you’re an inconsistent cowardly appeaser of an imperialist thug…
Sadly for you name calling, no.
Unlike you though, I support attempts for detente and lowering of tensions between nations.
Jaw jaw beats war war.
If the 2 countries with the biggest stockpiles of nuclear weapons sit down to talk , what is wrong with that.
Russia is not about to invade Europe. Get real.
And be honest about NATO.
It is the expansionist side. The west promised it would not move NATO east in the 1980s .
It lied.
Why are you so keen for war?
Are you mad?
Ed, just ignore him. Before you know it, he’ll be calling you an anti-Semite.
Some reading for him.
How the Bill Clinton administration successfully meddled in Russia’s 1996 election, elevating Boris Yeltsin to the presidency.
Irony: Yeltsin would later appoint a successor – a then little known former KGB agent by the name of Vladimir Putin.
In 1996, not only did the Clinton team influence Russia’s election to Boris Yeltsin (who collapsed their economy and made the life expectancy go down by 5 years), they bragged about it in Time Magazine. “
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dh9sJHhWkAA3Kt3?format=jpg
Russia has no further territorial demands in Europe? Good to know.
Edit: ed, the point isn’t that the US is wonderful and Russia is bad. The point is that Russia is as bad as the US, and maybe even quite a bit worse..
Shootin’ all the bad guys, one, two, three, four.
Too many Rambo films when young , I fear.
As for the Kiwi Rambo, spreading death and destruction in Afghanistan….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3255254/Apiata-picture-may-mean-changes-to-SAS-operations
Yes until Jon Stephenson investigated, we were given a John Wayne version of our involvement in another people’s country.
Actually the government—-first Clark’s administration and then Key’s—-pretended we were over there “helping the Afghan people to rebuild.”
John Wayne killing Native Americans is in fact pretty much like it was, and is.
By the way, did you hear Paula Penfold on Mora’s show a few weeks ago calling out the retiring head of the “Defence” force? She reminded listeners of how he had consistently refused to answer questions about reports of New Zealand troops committing war crimes in Afghanistan. She called him a “coward”. To my knowledge, he still hasn’t answered the allegations.
Penfold is another with courage.
I did hear that – but can’t temember how Mora coped.
I haven’t enlisted Ed.
That’s just another facet of your puerile fantasy.
Swearing really adds to the strength of your argument.
Anytime there’s mention of resisting the imperialist thug, Putin, wee Eddies loses his head, runs around squealing war! war!.
Yep this – ‘go to the front’ really shows the low calibre of the man. He’s done fuck all yet he’ll encourage people to war and death. Anti hero.
Most of the world sees the US as the imperialist thug.
You are in the minority that regards Russia as a clear and present threat.
Does calling me ‘wee’ add strength to your argument?
You seem a very angry person joe.
Give peace a chance.
There is no Planet B.
Give peace a chance while encouraging people to go and kill and die in war is sorta creepily sick mate – you should reread some of 5the he heinous encouragement to war that you are doing – pull your head out your arse ed.
Resistance against Putin? What’s he done this time? Apart from solving the west’s terrorism problem in Syria.
You need to refresh your understanding of McCarthy Ed – try this if books don’t appeal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Night,_and_Good_Luck McCarthy was domestic policy hounding moderates while ostensibly hunting down sympathisers like the Rosenbergs.
Resurgent Russian militarism is a problem for lots of countries. But they won’t lie down and let it happen again.
It’s Stuart, posting from the Donbass.
How’s your tin hat?
Geez Ed – you backward fuck.
Inform yourself on these issues – you’re an embarrassment.
Ed follows independent and decent journalists/commentators. You follow the corporate propamediaz.
I provide my sources transparently.
To call Pilger, Chomsky, Greenwald, Fisk, Cockburn, Bartlett and Bealey uninformed is quite a statement by you Stuart.
What are your sources?
And again swearing doesn’t strengthen your argument.
You seem very angry.
Give peace a chance.
In your own world.
And the whole world.
Tell him to go to war why dont you eh ed. Go on warmonger send another body to the front line to kill and die.
I’m not telling them. They just seem so keen for war that these armchair warriors should back up theirs views rather than forcing others to die for their Russophobia.
You are inciting killing – SHAME SHAME SHAME
I’m not actually.
I want Russia and the US to be at peace.
I can’t be bothered cutting and pasting all of your incitements – they are many and they are obvious.
They’re at war?
/
detentedeɪˈtɑːnt/nounnoun: detente; plural noun: detentes; noun: détente; plural noun: détentes
Ed follows third rate propagandists with no journalistic standards whatsoever. And he follows them inconsistently.
Cockburn.
Chomsky.
Greenwald.
Pilger.
Fisk.
Third rate propagandists?
Sometimes, yes.
I know you can barely read, but journalists produce a lot of material. Some of it is professional, it goes to multiple and original sources and takes care to uncover the position of local people.
And some doesn’t.
But you argue from authority – as if the journalist is an authority in their own right, rather than according to how assiduously they make sure that they have the real facts.
You might want to consider how it is with such a list of luminaries supposedly informing you, you consistently manage to be completely wrong on everything pertaining to Russia and Syria.
So that you – a self-styled progressive, have become a vociferous apologist for the murdering and invading Putin regime.
Love it Ed quoting Tin hats, the world is crazy
He’s a discerning connoisseur.
Resurgent Russian militarism is a problem for lots of countries.
And what about the militarism of the United States, Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., and Israel? And what about the Al Qaeda-linked forces they support in Syria?
A question joe90 and Stuart ignore.
For some reason the only places in the world to suffer imperialist advances are the Nations on Russia’s borders…..
I don’t understand their world view. Do you?
Yeah You’re right – Chechenya, Georgia, the Ukraine – bordering Russia is a really dangerous place to be. Because of Russia, though of course the extremity of your biases won’t let you see that.
Russian murder is good, US murder is bad – politics according to Ed.
Six year old stuff.
Extremity of your biases.. on the other hand I don’t think you’re biased at all Stuart.. though somehow I doubt it.
On the day that Ed begins to recognize ANY flaw whatsoever in his totalitarian crush I might entertain such critiques.
But he never has and probably never will.
Which is why I correct him with such frequency.
Although that’s a problem too, Russian militarism doesn’t make it go away.
“Although that’s a problem too”.
???
You seem to be implying that U.S. militarism is comparable to Russia’s. It’s far, far more widespread, and far more lethal. The U.S. is directly responsible for massive destruction in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Palestine and much of the African continent.
Russia’s aggression is, by comparison, negligible.
Just compare each country’s “defence” spending.
Right – so two wrongs eh?
You can ignore Putin’s murders because of America’s.
Actually both are a concern.
Not at all. That’s not what I said and not what I implied. What I did point out—and I’m sure you already knew it anyway—was that if Russia is bad, and I acknowledge that it is bad, then the United States and its vassals like the U.K. are off the scale.
And you won’t ever hear an admission of that from Stuart.
Humans rights and independence for the Ukrainians, the Latvians, the Poles, the Georgians…
Yemenis, Palestinians, Iraqis, Chileans……not so much.
Right back at you Putinella.
It’s fine for Putin to murder these people – Ed says so.
Ed is like a third rate Lord Haw Haw – a tireless promoter of murderous totalitarian dictators.
And with fuckwits like him contaminating the discourse, no discussion will ever get anywhere.
The Rohingya will never get a kindly word on the Standard because Ed will use that space to promote his murderous buddy Putin.
You’re a disgrace, Ed.
Calm down.
Did you not read my last comment.
I agree with Morrissey on this statement.
“What I did point out—and I’m sure you already knew it anyway—was that if Russia is bad, and I acknowledge that it is bad, then the United States and its vassals like the U.K. are off the scale.”
So I guess what we would like to see a more balanced critique by you on joe. You seem to see the world In a simple goody/ baddy framing, whereas – even in the Ukraine, Lithuania etc its a lot more complex than that.
Crimea voted to rejoin Russia.
The present Ukrainian government was established by an anti democratic coup, aided by fascists.
NATO, not Russia, has expanded since the Reagan Gorbachev agreements.
We were lied to abt it chemical weapons in Syria by our western governments.
We were lied to about Salisbury.
It’s not that simple Stuart.
We are not living in a Bruce Willis film.
If that were true we could be forgiven for misunderstanding you.
That’s exactly what Ed is saying, and you’re endorsing him.
Incorrect.
I am saying the same as Morrissey, whose views I respect.
Rubbish.
You’re just grasping at the only friendly straw you can find.
You need to straighten up, my little totalitarian fellow-traveler – you’re not fooling anyone.
Most people on this thread are for peace with Russia.
Absolutely correct, and we don’t work for the Tzar either.
You can support Trump talking with Putin and not be a sopportercof either.
“You can support Trump talking with Putin and not be a sopportercof either.”
It’s certainly possible.
But you have established time and again that you are nothing more a lickspittle lackey of Putin without an independent thought in your head.
I’m for peace with Russia Ed – but that doesn’t license them to murder Chechens, Georgians, Ukranians, journalists, political opponents or former spys. Or Syrians come to that.
Your conspicuous silence on those issues looks a lot like guilt.
Yet it seems to me that you and others seem to bleat only about one side, not both.
That would be because I’m not posting pro-US comments, I’m merely trying to contain Ed’s most egregious failures.
You’re a self avowed ‘russophobe’, Stuart..
You and J90 both…
Focus on containing your own egregious failures, eh…
Thanks for the support.
I have copped a lot abuse for simply pointing out the Herald’s propaganda this morning !
How about you lift your game One Two – instead of boosting Ed’s dysfunction.
I come here for progressive views and by golly Putin is not the revolution I’m looking for.
Any more than Stalin was. But you could excuse the Old Reds to some degree – they didn’t know what they were dealing with.
We do. There is no excuse.
+100
Juno’s 6,200 kilometre Jovian fly-by.
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/pia22426-16.jpg
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/jpl/high-altitude-jovian-clouds
“Democratic Institutions?” – 10 Lessons from history that will destroy your trust in the CIA”
https://off-guardian.org/2018/07/20/democratic-institutions-10-lessons-from-history-that-will-destroy-your-trust-in-the-cia/
So, long time US allies Canada, Germany, and Japan’s aluminum and steel is lumbered with tariffs because national security threat, but Russia’s off the hook because…..oh, oligarch mates.
You couldn’t make this shit up.
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury is open to removing Russian aluminum producer Rusal from a U.S. sanctions list, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Friday, adding the objective was “not to put Rusal out of business.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-g20-argentina-mnuchin-rusal-exclusive/exclusive-u-s-open-to-lifting-sanctions-off-aluminum-giant-rusal-mnuchin-idUSKBN1KA2VS
The U.S. had no right to place sanctions on Russia in the first place.
Russian soldiers have no business being in the Ukraine either.
They have more right to be there than the U.S. and U.K. have to be in Iraq or Afghanistan or Yemen.
Russia should be sanctioned straight after the U.S. and U.K. are sanctioned.
I don’t think the Ukrainians would agree.
And it’s for the Ukrainians to decide.
West Ukraine or East Ukraine.
They are quite different ethnically.
Most of the country voted for the government which was ousted by an anti democratic coup, supported by the CIA and fascist groups in west Ukraine.
You see, it’s complicated Stuart….
Only if you need to reconcile the contradictory ramblings if RT.
Otherwise, it’s pretty simple: Russia sent Russian troops into part of the Ukraine.
To help you
https://welections.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/ukraine-2012.png?w=604
awww you’re sweet.
Thanks. The map is clearly labelled “ukraine”. where did Russia send it’s troops?
Here is some more help.
“Yanukovych was elected President in 2010, defeating Yulia Tymoshenko. The election was judged free and fair by international observers.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_presidential_election,_2010
Seamus Milne in 2014.
“The attempt to lever Kiev into the western camp by ousting an elected leader made conflict certain. It could be a threat to us all
The threat of war in Ukraine is growing. As the unelected government in Kiev declares itself unable to control the rebellion in the country’s east, John Kerry brands Russia a rogue state. The US and the European Union step up sanctions against the Kremlin, accusing it of destabilising Ukraine. The White House is reported to be set on a new cold war policy with the aim of turning Russia into a “pariah state”.
That might be more explicable if what is going on in eastern Ukraine now were not the mirror image of what took place in Kiev a couple of months ago. Then, it was armed protesters in Maidan Square seizing government buildings and demanding a change of government and constitution. US and European leaders championed the “masked militants” and denounced the elected government for its crackdown, just as they now back the unelected government’s use of force against rebels occupying police stations and town halls in cities such as Slavyansk and Donetsk.
https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/30/russia-ukraine-war-kiev-conflict
It’s not simple.
It’s complex.
So that map you supplied that was labelled “Ukraine”. Were Russian troops sent there?
Is that a map of part of Europe?
And you are not sufficiently informed to unravel that complexity Ed.
And neither is Putin, which is why he tried to unravel it with tanks.
By all means get into the complexities – astound us with something not pasted from RT for a change.
Have you read Patrick Cockburn on these matters?
I have.
Have you read John Pilger on these matters?
I have.
Have you read Robert Fisk on these matters?
I have.
Have you read Glenn Greenwald on these matters?
I have.
Have you read Eva Bartlett on these matters?
I have.
Have you read Craig Murray on these matters?
I have.
Have you read l Vanessa Beeley on these matters?
I have.
Ed, you’re in an environment now where reading and understanding something is a liability. This site is more and more being dominated by the sorts of people who would normally have only posted on Whaleoil or Kiwiblog, or spent their time ringing up Leighton Smith to agree with him.
I’m realising this.
Stuart Munro is an out and out bully boy.
He doesn’t debate, doesn’t actually read my links: he just attacks like a pit bull with lies about me.
I shall give up replying to him.
There is no point.
Good – on your bike you vile apologist for totalitarian dictators.
This excellent article I recommend to you Morrissey,
It is by Craig Murray. He is an author, broadcaster and human rights activist. He was British Ambassador to Uzbekistan from August 2002 to October 2004 and Rector of the University of Dundee from 2007 to 2010.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2018/07/detente-bad-cold-war-good/
Have you talked to real Ukranians Ed?
Have you read anyone outside your RT circle-jerk?
Because you don’t come across as being well-informed so much as a blatantly ignorant and partisan supporter of Putin’s military ambitions.
And Russia had no place meddling in US elections.
And yes there is plenty of evidence.
No there’s not. You can’t supply us with it, any more than the hapless and doomed Democratic Party “leaders” can.
lol we’ve got another one who’s been watching too much Rachel Maddow and CNN.
The embarrassingly bad Rachel Maddow is, sorry to say, a conspiracy theorist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t9dn2YjK7Y
Everyone knows it even your man t.rump. Didn’t you get the memo?
My man is Trump, is it? When did that happen?
Oh, I SEE now! If you point out the intellectual and moral bankruptcy of the Democrats and their media megaphones like Rachel Maddow, that makes you a Trump supporter.
Got it.
Check out who i replyed to fuckwit and apologise again.
Why are joe90, Munro and mars so anti Russia?
Why are they so angry?
And why are they make things up up what we say.
And to prove my point, I receive this hate speeech from Munro.
“Good – on your bike you vile apologist for totalitarian dictators.”
How does one respond without being banned?
Change your behaviour and apply your cynicism to Russia as well as the west. That might help.
I was asking Morrissey.
Ah yes. You needed reassurance rather than an actual suggestion.
“How does one respond”
Learn, you ignorant muppet.
Learn from the people occupied by the last Russian empire.
I was asking Morrissey.
I tend not to listen or learn from people who routinely abuse people for a differing point of view.
So you don’t listen to yourself.
You abuse me all the time.
Lay off the Putin boosting. This is not a Putin fan site.
Learn to make real arguments and learn a bit of 20th century history. Your position is no better than that of neo-Nazis.
Yes another ghastly comment from Munro.
Another piece of empty Ed echoing from Maui.
Got anything intelligent to say?
I guess not.
Maui, how would you respond to the litany of abuse Munro throws at me? Quite a list today. The most recent being a neoNazi.
I wish to avoid being banned and I want to keep sharing well written articles by journalists I respect.
Sorry, I don’t feel like reliving the cold war right now.
Not sure Ed, it has turned into quite a harsh winter with all this rhetoric flying around. Maybe just hunker down and wait them out.
Ok. Thank you for your usual kind words and wisdom.
You are a breath of fresh air and enlightenment on this site.
“Why are they so angry?”
Half a million murdered Chechens Ed. Can you tell me how many Georgians?
I’ll bet you don’t care enough to find out.
Because all your pretensions to progressive values are empty.
What’s wrong with all these people?
Surely Iraq in 2003 made them start to look at what their governments, ‘intelligence’ agencies and media told them with a touch of critical thinking and skepticism.
Yeah they should go to war and kill people eh ed.
You saw the link to US meddling in Ruusia’s elections in the 1990s.
Bill was so proud he bragged about it.
And of course US interference in other countries ‘ democratic processes – we ignore all that, don’t we.
And we beat the war drums……
Russia bad.
Putin bad.
Russia bad.
Putin bad.
Russia bad.
Putin bad……..
The three times daily beat of the Cold War drum……..
Michelle Wolf’s recruitment video for ICE.
https://youtu.be/dNF6sVurAuI
ICE is
Soros funds Soros.
Who’s funding Bannon?
LONDON—Steve Bannon plans to go toe-to-toe with George Soros and spark a right-wing revolution in Europe.
Trump’s former White House chief advisor told The Daily Beast that he is setting up a foundation in Europe called The Movement which he hopes will lead a right-wing populist revolt across the continent starting with the European Parliament elections next spring.
The non-profit will be a central source of polling, advice on messaging, data targeting, and think-tank research for a ragtag band of right-wingers who are surging all over Europe, in many cases without professional political structures or significant budgets.
Bannon’s ambition is for his organization ultimately to rival the impact of Soros’s Open Society, which has given away $32 billion to largely liberal causes since it was established in 1984.
Over the past year, Bannon has held talks with right-wing groups across the continent from Nigel Farage and members of Marine Le Pen’s Front National (recently renamed Rassemblement National) in the West, to Hungary’s Viktor Orban and the Polish populists in the East.
He envisions a right-wing “supergroup” within the European Parliament that could attract as many as a third of the lawmakers after next May’s Europe-wide elections. A united populist bloc of that size would have the ability to seriously disrupt parliamentary proceedings, potentially granting Bannon huge power within the populist movement.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-bannons-plan-to-hijack-europe-for-the-far-right
Soros
Thought provoking and worthy of a post.
“The Useful Altruists: How NGOs Serve Capitalism and Imperialism
Global imperialism doesn’t just give NGOs a reason to exist, but involves them actively in the project of imperialist domination.”
https://www.counterpunch.org/2015/10/20/the-useful-altruists-how-ngos-serve-capitalism-and-imperialism/
James Renwick tweets with reference to an article about Arizona.
“The water that we can’t see, the groundwater, is quietly disappearing.”
Capitalism + disregard for environmental limits = disaster. Is the Mackenzie any different?”
The New York Times article.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/19/magazine/the-water-wars-of-arizona.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fmagazine
A follows up tweet from Peter Harkess nail it.
“It’s almost as if our economic system will simply not allow humanity to avoid complete global catastrophe.”
We have a choice.
Capitalism or a sustainable planet.
Regional schedules out next week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85sAwnWVkL8
https://www.nziff.co.nz/2018/film/merata-how-mum-decolonised-the-screen/
The Wealthy business owner’s are having a tangi because there hoiho tripped up on the last leg of te race and ended up with ———- on there faces .
They poured te putea into backing this hoiho .
Business confidence has no correlation to economic performance its just a trick to get the .99% to let business get there way with employment laws that are inhumane.
The 90 day trial is a farce the employer can sack some one with no reason no paper work given .??????????????????? it could be because one is brown or many reason that have nothing to do with the employee work performance . It could be that the employer only wanted the employee for 89 days and did not tell the employee this because if he did the employee would not take the job as it would put them in hardship at the end of the job.
Employers think that employees are not human that they don’t deserve to be treated with respect and dignity . What they have to know is that employment is a major part of ones life and if one loses a job for bullshit reasons they are placing the employee in hardship they are placing the person whole whano in hardship. The hardship is even greater if your a Dairy-farm worker as you lose your house . But are it doesn’t matter they are not humans .
I my eyes employees should be treated like diamonds if you look after them and polish them the will make you putea if you don’t well you lose your daimond and your putea .
Yes I know there are some bad employees out there its up to the employer to find the correct employee and train them to be productive employees and a bit of polishing will go a long in improving the prospects of this relationship being positive for the employer and the employee. ANY WAY Eco Maori says the 90 day clause is a breach of the human rights act.
link is below ka kite ano
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/105665923/minister-says-campaign-against-labour-law-reform-is-deliberately-misleading
This is why I say the 90 day trial breaches the Human Rights ACT .
ACT 27 The rights to justices . When a employer can sack a employee without giving a written warning or reason in writing during the 90 day trial . This employment act breaches the employee rights to justice or a fair trial they can not defend there employment rights fairly if the employer does not give a written reason why they sacked the employee.
No written evidence and the employer can change the facts they uses to suit there dismissal of the employee employer wins case .Thats it in a karaka shell. link below. ka kite ano
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1990/0109/latest/DLM225529.html?search=sw_096be8ed80b62589_27_25_se&p=1&sr=1
Good evening Newshub Mike I will have to chose my words wisely .
Winston handles te media in his unique way he is Maori ka pai some will have
nightmares because of this fact. Who wants to get involved with that circus in America at the minute .
Condolences to the whanau of the boy who died in Tokomaru Bay of a heart attack .
With our homeless this is still the tsunami of the inhumane policy’s that national have imposed on us for the last nine years thats a fact . Helen Kelly will be smiling at the humane changes that the Coalition Government has made to our society ka pai.
One day our beaches could like the Cuban beaches if we keep putting our head in Papatuanuku on this subject of waste its everyones problem and we should all pay to get rubbish recycled in a sustainable way manufactures and consumers .
Ka kite ano
The Crowd Goes Wild James and Mulls Congratulations to our AllBlack 7 teams win in the Rugby Papatuanuku Cup Kia Kaha .
I will preform a Haka for one person I tautoko who is on the up.
Some people still have to learn to stop spraying on Eco Maori.
Mulls how the guys at the Rock Radio going I heard you when you first come back to the Rock you were a bit quite for the first 2 days then you got your hilarious mojoe going the first week I thought you were James till my Son in law corrected my mistake .
Ka kite ano i would not like those ear warmers
Not my team, speak for yourself.
Good morning Newshub The block Mark is a unfair contest to be fair each team should have one person who is qualified In a trade in the construction industry per team the way it is at the minute you have two teams with a big advantage over the other teams.
And that creates tensions was that the plan.
Aotearoa produces some of the best meat in Papatuanuku grass feed Meat has properties beneficial to the consumer . The animals get to live a life close to what they would in the wild they are less stressed =better meat quality less stress = more humane way of farming. I see some organization is still scare mongering saying meat prouduction is going to wreck our environment YEA RIGHT .. These studys are conducted in country’s were the have to irrigate grow harvest and feed the stock in feed lots . 1 This is not a natural environment for the animals 2 they have to use alot of carbon to produce this meat they probably have to pump the water from hundreds of miles away as well’.
Were as in Aotearoa most farms the wai falls from tawhiri for free the stock harvest the grass for free they get a wider variety of fodder . Producing meat in Aotearoa has a lot less carbon input and more humane that meat produced else were . And I know that Aotearoa farmers can reduce there carbon foot print they just need to be guided in correct direction to achieve that goal of lowering our farming foot print .
Its so hypercritical the Tsunami of home less people. people who are living in squalor mokopunas going hungry is still growing .This phenomenon has been created by nationals policy’s of the last nine years and they decide to kick sand in the common persons face who cares who these statements hurt so long as they mite get a lift in there poles so primitive .
The problem with OUR employment is wages to the common tangata has only risen by %50 in 30 years this is lower for contracted piece rates 30% mean while the cost of living has risen 300% .Rents were $60 now they are $400 to $600 so with these facts poking us in the eyes any intelligent person can predict from the math that there was going to be big problems but O tangata its better to rent than buy a house YEA RIGHT. Mark a common person most likely pays more tax than you they don’t have the fancy accountant that you have to minimizes your tax bill O we will not raise GST whose are those words . Ka kite ano .P.S I have been missing your right clawed guest Duncan I will sort them out in good time
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