I have to wonder what govt has to do when NZ hears today that despite what some people claimed was "impossible" only 6 farms out of 230 farms are left with Mycco Bovis saving $1.3 billion in exports Many in the affected sector still seems to have issues with the far-sighted approach by govt surely working with them has been proven to be the best was y forward for them & NZ
Once again, Jacinda and c/o listening to the science. Great results we are having from that. Expecting the various parties to be thankful? Well some are, but some … just the recalcitrant few diehards want to "Do it their way". Farmers are now leaning on their own to use NAIT . National Animal Identification Tracing.
Dilara’s entire family are model citizens. Her parents are also fluent Chinese speakers – slightly unusual for Uighurs of their generation. During the 1990s, they were among the only Uighurs working at a big, state-owned utility in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang.
Her mother had landed the coveted position because she was the top student at her school, which was almost entirely Han. Dilara grew up amongst Han Chinese, in a modern apartment complex in a desirable part of town. Like her mother, she was the top student in school, and attended a prestigious university on China’s east coast.
But then Dilara made a mistake. She moved to Turkey with her husband in 2015.Her mother came to visit, staying a year to help care for their newborn baby. When her mother returned to China in early 2018, she was told she needed “education”. Her passport was confiscated and she was imprisoned in an internment campfor nearly a year.
Since 2017, up to 1.8 million Uighurs and other Muslims have been held in what researcher Adrian Zenz calls “probably the largest incarceration of an ethno-religious minority since the Holocaust”. Many have been interned for reasons as trivial as wearing headscarves or long beards, declining to eat pork, or in the case of Dilara’s mother, having travelled abroad.Many of them, according to Dilara, have also had their assets seized.
Human rights investigators say an outright genocide is taking place. As Uighur men have disappeared into prison or forced labor compounds while mosques and other religious sites have been demolished, Uighur women are being forcibly sterilised, given abortions and IUDs. Many Uighurs abroad fear that speaking out will incur retaliation against their family members back home. For that reason, Dilara asked to use only her first name. Lawyers have filed evidence to the international criminal court calling on it to investigate senior Chinese officials, including Xi Jinping, for genocide and crimes against humanity.
As 2018 dragged on with no word of her mother’s whereabouts, Dilara’s anxiety mounted. Her relatives deleted her from their phones and a Han Chinese stranger moved into her 85-year-old grandmother’s house, part of a surveillance campaign that has sent more than a million Chinese citizens to occupy Uighur households. Her grandmother, Dilara learned later, would curse the man every day in Uighur, a language he couldn’t understand. “She wasn’t afraid, because she’s so old,” Dilara said.
Finally, after close to a year, Dilara received a message from an aunt: “She’s out.” Dilaraand her husband worked for Chinese companies in Turkey who had sent letters on the family’s behalf, “telling them we love China, we’re not bad people, and we’re not terrorists”.
What is most upsetting to Dilara – and what compels her to speak out – is that none of her Han Chinese friends know what is happening. During the year her mother was interned, she tried to tell her colleagues about the camps, but “they would always say, ‘No you must be wrong, that can’t be.’”. Her company paid for return trips to China every few months, and each time, her colleagues would ask why she wasn’t coming home too. “I kept telling them, we can’t go back, but they don’t believe me,” she said. To this day, Dilara thinks of herself as both Uighur and Chinese; the identities are not mutually exclusive.
Thanks for that info Dennis F. I had heard that something bad was going on but hadn't seen details. If enough people wrote to the Chinese asking why they don't let the people live freely as long as they are living good lives, would sheer weight of numbers have an affect I wonder? Like Amnesty International have done for years. It is so sad that people everywhere are so inventive in ways of being inhuman, and the leaders decide inhumanity is the most efficient way to treat other humans – but not themselves.
No, almost zero chance of any effect. The problem is a collective mentality combined with hegemony. Imperialism being recycled via communist ideology. Conformity is required by the system.
In ecosystems, biodiversity normally prevails and stabilises the system via mutual interactions. Hierarchies in nature are bounded by that holistic context. Our problem is the UN fails at such operational holism, allowing the monoculture in China to suppress biodiversity.
Our problem is the UN fails at such operational holism
The problem is that the UN and the international law it represents is voluntary and so some countries simply both even if they've signed on to being part of the UN.
But can you imagine the outcry from the US/China/Russia and permanent members of the UNSC if the UN was made mandatory and with the teeth to enforce international law? They all have, in one way or another, been breaking international law for decades.
It's a press release from the company developing the treatment, not a peer-reviewed independent report, and the sample size of 100 is small. But the claimed improvements in outcomes are much stronger than any other treatments, and delivering it as an aerosol (more or less like an inhaler) sounds simple and easy. So it's definitely one to watch.
That is what I'd expect to see first out of gate – a series of treatments to alleviate severe symptoms and death rates.
The front-leading vaccines are currently completing phase II testing. That is small trials testing that the vaccine candidate isn't immediately toxic, and that there are signs it may have something of the desired effect. Now they have the slower statistical study on efficiacy.
Clinical development is a three-phase process. During Phase I, small groups of people receive the trial vaccine. In Phase II, the clinical study is expanded and vaccine is given to people who have characteristics (such as age and physical health) similar to those for whom the new vaccine is intended. In Phase III, the vaccine is given to thousands of people and tested for efficacy and safety.
Many vaccines undergo Phase IV formal, ongoing studies after the vaccine is approved and licensed.
As Treetop says, the Oxford crowd appear to be getting particularly close.
The Phase III issue I'm most curious about is whether anybody jumps into the ethical minefield of doing challenge trials to accelerate finding out how effective their vaccine actually is. Then what the reaction might be if a group somewhere say in China or Russia 'proved' their vaccine was safe and effective using -ahem- involuntary challenge trials.
Well,well,well. Judith has been sent info from somebody accusing a Labour MP of SOMETHING, possibly INNAPROPRIATE She had passed info to Jacinda for her deal with. Cough. And so it begins.
The key exchange happens at around the seven minute mark., The question about Labour comes completely out of the blue. There was no reason to ask it unless he knew the answer would be "yes". Collins is not surprised or phased by the question at all and doesn't miss a beat before answering. Garner does not seem surprised or phased at all by the answer given. If you believe Garner wasn't told to ask that question, I have a bridge to sell you.
She was going to be heavily attacked today about the 'mental health' line both Falloon and herself peddled on Monday. It was a clear attempt to deceive in order to minimise the damage, but the media didn't agree and were to continue to question her on it.
Collin's says "I am not going to be indulging in any attacks on Labour on these things.” The hyppcrisy beggars belief. If the media doesn't pick up on this there's something extremely wrong.
Judith Collins told the media on the Monday (after receiving the info. from the PM’s Office the previous Friday) by way of announcing Falloon was stepping down at the election for mental health reasons. It subsequently changed when she learned the extent of his behaviour and he was effectively sacked.
There are some people who have mental consequences because of how serious historical complaints were not cleared up when a person took their complaint to their then MP, the then police minister, the then PM or the then minister of justice and the then police commissioners were incompetent.
This is not to say that the issue is serious and needs to be dealt with.
What is obvious, is the tactics have changed. Instead of tipping off a bottom feeding blogger, they are peddling dirt to a sympathetic, cash strapped TV show.
AND, Collins had to defend the observation she is putting it in the public domain. 'I was asked a question and I answered it…' type shenanagins.
I would like to know the date of the alleged incident and what action was taken by the complainant and if no action taken then there could be a reason e.g. loss of income, protecting family, a he said I said situation.
I would not hesitate in going to the PM or the current police commissioner with a current issue as I think they are honest and serving the public is a core belief.
Is this a credible allegation of “something or another”? If it is not a genuine case, Labour should not turn the other cheek yet again. The Boag, Woodhouse and ‘whites only’ Walker Covid playbook, surely has got the point through to Labour HQ–the Nats ARE out to get you!
The NZ National dirty tricks dept. never sleeps–it will be operating on twin turbo boost with nitrous until it exhumes or manufactures something that will stick.
Mrs Collins has been humiliated with a backbencher’s behaviour so egregious, and proven, as to be undeniable–she will not let that go–she will attempt to “pay back double” with lashings of caustic interest.
Nigel Latta needs to do a special episode of Beyond the Darklands dediciated to Collins. Her many disorders makes her closer to evil than anyone Latta's studied.
If Collins is really clever, she will have something that is substantiated, but will have no intention of letting the Prime Minister know what it is. Note that she has simply arranged to have some unspecified third party get in touch with Ardern. As to whether that person has any intention of doing so, or whether they even exist… who knows? At some point closer to the election, Collins could arrange to have some proxy release the information, and then say, "Remember when I said weeks ago that someone got hold of me with some information on a Labour minister? This was it, and look, the Prime Minister knew way back then, and she's done nothing about it." When the inevitable objection is raised that Ardern is only proven to have heard that there was something, but not what or in connection with whom, Collins could rejoin, "Well, I told her what I knew, if she's so incompetent or her ministers so untrustworthy that she can't get to the bottom of it, that's nothing to do with me."
If Collins were to pull that off convincingly, and the media were to play along, it wouldn't even really matter how serious the allegation was. The smear on the Prime Minister would stick. Of course, if Collins were too transparent about it, she would end up looking like as much of a dickhead as Boag, Falloon or Walker.
I have noticed Collins reactions to this whole saga are swinging back and forth. First it was a mental health issue and we must be respectful and back off. Then it was, he is a liar and I'm angry. Today, it's back to being a health issue and we were extremely concerned for his well being.
The inconsistency is shameful. What is being manipulated is shameful.
Collins was asked a direct question? Could she have confirmed in a better way without raising further questions?
Of course she could. She could have said that, as an electorate MP and National front-bencher, she is in constant receipt of various allegations, but that it is important always to do due diligence on the credibility of any claim before making it public in any way, and that it's seldom her place to put anything in the public domain unless it is directly related to government business or concerns members of her own caucus.
As above, my strong suspicion is that Garner was tipped off in advance about what the answer would be if he happened to ask that question. Stripped of any background context, it was a bizarre question to ask in circumstances where Collins has been leader of the National Party for less than a week. She would have been rightly left fuming if she had been asked that question out of the blue and had to answer "no".
If being an apologist for unacceptable practices is your thing, why not work for tobacco companies?
There are 100 ways for a seasoned MP to answer that question and shut down the line of enquiry. E.g., the time when Collins was being grilled about her time in China, trips to airports, sly visits etc
That is, IF the seasoned politician wanted to shut it down….
I'm not apologising for anyone, and I have always been staunchly against tobacco use (both my parents died of smoking related illnesses, emphysema and cancer and both deterred me from smoking) so that's an offensive comment.
There are a hundred ways for determined journalists to persist and to expose any half answers.
It's unsubstantiated speculation that Collins set up the question.
The Latin American countries of Ecuador and Uruguay, for example, have been pioneers of media reform in the 21st Century. These countries launched programs of media reform that challenged their previously corporatized and overwhelmingly right-leaning press. As a result, new community-based media thrived and the public square benefited from a greater diversity of points of views.
If media reform is possible in Latin America, then one can only wonder why it’s never been attempted in the US or UK, especially during previous Democratic or Labour party governments. The answer to this is that recent presidents and prime ministers from these parties (particularly Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and Tony Blair) were ideologically in support of neoliberal domestic policies and neoconservative foreign policies.
But guys, the reason leftist govts in western countries don't do media reform is because they want to defend the establishment against progress. If that isn't obvious to you by now, you really are a bunch of slow learners.
Ruling and exploiting society is only any good if the society remains functional to some extent. Trump is taking it too far even for the likes of our capitalist rulers.
Collins publicly passing on allegations. Fuck she is toxic and undeniably delving into Dirty Politics. Isn’t Brownlee head of their newSecret Service disinformation division?
So now I can send the leader of the opposition a letter alleging something about the behaviour of one of her MPs, tell leaders of other parties I've done that, let one media person know and it's all on?
Yeah I get that there will be some shit thrown back at Labour, and of course Collins is going to publicise it being the dick she is. However there is a principle of not being there in the first place. – ie keeping above the level and genuine integrity. Hopefully it is not substantiated but I will be seriously pissed off with any Labour MP who thinks they are so entitled that they think they can get away with stuff. FFS they have one job – to keep their noses clean and carry on doing the good work they are doing and support their awesome leader and not give her any frigging shit to deal with
That is true. There can be and will be MP's on the lefter side of politics who do the wrong thing – and let progressives everywhere down in the process. As individuals we can control that and reduce our exposure to dirty dealings of the right.
Lenore I suggest that you don't emote about something before you know it has happened, and get full details of it. There is plenty to be concerned about that is definitely happening. Try reading Dennis Frank's comment on the Chinese treatment of Uighurs at 2 above. Now that breaks my heart and should also concern you. So why not think about the real problems in the world. Labour being called out for some possibly slanderous infraction should not be a reason to create negativity about the Party which is doing well in trying times.
This is a dead cat on the table moment no doubt organised by Crosby Textor and Topham Guerin to take away the blow-torch which was on Judith for the deceitful way she treated the Andrew Fallon mental health claim.
Yesterday even Duplicity-Allen didn’t buy that story.
This is National Party Dirty Politics continuing apace. It never really stopped, did it.
I would say it was cooked up by some Nat lackeys who arranged for someone to report something directly to Collins who would have been left out of the loop to enable plausible deniability when the shit hit the fan.
I'm picking Chris Bish or M Woodhouse to be secret informer. Followed by Homeless Man, who seems to be quite sneaky. If none of the above has to be a Young Nat.
There’s a chronic leaker in Dunedin. Apparently, somebody tipped off Judith Collins that David Clark allegedly has been spotted riding a bike in his backyard wearing lycra.
"I have complete faith in my officials" They come across as really nice people.
Oh shit, maybe I shouldn't have unquestioning faith in my officials:
"That message should have been brought to my attention. It wasn't. That does not meet my expectations and I've made that clear." ….. not withstanding previous examples such as all those "scummy" people; demographic spreadsheets; "we have enough Labour Inspectors"; under-resourcing; "Kaiser Smol"; curvy screens; failed restructures, etc., etc…….
Never mind! Once again, Jacinda to the rescue:
"What I can assure anyone potentially involved in a case is regardless of whether they are present or not we have a track record of pursuing cases where there is exploitation of workers regardless of whether or not they are able to testify in court."
(That's of course if we decide to pursue a case in the first place)
Great to hear all your thoughts about this. Just listening to RNZ feedback and people saying that this is dirty politics and the difference about Jacinda not going public and Judith mentioning it in the media.
How come this scuttlebutt becomes top priority? We have plenty of other things concerning us. The country can't be put on hold every time someone is accused of an obscene gesture, or says something inappropriate.
James identifies their tactic of `ankle-tapping'. But if you have a political party that was designed as reactionary, why wouldn't they default to reacting? Being pro-active in signalling their response at the start of policy development is ideal, and I see James as coming from that position, but I recall checking out the NZF website a long time ago and not encountering any policy. Conservatives just defend the status quo!
On Farrar's blog on Sunday he was suppressing a few posts and later posters & from the gleeful tone of the tiny bits that were left it did not seem to be about the Falloon upheaval.
Sounded more like an unsubstantiated 'scandal'/dirt or what qualifies as dirt in Nats' eyes, to do with Labour. Mind you with them it is a bit of shock horror still to have an PM who was pregnant and gave birth while still being PM.
What was Falloon doing in 2014? How many of those young nats of 2014 are now in parliament? If they got away with that behaviour then, they must surely believe they can do it now.
This is an old comment but has anything really changed? When national mps try to tell me that Falloon’s behaviour is not their party’s values or mps’ values or their favoured bloggers’ values, they are spinning.
I must read Dirty Politics again – renew my understanding of something I hoped might not be happening in 2020.
Judith Collins has not changed her attack culture. Good to see that proved. New Zealanders need to see it anew. Nat acquaintances now saying they forgot her history; I remind them. And now, so is Judith Collins.
"There is speculation that Lees-Galloway has already resigned. He has deleted his Twitter account."
Jacinda appears to be acting quickly. That is good. If the "crime" is serious then he will not stand at the next election. Wonder if these behaviours have always been in Parliament but out of sight?
There has been "speculation" for a while. Rumours both true and false
JA has handled this well. extremely well
There are further questions of course …… such as how the matter has been handled with "the agency" itself, and whether or not the incident has had any effect on the way they operate 'ethically'.
Jacinda did a brilliant job. May be we should question whether men should be in politics at all, they do let their hormones run away with them. I do worry when I get on a plane with a male pilot – will they be ok? Men have historically had a great difficulty dealing with complexity and I know we are all for equal rights, but scientific studies do show… 🙂
He he I've wondered that myself. Plus should they pay higher tax to offset the costs of police, corrections, justice which are consumed pretty much by males?
Not only should there be a cabinet manual, but probably a cabinet crib sheet. It could include various 'demographic profiles' like
1. If you are a male who is possibly going through your mid-life crisis ………..
Various DOs and DONT's like
– get a prostitute and pay well (not on the taxpayer), or if you don't fit the 'straight' profile, then go to the Tory Street Temple (because what plays in Vegas, stays in Vegas – unless there's a fire alarm, in which case all bets are off)
– Never get a taxi with your bit of fluff, and if you do need transport, better a friend or even an UBER or OLA because chances are it'll all be kept within the community, even though you have been a party to allowing most of them to be ripped off.
– etc.
2. If you are a male who has campaigned on the importance of "the family"……..
-etc.
I'm not sure I'm an expert though. I seem to be the only person I know that wasn't "shocked" and horrified at Todd Muller's resignation (after having witnessed his managerial brilliance) in the Bay of Plentyness.
The senior ranks of the Public Service of course would need something similar.
Collins did not manage her first as Leader in Question very well yesterday.
Today she will try to embarrass Jacinda with this question:
1. Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement that “when we’re talking about infrastructure, it’s not just about the projects we in the Government are responsible for, we also have the opportunity to partner with communities, with iwi and local government. That’s what the $2.6 billion worth of shovel-ready projects we announced earlier this week were all about”?
JC , like a jack-in-the-box, will run to the media again with a new thought tomorrow, pose with her flirty "finger guns" and announce a new ' tough on crime' policy….. the stoning of adulterers
Speaking to reporters outside the House, Seymour said Peters was simply repeating "sleazy, baseless innuendo saying things that never happened" in the House.
"I categorically deny involvement in that leak – I had nothing to do with it."
He said that Morton did not give him information and he did not pass on any information, as alleged by Peters in the House.
"The reason this accusation is being made is we're in a personal relationship – he's abusing that fact and I think that's a new low for New Zealand politics."
Seymour said Peters is struggling in the polls and is "finished and is now trying to drag other people down with him".
"Winston Peters is a desperate man making it up and in this case, telling lies."
He said he didn't know anything about Peters superannuation payments until they hit headlines.
As I understand the legal process he may struggle to use new information on an appeal. Especially as here he seems to be claiming that someone other than the five people he took to court were guilty – that effectively would confirm he got his original case wrong.
He could take Morton and Seymour and Watkins and Farrar to court in a separate case perhaps. but I think all Peters is targeting at the moment is the election.
If the appeal is part of the election campaign it could be the most expensive after National’s ‘Lose Yourself’ one. How stupid naive is WP when it comes to legal affairs, in your opinion?
I don't know in general, but he seems to have really botched his legal action against Bennett, Tolley, Hughes, Boyle and the Ministry of Social Development.
Even if he somehow manages to successfully appeal the $320k costs he can't recover what it has cost him directly.
He has admitted he had the wrong people in court.
And I'm sure he can't substitute five defendants for another however many people he claims were actually guilty in an appeal. If he proves it was someone else it proves his original court action was flawed.
He will be able to argue that the level of costs is overstated, and that ultimately the MSD was responsible for the information being leaked due to their negligence in providing the information outside of the allowed usage. Basically the MSD should pay much of the costs for the consequences of their actions as a legal entity. Offhand I think that he has a far better case against the costs than he had in trying to identify the perpetrator of the leak.
I suspect that there are quite a lot of grounds to argue on. Especially as this is a civil rather than a criminal case and one that has a high public interest component. I don’t know about you, but if I had someone leaking any private information about me from the MSD of IRD or MOH or anywhere, then I’d start by considering how to abolish that part of the public service and making everyone there unemployable – then I’d work down to how I could run the vendetta to get close to that objective.
There is essentially no difference between this and Hager winning a case against the banks for passing out information to the police without going through the mandated procedures like getting a production order from the court.
and that ultimately the MSD was responsible for the information being leaked due to their negligence in providing the information outside of the allowed usage.
MSD has played a large part in this whole business.
I'm not sure that Peters has a great chance of success on the appeal – the evidential difficulties in proving who leaked the information to news media remain. There remains some hope for Peters, the High Court judge was very close to finding that even release of Peters' name to the ministers by the relevant departmental chief executives was improper, but determined that in the circumstances of the case, with close proximity to an investigation of another Member of Parliament, Metiria Turei, there was a heightened need for the minister to be informed.
He addresses another issue:
But there is another aspect of this case that concerns me today. Peters lost and as usually happens when someone loses a civil claim in New Zealand, the Court ordered that the party that lost make a contribution towards the legal fees of the party that succeeded. In this case, Peters was ordered to pay around $320,000. He wasn't ordered to pay all of the defendants' costs, which are likely to have been substantially higher.
This is an utterly ridiculous sum. The numbers don't surprise me: I know that litigation is expensive, but the legal system should be embarrassed that a claim of this nature, even one that was ultimately unsuccessful, could result in the losing party being ordered to pay so exorbitant a sum.
Now, Peters' claim was probably more complex than most civil claims. There were five defendants and three sets of lawyers. And while it's well short of the most complex commercial disputes, an eight-day civil trial is relatively lengthy. But still. $320,000 in costs covering only some of the expense incurred in defending the claim shows how expensive legal action has become. A $320,000 bill would be ruinous for most people, without even taking account of the costs of taking the action, and given the finding that Peters' privacy was breached, and the Court accepts it was (albeit Peters was unable to prove by whom).
Equally, of course, people defending claims shouldn't be put in the position where they have to spend ruinously large sums either (although, in this case, the defence was government-funded).
The court system should not be so hideously expensive that it is beyond the reach of ordinary people. And it clearly is. This isn't the only case where this is apparent.
You know how expensive court cases can be when someone pursues an agenda with an absence of adequate evidence.
Peters may have also been using the cost of litigation as a way of punishing those he thought responsible.
There is another way he could have tried to fix the no surprises problem.
There is another option, of course: the no surprises principle isn't "law" – it's simply stated in the Cabinet Manual, which Cabinet could change. Peters is the deputy prime minister, and a member of Cabinet: and as he didn't have success in the Courts in vindicating his rights, he could push for it to be changed for the rest of us. That wouldn't fix the breach of privacy that occurred in his case, but it would hopefully make similar breaches less likely in the future.
That would be for the good of the country, but Peters seems more intent on his own good regardless of the costs to the country.
Peters may have also been using the cost of litigation as a way of punishing those he thought responsible.
Unlikely, as far as I am aware all of the parties apart from Peters were lawyer-ed up using the taxpayer as the funding agency. It would appear that the only person at risk of financial damage was Peters. Which makes the premise of your argument look ridiculous.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters must pay the Crown $317,818 in legal costs connected to his failed privacy case against top public servants, a ministry and two former National ministers.
The High Court has ordered Peters to pay close to the full amount sought by the Crown on a scale of costs used by the courts – but it is understood the full bill to the taxpayer is around $1.07 million.
And the New Zealand First leader's debt to the Crown is higher than it might have been because he had turned down an offer from Crown lawyers to end his action against the two top public servants, State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes and former Ministry of Social Development chief executive Brendan Boyle.
The point is that the disclosure of the private information appears to have only had one source – it was disclosed from the MSD. Almost certainly leaked through ministerial disclosures one way or another.
That means that the MSD violated its commitments. I'm pretty sure that the crown isn't allowed to do that for any reason that isn't part of legislation – which none of this appears to have been. Needless to say there has been no-one held accountable for this breach. Indeed, so far the courts appear to have been giving a license for public servants to disclose whatever information that they wish, without being given explicit permission to do so – provided there is a minister in the route.
I'm pretty sure that the supreme court will have some issues with that. I know that I damn well do.
I'd be very surprised given that Collins referred the supplier of information to Ardern.
And I'd be very surprised if Collins does anything that would directly connect her to Slater now. That would be political madness, and I think she's smart enough to know that. As far as I have observed she's kept a distance at least on political matters since 2014.
By the sound of things the information about ILG could have come from any number of sources, given how it seems to have been common knowledge in journalist circles for months.
I've seen it mentioned but can't remember where.
Do you think that Ardern nor her office knew nothing about it until alerted by Collins?
"I'd be very surprised given that Collins referred the supplier of information to Ardern."
Don't you think this is just part of Collins trying to look uninvolved and completely blameless? How do you explain Garner's patsy question? How can you "observe" whether Collins and Slater haven't been communicating since 2014? There's no way they wouldn't be communicating and every reason for them to hide that commincation. These people aren't the type to be scared off by Hager's book. Regardless of anything they will continue to do exactly what they do, and the only thing that changes are their methods of attempting to remain undetected and to look squeaky clean.
I think Slater would easily have masked his involvement in this issue; after all, he's well-practiced in deception, as you know. Collins and Slater are besties; their relationship won't have ended because the muggles got a sniff of it, Pete! Or do you reckon they're playing fair now
Do you think that Ardern only found out about it when advised by Collins this week? Surely senior MPs would keep her informed of possible problems in the ranks.
It now appears that Collins has played politics timed for effect, but Ardern may also be guilty of that.
Please tell me which iconic PM came in to Government and instantly dismissed all MPs in their party who were known to be having illicit sex.
Your attempt at equating Jacinda and Judith fails. Jacinda has obviously tried to do the minimum, and refrain. Judith appears to have introduced old material at the time she wanted, and used a patsy question from Garner to publicise the thing in a way that Jacinda did not. Judith could have told Garner that it was not appropriate for her to give any details, which I believe Jacinda would have done. But Judith did not.
It may well be that Garner was primed, that's very common in politics. It happened to me in one of my first political interviews (a lame attempt to embarrass me on local TV by Te Reo Putake as it happens).
But it really didn't make any difference. Ardern says she had already dumped ILG the day before. So why had she not advised the public? Organising PR and timing to suit her? She seems to have been playing the public as much as Collins.
Lame? It worked a treat! You looked like a possum in the headlights, Pete.
However, as I believe I said at the time, you at least had the courage of your convictions and put yourself forward for election. That's very much to your credit.
Didn't John Key steal a pebble from Antarctica and pretend he had forgotten he picked it up? Like the rest of his past and current stable of 'privileged' mps and pretend bipartisan supporters, no morals, no integrity.
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Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
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Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
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The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
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With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
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I have to wonder what govt has to do when NZ hears today that despite what some people claimed was "impossible" only 6 farms out of 230 farms are left with Mycco Bovis saving $1.3 billion in exports Many in the affected sector still seems to have issues with the far-sighted approach by govt surely working with them has been proven to be the best was y forward for them & NZ
Once again, Jacinda and c/o listening to the science. Great results we are having from that. Expecting the various parties to be thankful? Well some are, but some … just the recalcitrant few diehards want to "Do it their way". Farmers are now leaning on their own to use NAIT . National Animal Identification Tracing.
The RNZ vox pops about Collins yesterday said "we will always vote National here, we're farmers", & that is that. Well I thank Labour on their behalf.
Guardian provides an insight into China's concentration camps: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/21/the-perfect-uighur-outgoing-and-hard-working-but-still-not-safe-from-chinas-camps
Thanks for that info Dennis F. I had heard that something bad was going on but hadn't seen details. If enough people wrote to the Chinese asking why they don't let the people live freely as long as they are living good lives, would sheer weight of numbers have an affect I wonder? Like Amnesty International have done for years. It is so sad that people everywhere are so inventive in ways of being inhuman, and the leaders decide inhumanity is the most efficient way to treat other humans – but not themselves.
No, almost zero chance of any effect. The problem is a collective mentality combined with hegemony. Imperialism being recycled via communist ideology. Conformity is required by the system.
In ecosystems, biodiversity normally prevails and stabilises the system via mutual interactions. Hierarchies in nature are bounded by that holistic context. Our problem is the UN fails at such operational holism, allowing the monoculture in China to suppress biodiversity.
The problem is that the UN and the international law it represents is voluntary and so some countries simply both even if they've signed on to being part of the UN.
But can you imagine the outcry from the US/China/Russia and permanent members of the UNSC if the UN was made mandatory and with the teeth to enforce international law? They all have, in one way or another, been breaking international law for decades.
This shit has been on liveleak and other sites (reddit) for years. Not sure why it's coming to light now when no one cared before.
Because China is now regarded as bad whereas before they were seen as the engine of the world by world leaders.
It isn't that China has changed but that the view of the world leaders has.
Possible progress on treating COVID and reducing the number of moderate cases that become severe or deadly cases:
https://www.sciencealert.com/promising-new-covid-19-treatment-slashed-death-risk-in-randomised-trial
It's a press release from the company developing the treatment, not a peer-reviewed independent report, and the sample size of 100 is small. But the claimed improvements in outcomes are much stronger than any other treatments, and delivering it as an aerosol (more or less like an inhaler) sounds simple and easy. So it's definitely one to watch.
This is the sort of break through which is required. Also the Oxford vaccine is looking the most promising.
The UK appears to be the front runner in treatment and a vaccine.
That is what I'd expect to see first out of gate – a series of treatments to alleviate severe symptoms and death rates.
The front-leading vaccines are currently completing phase II testing. That is small trials testing that the vaccine candidate isn't immediately toxic, and that there are signs it may have something of the desired effect. Now they have the slower statistical study on efficiacy.
American CDC says it more concisely..
As Treetop says, the Oxford crowd appear to be getting particularly close.
The Phase III issue I'm most curious about is whether anybody jumps into the ethical minefield of doing challenge trials to accelerate finding out how effective their vaccine actually is. Then what the reaction might be if a group somewhere say in China or Russia 'proved' their vaccine was safe and effective using -ahem- involuntary challenge trials.
https://sptnkne.ws/DcUX
Russias on the verge
Here's a really good overview of rare-earth elements – what they are, what they do, where they are found, recycling challenges …
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/07/are-we-ready-to-recycle-the-rare-earths-behind-an-energy-revolution/
Well,well,well. Judith has been sent info from somebody accusing a Labour MP of SOMETHING, possibly INNAPROPRIATE She had passed info to Jacinda for her deal with. Cough. And so it begins.
That was inevitable. Tit for tat response.
Note: Judith Collins puts it out into the public arena. Jacinda Ardern did not do that.
Who is the leader with integrity?
Spot on, Anne.
Collins trying to have her cake and eat it too.
Copying the Prime Ministers actions… but couldn't help herself and has to Blah Blah during her media rounds.
Feels very familiar, seemingly arms distance from the story enough but up to her eyeballs in it.
Dirty Politics 2.0.
Yep. Collins clearly dealing in Dirty Politics here. Fed the line to Garner who obliged for the sake of his ratings.
Despite her protestations she would not get involved, she already is in the thick of it.
Watch the whole interview here. – https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/07/nz-election-2020-judith-collins-claims-to-have-received-tip-off-about-labour-minister-passed-to-prime-minister.html
The key exchange happens at around the seven minute mark., The question about Labour comes completely out of the blue. There was no reason to ask it unless he knew the answer would be "yes". Collins is not surprised or phased by the question at all and doesn't miss a beat before answering. Garner does not seem surprised or phased at all by the answer given. If you believe Garner wasn't told to ask that question, I have a bridge to sell you.
The rest of the media need to be asking serious questions of Mr Garner.
Hopefully he'll be looking for work soon.
Watched it. Ugh. She couldn’t even brush the hair out of her eyes.
Garner says “ministers” first, then corrects himself to include MPs…
The whole thing was staged, Collins was humiliated yesterday in Parliament by Adern, the whole house erupted into laughter, Collins was not impressed
Payback time from Collins.
We'll have to wait and see if there's any substance to her claims
She's in a very risky situation if it's found to be baseless.
Is she just digging a deeper hole for herself and the party..
She was going to be heavily attacked today about the 'mental health' line both Falloon and herself peddled on Monday. It was a clear attempt to deceive in order to minimise the damage, but the media didn't agree and were to continue to question her on it.
So, time for the dead cat.
Collin's says "I am not going to be indulging in any attacks on Labour on these things.” The hyppcrisy beggars belief. If the media doesn't pick up on this there's something extremely wrong.
How did the Falloon story reach the media?
Judith Collins told the media on the Monday (after receiving the info. from the PM’s Office the previous Friday) by way of announcing Falloon was stepping down at the election for mental health reasons. It subsequently changed when she learned the extent of his behaviour and he was effectively sacked.
But I think you know this EiE so why ask?
Thanks Anne
A case of pay back double?
Depends what the allegation is???
There are some people who have mental consequences because of how serious historical complaints were not cleared up when a person took their complaint to their then MP, the then police minister, the then PM or the then minister of justice and the then police commissioners were incompetent.
This is not to say that the issue is serious and needs to be dealt with.
What is obvious, is the tactics have changed. Instead of tipping off a bottom feeding blogger, they are peddling dirt to a sympathetic, cash strapped TV show.
AND, Collins had to defend the observation she is putting it in the public domain. 'I was asked a question and I answered it…' type shenanagins.
This is the sort of break through which is required. Also the Oxford vaccine is looking the most promising.
The UK appears to be the front runner in treatment and a vaccine.
Please remove 5.2.1.1 as a duplicate. Error at my end which I do not fully understand.
What for the National Party recalibrating the campaign agenda & moving on from Falloon ?
And you’re suggesting the best way for the Nats to sooth voter concerns about Falloon’s behaviour is via the upcoming Oxford vaccine ?
I would like to know the date of the alleged incident and what action was taken by the complainant and if no action taken then there could be a reason e.g. loss of income, protecting family, a he said I said situation.
I would not hesitate in going to the PM or the current police commissioner with a current issue as I think they are honest and serving the public is a core belief.
Is this a credible allegation of “something or another”? If it is not a genuine case, Labour should not turn the other cheek yet again. The Boag, Woodhouse and ‘whites only’ Walker Covid playbook, surely has got the point through to Labour HQ–the Nats ARE out to get you!
The NZ National dirty tricks dept. never sleeps–it will be operating on twin turbo boost with nitrous until it exhumes or manufactures something that will stick.
Mrs Collins has been humiliated with a backbencher’s behaviour so egregious, and proven, as to be undeniable–she will not let that go–she will attempt to “pay back double” with lashings of caustic interest.
Nigel Latta needs to do a special episode of Beyond the Darklands dediciated to Collins. Her many disorders makes her closer to evil than anyone Latta's studied.
I’ve heard they caught a homeless Labour MP man staying in a quarantine hotel for a holiday! Woodhouse told me.
Here's the link.
Collins has failed already by telling the media
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12349898
If Stuff reports this I'll withdrawl my funding, I don't want my hard earned going towards DP.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300062623/judith-collins-claims-to-have-tipoff-about-labour-minister
IFL Thats where I read the first story, and then checked other news outlets and all the RW media are spreading it like the Corona virus
Yeah stuff 'em, I work too hard to pay for that crap.
If Collins is really clever, she will have something that is substantiated, but will have no intention of letting the Prime Minister know what it is. Note that she has simply arranged to have some unspecified third party get in touch with Ardern. As to whether that person has any intention of doing so, or whether they even exist… who knows? At some point closer to the election, Collins could arrange to have some proxy release the information, and then say, "Remember when I said weeks ago that someone got hold of me with some information on a Labour minister? This was it, and look, the Prime Minister knew way back then, and she's done nothing about it." When the inevitable objection is raised that Ardern is only proven to have heard that there was something, but not what or in connection with whom, Collins could rejoin, "Well, I told her what I knew, if she's so incompetent or her ministers so untrustworthy that she can't get to the bottom of it, that's nothing to do with me."
If Collins were to pull that off convincingly, and the media were to play along, it wouldn't even really matter how serious the allegation was. The smear on the Prime Minister would stick. Of course, if Collins were too transparent about it, she would end up looking like as much of a dickhead as Boag, Falloon or Walker.
I have noticed Collins reactions to this whole saga are swinging back and forth. First it was a mental health issue and we must be respectful and back off. Then it was, he is a liar and I'm angry. Today, it's back to being a health issue and we were extremely concerned for his well being.
The inconsistency is shameful. What is being manipulated is shameful.
Collins was asked a direct question? Could she have confirmed in a better way without raising further questions? Hard to see how.
Or should she have lied?
If it was later revealed she had been informed and lied about it publicly she would probably have been damned as well.
Of course she could. She could have said that, as an electorate MP and National front-bencher, she is in constant receipt of various allegations, but that it is important always to do due diligence on the credibility of any claim before making it public in any way, and that it's seldom her place to put anything in the public domain unless it is directly related to government business or concerns members of her own caucus.
As above, my strong suspicion is that Garner was tipped off in advance about what the answer would be if he happened to ask that question. Stripped of any background context, it was a bizarre question to ask in circumstances where Collins has been leader of the National Party for less than a week. She would have been rightly left fuming if she had been asked that question out of the blue and had to answer "no".
If being an apologist for unacceptable practices is your thing, why not work for tobacco companies?
There are 100 ways for a seasoned MP to answer that question and shut down the line of enquiry. E.g., the time when Collins was being grilled about her time in China, trips to airports, sly visits etc
That is, IF the seasoned politician wanted to shut it down….
I'm not apologising for anyone, and I have always been staunchly against tobacco use (both my parents died of smoking related illnesses, emphysema and cancer and both deterred me from smoking) so that's an offensive comment.
There are a hundred ways for determined journalists to persist and to expose any half answers.
It's unsubstantiated speculation that Collins set up the question.
It looks like we may find out more at 11 am.
Her bloody comment has so far been unsubstantiated! Hence the bouncing cat.
Any reasonably intelligent person can see that was a set up.
You are being wilfully blind to body-language and context here.
I haven't seen body language, only verbal and printed reports.
I'm aware that body language perceptions in politics can be affected by partisan bias.
Perhaps you'd better take a look at it. Impartially if at all possible.
I took the time to.
It would only be an offensive comment if gsays knew the background of your parents but he/she didn't know so it is not offensive.
Indeed. Pete George doesn't have the right to be offended by that one.
I think I have a right to be offended by whatever offends me.
Having a right and being right are still two completely different things, Pete. You’re a tad unreasonable.
With rights, come responsibilities.
Perhaps, if you are truly offended by my comments, maybe you have a responsibility to not participate in discussions playing devil's advocate.
Neocons for Biden! The Canary muses upon Rupert Murdoch's heir donating to the Dem. https://www.thecanary.co/us/us-analysis/2020/07/18/murdoch-family-mobilizes-behind-joe-biden-and-its-not-the-first-time-pseudo-progressives-have-courted-the-corporate-media/
But guys, the reason leftist govts in western countries don't do media reform is because they want to defend the establishment against progress. If that isn't obvious to you by now, you really are a bunch of slow learners.
Ruling and exploiting society is only any good if the society remains functional to some extent. Trump is taking it too far even for the likes of our capitalist rulers.
Collins publicly passing on allegations. Fuck she is toxic and undeniably delving into Dirty Politics. Isn’t Brownlee head of their newSecret Service disinformation division?
The PM did the right thing over the Falloon issue, ignoring it was not an option.
I have it from an impeccable source that Jucov’s informant is the homeless man.
So now I can send the leader of the opposition a letter alleging something about the behaviour of one of her MPs, tell leaders of other parties I've done that, let one media person know and it's all on?
In best Judith tone: "Just saying."
Yeah I get that there will be some shit thrown back at Labour, and of course Collins is going to publicise it being the dick she is. However there is a principle of not being there in the first place. – ie keeping above the level and genuine integrity. Hopefully it is not substantiated but I will be seriously pissed off with any Labour MP who thinks they are so entitled that they think they can get away with stuff. FFS they have one job – to keep their noses clean and carry on doing the good work they are doing and support their awesome leader and not give her any frigging shit to deal with
What 'stuff' is this Labour Minister supposed to have gotten away with?
That is true. There can be and will be MP's on the lefter side of politics who do the wrong thing – and let progressives everywhere down in the process. As individuals we can control that and reduce our exposure to dirty dealings of the right.
Lenore I suggest that you don't emote about something before you know it has happened, and get full details of it. There is plenty to be concerned about that is definitely happening. Try reading Dennis Frank's comment on the Chinese treatment of Uighurs at 2 above. Now that breaks my heart and should also concern you. So why not think about the real problems in the world. Labour being called out for some possibly slanderous infraction should not be a reason to create negativity about the Party which is doing well in trying times.
Did National leak the allegation to Mediaworks ?
They certainly did.
This is a dead cat on the table moment no doubt organised by Crosby Textor and Topham Guerin to take away the blow-torch which was on Judith for the deceitful way she treated the Andrew Fallon mental health claim.
Yesterday even Duplicity-Allen didn’t buy that story.
This is National Party Dirty Politics continuing apace. It never really stopped, did it.
I would say it was cooked up by some Nat lackeys who arranged for someone to report something directly to Collins who would have been left out of the loop to enable plausible deniability when the shit hit the fan.
She was very sure of her answer. Almost scripted. She's good, but not that good.
No proof they did obviously, but the proposition that Garner decided to ask that question apropros of nothing off his own bat is very hard to believe.
Druncan needs to be asked directly.
On second thoughts it would be better if thousands contacted all party leaders with accusations.
I was contacted recently about an MP and his attitude. I can't say anything more about who it was or the behaviour……….
Walks out the door…….
I'm picking Chris Bish or M Woodhouse to be secret informer. Followed by Homeless Man, who seems to be quite sneaky. If none of the above has to be a Young Nat.
Precisely. Whoever it is would've been waiting for Collins' call: "I'm ready for that tip-off now, cheers, JC."
Oh yes lets do that.
Dear Judith
My mother's brother's cousin's uncle's mechanic told of some stuff about a Labour MP
You want?
Lotsa love etc
p.s.
What're you paying?
There’s a chronic leaker in Dunedin. Apparently, somebody tipped off Judith Collins that David Clark allegedly has been spotted riding a bike in his backyard wearing lycra.
That's stretching it.
Excellent!
Can't be Mamil – he's now based in Nelson.
Episode 4: ‘We are black … we are human beings’
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/we-are-blackwe-are-human-beings
"I have complete faith in my officials"
"I have complete faith in my officials"
"I have complete faith in my officials" They come across as really nice people.
Oh shit, maybe I shouldn't have unquestioning faith in my officials:
"That message should have been brought to my attention. It wasn't. That does not meet my expectations and I've made that clear." ….. not withstanding previous examples such as all those "scummy" people; demographic spreadsheets; "we have enough Labour Inspectors"; under-resourcing; "Kaiser Smol"; curvy screens; failed restructures, etc., etc…….
Never mind! Once again, Jacinda to the rescue:
"What I can assure anyone potentially involved in a case is regardless of whether they are present or not we have a track record of pursuing cases where there is exploitation of workers regardless of whether or not they are able to testify in court."
(That's of course if we decide to pursue a case in the first place)
Great to hear all your thoughts about this. Just listening to RNZ feedback and people saying that this is dirty politics and the difference about Jacinda not going public and Judith mentioning it in the media.
The PM is calling an unexpected news conference re the allegation about a Labour Minister. How do we know where/when that will be?
How come this scuttlebutt becomes top priority? We have plenty of other things concerning us. The country can't be put on hold every time someone is accused of an obscene gesture, or says something inappropriate.
If the allegation turns out to be nothing Collins will be really in the pooh.
If it is serious then it will be a distraction away from Collins. The PM calling a conference means she will front it and deal with it straight away.
In a four-minute interview, Hosking discusses `working with NZF' with Greens co-leader: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/video.cfm?c_id=280&gal_cid=280&gallery_id=222293
James identifies their tactic of `ankle-tapping'. But if you have a political party that was designed as reactionary, why wouldn't they default to reacting? Being pro-active in signalling their response at the start of policy development is ideal, and I see James as coming from that position, but I recall checking out the NZF website a long time ago and not encountering any policy. Conservatives just defend the status quo!
TV, radio or other?
Kathryn said that they will broadcast it on RNZ. May be on TV as well?
Channel 50 is my pick as it is the RNZ channel.
If its a press conference it will include all of them.
On Farrar's blog on Sunday he was suppressing a few posts and later posters & from the gleeful tone of the tiny bits that were left it did not seem to be about the Falloon upheaval.
Sounded more like an unsubstantiated 'scandal'/dirt or what qualifies as dirt in Nats' eyes, to do with Labour. Mind you with them it is a bit of shock horror still to have an PM who was pregnant and gave birth while still being PM.
Hmmmm. So my reading between the lines Farrar's concern on Sunday was about Labour and not Nat upheaval.
All sides need to get together with their leaders and say is there anything you need to let us know.
This is distracting from the release and discussion of policies.
Barry Soper just said on ZB that he understands the minister is iain lees galloway
Looking forward to 11am
Do you need a bib, James?
Annnnnd he’s gone.
Bye bye iain
as reported by one news on Twitter.
Rapidly cauterized, that.
Yep, he passed his used-by date around 18 months ago. A disaster just waiting to happen. Will be missed about as much as that other incompetent Clark.
Just leaves Twyford the remaining dead wood to be cleared out.
So Barry Soper is a Judith Collins gnome. Thanks for that.
http://thehandmirror.blogspot.com/2014/08/national-party-alleged-rape-culture.html
What was Falloon doing in 2014? How many of those young nats of 2014 are now in parliament? If they got away with that behaviour then, they must surely believe they can do it now.
This is an old comment but has anything really changed? When national mps try to tell me that Falloon’s behaviour is not their party’s values or mps’ values or their favoured bloggers’ values, they are spinning.
I must read Dirty Politics again – renew my understanding of something I hoped might not be happening in 2020.
Judith Collins has not changed her attack culture. Good to see that proved. New Zealanders need to see it anew. Nat acquaintances now saying they forgot her history; I remind them. And now, so is Judith Collins.
Jacinda appears to be acting quickly. That is good. If the "crime" is serious then he will not stand at the next election. Wonder if these behaviours have always been in Parliament but out of sight?
There has been "speculation" for a while. Rumours both true and false
JA has handled this well. extremely well
There are further questions of course …… such as how the matter has been handled with "the agency" itself, and whether or not the incident has had any effect on the way they operate 'ethically'.
Episode 5 ………
Jacinda did a brilliant job. May be we should question whether men should be in politics at all, they do let their hormones run away with them. I do worry when I get on a plane with a male pilot – will they be ok? Men have historically had a great difficulty dealing with complexity and I know we are all for equal rights, but scientific studies do show… 🙂
Lenore, ha! & the PM has set the bar very high…
He he I've wondered that myself. Plus should they pay higher tax to offset the costs of police, corrections, justice which are consumed pretty much by males?
Not only should there be a cabinet manual, but probably a cabinet crib sheet. It could include various 'demographic profiles' like
1. If you are a male who is possibly going through your mid-life crisis ………..
Various DOs and DONT's like
– get a prostitute and pay well (not on the taxpayer), or if you don't fit the 'straight' profile, then go to the Tory Street Temple (because what plays in Vegas, stays in Vegas – unless there's a fire alarm, in which case all bets are off)
– Never get a taxi with your bit of fluff, and if you do need transport, better a friend or even an UBER or OLA because chances are it'll all be kept within the community, even though you have been a party to allowing most of them to be ripped off.
– etc.
2. If you are a male who has campaigned on the importance of "the family"……..
-etc.
I'm not sure I'm an expert though. I seem to be the only person I know that wasn't "shocked" and horrified at Todd Muller's resignation (after having witnessed his managerial brilliance) in the Bay of Plentyness.
The senior ranks of the Public Service of course would need something similar.
It generally takes two to tango!
At this rate the male politician will become an extinct species. Then, they'll be demanding a male quota…
You're saying that like it's a bad thing.
Collins did not manage her first as Leader in Question very well yesterday.
Today she will try to embarrass Jacinda with this question:
Sounds like a Yes to me.
JC , like a jack-in-the-box, will run to the media again with a new thought tomorrow, pose with her flirty "finger guns" and announce a new ' tough on crime' policy….. the stoning of adulterers
"
"People had become so “casual” about their relationship with cars and vans they had forgotten it was one and a half tonne of unforgiving steel.
“It can mash you like a bug instantly."
Don't try to stop your car's progress with your puny human strength!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/news/122209011/death-of-woman-hit-by-her-own-van-not-as-uncommon-an-accident-as-you-might-think-expert-says
am now mentally reviewing all those times as a young woman push starting a car with the drivers door open and jumping in one the car started rolling.
lol, i had a mini..
Or pushing one car with another with a 4×2 between them.
Shudder
Did Winston drop a bomb in the house today when, under parliamentary privilege, he named the source of the leak of his superannuation mistake?
He certainly got up the noses of both Seymour and Bishop!
https://twitter.com/RachelMortonNZ/status/1285791307743424512
Peters doing dirty under parliamentary privilege?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12350174
I'll bet it is true but Peters might have got some of the detail wrong and they're using it to deny it is true.
No wonder Tova baby seems to be getting so much insider info.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12350174
$317k double or nothing.
As I understand the legal process he may struggle to use new information on an appeal. Especially as here he seems to be claiming that someone other than the five people he took to court were guilty – that effectively would confirm he got his original case wrong.
He could take Morton and Seymour and Watkins and Farrar to court in a separate case perhaps. but I think all Peters is targeting at the moment is the election.
Dirty deeds in desperate times.
Labour should rule out doing anything with him.
If the appeal is part of the election campaign it could be the most expensive after National’s ‘Lose Yourself’ one. How
stupidnaive is WP when it comes to legal affairs, in your opinion?I don't know in general, but he seems to have really botched his legal action against Bennett, Tolley, Hughes, Boyle and the Ministry of Social Development.
Even if he somehow manages to successfully appeal the $320k costs he can't recover what it has cost him directly.
He has admitted he had the wrong people in court.
And I'm sure he can't substitute five defendants for another however many people he claims were actually guilty in an appeal. If he proves it was someone else it proves his original court action was flawed.
He will be able to argue that the level of costs is overstated, and that ultimately the MSD was responsible for the information being leaked due to their negligence in providing the information outside of the allowed usage. Basically the MSD should pay much of the costs for the consequences of their actions as a legal entity. Offhand I think that he has a far better case against the costs than he had in trying to identify the perpetrator of the leak.
I suspect that there are quite a lot of grounds to argue on. Especially as this is a civil rather than a criminal case and one that has a high public interest component. I don’t know about you, but if I had someone leaking any private information about me from the MSD of IRD or MOH or anywhere, then I’d start by considering how to abolish that part of the public service and making everyone there unemployable – then I’d work down to how I could run the vendetta to get close to that objective.
There is essentially no difference between this and Hager winning a case against the banks for passing out information to the police without going through the mandated procedures like getting a production order from the court.
I think that Peters was remarkably restrained.
Yes got it in one.
MSD has played a large part in this whole business.
Graeme Edgeler (an actual lawyer):
He addresses another issue:
You know how expensive court cases can be when someone pursues an agenda with an absence of adequate evidence.
Peters may have also been using the cost of litigation as a way of punishing those he thought responsible.
There is another way he could have tried to fix the no surprises problem.
That would be for the good of the country, but Peters seems more intent on his own good regardless of the costs to the country.
Unlikely, as far as I am aware all of the parties apart from Peters were lawyer-ed up using the taxpayer as the funding agency. It would appear that the only person at risk of financial damage was Peters. Which makes the premise of your argument look ridiculous.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/peters-must-pay-up-in-privacy-case
The point is that the disclosure of the private information appears to have only had one source – it was disclosed from the MSD. Almost certainly leaked through ministerial disclosures one way or another.
That means that the MSD violated its commitments. I'm pretty sure that the crown isn't allowed to do that for any reason that isn't part of legislation – which none of this appears to have been. Needless to say there has been no-one held accountable for this breach. Indeed, so far the courts appear to have been giving a license for public servants to disclose whatever information that they wish, without being given explicit permission to do so – provided there is a minister in the route.
I'm pretty sure that the supreme court will have some issues with that. I know that I damn well do.
More like 5% or nothing.
Seymour’s odds were always better: 0.50% and one Seat in Parliament.
Pete – do you reckon Slater supplied Collins with the dirt on Galloway?
I'd be very surprised given that Collins referred the supplier of information to Ardern.
And I'd be very surprised if Collins does anything that would directly connect her to Slater now. That would be political madness, and I think she's smart enough to know that. As far as I have observed she's kept a distance at least on political matters since 2014.
By the sound of things the information about ILG could have come from any number of sources, given how it seems to have been common knowledge in journalist circles for months.
I've seen it mentioned but can't remember where.
Do you think that Ardern nor her office knew nothing about it until alerted by Collins?
"I'd be very surprised given that Collins referred the supplier of information to Ardern."
Don't you think this is just part of Collins trying to look uninvolved and completely blameless? How do you explain Garner's patsy question? How can you "observe" whether Collins and Slater haven't been communicating since 2014? There's no way they wouldn't be communicating and every reason for them to hide that commincation. These people aren't the type to be scared off by Hager's book. Regardless of anything they will continue to do exactly what they do, and the only thing that changes are their methods of attempting to remain undetected and to look squeaky clean.
I think Slater would easily have masked his involvement in this issue; after all, he's well-practiced in deception, as you know. Collins and Slater are besties; their relationship won't have ended because the muggles got a sniff of it, Pete! Or do you reckon they're playing fair now
I wouldn't trust Slater on anything.
I'd be very surprised if Collins would risk doing anything that could be linked back to Slater.
There seems to have been quite a few possible sources of the information.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12350209
Do you think that Ardern only found out about it when advised by Collins this week? Surely senior MPs would keep her informed of possible problems in the ranks.
It now appears that Collins has played politics timed for effect, but Ardern may also be guilty of that.
Pete
Please tell me which iconic PM came in to Government and instantly dismissed all MPs in their party who were known to be having illicit sex.
Your attempt at equating Jacinda and Judith fails. Jacinda has obviously tried to do the minimum, and refrain. Judith appears to have introduced old material at the time she wanted, and used a patsy question from Garner to publicise the thing in a way that Jacinda did not. Judith could have told Garner that it was not appropriate for her to give any details, which I believe Jacinda would have done. But Judith did not.
Big difference, Pete.
It may well be that Garner was primed, that's very common in politics. It happened to me in one of my first political interviews (a lame attempt to embarrass me on local TV by Te Reo Putake as it happens).
But it really didn't make any difference. Ardern says she had already dumped ILG the day before. So why had she not advised the public? Organising PR and timing to suit her? She seems to have been playing the public as much as Collins.
Lame? It worked a treat! You looked like a possum in the headlights, Pete.
However, as I believe I said at the time, you at least had the courage of your convictions and put yourself forward for election. That's very much to your credit.
What about this one then … needs to be addressed by Winston Peters in his capacity as Antarctica minister.
… https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300062674/winston-peters-friends-went-to-antarctica-on-taxpayer
Peters giving wealthy friends the opportunity to visit Antarctica courtesy of us, the taxpayer!
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/122211917/winston-peters-i-was-trying-to-shake-antarctica-nz-from-its-torpor
I trust Winston Peters’ friends donated those $50 million Antarctica NZ was looking for.
Or how much did they actually donate?
Didn't John Key steal a pebble from Antarctica and pretend he had forgotten he picked it up? Like the rest of his past and current stable of 'privileged' mps and pretend bipartisan supporters, no morals, no integrity.
Kia Ora
Newshub.
That's is sad sharks becoming extinct around the world.
Those construction companies will have to change their testing system so they are not biased against weed.
The progressive home ownership fund looks great.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora
Te Ao Maori Marama.
That's a good looking trophy.
Teno pai to the fund for mahi in rual comunitys.
I think building dams to store water for the dry season is good but not for irrigating 24 7.
Ka kite Ano
Kia Ora.
Newshub.
That's is good $25 million for the regions to help the health system cope with PEE.
That's is cool mammoth bones find.
Its great to see rear flax being preserved weavers make Awsome art with flax.
Awsome looking Waka.
Ka kite Ano
https://youtu.be/qQfetkoGrpU
Kia Ora
Newshub.
Cool $30 million study for Pumped hydro electricity storage. That's the way of the future Green energy.
Ka kite Ano.
Kia Ora
Te Ao Maori Marama.
That's is cool Waikato Tainui looking into providing a better health service for their people in their rohi.
Good to see wananga teaching people about the Maori God's and traditions in their district.
Ka kite Ano.