Open mike 22/09/2020

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 22nd, 2020 - 87 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

87 comments on “Open mike 22/09/2020 ”

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  1. adam 1
    22 September 2020 at 6:07 am

    Thank God for the ICIJ and the ABC. As dirty money is still rolling around the globe.

    https://www.icij.org/investigations/fincen-files/

    Video for those who want a quick introduction.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnYv9rcU–I&ab_channel=ABCNews%28Australia%29

    • Adrian Thornton 1.1
      22 September 2020 at 8:16 am

      Yes as usual there is very little coverage of news that really matters diseminated by pretty much all msm outlets in NZ…I see RNZ and the Guardian managed to make this story all about RUSSIA and PUTIN yesterday…sort of like fake news really.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.2
      22 September 2020 at 11:58 am

      When making a profit is the prime objective then corruption is sure to follow. Why do it the hard way when its more profitable to do it the easy way?

    • Cinny 1.3
      22 September 2020 at 4:11 pm

      Informative clip, thanks for posting yes

  2. Ad 2
    22 September 2020 at 7:17 am

    It would be an excellent moment for Labour to announce a cash bonus to enable office workers to work from home, rather than use either the car or public transport.

    Both car use and public transport for commuting are massive sunk costs in public capital, and private productive time, and public transport is now a public health risk as well.

    At minimum it has the potential to lower the fragility of the Auckland network and delay costly infrastructure spend.

    At best it could permanently shift society to rely less on cars.

    And of course it would be a little redemptive policy goodness to come out of the pandemic.

  3. millsy 3
    22 September 2020 at 7:36 am

    Jacinda needs to put in a good performance at the first debate tonight. She cannot afford a "show me the money" moment. Collins will have few tricks so she needs to be careful.

    Going to be a long few weeks.

    • Robert Guyton 3.1
      22 September 2020 at 7:47 am

      Show me the money?

      Jacinda has 4 billion quips to choose from if challenged.

      I think Judith will be quite reluctant to talk about money.

  4. Dennis Frank 4
    22 September 2020 at 7:57 am

    Solidarity amongst splitters? Paradox – but at least they were having a go at it: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/22-09-2020/what-the-conspiracy-theorist-parties-believe-and-why-it-matters/

    Debate moderator Mark Thompson also had an unusual role, in that he was also highlighted consensus positions.

    The cool thing about editors becoming irrelevant is that journos can liberate themselves by being ungrammatical in public. So they do.

    I went along out of a desire to understand where these parties – the New Conservatives, Advance NZ, the Outdoors Party and the One Party – were coming from, not to grab the most outrageous or shocking soundbites.

    Alex Braae went to Nelson to encounter our political fringe, but he's also a zealot in his disregard of journalistic convention. Outrage & shock sells, so the funding stream of the media pays his wage, eh? Biting the hand that feeds him is brave.

    Each party on stage was forged out of a sense of betrayal.

    Like the New Labour Party and NZ First, he failed to add. Too young to connect those dots, unfortunately, as it would strengthen his thesis if he did.

    At a candidate meeting in Martinborough last week, MP Kieran McAnulty increasingly directed his barbs against the Advance NZ candidate and associated hecklers in the crowd, rather than against his actual rivals for the seat from National and NZ First.

    Near the end, he earned the biggest cheer of the night from everyone else by thundering that the government’s Covid-19 response was built on “listening to the experts, not reading conspiracy theories on Facebook”.

    Sheeple everwhere will be thrilled! Obedience good, rebellion bad. A future Labour leader, who knows which button to push.

    Outdoors Party co-leader Sue Grey… is a lawyer, and is an intelligent enough person to have won legal battles against highly resourced opponents.

    But intelligence tends to become relative to context in which it gets used, eh? So when the public divides into those captivated by the official narrative and those into the meta-narrative, who's really clever is an opaque question. So here's the bottom line:

    everyone who is considered to be media literate has an instinctive understanding that they’re being lied to in some shape or form all the time, and continues broadly trusting those sources.

    We use both/and logic during media consumption. We trust media to give us something currently relevant worth considering, while knowing it's as likely as not to be a lie.

    • Gabby 4.1
      22 September 2020 at 10:34 am

      So, there was a meeting, and the report had a grammatical error.

      • Dennis Frank 4.1.1
        22 September 2020 at 10:51 am

        You forgot to mention that the sun rose this morning. Political commentary looks better to readers if elementary facts get factored into the big picture.

  5. ScottGN 5
    22 September 2020 at 8:02 am

    It was good to hear the PM on Morning Report this morning insist that a future 3rd harbour crossing in Auckland absolutely had to have a rail component. In fact she refused to confirm if further traffic lanes were in the mix at all. Let’s just hope it’s a Labour led government that gets the job of planning this rather than National cos we know how that would work out.

  6. tc 6
    22 September 2020 at 8:10 am

    Collins fronting the National ad I saw last night had a very deja vu quality to it.

    I thought I started seeing Muldoon's smirk one side of the mouth at times as the similarities struck a chord. Not a pleasant old tune that one btw.

    • greywarshark 6.1
      22 September 2020 at 11:50 am

      About Muldoon expression, I'd noticed that too.

      • Dennis Frank 6.1.1
        22 September 2020 at 2:52 pm

        Ah, so she's channelling Muldoon, that explains it. The threatening part of his style is coming through rather wimpish, though, eh? Perhaps up there on cloud nine he's been well & truly lectured at by do-gooder angels explaining that good vibes work better than bad on the earthly plane (as in heaven).

        Since he likely rolled his eyes at them persistently for the first few years, they would have had to shift gear up to indoctrination level 2. Reincarnational karma would have come as quite a shock to the old turk. Long enough mulling it over, now to try being nice, through that nice young(ish) pretend Nat leader…

  7. ScottGN 7
    22 September 2020 at 8:16 am

    Poor old Corin on Morning Report just now. He’s vox popping some punters from around the country about the change to level 1 and desperately trying to generate some anger and conflict and drama out of them but they’re all sweet as!

  8. Dennis Frank 8
    22 September 2020 at 8:42 am

    Subtle, nuanced solidarity on the airwaves:

    Hosking: "No you are being too linear. It's not a matter of a perfect model or a non-perfect model, it's about nuance and subtlety."

    Ardern: "Mike, if you're saying you're now a person of nuance and subtlety, bless.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=12366679

    • greywarshark 8.1
      22 September 2020 at 11:54 am

      Oh thanks for that clip DF it has made my month. Holding on for this coming few weeks till the election is over is trying. I hope that the Auckland evangelicals get toads raining down on them from the high one above.

    • Wensleydale 8.2
      22 September 2020 at 1:54 pm

      Someone get poor Michael some asbestos underpants. He just got burned. I don't know how she endures his endless needling and pedantry. The desperation to get a hit on her is almost palpable. He's a miserable excuse for a human being.

  9. Reality 9
    22 September 2020 at 8:57 am

    What a brilliant response by Jacinda to Mike Hosking. Responds to him without being nasty, snide and sarcastic like someone who can't help herself being nasty, snide or sarcastic. And when that person tries to be nice it always is sooooo insincere.

  10. Dennis Frank 10
    22 September 2020 at 9:03 am

    Waikato has been a hotbed of racism since the colonial govt conquered the region. Nowadays it's being led by the ruling council of the university: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12366140

    Primary evidence of the residual colonialist mind-set is retention of Hamilton as the name of the region's capital city, to honour the 19th-century British aristocrat. Quite why the citizens of the city believe such perpetual honouring is a good idea isn't being explained to sceptics in the 21st century. Progress might happen. Keep head in sand.

    Local peasants entertain themselves by aping the behaviour of an ancient European tribe; the Vandals. https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/300112102/election-vandalism-rife-in-hamilton-with-tyres-and-signs-sliced

    Vandalism is culturally interesting in that it isn't a belief system – unlike other isms – but a behavioural tradition. Local yokels preserving local culture. Come the superhighway, invasion by Aucks will threaten their peace of mind though. How to form a united front against multiculturalism? That's a question unable to enter their heads, due to lack of brain. Dinosaurs prior to comet-strike, the Hamiltonians.

    • In Vino 10.1
      22 September 2020 at 11:28 am

      Aristocrat? More like upper Middle Class, I would hazard.

      • greywarshark 10.1.1
        22 September 2020 at 11:57 am

        Please leave that alone DF. It is a hot kumara, and not appropriate to stir the pot and stew about it before the election hangi.

        And just to add before I sign off, local iwi have an interest in the uni. So something to look at after the election please.

    • Stuart Munro 10.2
      22 September 2020 at 11:33 am

      Hamilton? Thought it was called The Tron.

    • Gabby 10.3
      22 September 2020 at 5:22 pm

      The university council are slashing tyres? The rotters.

  11. francesca 11
    22 September 2020 at 9:04 am

    An interesting overview of Nordstream 2 and its geopolitical struggles(for those who are interested)

    Written by a

    Policy Analyst at The Russian Public Affairs Committee (Ru-PAC). His work is focused on Russo-American relations, the Eurasian space and with a long-term goal of building better relations between Russia and his country of birth, Sweden

    https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2020/09/19/dont-expect-sanctions-to-stop-nord-stream-ii/

    And regarding Amnesty International and the Assange trial it's heartening to see Amnesty come to the party after a very long silence. They are actively being excluded from the hearings, even remote access has been revoked

    They're beginning to realise the consequences of their original limp response, and they may, along with many others just now jumping in , be too late

    https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/09/why-are-amnesty-international-monitors-not-able-to-observe-the-assange-hearing/

  12. Sabine 12
    22 September 2020 at 11:33 am

    well it was good for the goose so why should it not be good for the gander, and besides we need to 'teach these people in emergency housing the value of paying rent' or some other bullshit like that.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300113282/plan-to-charge-for-emergency-housing-back-on

    The Government may have paid $6000 a fortnight to house them in a private rental at one stage – part of a scheme to pay landlords motel-level room rates to put families in houses rather than motels.

    When the scheme ended abruptly they had to shift all of their belongings overnight into a friend's garage and eventually ended up in a Mangere motel – where they live today.

    Now the Labour-led government is pushing ahead with a plan to charge families like hers 25 per cent of their income for staying in these emergency motels.

    The change was announced in February, set to come into place in March, but was delayed due to Covid-19.

    Now it will come into effect on October 19 – two days after the election.

    The Government argues it is a question of fairness along with a much-needed incentive to get people out of emergency housing and into private, transitional or social housing.

    Mangere East Family Services social worker Alastair Russell said it's not a question of incentives. The reason people aren't moving out of emergency housing is because the whole system is "stuck".

    The backlog of people waiting for social housing spaces has meant people stay in transitional housing longer.

    The backlog of people in transitional housing has meant people can't move out of emergency accommodation.

    yeah, sure keep charging these homeless families 25% of their wage for 'emergency accomodation', surely this will teach them the value of paying for a rental that they can't find even if they have full time jobs working for hte council.

    Kinder, gentler, bullshit.

    • The Al1en 12.1
      22 September 2020 at 11:42 am

      What percentage of a wage would be paid in a state house?

      • Draco T Bastard 12.1.1
        22 September 2020 at 12:17 pm

        IIRC, its 25% of income.

      • Sabine 12.1.2
        22 September 2020 at 6:03 pm

        1. Do i have an issue with people paying for housing? No, i don't.

        1. Renting a state house from housing corp is a secure rental agreement with the Housing Corp and i am sure that particular family and others would be more then happy to pay the regular rents on such a property. Too bad, that we sold them under the last govenrment and under the current one we can't build them fast enough. So they are not renting a State House, but nice try of deflection.

        3.why does emergency housing in shoddy motels/flats cost 3000NZD per week?

        1. Is the government that useless at negotiating a fair price, and is this really the best they could do with the tools they have and all the intelligent and highly educated people working high paying jobs in government. Cause if it is, then they need to be hiring better staff, the current one seems useless.
        2. why does the government not simply pay the standard rental prices for motels/shoddy housing in the first place, see above, useless at negotiating?

        6. do i have an issue with people spending 25% of their wages/welfare income on 3000NZD per week for a property that Winz has not even inspected and that according to various articles now are often times not safe, not sanitary, over crowded, and sometimes even illegal? A property that is EMERGENCY or TRANSITIONAL housing, and not a stable secure rental?

        Yes, yes i do.

        And i don't care if this shit comes from National or Labour.

        I hope that answers any question you may have.

        • The Al1en 12.1.2.1
          22 September 2020 at 8:10 pm

          Too much cacao tasting today? lol

          The question of the social problems in not having enough affordable homes for people to buy or rent, or how the number of state houses should be much higher are a given for most left voters and all would like to see what we have now reversed.

          I don't get your bitterness in charging someone 25% of $635 and $980pw after tax to stay in a motel, which clearly may not be ideal, but is much better than market rate rentals or living in a car or under a bridge.

          Those people would still have 75% of their wage and a roof over their heads until circumstances change with better housing outcomes.

          I completely refute the idea that's somehow "bullshit"

          Rooms in big houses is different and I doubt it’s the best policy if guarantees of safety and quality can’t be given.

    • Ad 12.2
      22 September 2020 at 12:22 pm

      Sabine, you get more ammunition about this here:

      https://www.cpag.org.nz/

      Also this big one launched five days ago, going into most social welfare areas you can think of:

      https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/research-policy/social-policy-parliamentary-unit/latest-report

      • Sabine 12.2.1
        22 September 2020 at 6:05 pm

        Sadly the Sally Army is not government, and the current government will ignore the findings of the Sally Army (to which i have linked a few days ago btw), as they did with their own fact finding group.

        This government gives no more a fuck about the poor then did the last ones.

  13. greywarshark 13
    22 September 2020 at 12:16 pm

    I thought Prof Nick Wilson had good point about saying that we would do better to have a 1.5 lockdown level with masks on public transport and reductions in numbers at high contact settings, bars and clubs, gyms. It's my preference. We have a lot to lose, and want to open up as much as poss and with as much as poss safety.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018765039/covid-19-public-health-expert-not-happy-with-alert-level-1

  14. Peter 14
    22 September 2020 at 12:17 pm

    Brownlee's on talking about privatising isolation etc, with all the usual bullshit 'probable' 'they'll have to etc.' Then the "all we're saying is …"

    And all the crap about getting on the plane virus free.

    I stuffed up yesterday entering my name as 'failed UE twice.' That was a typo directed at Gerry. That was him. I presume he got School C to get to 6th form. I think he has regressed.

    • Draco T Bastard 14.1
      22 September 2020 at 12:19 pm

      Sounds like Gerry's trying to spin the line that the private sector always does it better.

      He'll have a hard time of it though because, after four decades of that BS, we now know that the private sector does it worse and costs more.

      • mac1 14.1.1
        22 September 2020 at 1:27 pm

        And when they've got it wrong, and the virus escapes from poorly run, poorly managed, short-funded private isolation who gets to put it right?

        And Brownlee talks about an agency to supervise the privateers. Who pays for that?

        The answer to both questions- it sure ain't private enterprise.

      • woodart 14.1.2
        22 September 2020 at 1:59 pm

        yes, we have melbournes experience to show us how good private enterprise is. wonder if jerry has factored insurance into cost of private phuckups? after his triumph in chch, he should be well aware or how insurance can bite arses.

    • greywarshark 14.2
      22 September 2020 at 12:21 pm

      Peter
      I think we all have, or alternatively, most of us have not progressed past whatever level of formal learning we had early in life. We need more than vocational training and silo studies of one aspect of life to study in depth.

    • gsays 14.3
      22 September 2020 at 12:36 pm

      In regards Brownlee's new department: it could be called CERA,

      Covid

      Entry

      Repatriation

      Authority.

      What could go wrong?

  16. greywarshark 16
    22 September 2020 at 12:24 pm

    Syrian man freed from detention in Oz. Landmark ruling. Sounds interesting – I haven't read yet but include this here for us all to know about.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018765026/ruling-sets-detainee-free-and-opens-door-for-others-in-limbo

  18. Siobhan 18
    22 September 2020 at 12:28 pm

    Well, how very very odd.."The Guardian" are today, an actual part of the Assange trial…..yet they have decided to not cover the story (as yet)..thats dedication..then again..no news sources have actually applied to have their journalists in Court..any thoughts out there on when 'No News' becomes 'Fake News'…

    so we shall have to go with the Daily Mail link ..again…

    "The US government is wrong to charge WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with publishing unredacted classified documents because they had already appeared online, a London court has heard.

    Computer scientist Professor Christian Grothoff said the organisation was not the first to make public 251,000 diplomatic cables when they appeared on its website on September 2, 2011."

    Now I know many of you are "So Over" Assange, but, well, its a big trial, and THE GUARDIAN ARE IN IT..so…

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8756265/Julian-Assange-NOT-charged-WikiLeaks-files-available-online.html

    https://shadowproof.com/2020/09/21/guide-to-journalists-assange-trial-upset-by-media-blackout/

  19. greywarshark 19
    22 September 2020 at 12:34 pm

    Climate change continues – can we manage to think of multiple problematic and destructive things at the same time??

    https://www.euractiv.com/section/climate-environment/news/worlds-richest-1-cause-double-co2-emissions-of-poorest-half-says-oxfam/

    The wealthiest 1% of the world’s population were responsible for the emission of more than twice as much carbon dioxide as the poorer half of the world from 1990 to 2015, according to new research. EURACTIV’s media partner, The Guardian, reports.

    Carbon dioxide emissions rose by 60% over the 25-year period, but the increase in emissions from the richest 1% was three times greater than the increase in emissions from the poorest half.

    The report, compiled by Oxfam and the Stockholm Environment Institute, warned that rampant overconsumption and the rich world’s addiction to high-carbon transport are exhausting the world’s “carbon budget”.

    Perhaps we could support this news media amalgamation and hear more about the rest of the world that is outside the range of the voice of Hosking et Al.

  20. greywarshark 20
    22 September 2020 at 1:06 pm

    Anyone who finds wikipedia a useful and mostly factual source! They need an injection of money. Amazingly, they say, 98% of people who use them don't give them anything. WTF. This is a chance to join a group almost as elite as the 1% Mr Creosotes. This group is of the virtuous goodies who get behind people-power-with-integrity – the 2%.

    https://donate.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:LandingPage&country=NZ&uselang/

  21. UncookedSelachimorpha 21
    22 September 2020 at 1:37 pm

    Labour moves fast to drive wages down:

    Visa changes, border exemptions for specialised workers

    I see some of the workers are so specialised they will be filling " labour shortages in horticulture and wine growing. "

    • greywarshark 21.1
      22 September 2020 at 1:53 pm

      NZ helping poor people everywhere?

      • UncookedSelachimorpha 21.1.1
        22 September 2020 at 2:03 pm

        A fair point, although I doubt that is the intention. Expanding the pool of people to exploit more likely.

        It is probably better if there are at least pockets of working people being paid better around the world, rather than the entire world being driven down to a low level with only the rich masters doing well anywhere.

    • Adrian 21.2
      22 September 2020 at 2:16 pm

      I wouldn't call 1000 – 1500 bucks a week "driving wages down ". Most wages in agriculture in NZ are well in excess of the same in Australia. Grape harvester drivers 10 to 15 dollars more per hour, winery workers above living wage and above Oz, ask any young traveller about the comparison.

      • Stuart Munro 21.2.1
        22 September 2020 at 7:12 pm

        If those are really the wages, government should be moving heaven and earth to make sure that those jobs are going to New Zealanders, not migrants.

      • KJT 21.2.2
        22 September 2020 at 7:55 pm

        So. The family member working in horticulture on 50c above minimum wage, and unpaid every time it rains, or they run out of work, while being on call 24/7, is an an exception.

        I don't think so.

  22. Byd0nz 22
    22 September 2020 at 2:45 pm 
          Debate   stakes.</p>

    The gates are open its an even jump,
    Rude Jude on the outside Smiley J the inner,
    The debate is on Campbell holds the whip,
    Things now start to simmer.

    Rude Jude tried to trip up Smiley J,
    But Smiley J had none of that,
    The calmness of Rude Jude is fading,
    And out-pours her lines of crap.

    Campbell tries to intervene in vain,
    Smiley J streaks clear for home,
    Rude Jude way back in the trail,
    Her mouth now full of foam.

    The punters of colour blue,
    Rip their tickets up and groan,
    The clear concise goals of Smiley J,
    Have given her the throne.

    • greywarshark 22.1
      22 September 2020 at 4:51 pm

      Hope we can celebrate that win on October 17th? Get out all the silver cups that you won back then and fill them with champagne that your horse Came Home. /humour

  23. Andre 23
    22 September 2020 at 3:18 pm

    Here's the campaign ad Judthulhu really needs to copy. Yes, it really is a pro-Kelly Loeffler ad running in Georgia.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdBQnpOXVHo

    https://edition.cnn.com/2020/09/21/politics/kelly-loeffler-ad-attila-the-hun/index.html

    • greywarshark 23.1
      22 September 2020 at 4:49 pm

      Why do women want long hair so much? Why is the fashion so long-lasting? It must be a time user keeping it in good order. This woman's hair would look nice on a palomino pony.

  24. greywarshark 24
    22 September 2020 at 4:47 pm

    This might help landlords whose tenants will not air the house, open some windows etc to reduce humidity and the mould it brings.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018764722/how-better-building-design-can-fight-the-spread-of-covid-19

  25. Ric Stacey 25
    22 September 2020 at 4:52 pm

    I cannot get the donate page to open. I click on the button and the address appears in the new window and the page stays blank. I'm using Win 7 and it happens in Firefox (latest version)and also in Chrome(at least a recent version) I need the bank account no.

    • greywarshark 25.1
      22 September 2020 at 6:16 pm

      Will someone help this person. He wants to donate and is having trouble. This is a time when someone should definitely come to the aid of the party – a good cause!

      • Heather Grimwood 25.1.1
        22 September 2020 at 8:49 pm

        to Rick at 25 and greywarshark at 25.1 :

        email labour.org.nz and have bankcard beside you!…the form appears to fill in .
        Yours in the cause and pleased to help.

    • Incognito 25.2
      22 September 2020 at 6:21 pm

      Which donate page?

    • Heather Grimwood 25.3
      22 September 2020 at 9:06 pm

      To Ric Stacey at 25 :
      i copied your name wrongly in my reply to greywarshark, ( busy day).
      To donate to Labour, email labour.org.nz and the donation sheet will appear.
      You only need your bankcard beside you. The procedure is easy. Yours in the cause.

  27. PsyclingLeft.Always 27
    22 September 2020 at 5:16 pm

    New Zealand State "care" : (

    "The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care has resumed its public hearings in Auckland on Monday focusing on evidence from survivors of abuse who have sought redress for what happened to them."

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/426656/abuse-in-state-care-inquiry-survivor-calls-for-independent-claims-process

    Electric shock torture…: (

    https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/abuse-care-ect-used-treat-womans-sexuality

    Suffer the little Children…: (

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/424173/marylands-school-abuse-inquiry-it-s-about-time

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/347975/abuse-victim-backs-inquiry-including-religious-institutions

    Wha?…this is absolutely gut wrenching (and no BS about a different time/move on !!)…

  28. Chris T 28
    22 September 2020 at 7:10 pm

    Don't suppose anyone has a link to the debate online.

    The TVNZ stream is stuck in the loading cycle of death

  29. observer 29
    22 September 2020 at 7:14 pm

    John Campbell has a severe case of the waffles. Stop talking. And for God's sake stop giving them a cuddle.

  30. Anker 30
    22 September 2020 at 8:25 pm

    Thought tvone gave Collins the advantage. Often camera on Collins when Ardern was talking. I am sure he allowed Collins more time. Wtf

    • Chris T 30.1
      22 September 2020 at 9:31 pm

      When she was talking about Kiwibuild and the CGT?

      Ardern was hardly going to interrupt to talk about that mess.

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    12 hours ago

  • On Lee’s watch, Economic Development seems to be stuck on scoring points from promoting sporting e...
    Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    13 hours ago

  • New Zealand has never been closed for business
    1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    13 hours ago

  • Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    Jack Vowles writes – New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    16 hours ago

  • Melissa Lee and the media: ending the quest
    Chris Trotter writes –  MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    17 hours ago

  • The Hoon around the week to April 19
    TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    18 hours ago

  • The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ end result of dismantling our environmental protections
    Policymakers rarely wish to make plain or visible their desire to dismantle environmental policy, least of all to the young. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    18 hours ago

  • Nicola's Salad Days.
    I like to keep an eye on what’s happening in places like the UK, the US, and over the ditch with our good mates the Aussies. Let’s call them AUKUS, for want of a better collective term. More on that in a bit.It used to be, not long ago, that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    19 hours ago

  • Study sees climate change baking in 19% lower global income by 2050
    TL;DR: The global economy will be one fifth smaller than it would have otherwise been in 2050 as a result of climate damage, according to a new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and published in the journal Nature. (See more detail and analysis below, and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    19 hours ago

  • Weekly Roundup 19-April-2024
    It’s Friday again. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week on Greater Auckland On Tuesday Matt covered at the government looking into a long tunnel for Wellington. On Wednesday we ran a post from Oscar Simms on some lessons from Texas. AT’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    20 hours ago

  • Jack Vowles: Stop the panic – we’ve been here before
    New Zealand is said to be suffering from ‘serious populist discontent’. An IPSOS MORI survey has reported that we have an increasing preference for strong leaders, think that the economy is rigged toward the rich and powerful, and political elites are ignoring ‘hard-working people’.  The data is from February this ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    22 hours ago

  • Clearing up confusion (or trying to)
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters is understood to be planning a major speech within the next fortnight to clear up the confusion over whether or not New Zealand might join the AUKUS submarine project. So far, there have been conflicting signals from the Government. RNZ reported the Prime Minister yesterday in ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    23 hours ago

  • How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log iPhone Without Computer
    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s why they introduced the “Recently Deleted“ folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Here‘s how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the “Recents“ tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on “Edit“. Select “Show Recently Deleted“. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose “Recover“ to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose “Restore from iCloud Backup“ during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago

  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    2 days ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    3 days ago

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, 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?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    5 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
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  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
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  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
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  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
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