Advantage is a consistent apologist for US empire.
That a so called 'left' website should publish his misinformation is frankly disgraceful.
[This is rich coming from a PRC shill. Everybody is free to comment here and contribute to robust debate. You obviously can’t handle this freedom and resort to wild accusations and broad-based attacks, incl. on a TS Author. This is the exact reason why you’ve been in Pre-Mod and unless you lift your game to the standard of TS, which most commenters achieve without too many issues, you’ll be repatriated – Incognito]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Just want to give a big shoutout to Kim Hill leaving RNZ.
I know she's going to a few more bits for them, but at her best she was fearless and always researched her brief really well.
I also particularly respected her for relentlessly championing New Zealand science and scientists, who are a desperately small and not well supported group but in the Calaghan Institute and in others we have New Zealand's best chances of generating innovations that can help both public good science and spinoff commercialised innovations that can find their niches in the world.
Also she was a resolute champion of women and took a lot of stick for it from the show feedback, which she was happy to read out to her audience.
I sure want someone just as good to replace her, but in the meantime, Kim you were and are awesome.
Anyway, what Ad said basically. Outstanding on radio, but also in 2005 Kim interviewed the party leaders on TVNZ, back when the network gave half an hour in peak time (gasp!) to one interview, which would never happen now. I wish all her successors would watch, learn, improve.
A totally fearless interviewer, unwilling to put up with PR bullshit crap from any source. Fiercely intelligent, and fearsomely well-briefed in any situation. She left you feeling better informed on any subject she chose to broadcast on.
I didn't always listen (some topics are not ones I care about), and didn't always agree – but always appreciated her work.
It's not "getting scary", it was already scary on election night over a month ago. What did you think was going to happen in the negotiations? A sudden change of heart by the 3 parties? Seriously?
If anything, after Luxon's incompetence, the threesome falling apart is more likely now than on election night. Hence, popcorn.
Why then did you combine such phrases with "early death", likely knowing that there is a connotation of schadenfreude or indifference when it comes to popcorn and celebration, with the added inference of salt and calories being a contributor to hypertension?
For your information, I was already there on the standard around that time, full of worry and fear about what they will do to us.
And I knew then and now that there won't be a change of heart.
Today is the most real it ever has been and it already was real to me a while ago.
I was hoping against hope that all the negotiations chaos was going to mean a return to the polls but no.
So there is no misunderstanding, I think this will be the worst government since the early 1990s.
I also think that it is more likely to be a shorter government than looked probable when National plus ACT had a possible majority (in the polls, and then on election night).
ROG – I think observer was referring to himself, not you. That is, the thing he has to fear is eating too much popcorn while watching the new government make fools of themselves and fall apart. I hope he's right, but so much time, effort and money has been invested in getting Labour out of government and this lot installed, that I don't think National's backers will tolerate such a thing and will get the message through to Luxon loud and clear. We all know from what you have said previously that lowering or freezing benefits is going to harm you – perhaps seriously.
Alwyn- the very real knowledge- based on history- that low income/beneficiaries (including disabled) are the first group they will come after. If you've been fortunate enough not to have to live with that threat, you cannot appreciate the fear is very real.
"Recent evidence has shown people across the UK are dying younger as a result of austerity, with people living in the poorest areas hardest hit. A new study published today now quantifies the scale of these deaths. The study, led by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH) and the University of Glasgow, and published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, reports that compared to what previous trends predicted, an additional 335,000 deaths were observed across Scotland, England & Wales between 2012 and 2019." is a study made by Uni of Glasgow in the first link. It basically says that austerity is a political choice.
This following 2nd link delineates a freedom of information request of DWP about its review of disabled people's benefits and the rates of death. This is Disability Rights from UK, reporting that.
"New figures show how the number of secret reviews into deaths of benefit claimants that have been linked to the failings of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has more than doubled over the last three years, the Disability News Service (DNS) reports. They show how the DWP started 43 internal process reviews (IPRs) into deaths between July 2019 and June 2020, 59 from July 2020 to June 2021, and 38 in the last year, a total of 140 in three years."
The quote from Disability News Service 3rd link says that:
"The draft version of the Deaths by Welfare timeline* exposes how DWP was alerted more than 40 times over the past 30 years to life-threatening systemic flaws in its disability benefits systems, by academics, coroners and its own researchers. IPRs are not released publicly, and grieving families are not even told that they are taking place."
This means that there's a culture of cruelty and secrecy in DWP, enough that families of the affected weren't informed that there were investigations beforehand.
The fourth link is from the Guardian.
"Five thousand people died before they could be reimbursed for a government error that left chronically ill and disabled benefit claimants thousands of pounds out of pocket, it has emerged. Approximately 70,000 claimants were originally estimated to have been underpaid about £340m between 2011 and 2014, after being transferred from older benefits on to the employment and support allowance (ESA) during a government overhaul of incapacity benefits."
Incompetence or malice or both, doesn't matter. People has the potential to be harmed if the NZ government decides to go down this path.
Fifth link also from Guardian, about people dying after being found fit for work when they weren't fit and were forced to work:
"Nearly 90 people a month are dying after being declared fit for work, according to new data that has prompted campaigners and Labour leadership contenders to call for an overhaul of the government’s welfare regime. Statistics released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) revealed that during the period December 2011 and February 2014 2,380 people died after their claim for employment and support allowance (ESA) ended because a work capability assessment (WCA) found they were found fit for work."
The sixth link from Big Issue, a magazine, shows the challenge of keeping that much-needed money and how tough people has it in UK welfare system nowadays and how traumatising it is.
"Previous reporting from The Big Issue found the DWP rejects almost 90% of initial challenges over benefit decisions, but official statistics show 68% of claimants win their case when appealing the decision at tribunal, during which officials have more time to consider an individual’s case. This process causes avoidable damage for claimants like Aidan, who spent months appealing a PIP decision which lost him critical financial support and his car. “I’ve been living in quite squalid conditions because I haven’t had the mental capacity to keep the place tidy, clean and sanitary,” Aidan, who has multiple conditions including autism and an amputated leg, told The Big Issue. “The whole process was causing severe psychological stress and trauma to the point of being suicidal.”"
This is from Big Issue again. This is about how such a welfare system is affecting people for the worse.
"Josh Smith was so anxious about his disability benefits assessment that he told his mother Tracy he planned to take a hammer and chisel to his leg. “That’s a disability they can see,” she breaks into tears as she remembers her son’s desperate words. “They can’t see my mental health. If they can see my disability they’re more likely to give me the clear.” Josh was just 25 when he took his own life. His final months were consumed with anxiety that his benefits would be snatched away. Tracy, who is speaking out for the first time three years after her son’s death, blames the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and public services for failing Josh when he was at his most desperate. “Life was already a massive struggle for him,” Tracy says. “The benefits system added so much pressure. I know there’s people who work the system, but you know when someone’s really depressed and mentally ill. It doesn’t take rocket science. This is the consequence of adding pressure to people who are genuinely ill. They are pushed over the edge.”"
They will cut benefits by changing the rate of increase in benefits so that is lower than it would have been . CPI is not an accurate measure for the inflation faced by beneficiaries as CPI measurements are based on a basket of goods including the likes of vehicles and major consumer electronic apliances which generally skew the the CPI downwards.
"They will just make those who can work take the jobs that are on offer"
They will demonise. harass, pressure and sanction the mentally unwell creating unnessessary suffering, more negative health outcomes and increasing the suicide rate and this is all for political advantage by satisfying the 'urge to punish'. common among sociopathic idiots such as you.
It makes no sense to call someone you don't sociopathic on the basis of their opinion on a blog site
In your first paragraph you seem to agree with me that the new govt won't cut benefits but believe that they will increase them in line with the CPI.
In your second paragraph you maintain that the govt will harass the mentally unwell to take jobs in order to punish them and that this will increase the suicide rate.
I never suggested that people who are sick should work. That's why we have a sickness benefit.
To be clear I think that those who are fit for work should work and that this govt will make the case for work more strongly than the previous govt.
"Jobseeker Support, which used to be called sickness benefit in New Zealand, is a weekly payment that helps employees who have temporarily taken time off work or are working at a lesser load due to a sickness, injury, pregnancy or a disability".
You might want to do some basic research (30 seconds on Google perhaps) before you demonstrate ignorance and prejudice in a forum such as this.
Labour for never undoing it despite having a majority for three years,
and never implementing a proper unemploymnet benefit for those that lost their jobs
and not removing the partnership clause/misery leaving many who should have and would have otherwise a benefit with nothing but the grace of their partners.
Damn, 3 years of a full majority and Winz is very much as Paula Bennet handed it over to Sepuloni.
Either you are ignorant Scott or you are one of those "sociopathic idiots". The last I heard the unemployment rate is currently @3.6%. That suggests pretty much all the people who can work are working.
A zero unemployment rate is non-achievable, but with the thousands who are likely to be tossed on the scrap-heap in the near future and the lack of jobs available due to an inevitable shrinking economy, are we going to see the unfortunates being harassed and demonised again as they were in the 1990s by a previous National government?
do not have a job, but are available to work and are actively seeking employment – unemployed
are employed part time (fewer than 30 hours a week) and who both want and are available to increase the number of hours they work – underemployed
want a job and are available to work, but are not currently looking for a job – available potential jobseeker (unemployed)
are unavailable to start work but are looking for a job as they will be able to start work within the next month – unavailable jobseeker. (unemployed)
-cursive mine.
All but one of the categories listed is actually 'under-employed' in the sense that they are partimers/casual/seasonal and would like to get to full time.
All the othrs are non employed people full time, either regular unemployed and looking , discouraged by a bad job market so no longer looking, or looking for a job in the future.
We rejoice in a low official unemployment number while ignoring the underemployment which hides a whole bag of people who do not work at all, and who may or may not be looking for a job but are on assistance.
A further interesting breakdown that we don't really want to mention either is the Gap between the sexes, women are harder hit them men
(I assume that the government counts 'sex' as per gender self id rather then sex recorded at birth)
Women – 12. 2 %
Men – 8.6%
The unemployment rate for women is also higher then for men.
3.4 men vs 3.9 women
Our current Employment rate 69.1 Percent – trending down slightly.
It's simply an exercise in fucking sadism – I know a bloke who is autistic while also suffering chronic depression, panic attacks and PTSD and brainless arseholes would like him to go through a steady diet of rejection and failure to satisfy their need for people like him to look for work this will inevitably lead to clinical depression and very high suicidal ideation. Some arseholes don't understand or care that there are people whose mental health conditions are such that harassing them to look for work that they can't do anyway will fuck them up worse than what they are.
(of course we don't know what the agreed coalition policy will be, but given the 3 parties involved it is unlikely that National will be prevented from doing this)
And how do you know that they are not? Do you have any evidence that there are no sanctions for people who turn down employment opportunities without reasonable excuse, or who do not make enough effort to get work?
One of my relatives was briefly on the Jobseekers benefit after a family disruption but was very well case managed by the relevant WINZ Officer and had 2 part time jobs within a month or so. One of the part time jobs became full time and he was able to stop getting the benefit.
Another friend had 2 jobs in Rest Homes, one in the morning shift and one in the evening shift. She got a top up benefit because they were both part time and minimum wage. She got the top up as she was looking for full time work. She eventually found a full time job.
The one benefit covers quite a wide range of needs and eligibilities and if it is just compared to the old Unemployment or Sickness benefits the numbers can look quite out of proportion which gives the ignorant opportunities to moan and complain.
I think I got the wrong end of scotts stuck , I thought he was proposing that those that can work shouldn't be encouraged to take any available job .
It seems he's possibly our the other end ,that short of being nearly dead you should be sanctioned into work ,
I'm of the belief that some will need alot of help to get functioning, and sanctions won't do it except for a small minority. Also there's probably a %that will never work and their benefits are just a cost of a decent society.
Step 1They have already changed the benefit amount budgeted, lowering the 4 year amount by 2 billion dollars. Luxon said "As it has always been done by the CPI, not wages." So already from April benefits will be lower.
Unfortunately that is poverty, as the advice from the inquiry group WEAG said benefit payments needed to be raised as pensions are as a proportion of the average wage to keep pace with true costs.
Those of us who have observed right wing governments know austerity is their mantra. Austerity for the less fortunate, and tax breaks for the already fortunate.
Rolling-on-gravel, we hear you. Most who come here want this Government gone as their aims are selfish and uncaring.
Dodgy Dave and Nasty Nicola will make sure that those who can work and want to work will be well rewarded for their efforts. There are too many loafers dipping their fingers into the state coffers at the moment and that is the first thing that needs sorting.Let's get our society aspirational again!
Aspiring to what? Being a nasty Landlord?
Who are the Loafers dipping their fingers?
So Landlords getting tax breaks are not loafers? Those who work for any Ministry are?
What a strange view..Don’t forget 90 day trials lots of poorly paid migrants and backpackers to push wages back down again. less than 4% unemployed. Wow!! So where are all the lazy people?
Perhaps you mean the sick the dying the retired the disabled???
Well we now get the explicit calculation that Hamas and Israel make between the life of Israeli women, distinct from Israeli children (since it’s only 80 women and children being released from their kidnappers), distinct from Israeli men (who apparently aren’t being released), when weighed precisely against 150 mostly women and children released back into Israel.
That is one cold calculus, on both sides.
Israel will also allow 300 aid trucks to enter Gaza per day for four days.
"Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement enabling the release of some hostages captured by the Palestinian militant group during its Oct. 7 attack on the country, Axios and Haaretz reported Tuesday, citing those familiar with the deal."
The deal will see Hamas release 30 children, eight mothers and 12 other women …. . There will be a temporary cease-fire that will begin with four days and be extended by an another day for every 10 additional hostages released by Hamas
Israel is expected to release about 150 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Israel will also allow 300 aid trucks to enter Gaza per day during the pause in fighting in the Palestinian enclave.
It might be for two weeks – the 10 per day, then it is 150 for 150.
There are c240 hostages.
At 300 trucks per day – 1200 trucks. 10 more days, 3000 trucks.
They need shelter, food, water, medical supplies and fuel/power in the south.
And a hospital ship off coast.
Deal is designed to encourage more hostage releases
Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem
This long-expected deal has just been signed off.
While it initially allows for 50 women and child hostages to be freed in batches by Hamas in exchange for a four-day pause in fighting, the deal has evidently been structured to encourage further releases.
The incentive is a longer pause in fighting: The release of every additional 10 hostages will result in one additional day in the pause, the Israeli government statement says.
That clause is an important one for the hostages families, some of whom had told me they didn't want to see a partial deal.
Many – so it's thousands. There are those who committed crimes of violence and got prosecuted (unlike some of the settlers) and there are those interned without trial (political activists). The PA also arrests political activists/dissidents.
After the 150 – 150 stage – Hamas should seek the release of all those interned without trial for the 100 hostages they still have … and maybe those in that category held by the PA (and any in that category they have in Gaza) …
Russian Senator Margarita Pavlova says the country should stop encouraging girls to get higher education in order to solve its demographic crisis: “This search for oneself drags on for many years, and as a result, reproductive function is losts.”
Despite its last-minute scheduling, the meeting at a bookstore in Russia’s westernmost city of Kaliningrad still drew about 60 people, with many outraged by a lawmaker’s efforts to ban abortions in local private clinics.
The weeknight turnout surprised and heartened Dasha Yakovleva, one of the organizers, amid recent crackdowns on political activism under President Vladimir Putin.
“Right now, there is no room for political action in Russia. The only place left is our kitchens,” Yakovleva, co-founder of the Feminitive Community women’s group, told The Associated Press. “And here, it was a public place, well-known in Kaliningrad, and everyone spoke out openly about how they see this measure, why they think it’s unjustified, inappropriate.”
You want to have a go at comparing the different pro-birth policies of others with rapidly declining birth rates including China, Korea, Japan, Denmark, Singapore, France, Poland, and Germany?
Might have something to do with effective welfare systems.
Seldowitz was a 30 year career public servant, a Deputy Director in the US State Department's Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs from 1999 to 2003, and worked for three presidents but sure, the black guy.
Anyway he’s been arrested for hate crime , but sure, the black guy?????
Aah , I see , You’re talking about Obama, the most recent president he worked for .Somehow you’re attempting to insert a sly little suggestion of racism?
The racism is all yours mate , Obama’s policies were more meaningful than his skin colour
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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 ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
“Our exporters should, therefore, be deeply concerned that the Fast-track Approvals Bill was not assessed for consistency with any of our free trade commitments prior to being introduced to the House,” says Gary Taylor, Chief Executive of the Environmental ...
NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff is calling on all political parties to support the new Member’s Bill from Labour’s workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich MP that would ensure negligent companies are held accountable when their employees ...
A historian with a track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go wrong for him. ...
A historian with an uncanny track record of predicting US election winners tells RNZ's Sunday Morning that President Biden looks to be on track for another term, but things could still go very wrong for him. ...
Ngaio Marsh House is one of Christchurch’s best kept secrets – and contains more than a few mysteries of its own.Trust Ngaio Marsh to leave more than a few mysteries scattered through her house long after her departure. For a start, there’s the curious concrete portal in the garden, ...
Appointment viewing has been lost to the mists of time, but memories of Montana Sunday Theatre can still be conjured by hitting play on a particular piece of classical music. “You’re not going to be able to sell it.” Over 30 years on, Karen Bieleski still recalls how the task ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
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Advantage is a consistent apologist for US empire.
That a so called 'left' website should publish his misinformation is frankly disgraceful.
[This is rich coming from a PRC shill. Everybody is free to comment here and contribute to robust debate. You obviously can’t handle this freedom and resort to wild accusations and broad-based attacks, incl. on a TS Author. This is the exact reason why you’ve been in Pre-Mod and unless you lift your game to the standard of TS, which most commenters achieve without too many issues, you’ll be repatriated – Incognito]
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Mod note
Ad is really complex. There is no misinformation. He chooses to review and question dominant left wing thought. He does us all a service.
It's a bit weird how much of the media has portrayed Milei's win in Argentina as a "landslide" when he won 55.8 to 44.2.
The crap state of Argentina's economy, with inflation at 140% and 40% of people below the poverty line , stuffed Massa.
Lots of Argentinians did what desperate gamblers do, they chased their losses.
https://buenosairesherald.com/politics
https://www.batimes.com.ar/section/argentina
Just want to give a big shoutout to Kim Hill leaving RNZ.
I know she's going to a few more bits for them, but at her best she was fearless and always researched her brief really well.
I also particularly respected her for relentlessly championing New Zealand science and scientists, who are a desperately small and not well supported group but in the Calaghan Institute and in others we have New Zealand's best chances of generating innovations that can help both public good science and spinoff commercialised innovations that can find their niches in the world.
Also she was a resolute champion of women and took a lot of stick for it from the show feedback, which she was happy to read out to her audience.
I sure want someone just as good to replace her, but in the meantime, Kim you were and are awesome.
Yes Ad. Kim's going is a bit like a bereavement. Who will be an adequate replacement?
Can't find an archived recording but Kim Hill v Mary Agnes Brooke is my all-time fav.
https://www.bsa.govt.nz/decisions/all-decisions/brooke-and-radio-new-zealand-ltd-2000-001/#searched-for-
Kim Hill and John Howard is another.
Anyway, what Ad said basically. Outstanding on radio, but also in 2005 Kim interviewed the party leaders on TVNZ, back when the network gave half an hour in peak time (gasp!) to one interview, which would never happen now. I wish all her successors would watch, learn, improve.
You should have a look at the Jack Tame interviews. I found those to be up to standard when I finally located them where I could stream them from.
Kim Hill leaves giant shoes to fill.
A totally fearless interviewer, unwilling to put up with PR bullshit crap from any source. Fiercely intelligent, and fearsomely well-briefed in any situation. She left you feeling better informed on any subject she chose to broadcast on.
I didn't always listen (some topics are not ones I care about), and didn't always agree – but always appreciated her work.
An order of fair competition is being formalised across international sport.
This will leave some US college sport polity as outlier – monetising (sports scholarships for grifters) gender identity.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2023/11/cricket-transgender-women-barred-from-internationals-as-part-of-new-regulations-set-by-icc.html
Excellent,
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/301012892/live-government-coalition-deal-all-but-done-may-be-signed-thursday
This is getting pretty scary. They will finalise the coalition tomorrow barring any shenanigans.
I hear you RoG. No-one should ever be genuinely afraid of living under a government of any stripe.
"This is getting pretty scary."
Why? What are you scared of?
Early death. Popcorn is loaded with salt and calories.
FUCK YOU OBSERVER.
You might want to pause and edit that.
Point missed, obviously.
What else I can infer from what you just said, Observer?
It seems as if you don’t take stuff like this seriously.
"Popcorn"
2023 Final results « The Standard
"Circus"
The baubles of office « The Standard
And so on.
It's not "getting scary", it was already scary on election night over a month ago. What did you think was going to happen in the negotiations? A sudden change of heart by the 3 parties? Seriously?
If anything, after Luxon's incompetence, the threesome falling apart is more likely now than on election night. Hence, popcorn.
Why then did you combine such phrases with "early death", likely knowing that there is a connotation of schadenfreude or indifference when it comes to popcorn and celebration, with the added inference of salt and calories being a contributor to hypertension?
For your information, I was already there on the standard around that time, full of worry and fear about what they will do to us.
And I knew then and now that there won't be a change of heart.
Today is the most real it ever has been and it already was real to me a while ago.
I was hoping against hope that all the negotiations chaos was going to mean a return to the polls but no.
So that's now gone for now.
OK, you're angry and I get that.
So there is no misunderstanding, I think this will be the worst government since the early 1990s.
I also think that it is more likely to be a shorter government than looked probable when National plus ACT had a possible majority (in the polls, and then on election night).
I look forward to its demise.
ROG – I think observer was referring to himself, not you. That is, the thing he has to fear is eating too much popcorn while watching the new government make fools of themselves and fall apart. I hope he's right, but so much time, effort and money has been invested in getting Labour out of government and this lot installed, that I don't think National's backers will tolerate such a thing and will get the message through to Luxon loud and clear. We all know from what you have said previously that lowering or freezing benefits is going to harm you – perhaps seriously.
OK, AB, I'll give Observer the charity for what he has posted. I'm sorry that I blew up at you, Observer. This is extremely stressful for me.
I hope you and Observer are right that they utterly fall apart and the damage is limited.
Otherwise it would be some of the darkest eras in Kiwi history and I pray that it won't come to that.
No problem. I wish you well.
Thank you, Observer. I wish you well too! 🙂
Alwyn- the very real knowledge- based on history- that low income/beneficiaries (including disabled) are the first group they will come after. If you've been fortunate enough not to have to live with that threat, you cannot appreciate the fear is very real.
Alywn. Them following the UK model when it comes to benefits.
That's what I'm afraid of.
https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_885099_en.html
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/secret-reviews-into-dwp-deaths-more-than-double-in-three-years/
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jan/16/people-died-benefits-error
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/aug/27/thousands-died-after-fit-for-work-assessment-dwp-figures
https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/dwp-disability-benefits-claimants-fail-whistleblowers/
https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/man-died-suicide-dwp-disability-benefits/
This is what I'm afraid may happen with this government.
please write some explanation, context and your views when commenting. Rather than just a bunch of links.
Weka: please delete my comment so I can redo this. I couldn't edit it even after refreshing.
"Recent evidence has shown people across the UK are dying younger as a result of austerity, with people living in the poorest areas hardest hit. A new study published today now quantifies the scale of these deaths. The study, led by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH) and the University of Glasgow, and published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, reports that compared to what previous trends predicted, an additional 335,000 deaths were observed across Scotland, England & Wales between 2012 and 2019." is a study made by Uni of Glasgow in the first link. It basically says that austerity is a political choice.
https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_885099_en.html
This following 2nd link delineates a freedom of information request of DWP about its review of disabled people's benefits and the rates of death. This is Disability Rights from UK, reporting that.
"New figures show how the number of secret reviews into deaths of benefit claimants that have been linked to the failings of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has more than doubled over the last three years, the Disability News Service (DNS) reports. They show how the DWP started 43 internal process reviews (IPRs) into deaths between July 2019 and June 2020, 59 from July 2020 to June 2021, and 38 in the last year, a total of 140 in three years."
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2022/july/secret-reviews-dwp-deaths-have-more-doubled-three-years
The quote from Disability News Service 3rd link says that:
"The draft version of the Deaths by Welfare timeline* exposes how DWP was alerted more than 40 times over the past 30 years to life-threatening systemic flaws in its disability benefits systems, by academics, coroners and its own researchers. IPRs are not released publicly, and grieving families are not even told that they are taking place."
https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/secret-reviews-into-dwp-deaths-more-than-double-in-three-years/
This means that there's a culture of cruelty and secrecy in DWP, enough that families of the affected weren't informed that there were investigations beforehand.
The fourth link is from the Guardian.
"Five thousand people died before they could be reimbursed for a government error that left chronically ill and disabled benefit claimants thousands of pounds out of pocket, it has emerged. Approximately 70,000 claimants were originally estimated to have been underpaid about £340m between 2011 and 2014, after being transferred from older benefits on to the employment and support allowance (ESA) during a government overhaul of incapacity benefits."
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jan/16/people-died-benefits-error
Incompetence or malice or both, doesn't matter. People has the potential to be harmed if the NZ government decides to go down this path.
Fifth link also from Guardian, about people dying after being found fit for work when they weren't fit and were forced to work:
"Nearly 90 people a month are dying after being declared fit for work, according to new data that has prompted campaigners and Labour leadership contenders to call for an overhaul of the government’s welfare regime. Statistics released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) revealed that during the period December 2011 and February 2014 2,380 people died after their claim for employment and support allowance (ESA) ended because a work capability assessment (WCA) found they were found fit for work."
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/aug/27/thousands-died-after-fit-for-work-assessment-dwp-figures
This is why I fear what Luxon and Seymour will do. They will force people who aren't suitable to work and they may be harmed.
Part One of Two
Part 2 of 2
The sixth link from Big Issue, a magazine, shows the challenge of keeping that much-needed money and how tough people has it in UK welfare system nowadays and how traumatising it is.
"Previous reporting from The Big Issue found the DWP rejects almost 90% of initial challenges over benefit decisions, but official statistics show 68% of claimants win their case when appealing the decision at tribunal, during which officials have more time to consider an individual’s case. This process causes avoidable damage for claimants like Aidan, who spent months appealing a PIP decision which lost him critical financial support and his car. “I’ve been living in quite squalid conditions because I haven’t had the mental capacity to keep the place tidy, clean and sanitary,” Aidan, who has multiple conditions including autism and an amputated leg, told The Big Issue. “The whole process was causing severe psychological stress and trauma to the point of being suicidal.”"
https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/dwp-disability-benefits-claimants-fail-whistleblowers/
This is from Big Issue again. This is about how such a welfare system is affecting people for the worse.
"Josh Smith was so anxious about his disability benefits assessment that he told his mother Tracy he planned to take a hammer and chisel to his leg. “That’s a disability they can see,” she breaks into tears as she remembers her son’s desperate words. “They can’t see my mental health. If they can see my disability they’re more likely to give me the clear.” Josh was just 25 when he took his own life. His final months were consumed with anxiety that his benefits would be snatched away. Tracy, who is speaking out for the first time three years after her son’s death, blames the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and public services for failing Josh when he was at his most desperate. “Life was already a massive struggle for him,” Tracy says. “The benefits system added so much pressure. I know there’s people who work the system, but you know when someone’s really depressed and mentally ill. It doesn’t take rocket science. This is the consequence of adding pressure to people who are genuinely ill. They are pushed over the edge.”"
https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/man-died-suicide-dwp-disability-benefits/
All of this paints a picture of what NZ may face in the future with its disability community by this government.
This was why I was so angry and anxious earlier in this Open Mike.
This is why the coalition agreeing so much on things is so dangerous.
Poverty and states running down welfare is worth getting angry about.
Keep up the good energy.
We're going to need it.
The new coalition government won't cut benefits.
They will just make those who can work take the jobs that are on offer
"The new coalition government won't cut benefits"
They will cut benefits by changing the rate of increase in benefits so that is lower than it would have been . CPI is not an accurate measure for the inflation faced by beneficiaries as CPI measurements are based on a basket of goods including the likes of vehicles and major consumer electronic apliances which generally skew the the CPI downwards.
"They will just make those who can work take the jobs that are on offer"
They will demonise. harass, pressure and sanction the mentally unwell creating unnessessary suffering, more negative health outcomes and increasing the suicide rate and this is all for political advantage by satisfying the 'urge to punish'. common among sociopathic idiots such as you.
It makes no sense to call someone you don't sociopathic on the basis of their opinion on a blog site
In your first paragraph you seem to agree with me that the new govt won't cut benefits but believe that they will increase them in line with the CPI.
In your second paragraph you maintain that the govt will harass the mentally unwell to take jobs in order to punish them and that this will increase the suicide rate.
I never suggested that people who are sick should work. That's why we have a sickness benefit.
To be clear I think that those who are fit for work should work and that this govt will make the case for work more strongly than the previous govt.
We don't have a "sickness benefit" as such in New Zealand. This benefit also covers people who are looking for work.
https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/jobseeker-support.html
"Jobseeker Support, which used to be called sickness benefit in New Zealand, is a weekly payment that helps employees who have temporarily taken time off work or are working at a lesser load due to a sickness, injury, pregnancy or a disability".
You might want to do some basic research (30 seconds on Google perhaps) before you demonstrate ignorance and prejudice in a forum such as this.
Damn Key for that particular bit of change.
Damn,
Labour for never undoing it despite having a majority for three years,
and never implementing a proper unemploymnet benefit for those that lost their jobs
and not removing the partnership clause/misery leaving many who should have and would have otherwise a benefit with nothing but the grace of their partners.
Damn, 3 years of a full majority and Winz is very much as Paula Bennet handed it over to Sepuloni.
Either you are ignorant Scott or you are one of those "sociopathic idiots". The last I heard the unemployment rate is currently @3.6%. That suggests pretty much all the people who can work are working.
A zero unemployment rate is non-achievable, but with the thousands who are likely to be tossed on the scrap-heap in the near future and the lack of jobs available due to an inevitable shrinking economy, are we going to see the unfortunates being harassed and demonised again as they were in the 1990s by a previous National government?
You ignore the under-employment rate which as been sitting very stubbornly at around 10 – 11%.
See here https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/underutilisation-rate/
Under employment 10.4 % – up slightly
this is the criteria.
-cursive mine.
All but one of the categories listed is actually 'under-employed' in the sense that they are partimers/casual/seasonal and would like to get to full time.
All the othrs are non employed people full time, either regular unemployed and looking , discouraged by a bad job market so no longer looking, or looking for a job in the future.
We rejoice in a low official unemployment number while ignoring the underemployment which hides a whole bag of people who do not work at all, and who may or may not be looking for a job but are on assistance.
A further interesting breakdown that we don't really want to mention either is the Gap between the sexes, women are harder hit them men
(I assume that the government counts 'sex' as per gender self id rather then sex recorded at birth)
Women – 12. 2 %
Men – 8.6%
The unemployment rate for women is also higher then for men.
3.4 men vs 3.9 women
Our current Employment rate 69.1 Percent – trending down slightly.
It's simply an exercise in fucking sadism – I know a bloke who is autistic while also suffering chronic depression, panic attacks and PTSD and brainless arseholes would like him to go through a steady diet of rejection and failure to satisfy their need for people like him to look for work this will inevitably lead to clinical depression and very high suicidal ideation. Some arseholes don't understand or care that there are people whose mental health conditions are such that harassing them to look for work that they can't do anyway will fuck them up worse than what they are.
It is National's explicit policy to cut benefits, including for disabled people, as demonstrated here:
Election 2023: Christopher Luxon grilled by AM's Ryan Bridge on whether beneficiaries will be better off under National or Labour | Newshub
(of course we don't know what the agreed coalition policy will be, but given the 3 parties involved it is unlikely that National will be prevented from doing this)
If your on a benefit and able shouldn't you any way?
And how do you know that they are not? Do you have any evidence that there are no sanctions for people who turn down employment opportunities without reasonable excuse, or who do not make enough effort to get work?
One of my relatives was briefly on the Jobseekers benefit after a family disruption but was very well case managed by the relevant WINZ Officer and had 2 part time jobs within a month or so. One of the part time jobs became full time and he was able to stop getting the benefit.
Another friend had 2 jobs in Rest Homes, one in the morning shift and one in the evening shift. She got a top up benefit because they were both part time and minimum wage. She got the top up as she was looking for full time work. She eventually found a full time job.
The one benefit covers quite a wide range of needs and eligibilities and if it is just compared to the old Unemployment or Sickness benefits the numbers can look quite out of proportion which gives the ignorant opportunities to moan and complain.
I think I got the wrong end of scotts stuck , I thought he was proposing that those that can work shouldn't be encouraged to take any available job .
It seems he's possibly our the other end ,that short of being nearly dead you should be sanctioned into work ,
I'm of the belief that some will need alot of help to get functioning, and sanctions won't do it except for a small minority. Also there's probably a %that will never work and their benefits are just a cost of a decent society.
Scott, that is so shallow.
Step 1They have already changed the benefit amount budgeted, lowering the 4 year amount by 2 billion dollars. Luxon said "As it has always been done by the CPI, not wages." So already from April benefits will be lower.
Unfortunately that is poverty, as the advice from the inquiry group WEAG said benefit payments needed to be raised as pensions are as a proportion of the average wage to keep pace with true costs.
Those of us who have observed right wing governments know austerity is their mantra. Austerity for the less fortunate, and tax breaks for the already fortunate.
Rolling-on-gravel, we hear you. Most who come here want this Government gone as their aims are selfish and uncaring.
Dodgy Dave and Nasty Nicola will make sure that those who can work and want to work will be well rewarded for their efforts. There are too many loafers dipping their fingers into the state coffers at the moment and that is the first thing that needs sorting.Let's get our society aspirational again!
Aspiring to what? Being a nasty Landlord?
Who are the Loafers dipping their fingers?
So Landlords getting tax breaks are not loafers? Those who work for any Ministry are?
What a strange view..Don’t forget 90 day trials lots of poorly paid migrants and backpackers to push wages back down again. less than 4% unemployed. Wow!! So where are all the lazy people?
Perhaps you mean the sick the dying the retired the disabled???
Well we now get the explicit calculation that Hamas and Israel make between the life of Israeli women, distinct from Israeli children (since it’s only 80 women and children being released from their kidnappers), distinct from Israeli men (who apparently aren’t being released), when weighed precisely against 150 mostly women and children released back into Israel.
That is one cold calculus, on both sides.
Israel will also allow 300 aid trucks to enter Gaza per day for four days.
"Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement enabling the release of some hostages captured by the Palestinian militant group during its Oct. 7 attack on the country, Axios and Haaretz reported Tuesday, citing those familiar with the deal."
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/israel-hamas-hostages-deal_n_655cbecfe4b0662eb43ba01e
If this holds and is implemented it will be a real win for those rescued and gives hope that there will be more.
Also if it holds it will be a massive diplomatic success for Qatar.
Here's hoping for more of this.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/israel-hamas-hostages-deal_n_655cbecfe4b0662eb43ba01e
It might be for two weeks – the 10 per day, then it is 150 for 150.
There are c240 hostages.
At 300 trucks per day – 1200 trucks. 10 more days, 3000 trucks.
They need shelter, food, water, medical supplies and fuel/power in the south.
And a hospital ship off coast.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-middle-east-67481139
And I believe that Israel is holding many many hundreds more in prison. How come that is not in the general public?
Many – so it's thousands. There are those who committed crimes of violence and got prosecuted (unlike some of the settlers) and there are those interned without trial (political activists). The PA also arrests political activists/dissidents.
After the 150 – 150 stage – Hamas should seek the release of all those interned without trial for the 100 hostages they still have … and maybe those in that category held by the PA (and any in that category they have in Gaza) …
It's probably safer in an Isreal jail at the moment.
Afghanistan with oil.
Samantha Berkhead
@samberkhead
Russian Senator Margarita Pavlova says the country should stop encouraging girls to get higher education in order to solve its demographic crisis: “This search for oneself drags on for many years, and as a result, reproductive function is losts.”
https://twitter.com/samberkhead/status/1724182098460713076
Despite its last-minute scheduling, the meeting at a bookstore in Russia’s westernmost city of Kaliningrad still drew about 60 people, with many outraged by a lawmaker’s efforts to ban abortions in local private clinics.
The weeknight turnout surprised and heartened Dasha Yakovleva, one of the organizers, amid recent crackdowns on political activism under President Vladimir Putin.
“Right now, there is no room for political action in Russia. The only place left is our kitchens,” Yakovleva, co-founder of the Feminitive Community women’s group, told The Associated Press. “And here, it was a public place, well-known in Kaliningrad, and everyone spoke out openly about how they see this measure, why they think it’s unjustified, inappropriate.”
https://apnews.com/article/abortion-russia-women-rights-feminism-fc5eab75b5e3d028aeb1f70ec8a9a2b1
You want to have a go at comparing the different pro-birth policies of others with rapidly declining birth rates including China, Korea, Japan, Denmark, Singapore, France, Poland, and Germany?
Might have something to do with effective welfare systems.
Poots established Russia's Maternity Capital programme in 2006.
It's not gone too well.
https://cepa.org/article/suffer-the-little-children-russias-maternity-scandal/
This kind of shit doesn't help
Ex Obama official harassing a food vendor
Seldowitz was a 30 year career public servant, a Deputy Director in the US State Department's Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs from 1999 to 2003, and worked for three presidents but sure, the black guy.
/
What on earth is your point Joe.?
What black guy?
Anyway he’s been arrested for hate crime , but sure, the black guy?????
Aah , I see , You’re talking about Obama, the most recent president he worked for .Somehow you’re attempting to insert a sly little suggestion of racism?
The racism is all yours mate , Obama’s policies were more meaningful than his skin colour