Key sets out clearly how he is desperate to achieve sustaining the grip on power by all democratic means necessary… and that sordid story gets to rot in public a week
Six days of news cycle, by formal speech, Cunliffe will set out what the ideals to aspire to are for New Zealand, concentrate on child poverty, and how to achieve opportunity for all.
Can’t think of a better way to start the political year going into the opening of parliament.
And a new minister of Local Gummint no less – as the rats leaving the sinking ship can be more accurately described as mice leaving the stinking ship, here’s an ex-DPB wahine of no great airs and grace for the silver-spoon misogeny old boys club to chew on.
There’s a distinct and pervasive smell seeping out of Torytown now: Gower and the rest of the rent-children have seen the descent to the gutter, watched the mice and those with a trace of dignity and judgement still intact head for the hills: and truth, purity and justice grow in strength again for the first time in years.
Kia kaha Standardistas and all believers in humanity: the time has come, this year is yours.
The focus will probably change tomorrow (Thursday) when Key gives his State of the Nation speech – and his announcements of potential coalition partners yesterday was probably planned on this probable change of focus.
According to Vernon Small, Key’s State of the Nation speech is expected to focus on education. See the last paragraph in Small’s article on Stuff.
..tvone breakfast ‘team’ ‘discover’ that school tuck-shops sell sugar/crap-laden unhealthy drinks/food to school children..
..rawdon christie is in shock..and needing consoling from his colleagues..
..(and funny story..!..that deep-as-a-petrie-dish christie is one of those access-media/neo-lib-apologist trouts..
..who would have run with that ‘nanny-state’-meme….
..and probably cheered the key tory party when they removed any restrictions on what children could be sold in school tuck-shops.
..(one of their first acts..so ensuring primary-school children are early-addicted to sugar/salt/fat/caffeine-laden crap..was obviously high on their urgent-to-do list..
..they do have their advertisers/corporate-supporters to think of..eh..?..and the promises/nods/winks they had give them..)
..’gotta get that nanny-state out of our lives..!..we demand the right to addict our children to whatever we choose..!’
..eh rawdon..?..)
(..but be reassured..!..
..that other ‘expert’..that weather-youth..
..he had an anecdotal or two..that ‘proved’ that we really have to problem at all..
(whew..!..that’s a relief..!..eh..?..)
..and all over town energy-drink marketeers were ordering that cases of their product be sent to that weather-guru..)
Often politicians talk about growth. What sort of growth? What does the Labour Party (DC) mean when talking of growth? If making the pie (economy/GDP) bigger then it is more of the same neo-lib BS. If increasing the share of wealth to the less wealthy you then have a socialist policy.
Where is that growth coming from and what sort of consumption growth? If it is growth in consumption of imports, debt, population, resource consumption then there is little sustainable benefit to NZ.
Desirable growth include:
Growth in the efficiency of resource usage NOT more resource usage.
Growth in the value of sustainable exported goods NOT just quantities.
Growth in employment, quality of work, income for the less well off. NOT longer hours, poorer conditions and pay rises for execs, or reduced number of jobs.
Correct. Uneconomic growth, i.e. growth which leaves people behind, worsens disparity, damages the prospects of future generations, harms the environment, is unsustainable, benefits only those far from where the work is actually done…that kind of growth must be singled out and halted in its tracks.
hmmm… ok, so perpetual growth on a finite planet (or series of islands) is a special kind of madness. So do we attempt to re-appropriate the word ‘growth’ to mean something sustainable? Or do we replace the whole concept (eg steady state economy)?
Nice to see it is not just me writing about the folly of ever expanding consumption on a finite world millions of lightyears from just maybe expansion room.
Probably hard to re-appropriate words but need to distinguish politically types of growth advocated between the parties. Make a point of difference.
Also difficult to solve the worlds problems but we can work on making NZ an example to the world of how to run a society and an economy. At least look after our own interests properly and not give stuff away cheaply. Nobody else seems to have any clues. All a bunch of lemmings following USA over the cliff.
David Cunliffe on RadioNZ National just now, a good interview outlining Labour’s position,(nothing new there),
Relaxed as, even to the point of what sounded like genuine laughter at Slippery the Prime Ministers 6 headed monster when it comes to Nationals coalition choices…
Apologies in advance for being shallow. It has only just occurred to me what a lovely sounding voice Cunliffe has, so ………………….soothing and pleasant to listen to. Aaaah.
Unlike Key’s, whose voice cause the teeth to grind, the knuckles to clench and the blood pressure to raise.
“[Blair] was sitting at the head of a table upstairs with about eight other people eating dinner. I think he was out with his family and a few friends,” Garcia said. “I went over to him, put my hand on his shoulder and said, ‘Mr. Blair, this is a citizen’s arrest for a crime against peace, namely your decision to launch an unprovoked war against Iraq. I am inviting you to accompany me to a police station to answer the charge.’”
This is the perfect example of how to make these “leaders” (of societal death and destruction) pay a daily and social price for their malfeasance.
Good one Garcia. Even if you are trying to be a comedian, what a great idea. It would be good to carry out citizens arrests on old politicians who have wormed their way into the consciousness of the people and have created a fact-free, untouchable tunnel of love for themselves. Sort of like termites into solid wood. Berlusconi to get the treatment, everyone would find it arresting!
Locally, I’d love to do it to Sir Roger Douglarse.
reminds me of the time when AUSA offered a $5,000 reward for anyone who attempted a citizen’s arrest of condoleeza rice, when she was visiting the country. that was awesome too.
On the Bradbury/KDC ‘relationship’, yesterday I came upon a few bits of interesting speculation/rumour in a Vernon Small opinion piece on Stuff dated 18 January 2014.
The whole article is worth reading as it also covers Crusher Collins wrecking ball on ACC, but here is part of Small’s take on the KDC Internet Party ‘Clayton’s’ launch last week – and who else may have been involved in giving advice. (This speculation appears to align with KDC’s comments about advice having been sought from across the political spectrum.)
First, the comedy of errors.
The Kim Dotcom vortex, that had already sucked in and crushed so many careers in 2013, has swung into action again.
There were rumours late last year that the usual suspects in the politico-legal world were jockeying for position around the giant German wrecking ball’s plans for his new party. Lawyer and former ACT MP Stephen Franks and his trusty sidekick, Jordan Williams, were rumoured to have been elbowed aside before Christmas, though neither would confirm or deny if Mr Dotcom was a client.
Constitutional lawyer Mai Chen’s firm has confirmed its involvement in giving advice ahead of the launch.
On the pure political side, news service Scoop’s press gallery reporter, Alastair Thompson, has also confirmed a role (interestingly, his stepson, who was once a Scoop employee, now works for Ms Chen’s firm). When Thompson came on to the scene, blogger Martyn Bradbury seems to have been given the heave- ho, along with his strategy “white paper” revealed by Cameron Slater’s Whaleoil blog this week. Thompson has since quit Scoop – or taken a sabbatical, depending on which version of events you hear – and is interim secretary of the embryonic Internet Party.
But the irony will not be lost on anyone that some of the commentariat who are hottest on rooting out influence and conflicts of interest – and are most sanctimonious about it – were themselves so conflicted.
It is anyone’s guess why, in all the planning, no-one realised Mr Dotcom’s giant free birthday bash – dubbed the “Party Party” – could fall foul of the electoral law on “treating”.
But whatever the ins and outs, his party has gone backwards this week.
It had the potential to be a real influence on the election – less so now.
Or better re-cycling either before or after cremation … the practice of littering the world with dead bodies slowly disintergrating is really disgusting … then the practice of barring the use of such land by future generations … particularly when it is just one body.
The price of funerals, burials and cremations here in NZ is prohibitive for many NZers also.
Interestingly, just a few days ago by accident I came across the fact that related NZ legislation is currently under review. And guess who is leading this review? None other than the Law Commission and ‘our Wayne’.
Here are some links from the Law Commission site. I haven’t read the Issues paper and don’t have time today, but others may want to.
LOL – I had forgotten that! Shanks’ pony …. She and Mapp would already know one another through the National Party and as MPs. As you say, coincidence?
McDonalds Queens NY finally agrees to let seniors ‘hang out’ after calling police on them
This is just one danger of the loss of public common space and conversion into private spaces for private profit. Even hanging out with long time friends becomes impossible without it being an offence.
Interesting point.
There are bugger all places in the city hubs where people can gather, hang-out, talk at length, if they want to, without having to spend any money. Communities need such places – comfortable, warm in winter with chairs and a couple of tables, maybe a zip and toilets. It’s cheapest if people are able to bring their own food and drink. As petrol gets more and more expensive it gets less viable to visit others’ homes to meet up with those from further than walking distance away.
Indeed. In some NZ cities the new subdivisions have sweet f.a. public meeting spaces. Just miles of curvy twisty suburban cul de sacs that you can barely walk between (why would you) and mostly have to drive in and out of. No sense of a community or town centre, just another housing estate designed to isolate you from your neighbours.
I swear those places just breed Tories because of the lack of public common spaces for people and children to interact in.
Wasn’t Naomi Klein talking about “reclaiming the streets” back in the 90’s? From hazy memory it was a movement or idea about bringing a sense of community back via regaining public spaces that had been lost to private ownership and development
And those housing developments you mention above. I live on one (purely for economic and building soundness reasons) It is dire. We do have a neighbourhood planting group whose aim is to bring some nature to the otherwise featureless landscape. I am also considering organising a neighbourhood kite flying day on one of the privately owned future development sites. (It’s extremely windy here and I have seen kites flying so it may be a hobby to get people involved in together) There is no sense of neighbourly camaraderie and it is even a challenge to get a “hello” out of a passer by. Area’s such as these are such a departure from the cohesive nature of traditional neighbourhoods.
This grassroots community building is the volunteer work that I’ve been doing over the last four to five years.
There is a definite movement developing and some really good tools and ideas out there – Rosie.
Don’t know whether you are in Auckland – but one of the long-time community advocates – Jim Diers from Seattle – is coming over to NZ in March. He will definitely be in Auckland. He is worth going to see.
Attended an Auckland Conversation. What struck me is the comments in the introduction from Auckland Council’s now replaced CEO – Doug McKay, who thanked Jim Diers for showing him that people can be viewed as resources and contributors.
Our current planning head in Auckland Council – Dr Roger Blakely – came from Porirua City Council which won awards for their village planning programme.
There have been indications that Auckland Council may attempt the same up here – but despite those whispers – nothing concrete as yet.
Thanks Molly for the links and big ups to you for the work you do 🙂
That’s interesting about the Village Planning Programme. I have indeed noticed the various public outdoor art works springing up in the environment around Porirua. (I’m in Wellington) I might mention it to the one contact I do have in the neighbourhood, who happens to have strong council connections. That is a great idea, thank you.
I think there are opportunities for community strengthening in our area – I know the local Papa Kainga has been active and the emergency resilience group is influential in other parts of the area – it’s tying it together that is the trick, and creating a sense of unity.
Reent New Lynn development is interesting. There are some open air spaces for the public to hang out – There’s a spot on Todd Triangle – open but I think with some overhead cover – where a small group of Chinese people (many elderly) regularly do some slow movement exercises together.
But many of the prime sites have been bought by business interests – eg MacDonalds overlooking one of the main squares by the Mall. Although, there still are buskers and others gathering to chat etc in the square in fron of MacDonalds.
There’s a community centre with indoor space and many activties for people – it’s just not one of the more centrally-located spots – businesses have too much influence in buying preferred spaces.
It seems like the local tertiary institutions are the only places that provide facilities in which people can bring their own whatever, and hang-out all day if they want to.
The lack of such facilities is very isolating, particularly for those without much money.
I’ve known a couple of people who took a paper or two at uni mainly to procure these and the many other collective facilities and advantages that students enjoy. And very cost-effective it was too.
The library is certainly a kind of community centre here too. But hanging out all day, talking, and food and drink are not exactly encouraged. There are no group meeting rooms.
Which reminds me that WINZ has some such public facilities. Mainly used for formal meetings. Beneficiaries always mention how uncomfortable they feel about being there.
The Americans invented the modern day equivalent of the meeting hall – it’s called the “Mall”. Just make sure you look “youthful” and you have plenty of “bling”.
Modern day Councils don’t see investing in Council amenities as “investments”, they want “returns” – $$$$. Have a look at the layout of the modern-day development, the focus is where to place the shopping area, the school will then go nearby, followed by a park. But the focus starts with the commercial aspect first – $$$$ – revenue, not people.
Hey be kind to Councils that do anything. The ACT giant reversed the fairy tale and came down the beanstalk and took away all our things to his place in the sky. It’s a wonder we hae any Councils left –
That aren’t just set up to advance the wants and desires of the noisy and pushy. I notice Dunedin council not content with piling an extravagant colosseum on the ratepayers, shows its colours further by banning a No Drilling sign on an island that has been leased from it. The Rule is that it doesn’t allow advertising. Is a two-finger salute advertising? Or just an example of Andy-Warhol-type modern stuff.
the new bill will take things to an entirely new level, removing existing checks on the use of powers, such as the need for public consultation or to prove a case beyond reasonable doubt. This bill will make authorities’ total control over public space a daily reality.
Absolutely, but the Medusa’s raft of new anti-protest laws in the UK have already seen to it that future progress for Occupy and similar movements will be [nigh impossible]. I see these new changes as a not so subtle goosestep towards complete stage-management of ‘the message’.
Just moving this reply to BM from “National coalition with NZ First?” to Open Mike so he can’t miss it. I really am curious BM and would like to hear your response.
Bringing in Peter Dunn just may have batted this swinging voter away. Would Labour include Dunn if necessary? Probably; so where to from here?
Winston First? Well I don’t see Peters being healthy enough both mentally and physically to function in 2015 and he does have some very good MPs who could step up. So acceptable but then Labour certainly wouldn’t say no to Peters.
So it’s down to Mana/Greens verses Conserves/ACT. I could accept limited input from all but Mana; racists have no place in my government.
Bottom line for me; if Cunliff can rule out Harawira I vote Labour.
Steve James, Labour leader David Cunliffe speaking on RadioNZ National this morning more or less ruled out Peter Dunne,(”if He calls us we might talk to Him,but i don’t think i will be calling Him”),
No mention of the Mana Party by Cunliffe this morning, for our amusement Steve can you tell us what it is that engenders your hatred when it comes to the Mana Party…
Lol. I was trying to find evidence of Dunne saying he would never work with Labour (again)- he’s said it recently, but what I came across instead was this from Pete George who has cold feet for his leader:
I’m still a member of United Future, I joined for three years when I stood for the party last election. That membership runs out in a few months.
“I have seen nothing to encourage me to renew that membership. That’s very disappointing.
United Future could be, should be a small by significant player in Parliament and potentially in Government. Key has given them a vote of confidence.
But the party will have to start earning votes from the public (and members). Soon. again.
The opportunity is there. Is the party there? Is the determination? Or is United Future just an electorate committee for Ohariu?”
Lolz Rosie, that is funny from He who still cannot get over being temporarily spanked by Lprent, i wonder what colour that ones overcoat will be when He changes it…
Hi Steve
Great to hear you have no room for rascists ( or liars apparently).
As you seem to have missed some replies to your posts from yesterday,
I thought I might save you some time – other folks also have their own questions for you
Are you saying you are a low income/beneficiary and pay for scripts?
thus negating your original comment.
or you are not a low income/beneficiary and enjoy the state subsidy Pharmac supplies.
(which only raises the question of what it has to do with your original comment?)
Steve, here is an older Blip’s List (only up to April 2013) so as not to scare you too badly.
Maybe I am being unfair and you are a rational reasonable man, but so far the on-message soundbites you have shared say otherwise.
Yeah time is precious so I get little time to visit The standard.
Firstly I have two jobs though the second is as a small business operator with my partner. Neither of us are on benefits however some of our friends are and they are very open about their circumstances. I received the DPB some years back and I remain grateful to those who contributed to my family’s wellbeing.
Having strong personal values is a good thing so no further comment required.
I will look at the Blip’s list tonight, thanks.
Look freedom; people have different perspectives, varied understandings and inherent biases on most issues, that’s what open discussion is about. If you write just one thing that makes sense to me and changes a misguided perspective I may have; well, that’s a good thing. The same applies the other way.
Do you consider Hone racist because he noticed that the colonisers had paler skin than the colonised? I really don’t think you have much idea what racism is.
A good look at the health of our people and our Health system this morning on Radionz. Tony Ryall oils his way over the bumpy ground of sharp tacks formed by unsatisfactory stats.
A point made that Annette King changed counting lists of waiting sick, to counting waiting times. There was no attempt earlier to count those sick and not on the waiting list, now there is no attempt to count either the needy off list, or the waiting on list. There is just the trumpeting of increases in numbers of operations. Gives the impression that everything is under control.
But the Christchurch Charity Hospital and others are aware of people in pain who have no hope of getting near the list. Others who have GP or specialist advice that they could be helped, are far away from getting on the list. Who knows how many are unable to be done within time, are sent back to the GP and start on the cycle again. The system fits into the overarching approach that this government operates under, the casino principle, luck is important and the only way to be sure of getting stuff is to be in on running the ‘tables’. And not to have too much oversight, to have stats that are seen through a mirror darkly, so they are open to misunderstanding and confusion.
Couldn’t agree with this comment more, excellent description of this mornings discussion on RadioNZ which paints neither Labour or National in a good light,
i know the truth of the substance of the allegations made this morning because i am one of those not counted, i have access to as many brands of pain-blocking medication as there are available through Pharmac, but,
As far as removing the causes of this pain goes i am told that i will have to wait ‘until they have become life threatening’,
My next logical question to the Doctor informing of this was of course, ”how will i know when it has become life threatening”, and while admiring this particular Doctors honest answer had to wonder why He didn’t don a ‘black cap’ while announcing what in effect sounded remarkably like a death sentence,
”It will pierce your bowels which you will definitely feel” being His reply while writing the scrip which allows me to be mostly free of pain while i wait for the grand occasion to occur,(even going so far as to write a note to WINZ telling them i definitely need a landline phone for my future health),
NICE, a health system that passes the buck to WINZ who will in five years have paid out as much, if not more, than the cost of what the health system would incur by fixing the original bone anomaly…
So essentially you are being denied treatment to the cause of your pain now, treatment that would prevent a serious and costly health crisis
Such a foolish and cavalier approach from the health system towards illness must create anxiety in patients such as yourself. Anxiety that would be avoidable if the problem were to be treated now before its reaches crisis stage.
Tah much Rosie, i am pretty pragmatic about my life span tending to view such as ”how long is a piece of string”, having smoked at least 20 a day since age 14 i should have no great expectations of longevity nor in the current climate being looked on favorably by any within the health sector,
i am tho still seething over the original diagnosis of this particular problem 20 odd years ago by the medical profession who using ‘the crystal ball method’ convinced me it was a simple muscle problem easily alleviated by a couple of simple exercises,
In the intervening 20 odd years i have engaged in physical activity which has resulted in outright agony,(lamb tailing in the South Island which involved bending over and picking up lambs to the tune of 1000 a day for the 3 week ‘season’), all the while telling myself it’s ‘only’ a muscle problem,
It was only 5 years ago when explaining to yet another Doctor who didn’t rely on the crystal ball method of diagnosis my worn out hip and this particular problem, Her view was ‘lets gt a picture of what’s happening here’ and i was totally gob-smacked to find on the x-ray that my 20+ year ‘muscle problem’ had all along been a piece of bone growing off my spine that is now quite a protuberance…
Oh FFS! I I would be seething too, all those years of thinking you had one thing when it was another, and the lost opportunities to get the right treatment from the beginning.
It’s very easy, upon hearing stories such as yours to wonder how a person’s well being and health would be vastly improved if we were governed by those who were committed to providing a high quality barrier free readily accessible and safe public health system. (well done to those health workers who do so much within the limits on their ability to provide an above adequate service)
bad12
Regards. Glad I managed to convey the gist of this mornings talk adequately.
Sorry to hear your situation. We’ll see how we can change things with a change of government. Probably everyone I know will unlike me by the election.
Any chance of an op at Christchurch? Have a look at them on google. I think I will put them on my donation list. Just a little bit but if a lot did that then hopefully if would pile up and grease the wheels of the trolleys to theatre.
bad12
Regards. Glad that I caught the tone of this mornings twaddle so effectively.
Do you think you could get it done through Christchurch Charity? Have a look at their google.
We will try and get a new bunch in government this year, but I think Annette King is still around – same job?
Did this comment again as I thought the first was lost. Waited round for it, and looked here and there, refreshed, and then decided I hadn’t put my identification. Perhaps it went to moderation.
Wouldn’t it be good for transparency to have a statistician create – and another statistician – critique the standard figures that indicate good governance in NZ – and then they stay the same for at least the next twenty years?
Might not be useful for political ends – but what a good basis for policy and indicator for the rest of us.
I agree Molly that performance indicators/measures need to be established and then kept for a reasonable period of time to allow comparison. And if these need to be changed/improved due to changes in circumstances, outcomes sought etc, the changes must incorporate some methodology to allow comparision with the original or previous performance indicators/measures.
But this type of work is not straight statistics. It is a specific field that involves statistics, but also requires a much wider range of skills and knowledge,many of which are not numerical or statistical. For example strategic and business planning, an understanding of the interaction of outcomes, goals, inputs, outputs and how to identify and establish meaningful performance indicators/measures that actually measure performance against desired outcomes etc. It also requires ‘sales’ skills to get buy-in from management and others to appreciate the usefulness of such measures to them in their daily work and implement such measuring systems – often one of the hardest parts!
Instantly thought of a kid scribbling to obliterate out some drawing that had gone wrong when I watched this. Unfortunately, the ‘scribble’ is the track of plane flights through our atmosphere spewing (and because no-one wants ‘international’ emissions included in their national emission totals) uncounted CO2 24/7. (note: 1g of aviation fuel = 3g CO2)
“and because no-one wants ‘international’ emissions included in their national emission totals)”
So where the graphic talks about air travel accounting for 3.5% to 4.9% of all GHG emissions, that’s going to be a low number? Or will they be estimating in what’s not in the national figures?
I don’t know how they arrived at the numbers they do. But according to Kevin Anderson of the Tyndal Institute, international shipping and international air travel are not counted into national totals for the reasons I gave in the original comment.
Also…they don’t seem to have calculated emissions for fighter/military flights or private jets. And given that fighter jets are always on exercise or on maneuvers when not in combat…anyone with experience of the UK where the screaming of RAF jets is punctuated by emerging sounds of the countryside might appreciate just how many of those buggers are up in the air at any given time.
The DoD accounted for around 1 percent of the US energy consumption and 80 percent of the federal government energy consumption. Although this may seem small, the fact is that the Pentagon is the largest single consumer of energy in the World. Nigeria, with a population of more than 160 million, consumes as much energy and emits as much CO2 as the US military.
Baker has, I think, done some of the best popular writing attacking the fiction that the Right is for free markets while the Left is for government regulation. As I’ve noted elsewhere, the contest before us in the immediate future is between different regimes of state-created and -enforced property, not between the state and the market.
The Herald is totally obsessed by Brown.
Must want Cameron Brewer or Dick Quax as mayor.
Or at least one prepared to sell Auckland’s assets to foreign corporations.
Listening to this song by lizzie west… the following caught my ear
Well as I drive then I begin to see,
The lazy trade their dignity
At the root of the conspiracy,
Is the corporate claim on all our needs.
Down goes the small man’s dream,
The franchise rise and provide.
America how do you like it.
This is how it will be.
David Cunliffe sounded better (on RadioLive) then he has in a long time but he still has a tendency to sound patronising when he starts to get on a roll. But whoevers working with him is certainly doing their job.
Very disappointed in Cunliffe, ditching the tax-free for first $5000 earned and taking off GST from fruit and veges. Screw the poor, yet again.
What’s the use of voting for Labour now?
What he’s committed to is that the minimum wage will go up to $15 within the first 100 days, and that there will be further rises after that – likely a standard annual raise but I also wouldn’t rule anything else out.
The tax free $5k helped everyone including the rich and was poorly targetted. Same with GST off fruit and veges in fact it would have had a regressive effect because the rich would benefit more.
Better to come up with more targetted policies. For instance the money saved could be used to bring in free school breakfasts for poorer schools.
To be fair Labour did want to “axe the tax” 🙂 but seriously this is a good call by Cunliffe, shows hes serious about running the country and wants the center ground rather then pandering to the hard left
I reckon the poor would notice either a lot more than the rich, and the second point simply plays the “oooo, we’re soooo poor there’s not enough to go around” tory bullshit. For instance, we could do all three if the rich paid their way.
I am disappointed re the GST on fruit and veges – everyone needs to eat and this shouldn’t be taxed – especially not the way the price of eating has gone up so badly – I fail to see how knocking the GST off fruit and veges benefits wealthy people more (?) It would be very nice to have these necessities costing less.
Despite this reservation and disappointment I liked Labour’s press release it was short and sweet, to the point and indicated they are going to bring out something even better. I am, therefore, looking forward to what Labour are replacing these two policies with – they had better be good and feel hopeful that they will be.
i would suggest you don’t be disappointed about the GST and fruit and veg thingy, from where i sit such a move could be viewed in much the same light as raising the accommodation supplement,
Those on the supply side of both these equations, as has been shown in the rental market, simply view such Government subsidies as an ‘opportunity’, raising their prices to match what the Government has provided thus negating any benefit to those most in need,
Monday we await with raised expectation David Cunliffe explaining how Labour plan to address the bread and butter issue of increasing inequality and the poverty that builds around this…
Ah good to hear some sort of explanation re fruit and veges tax – I did take it that they are not pursuing dropping this tax so that they can spend the money gathered on something helpful…..so I am waiting with quite a bit of interested antipication
I agree the $5k lacked focus. Nevertheless, the tax component of $5k would be of immeasurable benefit to the poorest of us. How about then, that the abatement rates applied to earnings while claiming entitlements gets a radical over-haul or dumped? That benefits the poorest and small businesses too in terms of cash through and the ability to employ people legally.
Fruit and veg is, well…I’m going to punt that far too many of us poorest people don’t really buy fresh fruit and veg in any worthwhile quantity anyway. And that’s not necessarily down solely to cost, but also poor eating habits and poor cooking skills plus other factors.
The tax free $5k helped everyone including the rich and was poorly targetted. Same with GST off fruit and veges in fact it would have had a regressive effect because the rich would benefit more.
The tax free threshold should of course be paired with a higher flat tax rate, which together as a system would maintain progressiveness and simplify the tax system into something closer to supporting a UBI.
I definitely don’t want to see innovation draining out of Labour’s policy play book, which would leave the Greens pushing the most progressive policy ideas.
Of course, let’s wait for Mon as I am sure DC will have a few real surprises for all of us. *Fingers crossed*
Come on mickey, be honest. The GST off F&V thing wasn’t regressive. Poor people spend a far greater proportion of their income on basic weekly food requirements than rich people do.
It was dropped for one reason only: because when it was announced, Labour failed to stand by the basic decency of trying to make food cheaper and instead got sucked in to the right-wing “but you’re meddling with the free market!” framing of the policy and wasted their time having stupid arguments about snow-peas.
Totally sensible policy. Total clusterfuck of coms. Total lack of ideological fortitude from the Labour caucus.
I cant believe Cunliffe has just backed away from the minimum living wage, he just stated the minimum wage will be $15 and no plans to go any higher, what a massive backdown when he was going for broke when he was seeking to be leader of the party with all the promises of bridging the gap of inequality with an $18+per hour living wage. Any time Cunliffe has some momentum he shots himself in the foot and shows him to be a bigger liar than Key,
[lprent: That appears to be a deliberate diversion from the post. Banned permanently. Moving thread to OpenMike. ]
Hmmm a second time commenter engaging in concern trolling.
Cunliffe has not backed away from the minimum living wage. He has confirmed it and has plans to go higher as finances allow. If he did not say this he would be attacked for being reckless with the cheque book …
Oh yes its not a positive comment in Labours favour so it must be trolling mickysavage, im an undecided voter and Cunliffes promise of which I herd him say in person at a meeting that he would introduce a living wage as his first priority in government, had me won over
I didn’t hear any talk of if and when or strings attached
Nor did you hear or read any evidence of a backing away. Personally I think you’re lying. I don’t believe you’re an undecided voter, either. Your comments stand out like a dog’s balls as insincere, bad faith drivel.
Now, to demonstrate what a shallow individual you are, why not take my contempt as a reason to support John Key the way you always intended to?
I didn’t hear any talk of if and when or strings attached.
Well in that case kerry you are deaf (don’t listen properly), blind (can’t see properly) or dumb (can’t comprehend properly) because right from Day 1… Cunliffe made it clear that the minimum wage (or Living Wage seems to be the preference now) would have to be raised in at least two stages. He announced it would rise to $15 per hour immediately on taking office, but Labour’s ultimate aim was to increase the minimum wage to $18 per hour as soon as the coffers were sufficiently replenished. Since the minimum wage is a core policy plank, you can be assured $18 per hour will be implemented probably in 2017.
Anne, there is a difference between the minimum wage and the living wage.
The minimum wage is lower. $18.00 has generally been agreed to be a reasonable “living wage”.
The minimum wage would be more compulsory, while the living wage would be more something aimed at through incentives – eg government procurement contracts.
Yes I know the living wage is treated as a separate entity karol, but the original minimum wage concept from Labour included a target of two steps – a $15 increase followed at a later stage by another increase to $18. That was my clear recollection. Then the living wage concept was introduced which I know has different elements attached to it.
I was replying to kerry at 21 plus 21.1.1 where he was accusing Cunliffe of being a worse liar than Key.
A fired up David Cunliffe said Labour would raise the minimum wage and was committed to a living wage for government employees in one of his first major speeches as Labour Leader.
[…]
At a press standup following his speech, Mr Cunliffe said provisions for a “living wage”, initially for all government employees, would be included in their first budget subject to the “provisions of fiscal responsibility”. It would then be rolled out to crown entities and then to government contractors.
Labour would develop a a certified living wage employer scheme, and would give preference of procurement contracts to employers who signed up to the scheme.
SSo, no change from this in today’s announcement.</blockquote.
As compared with your selective memory of something you allegedly heard live???!!!!
Introducing, doesn't mean bringing it in for all employees at the same time.
Is the Oct report was repeated quite widely in the MSM.
The $30m a year cost to extend a “living wage” to core Government employees would be accounted for in its first Budget “subject to the provisions of fiscal responsibility”.
The scheme to ensure certified living wage employers were favoured when tendering for Government contracts would also be implemented as soon as possible.
There’s a difference between the minimum and living wage. The minimum wage is the one you are referring to. The living wage policy remains the same as before.
Stuff reports:
A living wage would be brought in over time, starting with the state sector, as it could be afforded.
Cunliffe has endorsed both an increase to the adult minimum wage ($15 within the first 100 days of his election as PM) and the seperate matter of the Living Wage (public sector immediately, private sector in time).
I feel sorry for you, Kerry, demonstrating such a high level of ignorance in public. The fact that you can write a comment implies that you can read, so I guess the problem must be some form of basic comprehension handicap.
Yea Nah Cunliffe was just sucking up to the unions to get the top job. He would say what ever they wanted to hear.They will be pissed with him
He was never going to have a minimum wage of $18+
An increase in the minimum wage to $15 within his first 100 days in office had not changed, although the minimum wage would go higher in time. A living wage would be brought in over time, starting with the state sector, as it could be afforded.
You’d think the National Party could do something about wanna-be spokespeople like Funi Man making wingnuts look like clueless gimps. So hard to get good help these days.
An increase in the minimum wage to $15 within his first 100 days in office had not changed, although the minimum wage would go higher in time. A living wage would be brought in over time, starting with the state sector, as it could be afforded
In other words $15 minimum wage and then any increases will be very slow. Not $18+
Councils have already voted against $18, the cost to rate payers is to high
Jeez, knackered man, have you still not spotted that they are two different things? Have a read here: http://www.livingwagenz.org.nz
And another bit of education for you: the Wellington council has already voted to implement the living wage for its employees. Auckland won’t be far behind.
Surely best not to come to hasty comments or decisions about this until the overall package mentioned in speech on Monday.
Looks like Labour getting the bad news out of the way first so the spotlight will be on positive aspects on Monday.
“Haw, haw, haw, haw, haw!”
The campaign to dismiss Kim Dotcom continues The Panel, Radio NZ National, Tuesday 21 January 2014
Jim Mora, Graham Bell, Bernard Hickey
JIM MORA: On the program today, Kim Dotcom’s new album— GRAHAM BELL: Pshaw! Haw, haw, haw, haw! BERNARD HICKEY:[wryly] You’ll be looking forward to that, Graham. GRAHAM BELL: Haw, haw, haw, haw, haw!
That disparaging reaction is interesting. Kim Dotcom is not exactly Kanye West, but he is a skilled and accomplished rapper, as anyone who has heard his powerful indictment of government corruption “Mr President” has to admit. [1] People like Graham Bell cannot abide hearing words like the refrain of that song: “Let’s get together, let’s all unite, or they will do whatever they like.” Bell did not snicker like that simply because he is a crude and tasteless bully who wouldn’t know good music if he stumbled into a performance of the St. Matthew Passion by the Münchener Bach Orchestra & Choir. His expression of scorn for Kim Dotcom was political, though perhaps he is unaware of exactly why.
Significantly, there was none of this scoffing from the establishment when Paul Holmes put out his truly awful vanity project in 2000, an utterly horrendous collection of butchered covers entitled Paul Holmes. [2] That wasn’t the reaction of normal people of course—everyone recognized immediately that Holmes’s album was a vanity project, possible only because he had power and influence, if not the common sense to realize he had no talent. But his colleagues in the media gritted their teeth and praised him, at least in public.
Kim Dotcom, on the other hand, is an official enemy, targeted by the United States government. Not only is he a threat to the establishment, he is eloquent and immensely popular. The only way to deal with him, in the absence of any substantial argument, is to scorn him and snicker whenever his name is mentioned.
Later in the program, after the 4:30 news, the other guest, Bernard Hickey, also took the opportunity to run with the hounds and have a go at Kim Dotcom….
JIM MORA: I mean, how do YOU see Kim Dotcom? He says he’s just like a postmaster…. BERNARD HICKEY: If the postmaster knowingly allowed people to steal things from the mail, then that would be a fair comparison. But having read that Grand Jury indictment [3] against him— GRAHAM BELL: He’s a convicted fraudster! He’s a big fat attention-seeker! I like the cartoon in the paper [4] which showed him as a big balloon about to explode! ….[drones on dully and interminably]…
[1]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MokNvbiRqCM [2] Any of the thousands of complementary copies Holmes gave away for Christmas in 2000, 2001 and 2003 that have not been used as pot-scrapers or sunlight reflectors or for clay-pigeon shooting practice can be sourced from the free-bin in front of some St Vincent de Paul and Salvation Army shops. [3] Though Bernard Hickey seems to be entirely trusting in the integrity of the U.S. government, that indictment was clearly written by Hollywood industry lawyers. For anyone that—unlike Hickey—is serious about coming to grips with the validity or otherwise of that indictment, here is one of the many rigorous examinations of it…. http://jolt.law.harvard.edu/digest/internet/u-s-v-kim-dotcom-et-al [4] He’s referring to an unfunny cartoon by the Herald‘s unfunny cartoonist Emmerson, who got the job after editor Gavin Ellis was browbeaten and threatened into firing the vastly superior Malcolm Evans in 2002. Not only does Bell have no musical taste, he is no judge of cartooning either.
It’s awful today again with Fox Democrat Edwards and Tory Boag on.
What got me was some employment ‘expert’ on talking about a buoyant jobs market.
Nothing from Mora.
Tell that to the 155 000
Bring back Matinee Idol. I forgot how bad Mora is,
Yes this bouyant jobs market bullshit despite earlier in the day the ‘real’ figures being discussed on the same radio station which showed ‘the jobs market’ as being patchy at best,
There’s Christchurch, a few professions, i forget which are in demand, (Health was one of them), and from there it’s pretty much ‘not so good news’,
Even that not so good news will pale as the Reserve Bank hikes the cash rate and the Banks follow with interest rate rises…
Yes to that (Bring back Matinee Idol). 9-5 ‘beltway hacks’, paid for experts, and various other has-beens are going to ensure the better parts of RNZ take a dive.
Even if a Matinee-Idol attempted some sort of serious analysis of current affairs – it’d be superior to the bilge that occupies 101FM and its environs – especially betweem 1pm and 4pm. (9-12 …. could do better)
“And Mora said nothing.”
Does he ever?
That’s the reason he’s the nicest man on Earth after all. Utterly inoffensive to anyone! If Adolf bloody Hitler was on “The Panel” he’d be attempting to ‘engage’ (in the nicest possible way of course).
Roy Morgan Poll out: “Labour/ Greens (46%) start election year with edge over National (43.5%) as Kim Dotcom set to launch new ‘Internet Party’ to contest elections.”….
“Today’s New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows a potential Labour/ Greens alliance (46%, up 1%) leading John Key’s National Party (43.5%, down 1.5%) in the first New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll for 2014. Support for Key’s Coalition partners has slightly improved: Maori Party 2% (up 0.5%), United Future 0.5% (up 0.5%), ACT NZ 0% (unchanged).”
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The Fuel Industry (Improving Fuel Resilience) Amendment Bill would: boost New Zealand’s fuel supply resilience and economic security enable the minimum stockholding obligation regulations to be adapted as the energy and transport environment evolves. “Last November, I announced a six-point plan to improve the resiliency of our fuel supply from ...
The Government is making sure those on low incomes will no longer have to wait five weeks to get the minimum weekly rate of ACC, and improving the data collected to make the system fairer, Minister for ACC Peeni Henare said today. The Accident Compensation (Access Reporting and Other Matters) ...
A compulsory code of conduct will ensure school board members are crystal clear on their responsibilities and expected standard of behaviour, Minister of Education Jan Tinetti said. It’s the first time a compulsory code of conduct has been published for state and state-integrated school boards and comes into effect on ...
Tena koutou katoa and thank you, Mayor Nadine Taylor, for your welcome to Marlborough. Thanks also Doug Saunders-Loder and all of you for inviting me to your annual conference. As you might know, I’m quite new to this job – and I’m particularly pleased that the first organisation I’m giving a ...
The Government will enter into a funding arrangement with councils in cyclone and flood affected regions to support them to offer a voluntary buyout for owners of Category 3 designated residential properties. It will also co-fund work needed to protect Category 2 designated properties. “From the beginning of this process ...
The Government has announced changes to strengthen requirements in venues with pokie (gambling) machines will come into effect from 15 June. “Pokies are one of the most harmful forms of gambling. They can have a detrimental impact on individuals, their friends, whānau and communities,” Internal Affairs Minister Barbara Edmonds said. ...
The total Police workforce is now the largest it has ever been. Police constabulary stands at 10,700 officers – an increase of 21% since 2017 Māori officers have increased 40%, Pasifika 83%, Asian 157%, Women 61% Every district has got more Police under this Government The Government has delivered on ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Nanaia Mahuta met with Korea President Yoon, as well as Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Henry Puna, during her recent visit to Korea. “It was an honour to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the first Korea – Pacific Leaders’ Summit. We discussed Pacific ambitions under the ...
The Government’s Research and Development Tax Incentive has supported more than $2 billion of New Zealand business innovation – an increase of around $1 billion in less than nine months. "Research and innovation are essential in helping us meet the biggest challenges and seize opportunities facing New Zealand. It’s fantastic ...
The next ‘giant leap’ in New Zealand’s space journey has been taken today with the launch of the National Space Policy, Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds announced. “Our space sector is growing rapidly. Each year New Zealand is becoming a more and more attractive place for launches, manufacturing space-related technology ...
A new Year 7-13 designated character wharekura will be built in Pāpāmoa, Associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis has announced. The wharekura will focus on science, mathematics and creative technologies while connecting ākonga to the whakapapa of the area. The decision follows an application by the Ngā Pōtiki ā Tamapahore ...
Protecting the environment by establishing a stronger, more consistent system for freedom camping Supporting councils to better manage freedom camping in their region and reduce the financial and social impacts on communities Ensuring that self-contained vehicle owners have time to prepare for the new system The Self-Contained Motor Vehicle ...
A new law passed last night could see up to 25 percent of Family Court judges’ workload freed up in order to reduce delays, Minister of Justice Kiri Allan said. The Family Court (Family Court Associates) Legislation Bill will establish a new role known as the Family Court Associate. The ...
New Zealand businesses will begin reaping the rewards of our gold-standard free trade agreement with the United Kingdom (UK FTA) from today. “The New Zealand UK FTA enters into force from today, and is one of the seven new or upgraded Free Trade Agreements negotiated by Labour to date,” Prime ...
The Government will reform outdated surrogacy laws to improve the experiences of children, surrogates, and the growing number of families formed through surrogacy, by adopting Labour MP Tāmati Coffey’s Member’s Bill as a Government Bill, Minister Kiri Allan has announced. “Surrogacy has become an established method of forming a family ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little departs for Singapore tomorrow to attend the 20th annual Shangri-La Dialogue for Defence Ministers from the Indo-Pacific region. “Shangri-La brings together many countries to speak frankly and express views about defence issues that could affect us all,” Andrew Little said. “New Zealand is a long-standing participant ...
Research, Science and Innovation Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall and the Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang met in Wellington today and affirmed the two countries’ long-standing science relationship. Minister Wang was in New Zealand for the 6th New Zealand-China Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation. Following ...
5 percent uplift clearer and simpler to navigate Domestic productions can access more funding sources 20 percent rebate confirmed for post-production, digital and visual effects Qualifying expenditure for post-production, digital and visual effects rebate dropped to $250,000 to encourage more smaller productions The Government is making it easier for the ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs (Pacific Region) Carmel Sepuloni will represent New Zealand at Samoa’s 61st Anniversary of Independence commemorations in Apia. “Aotearoa New Zealand is pleased to share in this significant occasion, alongside other invited Pacific leaders, and congratulates Samoa on the milestone of 61 ...
The Government is continuing to support retailers with additional funding for the highly popular Fog Cannon Subsidy Scheme, Police and Small Business Minister Ginny Andersen announced today. “The Government is committed to improving retailers’ safety,” Ginny Andersen said. “I’ve seen first-hand the difference fog cannons are making. Not only do ...
The Government has received the first independent review of the Intelligence and Security Act 2017, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says. The review, considered by the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee, was presented to the House of Representatives today. “Ensuring the safety and security of New Zealanders is of the utmost ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has expressed condolences on behalf of New Zealand to the Kingdom of Tonga following the death of Her Royal Highness Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili. “New Zealand sends it’s heartfelt condolences to the people of Tonga, and to His Majesty King Tupou VI at this time ...
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has expressed condolences on behalf of New Zealand to the Kingdom of Tonga following the death of Her Royal Highness Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili. “New Zealand sends it’s heartfelt condolences to the people of Tonga, and to His Majesty King Tupou VI at this time ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little and Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta have today announced the extension of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) deployment to Solomon Islands, as part of the regionally-led Solomon Islands International Assistance Force (SIAF). “Aotearoa New Zealand has a long history of working alongside the Royal Solomon ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta will travel to the Republic of Korea today to attend the Korea–Pacific Leaders’ Summit in Seoul and Busan. “Korea is an important partner for Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific region. I am eager for the opportunity to meet and discuss issues that matter to our ...
Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor joined ministerial representatives at a meeting in Detroit, USA today to announce substantial conclusion of negotiations of a new regional supply chains agreement among 14 Indo-Pacific countries. The Supply Chains agreement is one of four pillars being negotiated within the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework ...
Our most spoken Pacific language is taking centre stage this week with Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa – Samoa Language Week kicking off around the country. “Understanding and using the Samoan language across our nation is vital to its survival,” Barbara Edmonds said. “The Samoan population in New Zealand are ...
Over 90 per cent of New Zealanders are expected to receive this year’s nationwide test of the Emergency Mobile Alert system tonight between 6-7pm. “Emergency Mobile Alert is a tool that can alert people when their life, health, or property, is in danger,” Kieran McAnulty said. “The annual nationwide test ...
ENGLISH: Whakatōhea and the Crown sign Deed of Settlement A Deed of Settlement has been signed between Whakatōhea and the Crown, 183 years to the day since Whakatōhea rangatira signed the Treaty of Waitangi, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little has announced. Whakatōhea is an iwi based in ...
Elizabeth Longworth has been appointed as the Chair of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, Associate Minister of Education Jo Luxton announced today. UNESCO is the United Nations agency responsible for promoting cooperative action among member states in the areas of education, science, culture, social science (including peace and ...
Tourism and hospitality employer accreditation scheme to recognise quality employers Better education and career opportunities in tourism Cultural competency to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces Innovation and technology acceleration to drive satisfying, skilled jobs Strengthening our tourism workers and supporting them into good career pathways, pay and working conditions ...
Tourism and hospitality employer accreditation scheme to recognise quality employers Better education and career opportunities in tourism Cultural competency to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces Innovation and technology acceleration to drive satisfying, skilled jobs Strengthening our tourism workers and supporting them into good career pathways, pay and working conditions ...
Greater access to primary care, including 193 more front line clinical staff More hauora services and increased mental health support Boost for maternity and early years programmes Funding for cancers, HIV and longer term conditions Greater access to primary care, improved maternity care and mental health support are ...
Greater access to primary care, including 193 more front line clinical staff More hauora services and increased mental health support Boost for maternity and early years programmes Funding for cancers, HIV and longer term conditions Greater access to primary care, improved maternity care and mental health support are ...
The Government continues progress on the survivor-led independent redress system for historic abuse in care, with the announcement of the design and advisory group members today. “The main recommendation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Abuse in Care interim redress report was for a survivor-led independent redress system, and the ...
Aotearoa New Zealand is providing NZ$7.75 million to respond to urgent humanitarian needs in the Horn of Africa, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. The Horn of Africa is experiencing its most severe drought in decades, with five consecutive failed rainy seasons. At least 43.3 million people require lifesaving and ...
Health Minister Ayesha Verrall has opened two new state-of-the-art mental health facilities at the Christchurch Hillmorton Hospital campus, as the Government ramps up its efforts to build a modern fit for purpose mental health system. The buildings, costing $81.8 million, are one of 16 capital projects the Government has funded ...
The Government is continuing to invest in our regional economies by announcing another $24 million worth of investment into ten diverse projects, Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan says. “Our regions are the backbone of our economy and today’s announcement continues to build on the Government’s investment to boost regional economic ...
An $8 million boost to New Zealand Māori Tourism will help operators insulate themselves for the future. Spread over the next four years, the investment acknowledges the on-going challenges faced by the industry and the significant contribution Māori make to tourism in Aotearoa. It builds on the $15 million invested ...
Defence Minister Andrew Little has marked the arrival of the first 18 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles for the New Zealand Army, alongside personnel at Trentham Military Camp today. “The arrival of the Bushmaster fleet represents a significant uplift in capability and protection for defence force personnel, and a milestone in ...
NZ Post has, with little or no warning, stopped sending mail to 34 countries; there are another 21 that aren’t sending mail to us. But it's kept pretty quiet about it ...
Why is she in trouble, and what could happen if she’s found in contempt? Scorn and entitlement. Or, at least, contempt and privilege. In the strange world where constitutional law and politics intersect, people are bad at naming things. Parliament has “privileges”, and even a whole committee specially devoted to ...
What questions will a green doctor ask you? What should you do if police see your weed? And should you really drink it in a tea? Natalie Lowe is placing her sandwich board on a central Auckland footpath. She’s been outside mere seconds when she’s approached by three burly men ...
This week on the Raw Politics podcast: National struggles to deal with race relations and Labour and National fall out over housing density - plus the risk of a caucus breakdown for ACT The Raw Politics team takes a look at how National's leader and MPs are dealing with ...
The ANZ Premiership grand final will be a showdown of netball’s great wingwomen – Mystics’ Michaela Sokolich-Beatson vs Stars’ Gina Crampton. Suzanne McFadden speaks to both athletes, on a common mission. It’s a gritty battle just too close to call. Stars wing attack Gina Crampton and Mystics wing defence Michaela ...
The first King's Birthday Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list, described by Steve Braunias FICTION 1 The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $35) Next week's Book of the Week review at ReadingRoom is by Philip Matthews (crowned Best Reviewer at last year's ...
Aotearoa has vast tracts of suburban and urban terrain. The possibilities for reformulating under-used landscapes into massive carbon-capture terrains are enormousOpinion: Many New Zealanders are engaged in the environmental work that needs to be done to halt the degradation of our planet. However, addressing increasing carbon dioxide emissions and ...
New Zealand's big emitters are under pressure to do more as the country heads towards its zero carbon 2050 target. NZ Steel's the first mover with a big deal with the Government to help it cut its emissions. Who will be next? The $300 million deal between NZ Steel ...
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A new poem by Wellington poet Victoria Lewis. Carmine well – the cherries appeared quietly there on the kitchen bench as if to smile and say i love you,and you dared to forget those gleaming fruit form a prayer, a devotion bloody on the inside, taut on the out ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra nitpicker/Shutterstock By coincidence, the furore around the consultancy firm PwC is raging just as the National Anti-Corruption Commission is gearing up for its start of business on July 1. The PwC scandal, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ricardo Villegas, Senior Lecturer of Law, University of South Australia Today, Federal Court Justice Anthony Besanko handed down his long-awaited judgment in the defamation case that Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated living former SAS soldier, brought against the Age, the Sydney Morning ...
Wayne Brown has named and attempted to shame councillors who oppose the sale of the council's airport shares, but some are returning fire, saying he does not have the votes to pass his plan. ...
Some certainty has arrived for those impacted by severe weather events earlier this year but the bulk of the detail for a buyout scheme affecting at least 700 homes is a work in progress, writes political editor Jo Moir.Analysis: Cyclone Recovery Minister Grant Robertson has been determined since February ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Rolph, Professor of Law, University of Sydney At the heart of the spectacular defamation trial brought by decorated Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith were two key questions. Had the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Canberra Times damaged his reputation ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Bateson, Professor of Practice, University of Sydney Shutterstock Australians’ access to a range of contraceptive options depends on where they live and how wealthy they are. A recent parliamentary inquiry recommends ways to end this “postcode lottery” for people ...
Labour's campaign chair is standing by a social media post which likens National's prescriptions policy to dystopian TV show and novel The Handmaid's Tale. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Coalition’s decision to oppose the Voice to Parliament has put its moderate members in a jam. Some moderates are active yes advocates, while others are trying to keep low profiles. Bridget Archer, the outspoken ...
Greenpeace Aotearoa is calling out the agriculture industry’s "undue influence" over the Government’s agricultural emissions policy, saying that " predatory denial and delay " have stalled the development of plans to price and reduce ...
“The huge fire in South Auckland illustrates the serious human health risks of incinerating flock, the residual material left over from the scrap metal process. It is one reason we will be opposing the building of a waste incinerator in Te Awamutu ...
It’s reassuring to think that by paying for private treatment you’re ‘freeing up a bed’ in a public hospital. But the reality is private beds don’t free up public beds, they replace them. Ethicists argue that healthcare is special. Unlike other consumer goods, its availability and accessibility should be based ...
The office of mayor Wayne Brown has hit back at criticism journalists were “cherry-picked” for this morning’s budget announcement. A number of media outlets, including The Spinoff, Stuff, TVNZ and Newshub, were not invited to hear Brown’s budget address. Some, however, made it into the room after Brown had started ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Klugman, Research Fellow, Institute for Health & Sport, member of the Community, Identity and Displacement Research Network, and Co-convenor of the Olympic Research Network, Victoria University Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains mention of the Stolen ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sudyumna Dahal, PhD Student, Australian National University Shutterstock The human costs of tobacco and smoking worldwide are huge. 1.3 billion people use tobacco, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. More than 8 million people die prematurely because of tobacco, at ...
Today, the Government released a discussion document: Safer Online Services and Media Platforms. It aims to reduce people’s exposure to harmful content, and create a system that is easier to navigate if people need to report harmful content. The ...
The Act Party’s compared a proposal to improve online safety to the government’s doomed hate speech laws, and pledged to “kill” it off as well. Consultation is set to begin on a Department of Internal Affairs proposal to change how online content is regulated in New Zealand. But David Seymour ...
A new report from the Auditor-General on four initiatives to improve outcomes for Māori has highlighted the importance of strong relationships between public organisations and Māori, and of taking the time needed to build these relationships. However, ...
The Broadcasting Standards Authority welcomes today’s launch of the public discussion document, Safer Online Services and Media Platforms, on a proposed new content regulation framework. The Authority has long been an advocate for a more flexible regulatory ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alice Clement, Research Associate in the College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University Virtual Australian Museum of Palaeontology, Author providedPalaeontology is the study of evolution and prehistoric life, usually preserved as fossils in rocks. It combines aspects of geology ...
Inclusive Aotearoa Collective Tāhono welcomes the release of the Safer Online Services and Media Platforms report from Te Tari Taiwhenua, dealing with content regulation for media and social media. “We welcome the move to an independent regulator that ...
The drearily titled “Safer Online Services and Media Platforms” document has just been released. Here’s a TLDR summary from The Spinoff’s Shanti Mathias: The suggested changes are pretty different from what we have right now. All digital industries that publish content, including overseas companies like Meta and Google and local ...
The drearily titled “Safer Online Services and Media Platforms” document has just been released. Here’s a TLDR summary from The Spinoff’s Shanti Mathias: The suggested changes are pretty different from what we have right now. All digital industries that publish content, including overseas companies like Meta and Google and local ...
The Safer Online Services and Media Platforms document has just been released by the government’s Content Regulatory Review. It does more than capitalise nouns – here’s what you need to know about what’s inside. What is this document with the world’s most boring name?It’s a proposal from the Department ...
The Safer Online Services and Media Platforms document has just been released by the government’s Content Regulatory Review. It does more than capitalise nouns – here’s what you need to know about what’s inside. What is this document with the world’s most boring name?It’s a proposal from the Department ...
The 2010s musical theatre phenomenon has finally made it to Spark Arena. Does does it live up to the years of expectation? This Angelica Schuyler is transcendent Full disclosure: I am overly familiar with Hamiton without being a full-on Hamilstan. I’ve listened to the cast recording countless times, watched it ...
The 2010s musical theatre phenomenon has finally made it to Spark Arena. Does does it live up to the years of expectation? This Angelica Schuyler is transcendent Full disclosure: I am overly familiar with Hamiton without being a full-on Hamilstan. I’ve listened to the cast recording countless times, watched it ...
Members of the press being turned away from the door distracted from the announcement of asset sales and inflation-pegged rates in Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s final budget proposal Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown didn’t mince words at a fiery press conference this morning where he confirmed he’d be calling for a ...
During New Zealand First coalition negotiations our policy was to train and resource 1800 new frontline police. We secured this coalition policy win to ensure our streets had a police force that could tackle crime - after years of neglect. Remember those ...
The government and councils will offer a buyout option to property owners whose land is too risky to rebuild on, and co-fund protection works for those who need it. ...
The government will work with councils to offer a “voluntary buyout” for owners of homes written off by Cyclone Gabrielle and other recent severe weather. About 700 category three properties – those where it’s deemed the risk of future severe weather cannot be sufficiently mitigated – are expected to be ...
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s proposed budget presents a dangerous false choice between cutting public services and privatising Auckland’s assets. The proposal to councillors offers to reinstate funding for public services and increase the pay ...
A leaked consultation document from the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) shows plans to draft and introduce legislation that would entirely restructure the New Zealand censorship regime, bringing online speech, such as material on social media ...
A crucial day for the future of the city, and the mayor’s message to hundreds of thousands of Aucklanders: I don’t want to talk to you. Wayne Brown was right. The media is awash with drongos. I personally have behaved drongoistically – to borrow a Winstonism – at least twice ...
The PSA is pleased Te Whatu Ora has listened to its concerns and is seeking further consultation with unions on a major restructuring as it seeks to remove duplication and centralise services. "This will be a huge relief for workers," said ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Antje Deckert, Associate Professor (Criminology), Auckland University of Technology Getty Images When TVNZ cancelled reality TV show Police Ten 7 earlier this year, it certainly rattled some law-and-order cages. The show’s former host Graham Bell, who described suspects variously ...
A new survey from Consumer NZ has once again found customer’s prefer the country’s smaller power providers. For the third year in a row, Powershop has come out on top with a satisfaction score of 74% – the sixth time overall it has achieved the accolade. Frank Energy received a ...
Applications to mine in the ocean could begin in July. Why are scientists and activists so concerned?Far from the light of the surface, animals are pale; some glow in the dense darkness, have translucent shells; grow very big or very small. Even the most comprehensive list of deep ocean ...
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that a Police dog handler was not justified in using his dog to bite a man who was resisting arrest but was justified in using the dog against a second man who threatened Police. At a Whanganui suburb ...
The interdisciplinary artist from Te Whanganui-a-Tara shares all the mahi that happens behind the scenes. Ana (Ngāti Tāwhaki, Ngāi Tūhoe) has won multiple awards for her theatre work, and has been the recipient of the Te Tumu Toi New Zealand Arts Foundation Springboard Award, where she was mentored by ...
Sustainable Tarras (ST) supports today’s commitment from the new Christchurch City Holdings (CCHL) board seeking increased transparency and community engagement on the Tarras airport, as debated with Christchurch City Council (CCC) at today’s ...
This Sunday, 4 June, Wellington and Christchurch will join over 300 cities worldwide in observing the National Animal Rights Day. The events remember the billions of animals who lose their lives each year due to human actions, and acknowledge the ...
EDS has lodged its submission on “ Strengthening National Direction on Renewable Electricity Generation and Electricity Transmission ”, a consultation document prepared by the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment and the Ministry ...
Auckland’s mayor snubbed most journalists from a morning launch of his new budget. While the Herald was among a select few allowed in the room, reporters from outlets like Stuff weren’t sent an invitation. In a story headlined “Wayne Brown snubs Stuff readers on major Auckland Council budget update”, a ...
A nationwide poll on pay gaps shows nearly 2 out of every 3 New Zealanders consider pay gaps to be a ‘significant’ or ‘very significant’ issue (64%), with a similar number supporting new pay transparency policies to address the issue (63%). ...
I said we could still be friends but now I just want him to leave me alone.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to [email protected]Dear HeraTowards the end of last year, I was surprised to see a university acquaintance from a different city – we’d had one tutorial together – at ...
Wayne Brown’s proposed budget will see rates increases pegged to inflation – but it requires his desired sell-off of Auckland Airport shores. The mayor is presenting his budget in Auckland today. Few were invited to witness the moment live, with media like Stuff reportedly left out (The Spinoff was not ...
When it was first unveiled, the government’s extension in this year’s Budget of 20 hours free early childhood education to 2-year-olds from next March was hailed as a masterstroke. The Minister of Finance said it would save qualifying households ...
I didn’t know this but because we have reciprocal health agreements with Australia and the United Kingdom, visitors from those countries will not have to pay for prescriptions once the $5 fee is removed here in July. Naturally that means New Zealanders enjoy reciprocity in their experience of local health ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Pang, Research Fellow in Psychology, Monash University Shutterstock The human brain is made up of around 86 billion neurons, linked by trillions of connections. For decades, scientists have believed that we need to map this intricate connectivity in detail ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gapps, Historian and Conjoint Lecturer, University of Newcastle Benjamin Duterrau, The Conciliation 1840, oil on canvas. Purchased by the Friends of TMAG and the Board of Trustees, 1945. Collection: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, AG79.Note of warning: This article ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena Plebanski, Professor of Immunology, RMIT University Philippe Leone/Unsplash Influenza, or the flu, is a virus transmitted by respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing. It can cause the sudden onset of a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headache, muscle ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steven J Lade, Resilience researcher at Australian National University, Australian National University Shutterstock People once believed the planet could always accommodate us. That the resilience of the Earth system meant nature would always provide. But we now know this is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vera Weisbecker, Associate Professor, Flinders University Shutterstock Australia’s dingo fence is an internationally renowned mega-structure. Stretching more than 5,600 kilometres, it was completed in the 1950s to keep sheep safe from dingoes. But it also inadvertently protects some native ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Reza M. Monem, Professor of Accounting, Griffith University In 2008 Australia’s federal, state and territory governments set the goal of halving the employment gap between First Nations Australians and others within a decade. That required, by 2018, lifting the employment rate for ...
it’s wednesday..
..so why not start the day by singing/dancing..
..and just generally grooving..?
..here is 82 mins of the best of ‘soul-train’..
..that’ll do the trick for ya..eh..?
http://boingboing.net/2014/01/20/soul-train-line-compilation.html
(this one deserves bookmarking…)
phillip ure..
Most excellent. I can even tell which one is you mr ure.
@ vto..
..do tell..
phillip ure..
37.21 snappily dressed in black. smooth.
heh..!..i’ll have a look when i’ve finished whoar-ing for the morning..
..it is a tasty hunk of vid tho’..eh..?..
phillip ure..
Thanks for the link absolutly fantastic way to start the day,
I enjoy your comments very much and I must say I understand them at first glance, 🙂
chrs…te..
..it is a good way to start the the day..
..and end it..(‘i’ve just finished a four hour session..got a music-glow on right now..)
..i’ve decided to pick a choice track each day for whoar..
..so i’ll throw it up here too..
..i’ve got a very cool one for tomorrow..
..i’ll try for good/unknown..or killer-versions of something better known..
..i think having unifying factors in this upcoming year of conflict/turmoil..
..won’t hurt..
..(and who could not enjoy watching/listening to that soul-train link above..eh..?
..you’d have to be made of stone/tone-deaf..
..phillip ure..
Excellent positioning for the week:
Key sets out clearly how he is desperate to achieve sustaining the grip on power by all democratic means necessary… and that sordid story gets to rot in public a week
Six days of news cycle, by formal speech, Cunliffe will set out what the ideals to aspire to are for New Zealand, concentrate on child poverty, and how to achieve opportunity for all.
Can’t think of a better way to start the political year going into the opening of parliament.
Quite right Ad.
And a new minister of Local Gummint no less – as the rats leaving the sinking ship can be more accurately described as mice leaving the stinking ship, here’s an ex-DPB wahine of no great airs and grace for the silver-spoon misogeny old boys club to chew on.
There’s a distinct and pervasive smell seeping out of Torytown now: Gower and the rest of the rent-children have seen the descent to the gutter, watched the mice and those with a trace of dignity and judgement still intact head for the hills: and truth, purity and justice grow in strength again for the first time in years.
Kia kaha Standardistas and all believers in humanity: the time has come, this year is yours.
The focus will probably change tomorrow (Thursday) when Key gives his State of the Nation speech – and his announcements of potential coalition partners yesterday was probably planned on this probable change of focus.
According to Vernon Small, Key’s State of the Nation speech is expected to focus on education. See the last paragraph in Small’s article on Stuff.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9636040/Nats-won-t-rule-out-talks-with-Peters
However, having Key’s speech before Cunliffe’s gives Cunliffe the opportunity to counter Key’s speech in his own one on Monday.
breaking news..!
..tvone breakfast ‘team’ ‘discover’ that school tuck-shops sell sugar/crap-laden unhealthy drinks/food to school children..
..rawdon christie is in shock..and needing consoling from his colleagues..
..(and funny story..!..that deep-as-a-petrie-dish christie is one of those access-media/neo-lib-apologist trouts..
..who would have run with that ‘nanny-state’-meme….
..and probably cheered the key tory party when they removed any restrictions on what children could be sold in school tuck-shops.
..(one of their first acts..so ensuring primary-school children are early-addicted to sugar/salt/fat/caffeine-laden crap..was obviously high on their urgent-to-do list..
..they do have their advertisers/corporate-supporters to think of..eh..?..and the promises/nods/winks they had give them..)
..’gotta get that nanny-state out of our lives..!..we demand the right to addict our children to whatever we choose..!’
..eh rawdon..?..)
(..but be reassured..!..
..that other ‘expert’..that weather-youth..
..he had an anecdotal or two..that ‘proved’ that we really have to problem at all..
(whew..!..that’s a relief..!..eh..?..)
..and all over town energy-drink marketeers were ordering that cases of their product be sent to that weather-guru..)
phillip ure..
You deserve a medal for listening to Christie and the rest on breakfast.
@ paul..
..to be honest..it is only a few days in..and my spirit is sagging..
..it is such unrelentingly/multi-faceted ‘bad’..
..i can’t see me lasting much longer..
..and i flicked over to three..and horror of horrors..!
..their (excruciatingly-boring) business-person has been upgraded to co-host..(!)
..i lasted there about three minutes..
..it’s not looking good..eh..?
phillip ure..
Often politicians talk about growth. What sort of growth? What does the Labour Party (DC) mean when talking of growth? If making the pie (economy/GDP) bigger then it is more of the same neo-lib BS. If increasing the share of wealth to the less wealthy you then have a socialist policy.
Where is that growth coming from and what sort of consumption growth? If it is growth in consumption of imports, debt, population, resource consumption then there is little sustainable benefit to NZ.
Desirable growth include:
Growth in the efficiency of resource usage NOT more resource usage.
Growth in the value of sustainable exported goods NOT just quantities.
Growth in employment, quality of work, income for the less well off. NOT longer hours, poorer conditions and pay rises for execs, or reduced number of jobs.
These are growth goals for the left.
Correct. Uneconomic growth, i.e. growth which leaves people behind, worsens disparity, damages the prospects of future generations, harms the environment, is unsustainable, benefits only those far from where the work is actually done…that kind of growth must be singled out and halted in its tracks.
hmmm… ok, so perpetual growth on a finite planet (or series of islands) is a special kind of madness. So do we attempt to re-appropriate the word ‘growth’ to mean something sustainable? Or do we replace the whole concept (eg steady state economy)?
Uneconomic growth
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uneconomic_growth
Nice to see it is not just me writing about the folly of ever expanding consumption on a finite world millions of lightyears from just maybe expansion room.
There’s always Titan…or the Moon…hey, what happened to the awesome Moonbase we were promised in Space: 1999? Way over schedule.
Probably hard to re-appropriate words but need to distinguish politically types of growth advocated between the parties. Make a point of difference.
Also difficult to solve the worlds problems but we can work on making NZ an example to the world of how to run a society and an economy. At least look after our own interests properly and not give stuff away cheaply. Nobody else seems to have any clues. All a bunch of lemmings following USA over the cliff.
David Cunliffe on RadioNZ National just now, a good interview outlining Labour’s position,(nothing new there),
Relaxed as, even to the point of what sounded like genuine laughter at Slippery the Prime Ministers 6 headed monster when it comes to Nationals coalition choices…
Agreed that it was a good interview – relaxed but clear and to the point. Loved his two instances of very natural laughter.
Loved his two instances of very natural laughter.
– Well its something he needs to work on so good on him
Apologies in advance for being shallow. It has only just occurred to me what a lovely sounding voice Cunliffe has, so ………………….soothing and pleasant to listen to. Aaaah.
Unlike Key’s, whose voice cause the teeth to grind, the knuckles to clench and the blood pressure to raise.
Chill. Take a pill. Go for a walk. We need your vote come election time. Not a cot-case, stressed out because of old slippery snake oil.
UK barman attempts citizens arrest of Tony Blair
This is the perfect example of how to make these “leaders” (of societal death and destruction) pay a daily and social price for their malfeasance.
http://rt.com/news/blair-iraq-war-crimes-law-949/
Good one Garcia. Even if you are trying to be a comedian, what a great idea. It would be good to carry out citizens arrests on old politicians who have wormed their way into the consciousness of the people and have created a fact-free, untouchable tunnel of love for themselves. Sort of like termites into solid wood. Berlusconi to get the treatment, everyone would find it arresting!
Locally, I’d love to do it to Sir Roger Douglarse.
Excellent.
A great initiative
It seems Mr Blair may soon have more trouble travelling without security in Britain than he does in the Middle-East.
reminds me of the time when AUSA offered a $5,000 reward for anyone who attempted a citizen’s arrest of condoleeza rice, when she was visiting the country. that was awesome too.
George Galloway is trying to get Blair to The Hague.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi_YHxMomds
a martin bradbury/kim dotcom..passing-thought..
….upon reading the unrelenting savagery of the reviews of the musical-offering from kim dotcom..
..i couldn’t help but wonder if bradburys’ conditions of employment with dotcom..
..included (semi-enforced) listening to/nodding-along-to/smiling-enthusiastically –
– to listenings of early mixes..?
..whoar..!..eh..?
..(just saying..!..)
..and in other dotcom-news..
..chris trotter did a particularly cloying/apologist puff-piece on dotcom @ the daily blog..
,.and that inspired me to pose the (quite reasonable..under the circumstances..i thought) question:
“..phillip ure says:
January 20, 2014 at 1:41 pm
hello..
..i asked a question of chris trotter about 48 hrs ago..
..that seemed to not get thru moderation..
..i am puzzled..
..as i only asked if mr trotter was in the past/currently/on future-promises..
..of paid employment in any shape or form..
..from kim dotcom or any entity he is involved with..?
..thank you..
..phillip ure..
(no answer..as yet..and as article has now slipped back into tdb-archives..
..i ain’t holding my breath..eh..?
..but..i do think it is a question that needs to be asked again..
phillip ure
On the Bradbury/KDC ‘relationship’, yesterday I came upon a few bits of interesting speculation/rumour in a Vernon Small opinion piece on Stuff dated 18 January 2014.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/9624107/Wrecking-balls-entertaining
The whole article is worth reading as it also covers Crusher Collins wrecking ball on ACC, but here is part of Small’s take on the KDC Internet Party ‘Clayton’s’ launch last week – and who else may have been involved in giving advice. (This speculation appears to align with KDC’s comments about advice having been sought from across the political spectrum.)
First, the comedy of errors.
The Kim Dotcom vortex, that had already sucked in and crushed so many careers in 2013, has swung into action again.
There were rumours late last year that the usual suspects in the politico-legal world were jockeying for position around the giant German wrecking ball’s plans for his new party. Lawyer and former ACT MP Stephen Franks and his trusty sidekick, Jordan Williams, were rumoured to have been elbowed aside before Christmas, though neither would confirm or deny if Mr Dotcom was a client.
Constitutional lawyer Mai Chen’s firm has confirmed its involvement in giving advice ahead of the launch.
On the pure political side, news service Scoop’s press gallery reporter, Alastair Thompson, has also confirmed a role (interestingly, his stepson, who was once a Scoop employee, now works for Ms Chen’s firm). When Thompson came on to the scene, blogger Martyn Bradbury seems to have been given the heave- ho, along with his strategy “white paper” revealed by Cameron Slater’s Whaleoil blog this week. Thompson has since quit Scoop – or taken a sabbatical, depending on which version of events you hear – and is interim secretary of the embryonic Internet Party.
But the irony will not be lost on anyone that some of the commentariat who are hottest on rooting out influence and conflicts of interest – and are most sanctimonious about it – were themselves so conflicted.
It is anyone’s guess why, in all the planning, no-one realised Mr Dotcom’s giant free birthday bash – dubbed the “Party Party” – could fall foul of the electoral law on “treating”.
But whatever the ins and outs, his party has gone backwards this week.
It had the potential to be a real influence on the election – less so now.
PS. As an aside to Small’s article, I also enjoyed this Andrea Vance article a few days ago.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/blogs/opinion/9625531/Silly-season-of-political-madness
No don’t hold your breath phil. TDB editor doesn’t like questions or to be challenged, no matter how reasonable, imo. I learned the hard way lol.
By Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKZdzxX3qFc
IMF forecasts of global trade growth miss…again
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-01-21/comedy-imf-forecasting-errors-global-trade-tumbles-more-50-imfs-2012-prediction
With the price of funerals rising rapidly, UK poor now can’t afford to die
With even the lowest key funeral clicking in at thousands of pounds, perhaps it is time for the UK to go back to unmarked paupers’ graves?
http://rt.com/news/funeral-poverty-afford-die-958/
Or better re-cycling either before or after cremation … the practice of littering the world with dead bodies slowly disintergrating is really disgusting … then the practice of barring the use of such land by future generations … particularly when it is just one body.
Dust to dust…
Reforestation perhaps?
soylent green?
The price of funerals, burials and cremations here in NZ is prohibitive for many NZers also.
Interestingly, just a few days ago by accident I came across the fact that related NZ legislation is currently under review. And guess who is leading this review? None other than the Law Commission and ‘our Wayne’.
Here are some links from the Law Commission site. I haven’t read the Issues paper and don’t have time today, but others may want to.
http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/news/2013/10/law-commission-seeking-feedback-review-burial-and-cremation-law
http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/news/2013/11/law-commission-releases-consultation-schedule-burial-cremation-law-review
http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/news/2014/01/new-lead-advisor-appointed-burial-cremation-law-review
http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/project/review-burial-and-cremation-law?quicktabs_23=issues_paper
But Murphy’s Law (?) – submissions closed two days ago on 20 January.
Hey…don’t the Undertakers of NZ Association have a brand new CEO…by coincidence.
LOL – I had forgotten that! Shanks’ pony …. She and Mapp would already know one another through the National Party and as MPs. As you say, coincidence?
McDonalds Queens NY finally agrees to let seniors ‘hang out’ after calling police on them
This is just one danger of the loss of public common space and conversion into private spaces for private profit. Even hanging out with long time friends becomes impossible without it being an offence.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/mcdonald-flushing-seniors-reach-seating-deal-article-1.1585819
Interesting point.
There are bugger all places in the city hubs where people can gather, hang-out, talk at length, if they want to, without having to spend any money. Communities need such places – comfortable, warm in winter with chairs and a couple of tables, maybe a zip and toilets. It’s cheapest if people are able to bring their own food and drink. As petrol gets more and more expensive it gets less viable to visit others’ homes to meet up with those from further than walking distance away.
Indeed. In some NZ cities the new subdivisions have sweet f.a. public meeting spaces. Just miles of curvy twisty suburban cul de sacs that you can barely walk between (why would you) and mostly have to drive in and out of. No sense of a community or town centre, just another housing estate designed to isolate you from your neighbours.
I swear those places just breed Tories because of the lack of public common spaces for people and children to interact in.
Wasn’t Naomi Klein talking about “reclaiming the streets” back in the 90’s? From hazy memory it was a movement or idea about bringing a sense of community back via regaining public spaces that had been lost to private ownership and development
Here we go, quick googley for reclaim the streets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reclaim_the_Streets
And those housing developments you mention above. I live on one (purely for economic and building soundness reasons) It is dire. We do have a neighbourhood planting group whose aim is to bring some nature to the otherwise featureless landscape. I am also considering organising a neighbourhood kite flying day on one of the privately owned future development sites. (It’s extremely windy here and I have seen kites flying so it may be a hobby to get people involved in together) There is no sense of neighbourly camaraderie and it is even a challenge to get a “hello” out of a passer by. Area’s such as these are such a departure from the cohesive nature of traditional neighbourhoods.
Awesome…you gotta be proud of that hands-on community building work!
This grassroots community building is the volunteer work that I’ve been doing over the last four to five years.
There is a definite movement developing and some really good tools and ideas out there – Rosie.
Don’t know whether you are in Auckland – but one of the long-time community advocates – Jim Diers from Seattle – is coming over to NZ in March. He will definitely be in Auckland. He is worth going to see.
Attended an Auckland Conversation. What struck me is the comments in the introduction from Auckland Council’s now replaced CEO – Doug McKay, who thanked Jim Diers for showing him that people can be viewed as resources and contributors.
Our current planning head in Auckland Council – Dr Roger Blakely – came from Porirua City Council which won awards for their village planning programme.
There have been indications that Auckland Council may attempt the same up here – but despite those whispers – nothing concrete as yet.
Thanks Molly for the links and big ups to you for the work you do 🙂
That’s interesting about the Village Planning Programme. I have indeed noticed the various public outdoor art works springing up in the environment around Porirua. (I’m in Wellington) I might mention it to the one contact I do have in the neighbourhood, who happens to have strong council connections. That is a great idea, thank you.
I think there are opportunities for community strengthening in our area – I know the local Papa Kainga has been active and the emergency resilience group is influential in other parts of the area – it’s tying it together that is the trick, and creating a sense of unity.
Rosie
Kindra Douglas in Nelson has been behind the Victory suburb development and helped it grow into a vital and positive area. Here is a link to some of the stuff they have done and perhaps some sources.
http://inspiringcommunities.org.nz/community-led-development-projects-initiatives/family-centered-community-led-development
Reent New Lynn development is interesting. There are some open air spaces for the public to hang out – There’s a spot on Todd Triangle – open but I think with some overhead cover – where a small group of Chinese people (many elderly) regularly do some slow movement exercises together.
But many of the prime sites have been bought by business interests – eg MacDonalds overlooking one of the main squares by the Mall. Although, there still are buskers and others gathering to chat etc in the square in fron of MacDonalds.
There’s a community centre with indoor space and many activties for people – it’s just not one of the more centrally-located spots – businesses have too much influence in buying preferred spaces.
It seems like the local tertiary institutions are the only places that provide facilities in which people can bring their own whatever, and hang-out all day if they want to.
The lack of such facilities is very isolating, particularly for those without much money.
I’ve known a couple of people who took a paper or two at uni mainly to procure these and the many other collective facilities and advantages that students enjoy. And very cost-effective it was too.
There’s also some community centres and libraries in Auckland.
The library is certainly a kind of community centre here too. But hanging out all day, talking, and food and drink are not exactly encouraged. There are no group meeting rooms.
Which reminds me that WINZ has some such public facilities. Mainly used for formal meetings. Beneficiaries always mention how uncomfortable they feel about being there.
The Americans invented the modern day equivalent of the meeting hall – it’s called the “Mall”. Just make sure you look “youthful” and you have plenty of “bling”.
Modern day Councils don’t see investing in Council amenities as “investments”, they want “returns” – $$$$. Have a look at the layout of the modern-day development, the focus is where to place the shopping area, the school will then go nearby, followed by a park. But the focus starts with the commercial aspect first – $$$$ – revenue, not people.
Hey be kind to Councils that do anything. The ACT giant reversed the fairy tale and came down the beanstalk and took away all our things to his place in the sky. It’s a wonder we hae any Councils left –
That aren’t just set up to advance the wants and desires of the noisy and pushy. I notice Dunedin council not content with piling an extravagant colosseum on the ratepayers, shows its colours further by banning a No Drilling sign on an island that has been leased from it. The Rule is that it doesn’t allow advertising. Is a two-finger salute advertising? Or just an example of Andy-Warhol-type modern stuff.
meanwhile in the UK
http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/josie-appleton/end-of-public-space-one-law-to-ban-them-all
They want to prevent public protests such as Occupy recurring. The power elite is afraid.
Absolutely, but the Medusa’s raft of new anti-protest laws in the UK have already seen to it that future progress for Occupy and similar movements will be [nigh impossible]. I see these new changes as a not so subtle goosestep towards complete stage-management of ‘the message’.
‘out of sight out of mind’ ring a bell?
Just moving this reply to BM from “National coalition with NZ First?” to Open Mike so he can’t miss it. I really am curious BM and would like to hear your response.
“UF will get a seat” (says BM)
Can you tell us how you know that?
Bringing in Peter Dunn just may have batted this swinging voter away. Would Labour include Dunn if necessary? Probably; so where to from here?
Winston First? Well I don’t see Peters being healthy enough both mentally and physically to function in 2015 and he does have some very good MPs who could step up. So acceptable but then Labour certainly wouldn’t say no to Peters.
So it’s down to Mana/Greens verses Conserves/ACT. I could accept limited input from all but Mana; racists have no place in my government.
Bottom line for me; if Cunliff can rule out Harawira I vote Labour.
“So it’s down to Mana/Greens verses Conserves/ACT. I could accept limited input from all but Mana; racists have no place in my government.”
Except John Banks, apparently.
Hey felix, FYI: John Banks will be gone
Yes, and which party did you vote for at the last election, Steve?
Was it National, knowing they’d bring along Banksie (and maybe Brashie)?
Steve James, Labour leader David Cunliffe speaking on RadioNZ National this morning more or less ruled out Peter Dunne,(”if He calls us we might talk to Him,but i don’t think i will be calling Him”),
No mention of the Mana Party by Cunliffe this morning, for our amusement Steve can you tell us what it is that engenders your hatred when it comes to the Mana Party…
Lol. I was trying to find evidence of Dunne saying he would never work with Labour (again)- he’s said it recently, but what I came across instead was this from Pete George who has cold feet for his leader:
I’m still a member of United Future, I joined for three years when I stood for the party last election. That membership runs out in a few months.
“I have seen nothing to encourage me to renew that membership. That’s very disappointing.
United Future could be, should be a small by significant player in Parliament and potentially in Government. Key has given them a vote of confidence.
But the party will have to start earning votes from the public (and members). Soon. again.
The opportunity is there. Is the party there? Is the determination? Or is United Future just an electorate committee for Ohariu?”
http://yournz.org/tag/peter-dunne/
So, in essence Steve James, Dunne won’t work with Labour and they’re not interested in him anyway as bad12 points out.
And BM, even Dunne’s biggest cheer leader is starting to have misgivings about the future for his man.
Lolz Rosie, that is funny from He who still cannot get over being temporarily spanked by Lprent, i wonder what colour that ones overcoat will be when He changes it…
Hello Bad12
“hatred”? not in my world so no comment.
So why did you bother to then, wing-nuts all of them too terrified to expose their opinions to scrutiny…
Steve James i bet you Richard Prosser gets you going as one of the NZFirst MP’s you see ”as being able to step up”…
Hi Steve
Great to hear you have no room for rascists ( or liars apparently).
As you seem to have missed some replies to your posts from yesterday,
I thought I might save you some time – other folks also have their own questions for you
first up is your sharing of prescription data
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21012014/#comment-760638
then there is your declaration of strong personal values
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21012014/#comment-760652
Thanks freedom
Yeah time is precious so I get little time to visit The standard.
Firstly I have two jobs though the second is as a small business operator with my partner. Neither of us are on benefits however some of our friends are and they are very open about their circumstances. I received the DPB some years back and I remain grateful to those who contributed to my family’s wellbeing.
Having strong personal values is a good thing so no further comment required.
I will look at the Blip’s list tonight, thanks.
Look freedom; people have different perspectives, varied understandings and inherent biases on most issues, that’s what open discussion is about. If you write just one thing that makes sense to me and changes a misguided perspective I may have; well, that’s a good thing. The same applies the other way.
Any way, work to do
Have a good day
“people have different perspectives, varied understandings and inherent biases on most issues, that’s what open discussion is about.”
the above quote was brought to you by the guy that just yesterday told CV
“I’m not sure I care what you think actually.”
enjoy your employment Steve, long may it last
(and fear not, despite the flurry of recent attention, you are not some pet project )
🙂
Do you consider Hone racist because he noticed that the colonisers had paler skin than the colonised? I really don’t think you have much idea what racism is.
A good look at the health of our people and our Health system this morning on Radionz. Tony Ryall oils his way over the bumpy ground of sharp tacks formed by unsatisfactory stats.
A point made that Annette King changed counting lists of waiting sick, to counting waiting times. There was no attempt earlier to count those sick and not on the waiting list, now there is no attempt to count either the needy off list, or the waiting on list. There is just the trumpeting of increases in numbers of operations. Gives the impression that everything is under control.
But the Christchurch Charity Hospital and others are aware of people in pain who have no hope of getting near the list. Others who have GP or specialist advice that they could be helped, are far away from getting on the list. Who knows how many are unable to be done within time, are sent back to the GP and start on the cycle again. The system fits into the overarching approach that this government operates under, the casino principle, luck is important and the only way to be sure of getting stuff is to be in on running the ‘tables’. And not to have too much oversight, to have stats that are seen through a mirror darkly, so they are open to misunderstanding and confusion.
Couldn’t agree with this comment more, excellent description of this mornings discussion on RadioNZ which paints neither Labour or National in a good light,
i know the truth of the substance of the allegations made this morning because i am one of those not counted, i have access to as many brands of pain-blocking medication as there are available through Pharmac, but,
As far as removing the causes of this pain goes i am told that i will have to wait ‘until they have become life threatening’,
My next logical question to the Doctor informing of this was of course, ”how will i know when it has become life threatening”, and while admiring this particular Doctors honest answer had to wonder why He didn’t don a ‘black cap’ while announcing what in effect sounded remarkably like a death sentence,
”It will pierce your bowels which you will definitely feel” being His reply while writing the scrip which allows me to be mostly free of pain while i wait for the grand occasion to occur,(even going so far as to write a note to WINZ telling them i definitely need a landline phone for my future health),
NICE, a health system that passes the buck to WINZ who will in five years have paid out as much, if not more, than the cost of what the health system would incur by fixing the original bone anomaly…
Very sorry to hear of that bad12.
So essentially you are being denied treatment to the cause of your pain now, treatment that would prevent a serious and costly health crisis
Such a foolish and cavalier approach from the health system towards illness must create anxiety in patients such as yourself. Anxiety that would be avoidable if the problem were to be treated now before its reaches crisis stage.
Tah much Rosie, i am pretty pragmatic about my life span tending to view such as ”how long is a piece of string”, having smoked at least 20 a day since age 14 i should have no great expectations of longevity nor in the current climate being looked on favorably by any within the health sector,
i am tho still seething over the original diagnosis of this particular problem 20 odd years ago by the medical profession who using ‘the crystal ball method’ convinced me it was a simple muscle problem easily alleviated by a couple of simple exercises,
In the intervening 20 odd years i have engaged in physical activity which has resulted in outright agony,(lamb tailing in the South Island which involved bending over and picking up lambs to the tune of 1000 a day for the 3 week ‘season’), all the while telling myself it’s ‘only’ a muscle problem,
It was only 5 years ago when explaining to yet another Doctor who didn’t rely on the crystal ball method of diagnosis my worn out hip and this particular problem, Her view was ‘lets gt a picture of what’s happening here’ and i was totally gob-smacked to find on the x-ray that my 20+ year ‘muscle problem’ had all along been a piece of bone growing off my spine that is now quite a protuberance…
Oh FFS! I I would be seething too, all those years of thinking you had one thing when it was another, and the lost opportunities to get the right treatment from the beginning.
It’s very easy, upon hearing stories such as yours to wonder how a person’s well being and health would be vastly improved if we were governed by those who were committed to providing a high quality barrier free readily accessible and safe public health system. (well done to those health workers who do so much within the limits on their ability to provide an above adequate service)
I can only wish you the best bad12.
bad12
Regards. Glad I managed to convey the gist of this mornings talk adequately.
Sorry to hear your situation. We’ll see how we can change things with a change of government. Probably everyone I know will unlike me by the election.
Any chance of an op at Christchurch? Have a look at them on google. I think I will put them on my donation list. Just a little bit but if a lot did that then hopefully if would pile up and grease the wheels of the trolleys to theatre.
bad12
Regards. Glad that I caught the tone of this mornings twaddle so effectively.
Do you think you could get it done through Christchurch Charity? Have a look at their google.
We will try and get a new bunch in government this year, but I think Annette King is still around – same job?
Greywarbler, cheers yes i listened with interest to the Christchurch charity hospital, something i have never heard of befor,
Will check them out later although i think they may prefer younger candidates…
Did this comment again as I thought the first was lost. Waited round for it, and looked here and there, refreshed, and then decided I hadn’t put my identification. Perhaps it went to moderation.
Wouldn’t it be good for transparency to have a statistician create – and another statistician – critique the standard figures that indicate good governance in NZ – and then they stay the same for at least the next twenty years?
Might not be useful for political ends – but what a good basis for policy and indicator for the rest of us.
I agree Molly that performance indicators/measures need to be established and then kept for a reasonable period of time to allow comparison. And if these need to be changed/improved due to changes in circumstances, outcomes sought etc, the changes must incorporate some methodology to allow comparision with the original or previous performance indicators/measures.
But this type of work is not straight statistics. It is a specific field that involves statistics, but also requires a much wider range of skills and knowledge,many of which are not numerical or statistical. For example strategic and business planning, an understanding of the interaction of outcomes, goals, inputs, outputs and how to identify and establish meaningful performance indicators/measures that actually measure performance against desired outcomes etc. It also requires ‘sales’ skills to get buy-in from management and others to appreciate the usefulness of such measures to them in their daily work and implement such measuring systems – often one of the hardest parts!
Instantly thought of a kid scribbling to obliterate out some drawing that had gone wrong when I watched this. Unfortunately, the ‘scribble’ is the track of plane flights through our atmosphere spewing (and because no-one wants ‘international’ emissions included in their national emission totals) uncounted CO2 24/7. (note: 1g of aviation fuel = 3g CO2)
Part 4 is pertinent
http://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2014/aviation-100-years
(might take a wee few minutes to load)
Holy shit, that’s quite some graphic.
“and because no-one wants ‘international’ emissions included in their national emission totals)”
So where the graphic talks about air travel accounting for 3.5% to 4.9% of all GHG emissions, that’s going to be a low number? Or will they be estimating in what’s not in the national figures?
I don’t know how they arrived at the numbers they do. But according to Kevin Anderson of the Tyndal Institute, international shipping and international air travel are not counted into national totals for the reasons I gave in the original comment.
Also…they don’t seem to have calculated emissions for fighter/military flights or private jets. And given that fighter jets are always on exercise or on maneuvers when not in combat…anyone with experience of the UK where the screaming of RAF jets is punctuated by emerging sounds of the countryside might appreciate just how many of those buggers are up in the air at any given time.
This.
The DoD accounted for around 1 percent of the US energy consumption and 80 percent of the federal government energy consumption. Although this may seem small, the fact is that the Pentagon is the largest single consumer of energy in the World. Nigeria, with a population of more than 160 million, consumes as much energy and emits as much CO2 as the US military.
http://www.dailyenergyreport.com/how-much-energy-does-the-u-s-military-consume-an-update/
Ah…. so much to thank wars for [/sarc] – great innovations leading to massive use of air travel – and envormental degradation..
– and dead people,
economists seem to forget all the dead people
they are a lost resource surely
what good is an economy or a society or even democracy itself,
if eventually all it produces are just more dead people
Here’s Tom with the weather
Terrifying actually and where will it end and when/if it does what happens to country dependent on Tourism? Thanks Bill.
The Left and the State
A very valid observation.
Natz e
Ohariu List MP, Katrina (undertaker) Shanks. From one dead end job to another….
The herald has frontpaged which of the following the most;
A. Len brown affair; or
B. John banks charged with fraud on an electoral matter
The Herald is totally obsessed by Brown.
Must want Cameron Brewer or Dick Quax as mayor.
Or at least one prepared to sell Auckland’s assets to foreign corporations.
Listening to this song by lizzie west… the following caught my ear
Well as I drive then I begin to see,
The lazy trade their dignity
At the root of the conspiracy,
Is the corporate claim on all our needs.
Down goes the small man’s dream,
The franchise rise and provide.
America how do you like it.
This is how it will be.
David Cunliffe sounded better (on RadioLive) then he has in a long time but he still has a tendency to sound patronising when he starts to get on a roll. But whoevers working with him is certainly doing their job.
Very disappointed in Cunliffe, ditching the tax-free for first $5000 earned and taking off GST from fruit and veges. Screw the poor, yet again.
What’s the use of voting for Labour now?
Apparently He’s ditching the living wage bollocks as well.
https://twitter.com/StaceyKirkNZ
Go Cunliffe, first bit of sane news I’ve heard from labour for a long time
Er, he’s not ditching a policy they never had.
What he’s committed to is that the minimum wage will go up to $15 within the first 100 days, and that there will be further rises after that – likely a standard annual raise but I also wouldn’t rule anything else out.
Stuff says:
That’s just a continuation of the existing policy.
The tax free $5k helped everyone including the rich and was poorly targetted. Same with GST off fruit and veges in fact it would have had a regressive effect because the rich would benefit more.
Better to come up with more targetted policies. For instance the money saved could be used to bring in free school breakfasts for poorer schools.
To be fair Labour did want to “axe the tax” 🙂 but seriously this is a good call by Cunliffe, shows hes serious about running the country and wants the center ground rather then pandering to the hard left
I disagree.
I reckon the poor would notice either a lot more than the rich, and the second point simply plays the “oooo, we’re soooo poor there’s not enough to go around” tory bullshit. For instance, we could do all three if the rich paid their way.
I am disappointed re the GST on fruit and veges – everyone needs to eat and this shouldn’t be taxed – especially not the way the price of eating has gone up so badly – I fail to see how knocking the GST off fruit and veges benefits wealthy people more (?) It would be very nice to have these necessities costing less.
Despite this reservation and disappointment I liked Labour’s press release it was short and sweet, to the point and indicated they are going to bring out something even better. I am, therefore, looking forward to what Labour are replacing these two policies with – they had better be good and feel hopeful that they will be.
@ blue..
“..I fail to see how knocking the GST off fruit and veges benefits wealthy people more (?)..”
that attempted-rationale puzzles me too..
..does the claimer think the rich have bigger stomachs…?
..as a claim..it totally lacks any logic..
..i’m holding judgement until after cunnliffes’speech next mon..
..but even if other serious moves are made..
..this would have been a practical help to the poorest..and promoted healthier-living..
..it was a two-fer..w.t.f. was not to like about it..
..i can undrstand the argument the tax-free for all gives to those who don’t need..
..but this is not the case with the gst/fruit/veges policy..
..and cunnliffe had better come up with something pretty whizz-bangy..
..to replace it..
..if raising the minimum wage is it..
..he will have just once again kicked the poorest in the guts..
..in that long neo-lib/clarkist-labour tradition..
..monday will tell..
..phillip ure..
i would suggest you don’t be disappointed about the GST and fruit and veg thingy, from where i sit such a move could be viewed in much the same light as raising the accommodation supplement,
Those on the supply side of both these equations, as has been shown in the rental market, simply view such Government subsidies as an ‘opportunity’, raising their prices to match what the Government has provided thus negating any benefit to those most in need,
Monday we await with raised expectation David Cunliffe explaining how Labour plan to address the bread and butter issue of increasing inequality and the poverty that builds around this…
@ Bad12
Ah good to hear some sort of explanation re fruit and veges tax – I did take it that they are not pursuing dropping this tax so that they can spend the money gathered on something helpful…..so I am waiting with quite a bit of interested antipication
I agree the $5k lacked focus. Nevertheless, the tax component of $5k would be of immeasurable benefit to the poorest of us. How about then, that the abatement rates applied to earnings while claiming entitlements gets a radical over-haul or dumped? That benefits the poorest and small businesses too in terms of cash through and the ability to employ people legally.
Fruit and veg is, well…I’m going to punt that far too many of us poorest people don’t really buy fresh fruit and veg in any worthwhile quantity anyway. And that’s not necessarily down solely to cost, but also poor eating habits and poor cooking skills plus other factors.
Anyway. That were me tuppence worth
A discussion we should have after Monday Bill …
repeat – ‘that were me tuppence worth’ 😉
The tax free threshold should of course be paired with a higher flat tax rate, which together as a system would maintain progressiveness and simplify the tax system into something closer to supporting a UBI.
I definitely don’t want to see innovation draining out of Labour’s policy play book, which would leave the Greens pushing the most progressive policy ideas.
Of course, let’s wait for Mon as I am sure DC will have a few real surprises for all of us. *Fingers crossed*
Come on mickey, be honest. The GST off F&V thing wasn’t regressive. Poor people spend a far greater proportion of their income on basic weekly food requirements than rich people do.
It was dropped for one reason only: because when it was announced, Labour failed to stand by the basic decency of trying to make food cheaper and instead got sucked in to the right-wing “but you’re meddling with the free market!” framing of the policy and wasted their time having stupid arguments about snow-peas.
Totally sensible policy. Total clusterfuck of coms. Total lack of ideological fortitude from the Labour caucus.
I cant believe Cunliffe has just backed away from the minimum living wage, he just stated the minimum wage will be $15 and no plans to go any higher, what a massive backdown when he was going for broke when he was seeking to be leader of the party with all the promises of bridging the gap of inequality with an $18+per hour living wage. Any time Cunliffe has some momentum he shots himself in the foot and shows him to be a bigger liar than Key,
[lprent: That appears to be a deliberate diversion from the post. Banned permanently. Moving thread to OpenMike. ]
Hmmm a second time commenter engaging in concern trolling.
Cunliffe has not backed away from the minimum living wage. He has confirmed it and has plans to go higher as finances allow. If he did not say this he would be attacked for being reckless with the cheque book …
Oh yes its not a positive comment in Labours favour so it must be trolling mickysavage, im an undecided voter and Cunliffes promise of which I herd him say in person at a meeting that he would introduce a living wage as his first priority in government, had me won over
I didn’t hear any talk of if and when or strings attached
Which meeting Kerry?
Nor did you hear or read any evidence of a backing away. Personally I think you’re lying. I don’t believe you’re an undecided voter, either. Your comments stand out like a dog’s balls as insincere, bad faith drivel.
Now, to demonstrate what a shallow individual you are, why not take my contempt as a reason to support John Key the way you always intended to?
His previous comments would suggest he’s acting concerned.
He’s certainly attempting to derail discussion about Key’s decision to talk to Peters.
Well in that case kerry you are deaf (don’t listen properly), blind (can’t see properly) or dumb (can’t comprehend properly) because right from Day 1… Cunliffe made it clear that the minimum wage (or Living Wage seems to be the preference now) would have to be raised in at least two stages. He announced it would rise to $15 per hour immediately on taking office, but Labour’s ultimate aim was to increase the minimum wage to $18 per hour as soon as the coffers were sufficiently replenished. Since the minimum wage is a core policy plank, you can be assured $18 per hour will be implemented probably in 2017.
Edit function on the blink.
correction: (Living wage seems to be the preferred term now)
Anne, there is a difference between the minimum wage and the living wage.
The minimum wage is lower. $18.00 has generally been agreed to be a reasonable “living wage”.
The minimum wage would be more compulsory, while the living wage would be more something aimed at through incentives – eg government procurement contracts.
“$18.00 has generally been agreed to be a reasonable “living wage”.”
Yes, for a family of four. Yet organisations are saying it should apply to everybody.
Yes I know the living wage is treated as a separate entity karol, but the original minimum wage concept from Labour included a target of two steps – a $15 increase followed at a later stage by another increase to $18. That was my clear recollection. Then the living wage concept was introduced which I know has different elements attached to it.
I was replying to kerry at 21 plus 21.1.1 where he was accusing Cunliffe of being a worse liar than Key.
Kerry: David Cunliffe video and report on Scoop October 2013:
SSo, no change from this in today’s announcement.</blockquote.
As compared with your selective memory of something you allegedly heard live???!!!!
Introducing, doesn't mean bringing it in for all employees at the same time.
Is the Oct report was repeated quite widely in the MSM.
Stuff October 2013:
There’s a difference between the minimum and living wage. The minimum wage is the one you are referring to. The living wage policy remains the same as before.
Stuff reports:
A living wage would be brought in over time, starting with the state sector, as it could be afforded.
Kerry, you’re wrong.
Cunliffe has endorsed both an increase to the adult minimum wage ($15 within the first 100 days of his election as PM) and the seperate matter of the Living Wage (public sector immediately, private sector in time).
He’s just another ignoramus trying to derail worthwhile discussion on this site.
I feel sorry for you I really do Paul, atleast add something like Te Reo Putake has
Sorry for me because I call you out for not knowing what you’re talking about.
Fine by me.
You have a track record.
can you post your source?
There is never a source from folk like Kerry.
Maybe they heard Leighton Smith or Mike Hosking say it?
I feel sorry for you, Kerry, demonstrating such a high level of ignorance in public. The fact that you can write a comment implies that you can read, so I guess the problem must be some form of basic comprehension handicap.
Kerry deserves our sympathy, people.
I imagine we’re going to see more and more ‘concern’ from dupes and plants as the reality of the coming change of Government hits home, Paul.
Miserable attempt to distract.
Yea Nah Cunliffe was just sucking up to the unions to get the top job. He would say what ever they wanted to hear.They will be pissed with him
He was never going to have a minimum wage of $18+
Really, naki.?
Evidence for this claim?
Funi Man, it’s time for your reality check.
You’d think the National Party could do something about wanna-be spokespeople like Funi Man making wingnuts look like clueless gimps. So hard to get good help these days.
they prefer their supporters semi-literate with short concentration spans.
An increase in the minimum wage to $15 within his first 100 days in office had not changed, although the minimum wage would go higher in time. A living wage would be brought in over time, starting with the state sector, as it could be afforded
In other words $15 minimum wage and then any increases will be very slow. Not $18+
Councils have already voted against $18, the cost to rate payers is to high
Thread title….’National’s first strategic mistake’
How is this comment related?
Just a couple of problems with your opinion, Funi Man: it’s worthless and offered in bad faith. I think I’ll dismiss it out-of-hand.
Jeez, knackered man, have you still not spotted that they are two different things? Have a read here: http://www.livingwagenz.org.nz
And another bit of education for you: the Wellington council has already voted to implement the living wage for its employees. Auckland won’t be far behind.
Hey Naki Man, do you want to hold wages down?
Surely best not to come to hasty comments or decisions about this until the overall package mentioned in speech on Monday.
Looks like Labour getting the bad news out of the way first so the spotlight will be on positive aspects on Monday.
maybe in the interval between now and monday..
..we could/should look to the prescription to end poverty that was proffered by martin luther king ..
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37423.htm
“..In his final book –
– the civil rights leader laid out his vision for a universal basic income –
– that would raise all Americans into the middle class..”
phillip ure…
Coming soon to a protest near you?
http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/maybe-the-most-orwellian-text-message-ever-sent
“Haw, haw, haw, haw, haw!”
The campaign to dismiss Kim Dotcom continues
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Tuesday 21 January 2014
Jim Mora, Graham Bell, Bernard Hickey
JIM MORA: On the program today, Kim Dotcom’s new album—
GRAHAM BELL: Pshaw! Haw, haw, haw, haw!
BERNARD HICKEY: [wryly] You’ll be looking forward to that, Graham.
GRAHAM BELL: Haw, haw, haw, haw, haw!
That disparaging reaction is interesting. Kim Dotcom is not exactly Kanye West, but he is a skilled and accomplished rapper, as anyone who has heard his powerful indictment of government corruption “Mr President” has to admit. [1] People like Graham Bell cannot abide hearing words like the refrain of that song: “Let’s get together, let’s all unite, or they will do whatever they like.” Bell did not snicker like that simply because he is a crude and tasteless bully who wouldn’t know good music if he stumbled into a performance of the St. Matthew Passion by the Münchener Bach Orchestra & Choir. His expression of scorn for Kim Dotcom was political, though perhaps he is unaware of exactly why.
Significantly, there was none of this scoffing from the establishment when Paul Holmes put out his truly awful vanity project in 2000, an utterly horrendous collection of butchered covers entitled Paul Holmes. [2] That wasn’t the reaction of normal people of course—everyone recognized immediately that Holmes’s album was a vanity project, possible only because he had power and influence, if not the common sense to realize he had no talent. But his colleagues in the media gritted their teeth and praised him, at least in public.
Kim Dotcom, on the other hand, is an official enemy, targeted by the United States government. Not only is he a threat to the establishment, he is eloquent and immensely popular. The only way to deal with him, in the absence of any substantial argument, is to scorn him and snicker whenever his name is mentioned.
Later in the program, after the 4:30 news, the other guest, Bernard Hickey, also took the opportunity to run with the hounds and have a go at Kim Dotcom….
JIM MORA: I mean, how do YOU see Kim Dotcom? He says he’s just like a postmaster….
BERNARD HICKEY: If the postmaster knowingly allowed people to steal things from the mail, then that would be a fair comparison. But having read that Grand Jury indictment [3] against him—
GRAHAM BELL: He’s a convicted fraudster! He’s a big fat attention-seeker! I like the cartoon in the paper [4] which showed him as a big balloon about to explode! ….[drones on dully and interminably]…
So it’s business as usual on The Panel then….
http://sadhillnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/oh-lord-please-make-it-stop-sad-hill-news.jpg
[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MokNvbiRqCM
[2] Any of the thousands of complementary copies Holmes gave away for Christmas in 2000, 2001 and 2003 that have not been used as pot-scrapers or sunlight reflectors or for clay-pigeon shooting practice can be sourced from the free-bin in front of some St Vincent de Paul and Salvation Army shops.
[3] Though Bernard Hickey seems to be entirely trusting in the integrity of the U.S. government, that indictment was clearly written by Hollywood industry lawyers. For anyone that—unlike Hickey—is serious about coming to grips with the validity or otherwise of that indictment, here is one of the many rigorous examinations of it….
http://jolt.law.harvard.edu/digest/internet/u-s-v-kim-dotcom-et-al
[4] He’s referring to an unfunny cartoon by the Herald‘s unfunny cartoonist Emmerson, who got the job after editor Gavin Ellis was browbeaten and threatened into firing the vastly superior Malcolm Evans in 2002. Not only does Bell have no musical taste, he is no judge of cartooning either.
It’s awful today again with Fox Democrat Edwards and Tory Boag on.
What got me was some employment ‘expert’ on talking about a buoyant jobs market.
Nothing from Mora.
Tell that to the 155 000
Bring back Matinee Idol. I forgot how bad Mora is,
Yes this bouyant jobs market bullshit despite earlier in the day the ‘real’ figures being discussed on the same radio station which showed ‘the jobs market’ as being patchy at best,
There’s Christchurch, a few professions, i forget which are in demand, (Health was one of them), and from there it’s pretty much ‘not so good news’,
Even that not so good news will pale as the Reserve Bank hikes the cash rate and the Banks follow with interest rate rises…
And at about 10 to 5 Boag says NZ is an egalitarian society. In 2013. Not in 1975. In 2013.
And Mora said nothing.
Neither did Fox Democrat Edwards.
Tell that to the 270 000 kids in poverty.
Yes to that (Bring back Matinee Idol). 9-5 ‘beltway hacks’, paid for experts, and various other has-beens are going to ensure the better parts of RNZ take a dive.
Even if a Matinee-Idol attempted some sort of serious analysis of current affairs – it’d be superior to the bilge that occupies 101FM and its environs – especially betweem 1pm and 4pm. (9-12 …. could do better)
“And Mora said nothing.”
Does he ever?
That’s the reason he’s the nicest man on Earth after all. Utterly inoffensive to anyone! If Adolf bloody Hitler was on “The Panel” he’d be attempting to ‘engage’ (in the nicest possible way of course).
Roy Morgan Poll out: “Labour/ Greens (46%) start election year with edge over National (43.5%) as Kim Dotcom set to launch new ‘Internet Party’ to contest elections.”….
“Today’s New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows a potential Labour/ Greens alliance (46%, up 1%) leading John Key’s National Party (43.5%, down 1.5%) in the first New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll for 2014. Support for Key’s Coalition partners has slightly improved: Maori Party 2% (up 0.5%), United Future 0.5% (up 0.5%), ACT NZ 0% (unchanged).”
Oh well. A tooth and nail battle awaits.
Here you go:
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/5389-new-zealand-voting-intention-january-22-2014-201401220409
Good lead in to Cunliffe’s State of the Nation speech.
This is what the Nats polling has obviously been telling them so hence the panic stations. 🙂