Open mike 22/04/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 22nd, 2015 - 90 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

openmikeOpen mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

90 comments on “Open mike 22/04/2015 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Paul 1
    22 April 2015 at 6:26 am

    Three thought provoking articles on the ongoing man-made tragedies occurring in the Mediterranean.

    Why Europe Lets People Drown
    http://www.theautomaticearth.com/2015/04/why-europe-lets-people-drown/

    Katie Hopkins Gets Her Dead Immigrants – Happy Now? Russell Brand The Trews (E302)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=884RCxG61K4

    A Horror We Made
    https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2015/04/a-horror-we-made/

    • miravox 1.1
      22 April 2015 at 6:24 pm

      This is all so awful. It amazes me that countries can go into other countries and exploit or destroy them and expect no ‘externalities’ from that.

      Having said that, the UK and the US, the biggest offenders in the destruction of nations have been getting off rather lightly, with Italy and Greece bearing the brunt of resuce and resettlement operations that they can little afford.

      The UK response of stopping resuce missions to ‘remove the pull factor’ for would-be refugees and migrants is particularly disgusting. I wonder how many deaths the current UK government think will do the job?

      Fix what you broke, exploiters and warmongers, and/or open the gates – there are consequences for destroying things. Turning the boats back, and wiping out human trafficking removes migrants and refugees from European sight, but does not fix the horror (whether war or economic, in which European/US nations are implicated) that these people are trying to escape.

  2. GR 2
    22 April 2015 at 6:56 am

    (Trigger warning – [r0b: deleting unfounded allegations – let the account speak for itself without attaching these labels to it])

    So it’s confirmed that John Keys is a [del]. It’s a disturbing read, but a brave young woman has spoken out on the Daily Blog about how our [del] her. The Tory filth are protected from prosecution though, as in Northland, as with Keys, as with all the rest of the Natzi bottom-feeding sub-human scum.

    http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/04/22/exclusive-the-prime-minister-and-the-waitress

    • just saying 2.1
      22 April 2015 at 7:21 am

      Tro-lling GR?
      An account of harrassment which paints an interesting picture of our PM.
      How do you feel about someone you don’t like repeatedly pulling your hair after you have made it perfectly clear you don’t want them to GR?
      How do you feel about someone with this kind of power and a security detail in tow behaving this way?

      • GR 2.1.1
        22 April 2015 at 7:28 am

        Not trolling. It literally made me sick to read it. Any such bodily violation is certainly a sexually motivated assault.

        • just saying 2.1.1.1
          22 April 2015 at 8:18 am

          Oh, I think it was an attempt at trolling and damage limitation on behalf of the National Party. You’ve really got to watch out for over-egging the pudding with that kind of thing.
          Thanks for deleting it Rob. It was insulting.

          This behaviour is disturbing and telling. No attempt at extreme exaggeration changes the fact.

          • Gosman 2.1.1.1.1
            22 April 2015 at 10:21 am

            Has GR got a track record in this regard or is this mere speculation on your part?

        • weka 2.1.1.2
          22 April 2015 at 10:48 am

          “Not trolling. It literally made me sick to read it. Any such bodily violation is certainly a sexually motivated assault.”

          It might be sexually motivated, but there is nothing in the story to say it definitely was. I read it as bullying, most likely gender bullying (can’t see Key doing that to a male waiter), and creepy, but not inherently sexual. The story is bad enough on its own without adding to it.

          I also think the woman who told the story gets to define what happened to her.

          • Murray Rawshark 2.1.1.2.1
            22 April 2015 at 2:48 pm

            From my knowledge of men who do this sort of thing, it is almost definitely related to sex and predation. I have come across it several times and it creeps me out.

            • Colonial Rawshark 2.1.1.2.1.1
              22 April 2015 at 2:58 pm

              I reckon your take on this is spot on MR.

              I also think the woman who told the story gets to define what happened to her.

              She can certainly define her experience of it. But she cannot define what Key’s driving intent and motivation was. That will require other people to assess.

              • weka …
                22 April 2015 at 3:07 pm

                on the basis of what she wrote, I can’t see how we could know whether there was anything sexual in Key’s intentions or motivations. Possibly people who were there and saw it might have a better view on that, but maybe not then even.

            • weka 2.1.1.2.1.2
              22 April 2015 at 3:06 pm

              “From my knowledge of men who do this sort of thing, it is almost definitely related to sex and predation. I have come across it several times and it creeps me out.”

              Sure, but this is the woman’s story, and I think it’s better to not put additional bits into that that she didn’t.

              • Colonial Rawshark …
                22 April 2015 at 3:15 pm

                Her story does indeed stand on its own. Developing connections, comparisons and context is what we are doing here. I think it adds value if we want to have a conversation about what has happened.

              • Murray Rawshark …
                22 April 2015 at 3:34 pm

                It is her story but it is also our story. This guy is the PM of our country and what he does affects us all. He is our representative. We are not going to get anywhere by making this the story of one individual, something that followers of identity politics do all the time. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.

                As for putting additional bits into it, we see every story through the lens of our own experiences. They add to, or in some cases, detract from our understanding. Unless we have the concentration of a goldfish, it’s something we can’t help doing.

                • just saying …
                  22 April 2015 at 7:18 pm

                  No question in my mind that Key is a predator devoid of empathy and conscience. I didn’t need to read this story to come to that conclusion. This isn’t about “identity politics” and I find it offensive that you would come to such a conclusion. The way GR wrote about this incident was straight from the Crosby-Textor playbook of divide and rule. I don’t know if GR is an innocent, but the way it read to me, I don’t think he or she is.

                  An attack on one of us is indeed an attack on all of us. Maybe though, you could listen to of those with experience of dealing with this particular kind of attack and of how our experiences are usually able to be dismissed instead of writing us, and our experiences off so glibly.

                  • Murray Rawshark …
                    22 April 2015 at 7:58 pm

                    What on earth am I writing off so glibly? I can’t make any sense of your comment at all. I did not say the story was about identity politics. How about replying to something I actually wrote? Note that I never saw GR’s whole comment, and wasn’t addressing that.

                    You have certainly seen what I wrote through the lens of your own experiences, which ironically is the point I was making.

                    • greywarshark …
                      22 April 2015 at 8:13 pm

                      Can you MR refrain from using the term identity politics at all? It seems to flavour every discussion it crops up in with something pungent and ultimately unpleasant. Best left on the shelf if some extended discussion and analysis is hoped for.

                    • Murray Rawshark …
                      22 April 2015 at 9:04 pm

                      Sure, I’m not wed to the term. I’ll try to be more specific.

                    • just saying …
                      22 April 2015 at 9:41 pm

                      If you didn’t read GRs comment why are you assuming that responses to it relate to”identity politics”?
                      It was grossly inflammatory and inaccurate and bore no relationship to the story as related by the complainant.
                      Are you saying that it is ever possible to not understand things through the lens of our own experiences? Or does that just apply to some kinds of kinds of experiences?
                      And yes, the term “identity politics” pisses me off.

              • Tracey …
                23 April 2015 at 7:30 am

                The other video, of the child, definitely is not a playful tug on a pony tail, but a caressing or fondling. BUT I agree with Weka, the waitress has described tugging (on her pony tail), not caressing or fondling.

                Who does this, to a stranger, or even a casual acquaintance from a cafe? C’mon honesty time. Who? I don’t know anyone who does since they were a child and it was not to fondle. Then ask yourself how many rime Minister’s have done it? Not just once it seems, Multiple times to different people.

                Those on the Right morally affronted by Brown having sex with someone not his wife, are you morally appalled right now? Then say so.

    • marty mars 2.2
      22 April 2015 at 7:22 am

      It is a disturbing read – the rest of your comment is ott and will probably be deleted, I hope.

      • veutoviper 2.2.1
        22 April 2015 at 8:27 am

        I agree – both that it is a disturbing read if true, and that GR’s comments are ott.

        However, it also brought to mind an action by Key last year on the Campbell Live episode pre-general election where Key cooked breakfast, but was videoed beforehand at a local market straightening a young girl’s ponytail while she was being interviewed by Campbell.

        imgur.com/r/newzealand/wT4XtDj

        I found it disturbing at the time, and still do having re-watched it now. If it had been a very quick flick, fine – but it is the fact that he rubbed the girl’s hair through his fingers. Actually, even a quick flick is not fine without the permission of the girl.

        His action also raised a lot of comments at the time, eg these ones on the video extract above.

        http://www.reddit.com/r/…/john_key_being_weird_and_grabbing_some_girls/

        EDIT – Snap, felix and your video link works!

    • felix 2.3
      22 April 2015 at 8:02 am

      That is fucking disgusting. Our PM is a bully who harasses young women from a position of power, and his wife knows it, and his staff know it.

      It’s a repeated physical assault.

      ps remember this? http://imgur.com/r/newzealand/wT4XtDj

      • GR 2.3.1
        22 April 2015 at 8:15 am

        Agreed. It’s his predilection for young girls that is most disturbing. I wont be surprised if Savilesque revelations come to light.

        • felix 2.3.1.1
          22 April 2015 at 8:18 am

          It’s certainly difficult not to notice his readiness to cover up after prominent NZers in [r0b: del].

        • Stephanie Rodgers 2.3.1.2
          22 April 2015 at 8:58 am

          I don’t think that kind of insinuation is at all helpful.

          Plenty of men are creeps. Their creepiness should be called out and shut down. But comparisons to Jimmy Savile’s decades of child sexual abuse and the massive networks of power and privilege which covered for him are just gross.

          • weka 2.3.1.2.1
            22 April 2015 at 3:09 pm

            +1 They also muddy the seriousness of what Key did in this instance that isn’t being reported as sexual assault. What he did, his abuse of his position of power and how he treated this woman is bad enough.

            • rawshark-yeshe 2.3.1.2.1.1
              22 April 2015 at 9:13 pm

              but it is able to be prosecuted as sexual assault according to the employment lawyer interviewed on Stuff this morning … the link is on Open Mike …

              • Maui …
                22 April 2015 at 11:21 pm

                This is going to be awkward & icky when we get round to the PM explaining why an ex-MP was recently retired.

        • Tracey 2.3.1.3
          23 April 2015 at 7:35 am

          “predilection for young girls” – GR that is a smear too far based on evidence available today. Is there more than one girl shown to have had her pony tail messed with? To my knowledge it is an adult woman and a child.

      • Pasupial 2.3.2
        22 April 2015 at 9:03 am

        felix

        That’s he bit that stood out for me:

        He would come up behind me when I was at the ordering terminal, tug on my hair and then pretend that his wife, Bronagh, had done it (much to her embarrassment), and she would tell him to stop it. As he rounded the corner behind me he commented “that’s a very tantalising ponytail”… he pulled my hair before once again pointing the blame at Bronagh. I couldn’t believe it, he was still persisting and by now he had definitely got the message that I was not enjoying it – that seemed to be why he was enjoying it so damn much.

        This is a level of sociopathy not previously reported about Key, other people really don’t seem to be seen as human to him. Hopefully others he’s acted similarly (there will be others) will find the strength to come forward with their stories.

      • saveNZ 2.3.3
        22 April 2015 at 9:05 am

        @Felix

        OMG that is so inappropriate!

      • Colonial Rawshark 2.3.4
        22 April 2015 at 10:36 am

        ps remember this?

        Look closely at that video. Note that he did not “pull” on that girls pony tail (no resulting head and neck motion form the girl). Instead, you can see from a repetitive movement of his thumb that he rustled around, feeling the texture of the girls hair between his fingers.

    • Dave 2.4
      22 April 2015 at 8:23 am

      I honestly hope it’s not true and is a story out of Bradbury’s head, I honestly do.

    • vto 2.5
      22 April 2015 at 8:36 am

      That is assault and a complaint should be made to police.

      That is entirely in keeping with John Key’s persona…. weird, child-like, shallow, planet key, dominating, and no self-awareness

      edit: I recall him playing oddly with a young girld ponytail when doing some cooking thing with Campbell Live. Thought it was very strange at the time.

      • felix 2.5.1
        22 April 2015 at 8:49 am

        Yep it’s here: http://imgur.com/r/newzealand/wT4XtDj

        And yep I thought it was very weird at the time too. Like a compulsion that he couldn’t control.

        • vto 2.5.1.1
          22 April 2015 at 8:58 am

          Yes that’s it.

          It is most definitely weird. As you say, like a compulsive fetish.

          And now he has gone and done it again and again and again to this poor person waiting in his stalkee café.

        • Lanthanide 2.5.1.2
          22 April 2015 at 1:03 pm

          YOU CAN’T BE SURE THAT WAS REALLY JOHN KEY’S HAND, IT COULD HAVE BEEN ANYONES!

          • Pasupial 2.5.1.2.1
            22 April 2015 at 2:02 pm

            Hopefully Campbell Live will go through their archival footage and get us a longer cut that shows the incident from another angle. Or even what the girl’s mother says to Key at the end. Another reason to watch CL tonight.

          • Tracey 2.5.1.2.2
            23 April 2015 at 7:36 am

            LOL

            It was Nicky Hager’s, that extreme left wing conspiracy theorist, again

    • Hateatea 2.6
      22 April 2015 at 8:58 am

      There are no words ………….

      If this is true, it is appalling. No person should have to tolerate such behaviour once let alone repeatedly. Where were her co-workers and management in this?

      Ah well, let the spin begin.

    • tinfoilhat 2.7
      22 April 2015 at 9:42 am

      Witnesses to this alleged event must come forward.

      If he doesn’t outright deny them, his fate is sealed.

      • tinfoilhat 2.7.1
        22 April 2015 at 9:59 am

        “If he doesn’t outright deny them, his fate is sealed.”

        Bah……’ If he doesn’t outright deny the accusations, his fate is sealed.’

        ….my outrage got the better of my typing.

      • Murray Rawshark 2.7.2
        22 April 2015 at 2:52 pm

        He has admitted them. His acolytes, beginning with Farrar and Plunket, will probably say it’s all a storm in a teacup and far left lesbians are just jealous because they all have short hair. Many Kiwis will agree. That this creep is still in office is a real indictment on us as human beings.

    • Murray Rawshark 2.8
      22 April 2015 at 2:45 pm

      FJK has apologised for “horsing around” and being playful with the waitress. There is something seriously wrong with the guy and maybe we are learning why Paula Bennett cut her hair short.

      In other news, Young Nacts has sent out a bulletin requiring all female members to grow their hair long and wear pony tails.

      • Chooky 2.8.1
        22 April 2015 at 10:12 pm

        lol….all around the country people will be cutting their ponytails off

        • Murray Rawshark 2.8.1.1
          22 April 2015 at 11:34 pm

          In 1999 I drove about 4000 km through Brazil, from São Paulo to Cuiabá and back. On the second day I stopped for lunch at a small restaurant outside Campo Grande. The owner, a middle aged woman, had never seen a man with a ponytail before and asked if she could play with it. I let her. That’s how people who respect others do it.

          It also has buggerall to do with Key, but this is Open Mike.

  3. Charles 3
    22 April 2015 at 8:23 am

    Just been over to The Daily blog.

    ?!

    • Charles 3.1
      22 April 2015 at 8:36 am

      The woman who wrote that, she is somewhere safe right now yeah? Someone go get her and hide her.

      • Tracey 3.1.1
        23 April 2015 at 7:38 am

        prophetic and respectful Charles. We care too much about the story and not enough about the messenger

  4. r0b 4
    22 April 2015 at 8:43 am

    It’s going to be a lively day in OM. Please folks, don’t post stuff that makes work for moderators…

  5. les 5
    22 April 2015 at 8:44 am

    this is Wolf Of Wall St behaviour….funny that!

  6. Adrian 6
    22 April 2015 at 8:59 am

    No wonder he feels so ” comfortable ” in the company of a certain ex-MP.

    • Stephanie Rodgers 7.1
      22 April 2015 at 10:31 am

      1. That post is gross and brings in a lot of unrelated material to hype its story up.

      2. There are affair rumours about every influential person. (Well, affairs for dudes, “slept her way to the top” for women)

      3. A consenting extramarital affair between adults is the business of them and their partners and shouldn’t be used for cheap political point-scoring unless there are elements which impact their work (e.g. the early insinuations in the Len Brown saga that there was sexual harassment, or misuse of influence.)

  8. CnrJoe 8
    22 April 2015 at 9:28 am

    It was his P.M hand. Not his John Key – husband and father and general family man – hand.
    Hands Hats. Keep up!
    But No. With his security detail and Bronagh Colluding with him It is definitely the Prime Minister of N.Z stalking and assaulting this woman.

    • felix 8.1
      22 April 2015 at 9:39 am

      Maybe it was John Key, All-Black Captain?

      Or John Key, Licensed Building Practitioner?

    • ianmac 8.2
      22 April 2015 at 9:49 am

      Or maybe his Hair Dresser training getting a refresher and certainly not a PM of NZ.

  9. Ffloyd 9
    22 April 2015 at 10:12 am

    AT LAST!! An article on John Campbell in the Herald!! All about his jersey FGS! Sorry about the exclamation marks but I am gobsmacked.

  10. Chooky 10
    22 April 2015 at 10:18 am

    Kathryn Ryan good on Green issues today…personally I always thought she was a Greenie….she loves diving after all and tramping

    (my comment…the government should be protecting New Zealanders and their environment and regulating against corporates opposing and standing in the way of new power saving technology using renewable electricity sources)

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201751454/new-energy-and-money-saving-technologies

    “New technologies such as LED lighting and solar panels are meant to be making electricity cheaper and reducing reliance on traditional electricity markets. But Nine to Noon recently highlighted the case of Wellington City Council’s plan for installing LED streetlights to save electricity costs, which is being hampered by the local lines company saying it would change its charging formula to recoup any money lost. Wellington Electricity’s chief executive referred to new technology “marching across the hillside looking at eating your lunch off the table”. And there’s been outrage after Meridian and Contact Energy slashed the price it pays for solar energy coming off its customers’ houses. So what’s the future of new technologies being able to put a dent in consumers’ power bills and is the industry playing fair?”

    (and….on CLIMATE CHANGE…who says this is NOT REAL !?)

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201751455/warming-seas-and-the-impact-on-fish-stocks

    “One of the country’s biggest fisheries companies, Sanford has closed its Christchurch mussel processing factory, blaming rising ocean temperatures and variable weather. Matthew Dunn, a Victoria University marine biologist and Dr John Zeldis a marine scientist with NIWA, discuss the implications of warming oceans on the seafood industry, which brings billions of dollars to the economy.”

    • Colonial Rawshark 10.1
      22 April 2015 at 10:23 am

      Ah yes, yet another discussion on how global warming is hurting capitalism, because that is what is the important bit.

      • Chooky 10.1.1
        22 April 2015 at 10:28 am

        @ CR…wrong!…no it is hurting the consumer!….and wrecking the environment….that is the “Important bit” !…that should be of concern and self- evident to every New Zealander

        … personally I dont give a monkey’s arse… (always wanted to use that term)… that it is hurting the corporate profits of formerly state owned assets…if they were still state owned the story would be different

        Time to support the GREENS!

      • greywarshark 10.1.2
        22 April 2015 at 4:23 pm

        Colonial R
        Did you say you can be contacted on FB? I tried the other day, (a lot of Tat Loos) and not sure whether I was successful, (de is the start of my e/m address.)

        • Colonial Rawshark 10.1.2.1
          22 April 2015 at 4:39 pm

          Hi GWS

          Sorry, didn’t see anything on FB which looks like it might be from you. If you find a Tat Loo who lives in Dunedin and has multiple politician types as FB friends, that’s probaby going to be me.

        • greywarbler 10.1.2.2
          22 April 2015 at 6:21 pm

          Colonial R
          Had another look and sent FB message on 19 April. That might help place it.

          • Colonial Rawshark 10.1.2.2.1
            23 April 2015 at 1:04 am

            Gosh darn it don’t see anything on that day. Try again…

            • greywarbler 10.1.2.2.1.1
              24 April 2015 at 10:42 am

              @ Colonial R
              Okeydoke. Not good with this facebook, it isn’t as easy as I thought. Have requested friend of yours. So hope that works.

    • felix 10.2
      22 April 2015 at 10:28 am

      “personally I always thought she was a Greenie….she loves diving after all and tramping”

      Good lord Chooky, are you trying to get her sacked?? 😀

      • Chooky 10.2.1
        22 April 2015 at 10:29 am

        lol…no just getting a dig at someone yesterday who said she was a rightwinger ….she aint!

        • Bearded Git 10.2.1.1
          22 April 2015 at 10:43 am

          @Chooky That would be me. I could be wrong about her being to the Right, but there are plenty of Blue-Greens out there. I still hold with my impression that she tends to favour the Right in the Monday politics discussion.

          • Chooky 10.2.1.1.1
            22 April 2015 at 11:40 am

            well you are allowed your opinion and I have mine….and they are diametrically opposed

            …so I guess this just shows that she is a very successful broadcaster/interviewer on radionz…she always did say that no one would know her own political opinions

  11. Morrissey 11
    22 April 2015 at 11:12 am

    The American version of Leighton Smith

    Glenn Beck is notoriously slow, pompous, and bewildered about virtually everything. Except for the slight variation in accent, he could be the bloke that’s spluttering and frothing over on NewstalkZB right now….

    On this clip, Beck boasts about how he has “been with the WITCH Barbara Walters, and I stress the word WITCH….”

    And, for those who can stand it, here are two more stellar performers from the Republican Party’s brains trust….

  12. Chooky 12
    22 April 2015 at 11:45 am

    Chomsky analyses the US media and the perceived threat of overseas media competition …also he critiques the ‘International Criminal Court’

    ‘Chomsky: ‘International law cannot be enforced against great powers’ FULL INTERVIEW’

    http://rt.com/usa/250729-complete-chomsky-rt-interview/

    “While the International Criminal Court investigates and sentences African dictators, any of the crimes the US commits like the invasion of Iraq, which has destabilized an entire region, go unpunished, philosopher Noam Chomsky tells RT…..

  13. freedom 13
    22 April 2015 at 12:42 pm

    A plug for some good people making great music

    If you have a couple of bucks spare, here is a group of artists that would put it to good use. An amazing trio helping to keep alive the diverse taonga of Aotearoa
    https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/3450-ara-taonga-puoro-ensemble-ep

  14. Morrissey 14
    22 April 2015 at 1:17 pm

    Britain’s criminally stupid attitudes to race and immigration are beyond parody
    by FRANKIE BOYLE
    http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1429604913.html

    The anti-immigration election rhetoric is perverse – we fear the arrival of people that we have drawn here with the wealth we stole from them.

    I sometimes wonder if satire has reached a nadir in Britain because British society has itself become a parody of itself. The Chipping Norton Set: the prime minister, a tabloid editor and a Roger Mellie-ish TV icon all conveniently living in the same little town and taking turns at being the centre of scandal, feels like a novel Martin Amis bashed out because his conservatory was leaking. Likewise there has been an element of tragic irony this week as the growing drumbeat of anti-immigration election rhetoric has been punctuated by the mass drowning of migrants.

    Katie Hopkins calling migrants vermin recalls the darkest events of history.

    …..

    If we have become a self-satirising society, Ukip are just the broader end, the easy slapstick laughs. They even have a porn-star candidate. Of course, he isn’t the first MP to have filmed himself having sex. But he is the first to do so with an adult, whom he allowed to live.

    Even our charity is essentially patronising. Give a man a fish and he can eat for a day. Give him a fishing rod and he can feed himself. Alternatively, don’t poison the fishing waters, abduct his great-grandparents into slavery, then turn up 400 years later on your gap year talking a lot of shite about fish.

    In a further nod to satire, Comic Relief this year focused on Malawi and Uganda. I didn’t see any acknowledgement that Britain had been the colonial power in those countries. “Thanks for the gold, lads, thanks for the diamonds. We had a whip-round and got you a fishing rod.”

    A lot of racism comes from projection. White Americans have a stereotype of black people being criminals purely because they can’t acknowledge that it was actually white people that stole them from Africa in the first place. Today, you have the spectacle of black men being gunned down by cops who, by way of mitigation, release footage to show that the victims were running away. This is what happens when you don’t understand or even acknowledge history. You end up in a situation where, when slavery is the elephant in the room in your relationship with African Americans, you think it’s OK to say that you killed one of them because he was trying to escape.

    Britain is in a similar place with colonialism. We have streets named after slave owners. We profited from a vile crime and feel no shame. We fear the arrival of immigrants that we have drawn here with the wealth we stole from them. For much of the rest of the world we must be the focus of bitter amusement, characters in a satire we don’t understand. It is British people that don’t learn languages, or British history. Britain is the true scrounger, the true criminal.

  17. Clemgeopin 17
    22 April 2015 at 6:32 pm

    Do watch Campell Live tonight and support that eminently worthwhile programme. 7 pm, TV3.

    Tonight, (from Twitter) the topics include:

    * She was just 12 when she got into a “wrong relationship” with a married man 10 years her senior. What’s going on inside Gloriavale? disturbing revelations about the Gloriavale community. Is it time for the police to become involved?

    * Thames locals come out in force to protest plans for a crematorium in their town’s CBD. Fair enough? Or an over-reaction?

    * Would you give something this bad to your kids? We look into the “lunch packs” being sold directly to children.

    Campbell Live @CampbellLiveNZ also tweeted this:

    No. 1 on TV3, again. You are making this happen.
    1. Campbell Live 288,720 viewers
    2. The Bachelor 278,540
    3. 3 News 229,820
    THANK YOU!

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    18 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    23 hours ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T00:09:03+00:00