One unexpected benefit might be for pedestrians walking along the esplanade, and not have unheard cycles from behind pass a sideways step away from collision, as they do, as cyclists will have a safe and dedicated path.
As Mrs Mac1 found out yesterday on a Wellington footpath, uneven surfaces can lead to sudden changes of direction and falls. A passing cyclist would have compounded the issue.
If cyclists are threatened by motorists opening doors without checking, as they do, then at least the cyclist won’t have to escape (or be pushed out) into car traffic, but will have a footpath to seek refuge.
And I’ve ridden on half and half paths where pedestrians walk side by side taking up the entire path and not fucken looking thus endangering both cyclists and pedestrians.
Long-time cycleway opponent Jane Byrnesaid the “silent majority” was speaking up because they felt the road was too narrow, while the cycleway was too wide and poorly signposted.
No, that would be the noisy minority making even more noise.
The new layout and raised pedestrian crossings were actually having a positive impact on safety, because they were slowing down motorists who had been ignoring the 50kmh and 30kmh limits along The Parade, Wade-Brown said.
Yep, that’s something that’s been found around the world. Narrower streets slow cars down and reduce crashes (I would link the article but I can’t find it).
Government controlled by party purporting to stand up for the workers is detaining workers for being unable to do their job as a result of policies implemented by that very same government.
No more ironic than a government purporting to be interested in economics running failed neo-liberal cultist policies until their country is $105 billion in debt.
The same Government that is receiving plaudits worldwide for it’s economic performance during a very difficult period that included the GFC and major earthquakes.
Looking at Bowalley Road and lifted this from a comment there. Haven’t read it but it sounds interesting – relating to housing. It refers to Hugh Pavletich who is a developer or speculator or both, of housing and has a vested interest in his own projects and himself.
So interesting to see what line he is pushing. Usually these people are going for more greenfields development, more supply etc .
Hugh Pavletich is touting this:
PLANNING RULES THE CAUSE OF HOUSING CRISIS … TWYFORD & HARTWICH … NEW ZEALAND HERALD
Hartwich’s previous job was with the libertarian thinktank, CIS in Australia.
Twyford is being stupid in agreeing with the govt’s analysis that our housing problem is all about land and councils, rather than financial market factors as well.
Twyford has finally woken up. You only have to look at your new CV to see that it is the land values that are rising fast not the value of the building. Those of us who live in the real world have known this for years.
Jeez Labour, no need to be so quick to condemn beneficiaries for trading their food grant for cash. Are these even legitimate incidences or is it just Tolley and BM playing on their fake Trade Me and other accounts to stir up further hatred (?)
I’ve been searching for it without luck. I thought it was 7am but it must have been the 7 30 update. It went something like: Labours Carmel Sepuloni condemns misuse of hardship grant cards..
Fuck I reckon, Labour should be arguing that the cards are a stupid idea, thats a better angle, differentiate themselves from National. I try to like Labour, I do like Andrew Little, but they sure do make it hard. (& of course, could be media ‘gotcha’ politics, mps speaking without thinking, etc…)
Political parties usually avoid that by directing their caucuses firmly and hiring comms experts. Labour seems to have forgotten that basic approach for about the last 8 years.
It’s Christmas. Deck the halls with holly and find a smile and good word when you see a good person. Don’t bother about Nats, Act (don’t), and take the curate’s egg approach to Labour. All other earnest tryers for good give love and support to at Christmas-time. https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3097440-a-christmas-carol?page=4
“the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough.” “Come, then,” returned the nephew gaily. “What right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You’re rich enough.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
“There was nothing very cheerful in the climate or the town, and yet was there an air of cheerfulness abroad that the clearest summer air and brightest summer sun might have endeavoured to diffuse in vain.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
The idea of it is good, the implementation a bit of a bugger’s muddle IN THE NZ context. I note the claim that this is of international design, and commonplace overseas. Unfortunately, Kiwis are not very good drivers as has been discussed elsewhere eg.
– 2 second rule more like the 1 second rule for MOST drivers
– indiscriminate lane changing and trying to get ahead (i.e. driving as though it was all some sort of competition)
– travelling over the speed limit (and as the signs suggest) treating the limit as though it’s a target
– inability to keep within lanes (probably to do with an inability to judge the size of their vehicle – especially SUVs)
– etc.
(and I concede too that not only are NZers not very good drivers, many are not very good cyclists)
I might actually go and take a look at it in the flesh.
Whilst I am all for encouraging people to get onto bikes, walk, run, etc. for health reasons as much as anything else, I’m not sure that designing things in a way that can impact on public transport – which carries many more people – is the way to go.
@ Chairman – I’m interested in your thoughts too.
OK @ Chairman – now I’ve seen it in the flesh.
What I like:
The environment and implementation reinforces the idea that this road is actually SUBurban – i.e. not the racetrack it once was – although there’d been efforts to achieve that previously
What I don’t like:
It’s actually been done on the cheap – YET again (short term-ism).
The road going northward has a berm on the left hand side. The road southward does not.
With a little more investment and commitment to the concept – given the available space, it could have been better. AND it could have included trees on the southward (i.e EAST side) had they thought about it more.
With a little more thought, and shifting things like guttering, we could have had things like (from the property/housing frontage perspective going outward to the road centre line), and with trees on BOTH sides of the road:
– a property frontage
– a minimal berm, equipped with trees (and whatever – even community vege and other gardens)
– a footpath with adequate (though not excessive) width (for the traffic involved)
– a directional cycle lane
– a street parking area
– a street thoroughfare – and one which takes account of the necessities of things like trolleybus lines
– a centre line (probably with ‘no overtaking’)
we could probably have also had things like bus stop bays AND walkways and cycleways that are in-the-main ….. STRAIGHT – but I guess straightness and order is not very trendy these days. WCC and power companies can’t even get positioning of lamp posts consistent (so much so that installation of fibre channels have to wend their merry way around a variety of bullshit obstructions – not so bad though if you’re a Chorus contractor trying to clip the ticket at every twist and turn).
So there ya go. Now tell me what you think of it all
As a student of Sciology, perhaps what this suggests is:
– the average Kiwi bloke is dissatisfied with the size of his dick
– feels the need to forever prove himslef
– as a result, has an inferiority complex
Jeez, maybe I’ve jiss explained JFK.
NOW …. how the fuck to we explain Max. Answer: JOHN
I don’t generally support the slowing of traffic. It largely defeats the purpose of having cars and negatively impacts on productivity.
Ideally, cyclists, motorists and pedestrians need to be separated as much as possible. Therefore, I would have opted for dividing (with a median barrier) and extending the footpath.
OK.
Well perhaps with a little more thought as to how the available space could be used, combined with existing trees and planting others on the other side, as well as relocating curbing …… that separation could have been achieved.
The Parade is fairly wide. In places the footpaths are wider than need be.
But, as I said (above), it has been done on a budget and it seems to have needlessly pissed a lot of people off as a result.
I’m not sure about some of the complaints I’ve seen though – such as the road carriage way not being wide enough.
NO
It’s been a very long long time since I was a SysProg but it looks like that string has been something exrtacted from a DB.
I have some advice though for you (BM) and other IT geeks:
Firstly ….. there’s actually a shitload more to life – especially as you get older.
Secondly ….. reinventing wheels only serves to prop up you own ego if its just as inefficient and ‘in-effective’. I could even argue that the only advances in modern times have occurred at the “PRESENTATION layer’ – if you comprenez VOUS – and I’m sure that you do!
Thirdly …. humans should drive technology – not the other way round
Fourthly (as I often hear when following ‘IT professionals’ discussing their various projects – and believe me its UNINTENTIONAL’) as I walk thru’ the Streets of Wellington and hear them wanking each other off …… reinventing wheels is ekshully not that ‘S M A R T’. In fek it’s really a bit pathetic
Fourthly ….. trying to make yourself indispensable by coding methods that are (to say the least) fucking stupid – e.g. hardcoding IDs rather than referencing a table that Joseph Bloggs (or in your case Joseph Goebles) is going to be a losing battle,
I don’t really think I should carry on. Steven Joooooice (Choooooice Bro – with reference to a dainty little Ayshun from Mermaids) would have a harda tek.
There could be a fifthly, and a sixthly ……… etc.
I’m perfikly happy to deal with it as you see fit.
But PLEASE PLEASE don’t come moaning when the inevitable happens
come to think about it …. BM are the initials of one of the biggest wankers I ever came across – we could go into details – but best not. It’s the thing that LEAST interests me in life as I watch on in amusement.
It’s a bit like blokes that think they know better than an instruction manual authored by someone whose constructed some bullshit-well-needed-essential-app.
are you in Wellington? Spark? Datacom?
Formerly engaged in some earth-shattering project such as INCIS, or in the health sector, or anywhere else for that matter – the record is pretty fukng bleak wherever it was – but then of course you’ve had learnings as to why, and none of it could possibly EVER have been your fault.
no forget that question …. it’s illegal given the terms and conditions.
It’s a condition that comes with engaging with the likes of you. There’s no known cure. The worst part of it is forgetting not to bother in the first place. Some call it troll feeding I think.
Thanks though. I’ll remember not to in future.
It is a bug left over from last weeks WordPress upgrade. The JavaScript I put in to set the first field got invalidated. But work, patchwork sleeping and Damn shopping haven’t left time for coding blocks at home.
From the NZHerald today, an analyst from McKinseys telling the New Zealand government that active leadership to diversify our economy is absolutely critical. And that oil exploration is the wrong way to diversify, because it is as much a commodity product as milk.
Just to let you know BM – The economy is a subset of the environment – not the other way round. You trash the environment – you trash the economy – end of story.
This is what Layla Parker-Katiraee advocates. This could be helped if more students were exposed to science and critical analysis in their education.
“In the meantime, there are a few things we can do:
1) Encourage children in our circle of influence to take science classes in high school and college, even if they’re pursuing a career in an unrelated field.
2) Scientists should step up their communication skills. There aren’t many scientists in the private sector involved in science communication or education. Many of us have been trained in presentation skills. Giving concise explanations or pitches are often required in the private sector. There’s no reason why you can’t expand that skill into a part time hobby.
3) Remember that we all have gaps in our knowledge. Working to fill those gaps rather than mocking them will go a long way.”
If we worked to educate ourselves and others in understanding the role and nature of science and in critical thinking then society would be better able to handle “controversial” scientific issues requiring democratic decisions.
IMO, there’s two parts to the problem that we see here.
The first problem is education and the lack there of both in the basics facts and how to think logically and critically.
The second part is specialisation in that people have become overly specialised and have little to no knowledge of other areas. This prevents people from joining the dots in logical progression to come to the correct answer despite not having the same knowledge of a subject as a specialist would have.
Apparently it will released at 2.15pm. Sorry – no link as word of mouth.
Timing is interesting not only because of Xmas, but because the hearing only finished on Nov 24. So one of the fastest court decisions that I can recall for such a complex case.
MSM is now reporting the expected release – eg The Herald here
I find it unhelpful to have a “heads will roll culture” because my experience in the workplace is that when things go wrong it is often systemic. It is to do with the culture of the place. sometimes its a commitment to doing things the cheapest way possible and making as much profit as possible. Scapegoating one person will not solve systemic problems. I have also had experience of the wrong person being blamed in the case I was thinking of a manager had done some dodgy figures but managed to blame it on the manager under her in the hierarchy who got demoted. A thorough examination of the whole culture of the place and the systems that were operating might have done something to effect real change. As it was it really was pretty much business as usual.
With the lack of culpability witnessed, I question whether we actually suffer from a culture of blame.
I agree that on some occasions problems can be systemic within an enterprise. However, CEO’s and such are there to oversee such issues are rectified. A CEO should be aware of the culture within their organization. Therefore, I disagree with your notion.
As for people being wrongly accused, I agree examinations require to be thorough, with any blame being laid solely at the feet of those responsible.
I think there’s a distinction around that how accountability occurs following a failure.
Presenting this in an adventure aviation context is interesting, here there’s a culture of finding “what” went wrong in an adverse event and working to prevent it happening again. This is quite different to the “who” scapegoating that often appears in political and media culture.
It’s rare outside criminal intent or negligence that an adverse event has a single point of accountability, and we have laws and legal accountabilities to deal with these aspects. And these legal sanctions should be robust and with out favour.
However business failures, like aviation accidents have a multitude of causes, often totally unrelated that line up produce carnage. An air accident investigation tries to determine as many of these aspects as possible so that better outcomes can be achieved from similar situations in the future. This has allowed aviation to progress from what was pretty dodgy in 1920 to safer than driving, and probably walking now.
When we focus on finding individual scapegoats we get other things happening. First we miss the real causes of the failure, maybe the weakest, financially, politically or socially goes down masking everything else, and then everyone gets really risk adverse.
I don’t think this sort of accountability culture is going to produce an environment where people can confidently and easily move from one career to another. We need a culture where failure is seen as a positive learning experience and shared. A culture change around this could be rather disruptive of our political environment.
It’s only logical to find out what went wrong in order to help prevent it from reoccurring. However, doing so generally points to whom (if anyone) was at fault.
It may be that accountability may have to be shared. And although we do have laws to deal with criminal intent or negligence (if and when identified) you seem to be overlooking professional accountability.
I’m not advocating we seek out scapegoats to scalp, but I am pointing out professional accountability can’t be overlooked and those accountable must be held to account.
Therefore, while I agree with a number of your points, I reject the notion that failure should only be seen as a positive learning experience and shared. If investigations show people are culpable, they require to be held to account.
It’s conservative thinking that seeks certainty and the elimination of risk, and then trys to abrogate responsibility when it all turn to shit. The trap here is in thinking that we can eliminate ALL risk. You can’t, there’s just too many unrelated and random variables. So, when we progress, as in try something new, we are going to get some honest failures, along with spectacular wins. We should celebrate both.
Dishonest activities however, both failures and “wins”, must be jumped on, hard.
It doesn’t follow that all failure is dishonest, and it’s bloody tragic to see otherwise honest and honourable people go down for doing dishonest things as their lives and /or business falls to bits. A better attitude to, and management of failure would save a lot of grief.
Holding the culpable to account is not an attempt to eliminate risk, but it does help set in place an accepted framework and expected level of professionalism.
Removing accountability opens the door to excessive risk taking and a culture of failure acceptance.
While taking risk can produce benefits and lead to a company’s progression, excessive risk can result in a company’s collapse.
Growing too fast, taking on excessive risk and ultimately collapsing is an opportunity wasted, thus not a model for future success.
Therefore, it’s not a model to be encouraged and expanded by removing accountability and celebrating failure.
a culture of blame works all ways…..as was highlighted by Keys stated cause of child poverty. Thought the article in its entirety provoked interest it what they will release next year….heres hoping it is something inspiring.
I find it incredible that some posters think it is acceptable on a thread about alleged rape humour to call me Fisi-anal or some such moniker. Not a single Leftist has called out shame. The hypocrisy of the Left is gob smacking. My noble African name is sacred and no matter what I post such gutter language is surely unacceptable to any person with some sense of decency. It is a particularly childish and nasty form of internet bullying. It will not silence me.
You condone such behaviour. Disgraceful. This blog is not surely just an echo chamber for the deluded. I never compared the insults aimed at me with rape. Can you not read?
I think you insult the intelligence of everyone here with pretty much every damned comment you make, and you don’t even have the decency to be honest about it and call people names.
1: it’s not football. It’s not a game.
2: fuck that guy. There’s room for disagreement, then there’s that tory trooll. He’s worked hard for it and earned the abuse.
And the divine economy might or might not exist. But as respect between humans is earned, so are scorn, defiance, slight regard and contempt. Of which fisiani has earned a plenitude.
fisiani
Aren’t you the guy that loves Key and can’t understand why no one else here does, I don’t know why you don’t try kiwiblog, they share similar view point to you and have a similar level of intellect, you’d be right at home.
I don’t know if realise what you just said?
“You should be able to love Key with out being called a name”
I didn’t condone the supposed name calling, I merely suggested an alternative spot where he could go and not receive any grief, I don’t know if you read the posts that are in dispute, but McFlock’s comments were appropriate, everybody has the right to free speech, even you.
So just to clarify, we’re allowed to suggest someone’ “sounds like” they’ve done enough wrong to be imprisoned, but we’re not allowed to use rude words or show other poor form according to you?
Yeah, nah. My insults are direct. Yours are duplicitous. Get off your hypocritical high horse.
Christ! For once “I’m inclined to agree with you Mathew”. However As far as I can see so far, I haven’t seen your mates on the roster (“hard Rightists”) call people out either.
Who’s on duty tonight btw?
Do you do The Daily Blog as well? There now seems to be six at least hitting the dislike button. You should congratulate yourselves – that’s an increase of 50% (going forward). Could be a brighter future eh?
Good to see that you now fully appreciate the nastiness of Key’s behaviour.
I hope you will now also call him out for his hypocrisy on – oh! so many things – such as being an ambassador for white ribbon and at the same time indulging in jokes about prison rape, failing to apologize to Tania over his Govt’s appalling handling of her sexual assault and claiming it was a political stunt, calling many women MPs who have been the subject of abuse – “rape apologists”, being an habitual predator handling the pony tails of young girls and women, and twisting the apology of David Cunliffe on behalf of men to women – when NZ has one of the highest rates of abuse in the western world, etc.
When you have called out Key on his appalling hypocrisy maybe then we might apologize for calling you names.
The problem is that the site policy allow for such “abuse” provided the moderators can see a point to it, just as they allow for you to comment with your own opinions and to provide your own take on the opinions of others. We couldn’t give a damn if you choose or don’t choose to use the provided room for pointed attacks and abuse or not. That is your choice.
Personally, I find that I use whatever I need to when I want to get a point across. My nastiest attacks when I want to have a go at someone use absolutely no “abuse”. I simply read their previous comments and figure out suggestions or explanations for the ‘reasoning’ behind the formation of their views and opinions.
There are very few people that I can’t set off like a rocket at guy fawkes with those kinds of attacks at their world views without ever “abusing” them if I feel the inclination. This is a skill developed after decades around the net is probably why I don’t feel the need to level the playing field where you do. In my opinion, all that does is to give way too much weight to net experience. Allowing robust debate and pointed abuse evens up the playing field somewhat because it means that people can express themselves more freely at whatever level they feel comfortable with.
What you are proposing allows a dissection using manners that gives the advantage to whoever has the most experience within the implied rules. I don’t like that 18th century farce. As far as I’m concerned it should have died with the French monarchy at Versailles in 1789, but which unfortunately survived up until after the second world war.
As it is I keep a vigilant eye for people trying to game the system and deliberately pressing people into the policy electric fence that they know about and the other does not.
Abyway trying to change the rules on this site is a dangerous tactic if you aren’t an author, because for those of us who actually work on the site, it becomes highly irritating to argue with people who don’t and who have no real idea about what is going on. Especially since they are always so damn repetitive about repetitively screaming what they want (like a spoilt child) rather than considering what authors and others might want. Plus not considering why these rules were set at the position that they were. Which appears to be what you are doing.
But you should be pretty aware of this already. It isn’t like I try to conceal my attitudes about the best way to deal with people without skin in the site trying to help us out by suggesting directly or indirectly how we should run the site.
Fact, in 2011, there were fewer new homes built in NZ that year than were built in (wait for it) 1965, and now a housing shortage.
An interesting aspect to the large influx of refugees into Germany, over 800,000, was how would Germany house them all.
It seems Germany has an interesting housing policy, they maintain a surplus of relatively cheap housing stock, ensuring real affordability for there own work force, they also regulate the housing industry, there reasoning is that these workers are considered a very important part of a successful economy, by keeping rents and housing prices relatively low, the work force has more money in their pockets to spend in the local economy, this all forms part of a wider economic strategy.
They found that the workers were more productive if they didn’t feel they were only going to work to pay the rent.
Of the 800,000 refugees, most will get work, and they will end up very loyal employees.
For a right wing Govt, it’s unusual to see a smart, common sense approach to the way in which they treat their work force, there maybe some lessons to be learned here.
we have a housing policy where it’s more profitable to leave them vacant and flip them to other speculators than it is to actually provide homes for people.
Yeah, and who profits from that, Germany in is an industrial nation of 110m , they’ve realised over the long term that a highly productive work force is more profitable than short term speculation, every one needs a roof over their head.
I suppose that is the crux of it, a long term economic plan that will lift the countries prosperity
“What could possibly go wrong?”
That is funny, I don’t know if you meant it to be.
Hasn’t it already gone wrong, Key is the man without a plan for the future of NZ, I just wish his tenure was a short term.
Unfortunately much of the appeal of neo-liberalism to the current government is that divesting state services enables ministers to be lazier and less accountable. They have no desire to actually govern, and think that destroying state capacity is a positive achievement. Most third world countries are better governed, perhaps in part because their citizens would not tolerate the kind of pathetic crap that our Gnat MPs get up to. The neo part of Labour isn’t much better.
It’s not a product for sale — it’s a memorial, a tribute. First of all, to me, it doesn’t seem appropriate. It really was just an expression that I felt was important for me offer to these families, and for other people to hear so that they could have a voice for what they were feeling inside, because a lot of the dialogue that we hear in the media doesn’t give us the opportunity to grieve a way that is respectful to the families. I wanted to offer that to everyone, especially the families. I wanted them to see that there are people who understand their pain and are not just trying to make a headline out of their tragedy.
The point being that there is a long history to central banks creating money for productive spending – the idea did not begin nor end with Jeremy Corbyn or Richard Murphy. Indeed, throughout history many states have successfully used their money creating powers to grow their economies (without triggering hyperinflation).
The empirical reality, both when looking at quantitative data and qualitative descriptions of what actually happens in hyperinflations, shows that they are not the results of well-governed states abusing the money creation process.
Indeed, the case study of Weimar Republic shows that it was not even state-led money creation but private bank money creation that triggered hyperinflation.
The lessons from the above case studies suggest that hyperinflations do not happen simply because of an increase in money creation; indeed, the private banking sector in the UK more than doubled the money stock from 1997-2007 and we did not see experience hyperinflation. Hyperinflation in Germany and Zimbabwe was preceded by a fundamental collapse in the productive capacity of the economy, which started the inflationary pressure.
Throughout history, governments have used their ability to create money to fund public spending. While none of these policies were called, “People’s QE”, “Sovereign Money Creation”, or “Helicopter Money”, they shared the common trait of using newly created state money to finance government spending, rather than relying on commercial banks to create new money through lending.
The times when this state-led money creation has resulted in high inflation or even hyperinflation (inflation of over 50% a year) have been well documented. However, the times when governments have created money in a careful and responsible manner to grow the economy are usually ignored or overlooked. At Positive Money, we want to set the record straight and bring to light the many case studies where state-led money creation has successfully boosted the economy without leading to economic disaster.
Money creation by the state is the answer to our financial difficulties such as poverty and inequality.
This type of story pisses me off – blame it on computer generated letters?? bullshit!!!
“Then the second letter came, claiming that even though the agency had now seen Leger’s medical certificates, he still needed to be “actively seeking work”.
Leger said the suggestion of sending out CVs from his hospital bed sounded like a bad joke.
“It’s that extra stress that you don’t need at this time going through the treatment,” he said.”
It wouldn’t surprise me if those computer generated letters were designed to upset people, you know, so they get out of their sick beds and get a job.
gnat 101
extra stress = more motivation
less money = more motivation
persistent hassle = more motivation
ridicule = more motivation
cut additional benefits = more motivation
desperation = more motivation
loss of dignity = more motivation
not enough money = more motivation
begging for help = more motivation
…….Corrrrrrr Blimey. That gnat 101 stuff is rilly rilly esprashunul eh? Now I know where all those street “beggars” I just encountered walking from Courtenay Place to Lambton Quay are going wrong. I guess they really should just pull themselves together as ‘get with the programme’
Ekshully, I must remember to give them a right good letchering the next time I pass.
There are obviously Pulla Bent and Soimun Brudgizz type learnings to be learned. I’ll give them a set of bootstraps – how they choose to use them of course…. is up to them
No that can’t be right marty. When I look about at the top execs and CEO’s they very loudly claim that the exact opposite of all those things = more motivation.
It wouldn’t surprise me if those computer generated letters were designed to upset people, you know, so they get out of their sick beds and get a job.
I think it’s more what is said later in the article,
“She said it’s not us it’s just a system generated message that can’t separate who’s got what sickness or what amount of sickness.
Which is basically that when they scraped sickness benefit the system they put in place was done incompetently. If you want to see where National are doing evil there, it’s more likely to be in monkey wrenching the system over time so that eventually they’ve got an excuse to privatise.
“Which is basically that when they scraped sickness benefit the system they put in place was done incompetently.”
yes done incompetently and the system they put in was incompetent too – deliberately? Is monkey wrenching when they chuck a monkey wrench in and wait and see what shit happens or is it when the place it into position to create shit.
I’m lucky I spose I can see multiple layers of incompetence, mistakes and deliberate design all over the system and I agree the end goal is some type of privatisation agenda.
There are many preventable calamities at this time of year – kia kaha to all those dealing with this system.
Yeah, it’s always that weird mix of creepy ideology and incompetence and hard to tell how much of which each time. And with WINZ we can add in the fact that it was already a system pretty stressed by meddling from multiple governments, instead of taking care of something important.
“In my day, school report cards did not mince words to mollycoddle fragile little darlings or confuse litigious parents.
In similar spirit, here’s Prime Minister John Key’s report for 2015.
English
Oral. John has plenty to say on behalf of all New Zealanders. His pronunciation – which often compresses syllables into sausage meat – would benefit from speech therapy.
Written. We have not sighted any prose (or poetry) we are confident is John’s original work. Apparently he pays a huddle of crack spin doctors to produce his essays behind the bike sheds. F”
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Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
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Happy Solstice everyone 🙂
+1
“Bike-lash”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/75315964/Wellingtons-Island-Bay-cycleway-has-left-residents-confused-and-angry
Thoughts?
One unexpected benefit might be for pedestrians walking along the esplanade, and not have unheard cycles from behind pass a sideways step away from collision, as they do, as cyclists will have a safe and dedicated path.
As Mrs Mac1 found out yesterday on a Wellington footpath, uneven surfaces can lead to sudden changes of direction and falls. A passing cyclist would have compounded the issue.
If cyclists are threatened by motorists opening doors without checking, as they do, then at least the cyclist won’t have to escape (or be pushed out) into car traffic, but will have a footpath to seek refuge.
I have been on European streets where the footpath is split half and half for bikes and pedestrians. It works well. We should get used to it.
And I’ve ridden on half and half paths where pedestrians walk side by side taking up the entire path and not fucken looking thus endangering both cyclists and pedestrians.
+1
Separate the traffic.
No, that would be the noisy minority making even more noise.
Yep, that’s something that’s been found around the world. Narrower streets slow cars down and reduce crashes (I would link the article but I can’t find it).
Oh the bitter sweet irony.
Government controlled by party purporting to stand up for the workers is detaining workers for being unable to do their job as a result of policies implemented by that very same government.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/21/venezuela-frees-pepsi-workers-it-arrested-for-not-making-enough-pepsi
No more ironic than a government purporting to be interested in economics running failed neo-liberal cultist policies until their country is $105 billion in debt.
The same Government that is receiving plaudits worldwide for it’s economic performance during a very difficult period that included the GFC and major earthquakes.
Looking at Bowalley Road and lifted this from a comment there. Haven’t read it but it sounds interesting – relating to housing. It refers to Hugh Pavletich who is a developer or speculator or both, of housing and has a vested interest in his own projects and himself.
So interesting to see what line he is pushing. Usually these people are going for more greenfields development, more supply etc .
Hugh Pavletich is touting this:
PLANNING RULES THE CAUSE OF HOUSING CRISIS … TWYFORD & HARTWICH … NEW ZEALAND HERALD
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11553128
Paveletich is a long-time sprawl-promoter who pimps Demographia’s annual surveys, debunked in a series of posts on Transportblog (latest: http://transportblog.co.nz/2015/06/03/how-wrong-is-demographia-a-proof-by-contradiction/).
Hartwich’s previous job was with the libertarian thinktank, CIS in Australia.
Twyford is being stupid in agreeing with the govt’s analysis that our housing problem is all about land and councils, rather than financial market factors as well.
Twyford has finally woken up. You only have to look at your new CV to see that it is the land values that are rising fast not the value of the building. Those of us who live in the real world have known this for years.
So increase the density (shouldn’t cause you any issues) and use less land per residence.
Seems like the natural progression to me..
+1
Especially when the exponential costs of sprawl are taken into account.
Jeez Labour, no need to be so quick to condemn beneficiaries for trading their food grant for cash. Are these even legitimate incidences or is it just Tolley and BM playing on their fake Trade Me and other accounts to stir up further hatred (?)
link?
All I found was this stuff article with no mention of Labour
Carmel Sepaloni (apologies if spelt wrong) on RNZ news this morn
latest firefox update doesn’t seem to play the rnz links. bugger.
works now, still can’t find it. What time news?
I’ve been searching for it without luck. I thought it was 7am but it must have been the 7 30 update. It went something like: Labours Carmel Sepuloni condemns misuse of hardship grant cards..
well you’re hardly going to say it’s fine. I’d expect a follow-on along the lines of saying it’s rare and hurts families in genuine need, though.
Fuck I reckon, Labour should be arguing that the cards are a stupid idea, thats a better angle, differentiate themselves from National. I try to like Labour, I do like Andrew Little, but they sure do make it hard. (& of course, could be media ‘gotcha’ politics, mps speaking without thinking, etc…)
+1
“mps speaking without thinking”
Political parties usually avoid that by directing their caucuses firmly and hiring comms experts. Labour seems to have forgotten that basic approach for about the last 8 years.
It’s Christmas. Deck the halls with holly and find a smile and good word when you see a good person. Don’t bother about Nats, Act (don’t), and take the curate’s egg approach to Labour. All other earnest tryers for good give love and support to at Christmas-time.
https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3097440-a-christmas-carol?page=4
“the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough.” “Come, then,” returned the nephew gaily. “What right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You’re rich enough.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
“There was nothing very cheerful in the climate or the town, and yet was there an air of cheerfulness abroad that the clearest summer air and brightest summer sun might have endeavoured to diffuse in vain.”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
@ Chairman
The idea of it is good, the implementation a bit of a bugger’s muddle IN THE NZ context. I note the claim that this is of international design, and commonplace overseas. Unfortunately, Kiwis are not very good drivers as has been discussed elsewhere eg.
– 2 second rule more like the 1 second rule for MOST drivers
– indiscriminate lane changing and trying to get ahead (i.e. driving as though it was all some sort of competition)
– travelling over the speed limit (and as the signs suggest) treating the limit as though it’s a target
– inability to keep within lanes (probably to do with an inability to judge the size of their vehicle – especially SUVs)
– etc.
(and I concede too that not only are NZers not very good drivers, many are not very good cyclists)
I might actually go and take a look at it in the flesh.
Whilst I am all for encouraging people to get onto bikes, walk, run, etc. for health reasons as much as anything else, I’m not sure that designing things in a way that can impact on public transport – which carries many more people – is the way to go.
@ Chairman – I’m interested in your thoughts too.
OK @ Chairman – now I’ve seen it in the flesh.
What I like:
The environment and implementation reinforces the idea that this road is actually SUBurban – i.e. not the racetrack it once was – although there’d been efforts to achieve that previously
What I don’t like:
It’s actually been done on the cheap – YET again (short term-ism).
The road going northward has a berm on the left hand side. The road southward does not.
With a little more investment and commitment to the concept – given the available space, it could have been better. AND it could have included trees on the southward (i.e EAST side) had they thought about it more.
With a little more thought, and shifting things like guttering, we could have had things like (from the property/housing frontage perspective going outward to the road centre line), and with trees on BOTH sides of the road:
– a property frontage
– a minimal berm, equipped with trees (and whatever – even community vege and other gardens)
– a footpath with adequate (though not excessive) width (for the traffic involved)
– a directional cycle lane
– a street parking area
– a street thoroughfare – and one which takes account of the necessities of things like trolleybus lines
– a centre line (probably with ‘no overtaking’)
we could probably have also had things like bus stop bays AND walkways and cycleways that are in-the-main ….. STRAIGHT – but I guess straightness and order is not very trendy these days. WCC and power companies can’t even get positioning of lamp posts consistent (so much so that installation of fibre channels have to wend their merry way around a variety of bullshit obstructions – not so bad though if you’re a Chorus contractor trying to clip the ticket at every twist and turn).
So there ya go. Now tell me what you think of it all
As a student of Sciology, perhaps what this suggests is:
– the average Kiwi bloke is dissatisfied with the size of his dick
– feels the need to forever prove himslef
– as a result, has an inferiority complex
Jeez, maybe I’ve jiss explained JFK.
NOW …. how the fuck to we explain Max. Answer: JOHN
I don’t generally support the slowing of traffic. It largely defeats the purpose of having cars and negatively impacts on productivity.
Ideally, cyclists, motorists and pedestrians need to be separated as much as possible. Therefore, I would have opted for dividing (with a median barrier) and extending the footpath.
OK.
Well perhaps with a little more thought as to how the available space could be used, combined with existing trees and planting others on the other side, as well as relocating curbing …… that separation could have been achieved.
The Parade is fairly wide. In places the footpaths are wider than need be.
But, as I said (above), it has been done on a budget and it seems to have needlessly pissed a lot of people off as a result.
I’m not sure about some of the complaints I’ve seen though – such as the road carriage way not being wide enough.
@ lprent …. a bug perhaps? or merely an inexplicable glitch not worth the time and effort given it might be a set of circumstances that’s so rare ….
My previous comment on this thread was a reply to Chairman (I.e. replying to his asking for comments [2] above).
It went into a black hole.
I came back to repost and found the following appended to th” Name (Required) * –
field
i.e. in my case >>>>>
“Once was Tim 100 SabineÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂæour ancestors lived frugally and wel ”
actually now I think about it, my last comment was a reply (on another thread) to Sabine
Just thought you might be interested (being a perfectionist and coding fiddler – that’s a compliment btw)
Are you copying and pasting from word?
NO
It’s been a very long long time since I was a SysProg but it looks like that string has been something exrtacted from a DB.
I have some advice though for you (BM) and other IT geeks:
Firstly ….. there’s actually a shitload more to life – especially as you get older.
Secondly ….. reinventing wheels only serves to prop up you own ego if its just as inefficient and ‘in-effective’. I could even argue that the only advances in modern times have occurred at the “PRESENTATION layer’ – if you comprenez VOUS – and I’m sure that you do!
Thirdly …. humans should drive technology – not the other way round
Fourthly (as I often hear when following ‘IT professionals’ discussing their various projects – and believe me its UNINTENTIONAL’) as I walk thru’ the Streets of Wellington and hear them wanking each other off …… reinventing wheels is ekshully not that ‘S M A R T’. In fek it’s really a bit pathetic
Fourthly ….. trying to make yourself indispensable by coding methods that are (to say the least) fucking stupid – e.g. hardcoding IDs rather than referencing a table that Joseph Bloggs (or in your case Joseph Goebles) is going to be a losing battle,
I don’t really think I should carry on. Steven Joooooice (Choooooice Bro – with reference to a dainty little Ayshun from Mermaids) would have a harda tek.
There could be a fifthly, and a sixthly ……… etc.
I’m perfikly happy to deal with it as you see fit.
But PLEASE PLEASE don’t come moaning when the inevitable happens
come to think about it …. BM are the initials of one of the biggest wankers I ever came across – we could go into details – but best not. It’s the thing that LEAST interests me in life as I watch on in amusement.
It’s a bit like blokes that think they know better than an instruction manual authored by someone whose constructed some bullshit-well-needed-essential-app.
are you in Wellington? Spark? Datacom?
Formerly engaged in some earth-shattering project such as INCIS, or in the health sector, or anywhere else for that matter – the record is pretty fukng bleak wherever it was – but then of course you’ve had learnings as to why, and none of it could possibly EVER have been your fault.
no forget that question …. it’s illegal given the terms and conditions.
You seem a bit unhinged there, Tim.
Might want to go back to your doctor and get him to triple your dosage.
It’s a condition that comes with engaging with the likes of you. There’s no known cure. The worst part of it is forgetting not to bother in the first place. Some call it troll feeding I think.
Thanks though. I’ll remember not to in future.
It is a bug left over from last weeks WordPress upgrade. The JavaScript I put in to set the first field got invalidated. But work, patchwork sleeping and Damn shopping haven’t left time for coding blocks at home.
From the NZHerald today, an analyst from McKinseys telling the New Zealand government that active leadership to diversify our economy is absolutely critical. And that oil exploration is the wrong way to diversify, because it is as much a commodity product as milk.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11564682
Nothing new, but all sound points.
The bit at the bottom left out the rather important fact that Kinley Salmon is a raging environmentalist.
He’s hardly going to be pro primary products.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/lifestyle-entertainment/3235009/From-Nayland-to-Cambridge
I guess primary production is all Gnats can visualise – never got past primary school most of them.
BM, that’s the least important point.
But you neocons are all about attacking the messenger and ignoring the evidence.
Just to let you know BM – The economy is a subset of the environment – not the other way round. You trash the environment – you trash the economy – end of story.
+1
Democracy and expert advice on scientific issues
IMO, there’s two parts to the problem that we see here.
The first problem is education and the lack there of both in the basics facts and how to think logically and critically.
The second part is specialisation in that people have become overly specialised and have little to no knowledge of other areas. This prevents people from joining the dots in logical progression to come to the correct answer despite not having the same knowledge of a subject as a specialist would have.
Court Decision Alert
The Kim Dotcom and others Extradition decision will be released tomorrow.
https://twitter.com/CourtsofNZ/status/679115520180793345
No doubt whoever loses will appeal, so not the end yet.
Interesting!
We had the judge’s decision on the Hager case last week – less than 2 weeks before Xmas. Now we have the Dotcom case – two days before Xmas.
You do have to wonder about the timing – just before Xmas when most people are otherwise engaged.
Apparently it will released at 2.15pm. Sorry – no link as word of mouth.
Timing is interesting not only because of Xmas, but because the hearing only finished on Nov 24. So one of the fastest court decisions that I can recall for such a complex case.
MSM is now reporting the expected release – eg The Herald here
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/news/article.cfm?&objectid=11564885
Link to actual item:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11564885
Little says he wants to see a shift away from a ‘culture of blame’ – where there is a call for heads to roll when an enterprise fails.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/74985370/andrew-little-finds-success-in-stability-as-labour-recovers-from-2014-nosedive
The statement comes across as if he’s attempting to remove accountability.
Your thoughts?
I find it unhelpful to have a “heads will roll culture” because my experience in the workplace is that when things go wrong it is often systemic. It is to do with the culture of the place. sometimes its a commitment to doing things the cheapest way possible and making as much profit as possible. Scapegoating one person will not solve systemic problems. I have also had experience of the wrong person being blamed in the case I was thinking of a manager had done some dodgy figures but managed to blame it on the manager under her in the hierarchy who got demoted. A thorough examination of the whole culture of the place and the systems that were operating might have done something to effect real change. As it was it really was pretty much business as usual.
With the lack of culpability witnessed, I question whether we actually suffer from a culture of blame.
I agree that on some occasions problems can be systemic within an enterprise. However, CEO’s and such are there to oversee such issues are rectified. A CEO should be aware of the culture within their organization. Therefore, I disagree with your notion.
As for people being wrongly accused, I agree examinations require to be thorough, with any blame being laid solely at the feet of those responsible.
I think there’s a distinction around that how accountability occurs following a failure.
Presenting this in an adventure aviation context is interesting, here there’s a culture of finding “what” went wrong in an adverse event and working to prevent it happening again. This is quite different to the “who” scapegoating that often appears in political and media culture.
It’s rare outside criminal intent or negligence that an adverse event has a single point of accountability, and we have laws and legal accountabilities to deal with these aspects. And these legal sanctions should be robust and with out favour.
However business failures, like aviation accidents have a multitude of causes, often totally unrelated that line up produce carnage. An air accident investigation tries to determine as many of these aspects as possible so that better outcomes can be achieved from similar situations in the future. This has allowed aviation to progress from what was pretty dodgy in 1920 to safer than driving, and probably walking now.
When we focus on finding individual scapegoats we get other things happening. First we miss the real causes of the failure, maybe the weakest, financially, politically or socially goes down masking everything else, and then everyone gets really risk adverse.
I don’t think this sort of accountability culture is going to produce an environment where people can confidently and easily move from one career to another. We need a culture where failure is seen as a positive learning experience and shared. A culture change around this could be rather disruptive of our political environment.
It’s only logical to find out what went wrong in order to help prevent it from reoccurring. However, doing so generally points to whom (if anyone) was at fault.
It may be that accountability may have to be shared. And although we do have laws to deal with criminal intent or negligence (if and when identified) you seem to be overlooking professional accountability.
I’m not advocating we seek out scapegoats to scalp, but I am pointing out professional accountability can’t be overlooked and those accountable must be held to account.
Therefore, while I agree with a number of your points, I reject the notion that failure should only be seen as a positive learning experience and shared. If investigations show people are culpable, they require to be held to account.
It’s conservative thinking that seeks certainty and the elimination of risk, and then trys to abrogate responsibility when it all turn to shit. The trap here is in thinking that we can eliminate ALL risk. You can’t, there’s just too many unrelated and random variables. So, when we progress, as in try something new, we are going to get some honest failures, along with spectacular wins. We should celebrate both.
Dishonest activities however, both failures and “wins”, must be jumped on, hard.
It doesn’t follow that all failure is dishonest, and it’s bloody tragic to see otherwise honest and honourable people go down for doing dishonest things as their lives and /or business falls to bits. A better attitude to, and management of failure would save a lot of grief.
Holding the culpable to account is not an attempt to eliminate risk, but it does help set in place an accepted framework and expected level of professionalism.
Removing accountability opens the door to excessive risk taking and a culture of failure acceptance.
While taking risk can produce benefits and lead to a company’s progression, excessive risk can result in a company’s collapse.
Growing too fast, taking on excessive risk and ultimately collapsing is an opportunity wasted, thus not a model for future success.
Therefore, it’s not a model to be encouraged and expanded by removing accountability and celebrating failure.
a culture of blame works all ways…..as was highlighted by Keys stated cause of child poverty. Thought the article in its entirety provoked interest it what they will release next year….heres hoping it is something inspiring.
When it comes to the poor, there does seem to be a culture of blame among the right.
I find it incredible that some posters think it is acceptable on a thread about alleged rape humour to call me Fisi-anal or some such moniker. Not a single Leftist has called out shame. The hypocrisy of the Left is gob smacking. My noble African name is sacred and no matter what I post such gutter language is surely unacceptable to any person with some sense of decency. It is a particularly childish and nasty form of internet bullying. It will not silence me.
Refences to the anal area are not references to rape.
But yes, you are frequently disrespected and insulted. Because that is the level of respect you have diligently earned – see sentence 1.
You condone such behaviour. Disgraceful. This blog is not surely just an echo chamber for the deluded. I never compared the insults aimed at me with rape. Can you not read?
liberals don’t need to read cos they’re always right.
You called it hypocrisy, not me.
I think you insult the intelligence of everyone here with pretty much every damned comment you make, and you don’t even have the decency to be honest about it and call people names.
“you do it too” is no defense.
Maybe not.
But it sure as hell is an accusation.
bullshit. play the ball not the man.
1: it’s not football. It’s not a game.
2: fuck that guy. There’s room for disagreement, then there’s that tory trooll. He’s worked hard for it and earned the abuse.
so there’s this thing called metaphor…
in the divine economy there is no earning of abuse.
Some metaphors are more appropriate than others.
And the divine economy might or might not exist. But as respect between humans is earned, so are scorn, defiance, slight regard and contempt. Of which fisiani has earned a plenitude.
I missed it – but you are right.
You should not be insulted.
I support you on that.
You would not annoy people if you were to stop trolling so regularly.
And that name is not a reference to rape.
Apologist for bad behaviour. Duh!
fisiani
Aren’t you the guy that loves Key and can’t understand why no one else here does, I don’t know why you don’t try kiwiblog, they share similar view point to you and have a similar level of intellect, you’d be right at home.
the point is name calling. people should be able to love key anywhere they want without being called names.
I don’t know if realise what you just said?
“You should be able to love Key with out being called a name”
I didn’t condone the supposed name calling, I merely suggested an alternative spot where he could go and not receive any grief, I don’t know if you read the posts that are in dispute, but McFlock’s comments were appropriate, everybody has the right to free speech, even you.
yeah McFlock is blaming his poor netiquette on Fisiani’s trolling. “you’ve earned the abuse” – sounds like the guy’s done some time in prison.
If you click on the name fisiani you will find this is a tr0ll who (metaphorically speaking) has done time for many indiscretions in the past.
North calling fisiani fused anus was an accurate description for someone so consistently full of shit.
it’s in poor taste.
worse is that you’d take a troll so seriously. some lines off blake:
mock on, mock on, voltaire, rousseau
mock on, mock on, tis all in vain
you throw the sand against the wind
the wind blows it back again
lol
So just to clarify, we’re allowed to suggest someone’ “sounds like” they’ve done enough wrong to be imprisoned, but we’re not allowed to use rude words or show other poor form according to you?
Yeah, nah. My insults are direct. Yours are duplicitous. Get off your hypocritical high horse.
horses may be more easily forgiven for shitting freely in public.
In some areas horseshit is not just forgiven, but actively sought.
In other areas, the person taking the horse for a ride is blamed.
hope your xmassy thing went well, though.
No – they mustn’t do it in the streets and frighten the horses.
They should do it on kiwiblog where the audience appreciates it and gimp suits and lashings of whale oil are provided for that purpose.
Christ! For once “I’m inclined to agree with you Mathew”. However As far as I can see so far, I haven’t seen your mates on the roster (“hard Rightists”) call people out either.
Who’s on duty tonight btw?
Do you do The Daily Blog as well? There now seems to be six at least hitting the dislike button. You should congratulate yourselves – that’s an increase of 50% (going forward). Could be a brighter future eh?
BAM CRRRAAACK BIFF BOFF KAPOW Brilliant
Good to see that you now fully appreciate the nastiness of Key’s behaviour.
I hope you will now also call him out for his hypocrisy on – oh! so many things – such as being an ambassador for white ribbon and at the same time indulging in jokes about prison rape, failing to apologize to Tania over his Govt’s appalling handling of her sexual assault and claiming it was a political stunt, calling many women MPs who have been the subject of abuse – “rape apologists”, being an habitual predator handling the pony tails of young girls and women, and twisting the apology of David Cunliffe on behalf of men to women – when NZ has one of the highest rates of abuse in the western world, etc.
When you have called out Key on his appalling hypocrisy maybe then we might apologize for calling you names.
“Not a single Leftist has called out shame.”
Actually I have. And some have agreed with me.
The problem is that the site policy allow for such “abuse” provided the moderators can see a point to it, just as they allow for you to comment with your own opinions and to provide your own take on the opinions of others. We couldn’t give a damn if you choose or don’t choose to use the provided room for pointed attacks and abuse or not. That is your choice.
Personally, I find that I use whatever I need to when I want to get a point across. My nastiest attacks when I want to have a go at someone use absolutely no “abuse”. I simply read their previous comments and figure out suggestions or explanations for the ‘reasoning’ behind the formation of their views and opinions.
There are very few people that I can’t set off like a rocket at guy fawkes with those kinds of attacks at their world views without ever “abusing” them if I feel the inclination. This is a skill developed after decades around the net is probably why I don’t feel the need to level the playing field where you do. In my opinion, all that does is to give way too much weight to net experience. Allowing robust debate and pointed abuse evens up the playing field somewhat because it means that people can express themselves more freely at whatever level they feel comfortable with.
What you are proposing allows a dissection using manners that gives the advantage to whoever has the most experience within the implied rules. I don’t like that 18th century farce. As far as I’m concerned it should have died with the French monarchy at Versailles in 1789, but which unfortunately survived up until after the second world war.
As it is I keep a vigilant eye for people trying to game the system and deliberately pressing people into the policy electric fence that they know about and the other does not.
Abyway trying to change the rules on this site is a dangerous tactic if you aren’t an author, because for those of us who actually work on the site, it becomes highly irritating to argue with people who don’t and who have no real idea about what is going on. Especially since they are always so damn repetitive about repetitively screaming what they want (like a spoilt child) rather than considering what authors and others might want. Plus not considering why these rules were set at the position that they were. Which appears to be what you are doing.
But you should be pretty aware of this already. It isn’t like I try to conceal my attitudes about the best way to deal with people without skin in the site trying to help us out by suggesting directly or indirectly how we should run the site.
“My noble African name is sacred”.
Citation please. No amount of earnest Googling in good faith on my part can verify that statement.
All I know is “The baby was cut out of the womb”.
Whose that, eh?
Fact, in 2011, there were fewer new homes built in NZ that year than were built in (wait for it) 1965, and now a housing shortage.
An interesting aspect to the large influx of refugees into Germany, over 800,000, was how would Germany house them all.
It seems Germany has an interesting housing policy, they maintain a surplus of relatively cheap housing stock, ensuring real affordability for there own work force, they also regulate the housing industry, there reasoning is that these workers are considered a very important part of a successful economy, by keeping rents and housing prices relatively low, the work force has more money in their pockets to spend in the local economy, this all forms part of a wider economic strategy.
They found that the workers were more productive if they didn’t feel they were only going to work to pay the rent.
Of the 800,000 refugees, most will get work, and they will end up very loyal employees.
For a right wing Govt, it’s unusual to see a smart, common sense approach to the way in which they treat their work force, there maybe some lessons to be learned here.
we have a housing policy where it’s more profitable to leave them vacant and flip them to other speculators than it is to actually provide homes for people.
Yeah, and who profits from that, Germany in is an industrial nation of 110m , they’ve realised over the long term that a highly productive work force is more profitable than short term speculation, every one needs a roof over their head.
I suppose that is the crux of it, a long term economic plan that will lift the countries prosperity
Whereas NZ has elected a short-term currency gambler and an unreconstructed 80s Treasury wideboy. What could possibly go wrong?
“What could possibly go wrong?”
That is funny, I don’t know if you meant it to be.
Hasn’t it already gone wrong, Key is the man without a plan for the future of NZ, I just wish his tenure was a short term.
Unfortunately much of the appeal of neo-liberalism to the current government is that divesting state services enables ministers to be lazier and less accountable. They have no desire to actually govern, and think that destroying state capacity is a positive achievement. Most third world countries are better governed, perhaps in part because their citizens would not tolerate the kind of pathetic crap that our Gnat MPs get up to. The neo part of Labour isn’t much better.
+1
Sky-Crane 2: Daughter of Skycrane.
Game changer.
Chris Westling
@chriswestling
Falcon 9 brought cost of a 13-tonne payload to LEO from $110m to $56m. With landing & reuse, #SpaceX is projecting new cost of <$8m. #BFD
https://twitter.com/chriswestling/status/679124127144394754
Médecins Sans Frontières – a year in pictures.
https://msf.exposure.co/a-year-in-pictures
(light version for shitty connections https://msf.exposure.co/a-year-in-pictures?slow=1 )
Aloe Blacc on his Christmas tribute.
It’s not a product for sale — it’s a memorial, a tribute. First of all, to me, it doesn’t seem appropriate. It really was just an expression that I felt was important for me offer to these families, and for other people to hear so that they could have a voice for what they were feeling inside, because a lot of the dialogue that we hear in the media doesn’t give us the opportunity to grieve a way that is respectful to the families. I wanted to offer that to everyone, especially the families. I wanted them to see that there are people who understand their pain and are not just trying to make a headline out of their tragedy.
http://www.npr.org/2015/12/10/459109275/songs-we-love-aloe-blacc-merry-christmas-mr-brown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvf6NKJCKwY
The History of People’s QE – Neither Right nor Left, Just the Way Forward
Part 2
Part 3
Money creation by the state is the answer to our financial difficulties such as poverty and inequality.
The private creation of credit is one of the most fiercely and brutally guarded privileges of all.
Spot on Draco
This type of story pisses me off – blame it on computer generated letters?? bullshit!!!
“Then the second letter came, claiming that even though the agency had now seen Leger’s medical certificates, he still needed to be “actively seeking work”.
Leger said the suggestion of sending out CVs from his hospital bed sounded like a bad joke.
“It’s that extra stress that you don’t need at this time going through the treatment,” he said.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/75373823/leukaemia-patient-told-by-work-and-income-to-find-a-job-or-risk-his-benefit
It wouldn’t surprise me if those computer generated letters were designed to upset people, you know, so they get out of their sick beds and get a job.
gnat 101
extra stress = more motivation
less money = more motivation
persistent hassle = more motivation
ridicule = more motivation
cut additional benefits = more motivation
desperation = more motivation
loss of dignity = more motivation
not enough money = more motivation
begging for help = more motivation
and so on to infinity and back
…….Corrrrrrr Blimey. That gnat 101 stuff is rilly rilly esprashunul eh? Now I know where all those street “beggars” I just encountered walking from Courtenay Place to Lambton Quay are going wrong. I guess they really should just pull themselves together as ‘get with the programme’
Ekshully, I must remember to give them a right good letchering the next time I pass.
There are obviously Pulla Bent and Soimun Brudgizz type learnings to be learned. I’ll give them a set of bootstraps – how they choose to use them of course…. is up to them
No that can’t be right marty. When I look about at the top execs and CEO’s they very loudly claim that the exact opposite of all those things = more motivation.
Agreed marty mars that is not only appalling behaviour for a human being, it is actually just bloody stupid.
The National Party government is highlighted in all of its ignorant ideology with this poor fulla’s plight.
Just stupid, brainless, lacks any form of logic, no common sense.
The nacts are frikkin’ loopy
and that is the problem with conservatives when they try to change things….
because they are afraid of change they do not know how to undertake it, and hence make a big hash of things….
conservatives should stay in the hold like the useless ballast that they are
Labour’s frightened of change. That’s more the problem.
It wouldn’t surprise me if those computer generated letters were designed to upset people, you know, so they get out of their sick beds and get a job.
I think it’s more what is said later in the article,
“She said it’s not us it’s just a system generated message that can’t separate who’s got what sickness or what amount of sickness.
Which is basically that when they scraped sickness benefit the system they put in place was done incompetently. If you want to see where National are doing evil there, it’s more likely to be in monkey wrenching the system over time so that eventually they’ve got an excuse to privatise.
“Which is basically that when they scraped sickness benefit the system they put in place was done incompetently.”
yes done incompetently and the system they put in was incompetent too – deliberately? Is monkey wrenching when they chuck a monkey wrench in and wait and see what shit happens or is it when the place it into position to create shit.
I’m lucky I spose I can see multiple layers of incompetence, mistakes and deliberate design all over the system and I agree the end goal is some type of privatisation agenda.
There are many preventable calamities at this time of year – kia kaha to all those dealing with this system.
Yeah, it’s always that weird mix of creepy ideology and incompetence and hard to tell how much of which each time. And with WINZ we can add in the fact that it was already a system pretty stressed by meddling from multiple governments, instead of taking care of something important.
Amazing flip flop from Trotter who seems to have stopped fighting …for anything.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/75307377/chris-trotter-my-surprise-pick-for-politician-of-the-year
good grief.
Little gem here from The North…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11564706
Joanne McNeil: PM gets an F for Social Studies
“In my day, school report cards did not mince words to mollycoddle fragile little darlings or confuse litigious parents.
In similar spirit, here’s Prime Minister John Key’s report for 2015.
English
Oral. John has plenty to say on behalf of all New Zealanders. His pronunciation – which often compresses syllables into sausage meat – would benefit from speech therapy.
Written. We have not sighted any prose (or poetry) we are confident is John’s original work. Apparently he pays a huddle of crack spin doctors to produce his essays behind the bike sheds. F”
and so on…
Very good.