The Prime Minister has ordered a paid national day off work on the death of the Queen
The death of 50 Muslim men women and children murdered in Christchurch got only two minutes.
What does this say about us?
Christchurch mosque shootings: Two-minute silence on Friday to honour the dead, PM Jacinda Ardern announces
In your opinion which is more ridiculous? A one whole day national stoppage for the death on the other side of the world of the Queen of England in her bed? Or the two minutes national stoppage for innocent deaths of Muslims murdered at prayer in this country?
I would like to ask you, DB which commemoration is more ridiculous?
I know which one I think is more 'ridiculous'
DB I can't help thinking how much more significant and worthwhile it would have been for us if the PM had ordered the country to take a day off for us to reflect on the lives and cruel deaths of of 51 defenceless innocent Muslim men women and children here in our country at the hands of a racist white supremacist?
How much more significant and worthwhile this would have been than ordering the country to take the day off in honour of the life and death of an uber rich white women on the other side of the world?
Maybe our leaders could pass legislation as they have done for the Queen's death, order that on the next significant anniversary of the Christchurch killings, that we are insightful and caring enough to mark out of respect for the dead in the terrible tragedy in Christchurch with a one off day off.
I played the ball she replies with a bunch of personal pleas like one of those email ads trying to sell us a course for a motivational speaker. It may go on and on but I'm done with that speaker on that topic.
Also, you might have noticed – I short-ban myself if I get too tetchy.
Fuck off you and your clown shoes. I called you out when you, by name several times, tried drag me into your pathetic charade. You utter fuckwit.
[lprent: Less of that, please. While that is how I often think of you, I really don’t think that it adds anything to the debate. It is the act of a simpleton with poor control and no argument. ]
We could have a real debate to examine the real cost of private transport on deaths and environmental damage, and how to effectively lower the road toll.
Why should one off commemorations be limited to celebrating royalty?
Maybe having one off paid days off work could be the way to have a national discussion and debate to examine and reflect on such major questions. It may very well be a way to engage the public and enhance our democracy.
Anyone who believes that a day off work involves people engaging in national discussion and debate on major questions, is invited to observe how the majority of Kiwis spend Waitangi Day.
“Do you think there should be a day off for the Pike River miners as well?”
Jimmy
Yes.
It should have been done.
We can have a one off day for the death of the figurehead of one of the most brutal empires in the history of the world, but we can't have a day off to commemorate the deaths of honest working men who died arguably unnecessary deaths in the service of a fossil fuel company. .
Maybe if we had had a one off day to commemorate those men's deaths, it would have given us a chance to have a national debate to examine our collective consciences over whether those workers should have been engaged in that dangerous and environmentally damaging practice in the first place.
…..The most dangerous form of energy for workers is:
In raw number of deaths: coal (by a long shot).
….Britain built itself on dangerous coal mines. The Oaks colliery disaster in 1866 killed more than 380 miners, close to the number who have probably died in Soma. Industrial advancement has invariably killed thousands of coal miners. It's true that now, better means of extraction are available. But coal mining remains inherently dangerous. Maybe it's time for a better way to modernise?
Coal is a fossil fuel, and is the dirtiest of them all, responsible for over 0.3C of the 1C increase in global average temperatures. This makes it the single largest source of global temperature rise…..
Instead of being treated as adults and equals we are made to passively consume images of empty pageantry and rituals of a dying empire on the other side of the world. Spoon fed endless mindless discussion and debate over the smallest minutia of the British Royals' lives (and deaths). Not that any of this has any relevancy at all to most people's real lived experience. Except as a form of escapism.
we are made to passively consume images of empty pageantry and rituals of a dying empire on the other side of the world.
Ah, no. You are perfectly free to switch the channel on the TV coverage (should you actually watch that archaic form of media), and read/watch something else.
As, based on your frequent posts on international affairs, you clearly have done.
No one is forcing you to watch anything – either passively or actively.
Just as I (oh, heresy in NZ) am not particularly interested in rugby, and don't enjoy/watch or 'passively consume' the endless forensic analysis of the latest AB win or loss – and, therefore, choose not to watch/listen/read the coverage. However, I don't demand that the coverage cease to be produced for the benefit of those who do enjoy it – simply because I'm not interested.
A lot of time and money and effort has been put into encouraging us to become passive consumers of the pageantry and rituals of a moribund empire on the other side of the world. The purpose of course is not to change it. (to paraphrase mangle Marx)
Well, yes. That is just as true of the Kardashians, Johnny Depp & whoever the latest sports royalty is.
Railing against press coverage of something which demonstrably has a significant degree of popular interest – but which you don't happen to like – is an entirely futile activity.
With the wall to wall coverage, that would have been hard.
Even if you were actively averting your eyes I am sure Belladonna that you would have viewed at least some of this footage or been aware of the massive fandom generated by it. If you did the opposite and watched the MSM media all you liked and you would have found it hard to get news of the terrible climate disaster in Pakistan unfolding before our eyes, removed from before our eyes.
With the wall to wall coverage, hard to do in this case.
And I sure Belladonna that you, and probably everyone you know, would have watched at least some of it.
And even if you didn't, you would still have been aware of the massive Stan-dom being generated by this wall to wall coverage and hype.
But let's say, for arguments sake, you did the opposite to what you advocate, and didn't boycott the mainstream media.
The climate disaster and resulting deaths of ordinary people in Pakistan unfolding in front of our eyes removed from in front of our eyes, replaced with wall to wall coverage of the death of one, very white, very rich, very old lady.
You would have to be a hermit living in a cave to not be aware of the Queen's death. But you could easily be unaware of the climate catastrophe in Pakistan. Which is still ongoing, with little relief for the people caught in it.
Royal pageantry and ritual is the original and oldest way of generating Stan Culture. As Juvenal said give them circuses to keep the people diverted from public policy and civic duty.
"Bread and circuses"
…. is attributed to a poet active in the late first and early second century CE, and is used commonly in cultural, particularly political, contexts.
…..The phrase implies a population's erosion or ignorance of civic duty as a [political] priority....
The Queen's greatest public service, for which she has been heaped endless praise and honours, has been to rehabilitate the reputation of imperialism and colonialism.
King Charles will be allowed to continue his mother's work and carry out his main political duty to white wash imperialism.
But Charles Windsor the former Prince of Wales has been reminded (more than once) of his civic duty, now that he is King, not to agitate on climate change and to concentrate on his main role.
……environmental campaigners will be watching closely to see if he continues to advocate for climate action and is able to help drive change as monarch.
In his first speech to the nation as monarch on Friday evening, Charles warned his new role will now limit his activism.
"It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply," he said in a televised address. "But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others.”
Unfortunately all the gold braid and pageantry in the world will not save us, or our King.
[You failed to provide the link to Wikipedia for your quote on “Bread and circuses”.
You changed the quoted text (aka butchered it) in a way that was not clear and this only became clear by going to the original text.
This may not seem a big deal, this time, even relatively harmless, but this apparent clumsiness with selective quoting, altering text, removing context, et cetera, is often used as a tool for influencing and manipulating.
When you quote we have to trust you that your quote is a perfect representation (aka copy & paste) of the original text and an accurate representation of the meaning/message. Please lift your game – Incognito]
Not really hard to avoid at all.
I chose to stay up and watch the actual funeral coverage (I happen to like old buildings, pageantry and church music)
But it was a deliberate choice – it was hardly in prime time viewing (from about 10pm onwards).
And haven't paid attention to any other coverage subsequently. I read the papers online, and simply choose not to read any of the articles. And, in common with the majority of Kiwis under 60, I don’t watch TV news – and catch up with any programmes on demand (i.e I choose what to watch and when to watch it)
It hasn't been hard.
Disasters in Pakistan would still not have had high profile coverage in NZ – regardless of any royal pageantry. Our media is fairly parochial – and those of us with wider interests know that we have to supplement them from overseas.
Luckily, in this modern age, this is relatively easy to do.
Your complaint about saturation coverage might have had validity in the 1950s (King George VI's funeral and Elizabeth's coronation) – when there were few (if any) media alternatives in NZ – the local paper and the TV channel were the sum total. These days – people's consumption of media comes from so many sources that it's virtually impossible to achieve the slanted presentation that you appear to believe is the secret plan of the British monarchy.
I can assure you, that the coverage of the Kardashians, Johnny Depp and Roger Federer continues unabated (based on a quick sample of my newsfeeds this morning). All continuing to suck media attention away from Pakistan, Ukraine & climate change. Why are those circuses (without even bread) not a target for your ire?
"Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it"
George Santayana
If the government passed legislation that at the next significant anniversary of the Christchurch massacre a one off national day of reflection on the causes of this tragedy, it would be sign of our maturity as a nation.
We commemorate the war dead of the First and Second World Wars. We don't commemorate the war dead of the New Zealand Wars.
We condemn German and Japanese fascism but we don’t condemn British imperialism or colonialism.
Because alongside our culture of remembering and commemorating historical events, we have another culture of forgetting historical events that we don't want to remember.
I have heard a number of commentators saying that the death and life of the Queen of England will be remembered for ever in history. They are probably right.
How about this: Heeding George Santayana's caution, taking the precedent of a one off day to remember and reflect on life and death of the British Monarch. the government legislate; That at the next anniversary milestone of the Christchurch massacre a one off day stoppage will be called to reflect on this terrible tragedy committed in our midst, to learn and never forget, so that such a thing is never repeated.
We should all be heartilly sick of being global followers. John Key wanted us to be 'Fast Followers' It's time we stopped being followers and started being leaders. I have long supported calls for this country to be a global leader, in social in climate justice and peace issues.
P.S. It was very heartening to see on TV1 News tonight that New Zealand will be taking a global lead on dealing with plastic waste, especially encouraging are moves to sheet the responsibility back to the big plastic polluters at the point of production instead of the public at the point of consumption. Something I have long argued was sorely needed
Yeah I saw this. These economists and their banking buddies are worse than useless, they're detrimental to society.
The plan here is to make many people poor so they can't afford to participate in society. This will in turn reduce demand for goods so prices drop and rich people can get cheaper goods.
We could have put ceilings on corporate profitability – the prices got jacked by corporations, not consumers. We could have retrospectively hit them with windfall taxes, of course we have not.
They blame supply and demand. They blame employment figures. They blame subprime mortgages, wars, pandemics, markets – anything but the truth of bank and corporate roles in society today – to take everything they can get their grubby hands on.
Yesterday, after widespread advertising for stories of supermarket profit gouging, I noticed several exorbitant prices have suddenly shrunk overnight. Flax meal, tahini, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, vegan mayo – all came down significantly since the last shop… Almost like they've been taking the absolute piss.
These people are a fucking disgrace. But just try stop the profit gouging – communism!
Belive me I'm less than pleased that just when I finally got into a wage bracket that I thought might give me a chance of getting some security for my future, just got gobbled by the inflation monster, but I don't want 50,000 extra people on the dole to fix it for me.
No wasn't 'going there at all'. A large portion of the inflation is beyond NZ's control and would not matter who was in government.
Some though is definitely due to the reserve bank.
I genuinely think that making ends meet and affording petrol, groceries, mortgage and rent payments are the biggest and most immediate concern to many NZers. Many people have had pay increases this year (and it is a good time to ask the boss for a rise), but I think it will really tighten up next year with many companies unable to afford to give further pay increases.
As NZ inflation is mostly less than our trading partners.
No. It is not due to the reserve bank.
Except, of course for the house price inflation over the last several decades, Which is due to tax policy since the 90's, lack of curbs on foriegn "investment" and imported cheap labour numbers.
NZ inflation is greater then all our trading partners except the Americas and Europe.
The NZ $/US$ of which all trade is realized to include Freight and insurance has depreciated 14.4% YTD,
Our current account is 7.1% of gdp and is nearing the worst it has been,our debt loading is increasing as is government debt and with an increasing interest bill on sovereign debt doubling over the next 2 years.
High interest rates are here to stay,the days of easy money are gone,and can only be dampened when core inflation ( shelter,utilities and service inflation) reduces.
Nah, if there is such a concern of govt spending impacting interest rates then there will be a quiet conversation between Orr and Robertson (in a smoke filled room), followed by another round of QE and the govt owning more of its own debt.
If the RBNZ wanted interest rates at zero it could of course lower the OCR just as it has raised it recently.
This means sweet FA, but may well send you into a commenting frenzy.
The RBNZ balance sheet has increased around 7 billion since march,the so called QT has not happened as the RBNZ lent at OCR rates to Banks ( 12 billion to xmas)
NZ debt is firmly in the hands of the kindness of strangers very similar to the UK were debt rates go through the roof.
Nabarro at Citi said the changes in the markets will not have escaped the BoE's Monetary Policy Committee which will see declining investor confidence in British assets as an unwelcome complication in its fight against inflation and could leave interest rates higher for longer.
"We suspect at least some on the committee have observed the simultaneous sell-off in sterling and gilts with no small degree of concern," Nabarro said. "In our view, these risks should increasingly be at the centre of the UK policy discussion."
The only entity which can bankrupt a central bank is its legislature. This makes the question of central bank profit, loss and equity completely irrelevant. Unlike most entities, negative equity has zero impact on central banks ability to function.
Of course the way Citi bank talks about policy is in those terms because this is just the common language for "we recon the BofE should keep bumping interest rates up" (which co-incidentally helps Citi's profits). But, as Japans central bank policy is highlighting, alternate policies can equally be pursued at their discretion, including to lower interest rates.
Japan has 2 trillion in foreign exchange sitting in overseas banks,earning increasing interest payments.Its offshore investments outweigh its onshore foreign liabilities,this weak its 10 yr bond did not trade for 3 days.
The RBA decreased the ability to raise funds to protect its currency or Interest rates it de levered.
Sure, the RBA probably did for some combination of those reasons. But for some reason you didn't put it that way instead focusing on the "cost" of economic policy as if the RBA has any need to earn profits.
And regarding the BoJ (or other central banks) we can only evaluate any external limitations to its policy when they visibly buck market expectations and considering how that works. Highlighting foreign exchange reserves on a balance sheet is about as credible as the old story that, Japans long history of avoiding inflation while running QE for decades, was due to Japanese house wives saving rates.
Obviously when we consider some of the actual outcomes of RBNZ policy (e.g maybe 50,000 additional unemployed) some people are proposing its time to actually run some of the experiments and see how these theories stack up. Frankly if the NZ exchange rate fluctuates 2% off US inflation coming in low (but somehow also above market expectations), we could maybe focus on the economic policy bits we can actually control.
The Japanese household saving rate in July (last data) was 37.7% of disposable income..
With unemployment and some model showing 50k,would it not be better to reduce immigration,( which is a similar number) or would there be just a pool of unemployable.
Jobs full time positions increased by 7000 in the week ending 14/8.When the data reflects a decrease in value,the first affects will be in the service industry which it seems is not affected.
Sure, maintaining the lower immigration rate does seem to be having some positive outcomes for NZ.
As far as RBNZ policy implementation goes, their official policy position of running a raised cash rate, is supposed to flow through to the economy via elevated unemployment. AFAIK their expectations should be that domestic inflation will not decrease without the extra 50,000 unemployed. But this seems to have changed since they were initially just saying the country would need to accept the transitory (e.g. supply side) inflation and spread its burden fairly until it abated.
And inputs expensive…and it is all relative as your 'trading partner inflation rate' comment indicates.
A major issue is our exchange rate volatility….it makes long term investment decisions problematic…who will (either onshore or off) commit capital when any decision can be rendered a loser with a currency swing such as we have been subjected to the past 40 years?…a low of 0.39 to near parity with the world default trading currency and widly variable in between.
True,some will have local substitution possibilities such as cereal imported from Aus,where a new bulker on the coast will make shipping competitive SI-NI,cheaper then oz-nz. (up 70m in August)
How much further away from a notion of a decent society is that 5% of the people should be unemployed so that others may prosper. This latest advocate talks of a necessary pain. One Mark Lister gives away the mantle of altruism to the unemployed when he would better serve us and himself by trying a little altruism in his own life.
“You’ve got to cause some pain. You’ve
got to create some unemployment” he said. Marlborough Express Sept 23 2022 page 7 Business section
Have these people not twigged the inherent stupidity of their version of an economy where it is argued that we need more workers and also we need more unemployment?
If it's supply and demand issues, then we must get rid of the useless from the workforce, not the actual workers who produce the supply! Anything else would be madness. We know who is essential now (we've always known), the people who actually keep the lights on.
But there are others:
Economists are clearly useless, how many of them are there?
There's bound to be plenty of middle management playing paper-go-round in plenty of places.
Economists are funny, one day they say we need more unemployment to reduce inflation BUT the next day they say the economy lacks workers and we need more migration.
These two things are not coherent. They and their neo-liberal school are out of their depth in the real world 2022.
I'll note that when Muldoon was PM 1976-1981 there was 5 years of wage growth/inflation during which house prices flatlined and fell in real terms.
Inflation reduces the real value of assets (which one can note are overvalued) and debt (good for coming out of the QE debt of the GFC and pandemic). Containing inflation by holding down wages merely to preserve the asset wealth of a privileged elite (after a period of extreme inequality) is risible.
RBG's applying neo-liberal policy are going to risk populist pressure to the democratic fabric in way not seen since the 1930's.
You can have both national proved that I believe last time , flood the country with cheep foreign labour ,have kiwis on the dole , added bonus is a bigger target for right wingers to hate on.
… they'll allow prison for profit growth to manage homelessness (known as three strikes and clearances for urban renewal in the USA and here to manage the lack of housing).
one day they say we need more unemployment to reduce inflation BUT the next day they say the economy lacks workers and we need more migration.
That is actually coherent. More imported cheap labour = in their minds, more unemployed, less wage rises and less inflation.
The idea that you fight inflation by driving down wage price pressure regardless of other factors.
Obviously it means workers, and unemployed pay all the coats of reducing inflation. But we can't have banks and assett/housing speculators taking the pain instead, can we??
Hubby and I banked with ANZ – well firstly the National Bank, for 55 years. We told them where to go 3 years ago and moved to Kiwibank. We'd had enough of their utterings from John Key and the CEO in Melbourne (who I believe is a Kiwi) who threatened to close the N Z division down. I guess he was bluffing, but sheesh, what a tosser. Sharon Zollner also needs to pull her head in, but of course the unemployment subject is a favourite among such pointy heads who wouldn't be at all affected by such a move. Just don't get me going on the report in the Herald today about the Mood of the Boardroom
The Former Guy claims he declassified the documents he removed from the White House just by thinking about it. We didn't know he has the amazing superpower of teledeclassification.
Plotting, scheming, embezzling, gouging, dodging, lying, bullying–all skills Mr Mango Mussolini has amply demonstrated–but thinking? is a stretch.
In a fairer world Mr Trump would have been locked up years ago, but the US political establishment really has not chosen its battles with the ex President wisely at all.
New Zealand's very own Fox News, the NZ Herald, running their annual hit job on the left today. It is laughably titled, "The Mood of the Boardroom" – a name so suffused with fake gravitas it can only have come from the ponderously dull Fran O'Sullivan. The conclusion of 90 CEOs and 18 Directors is that this is the worst government since Muldoon. Yawn – rich, powerful private sector interests wanting the playing field tipped in their favour, and completely without irony, equating that with good economic management.
The winter of discontent team leader (2000) also ran an ad/editorial demanding New Zealand voters prevent a Labour-Green government (2005). Must have been so sad there when one law for all, across the board tax cuts (less money for poor families), keep interest on tertiary loans Don Brash was defeated
(Winston Peters kept his word to go with the party with more votes – Labour)(but in its way NZH represents the Koch brothers denial of need for global warming action and maintenance of a neo-liberal global regime)
Yep, and one of the Herald and ZB adherents – who also happens to be a relative – told me yesterday we have a Communist government and its going to go next year before we are all destroyed.
Does anyone know where I can locate a membership form for the VFF crowd so I can send it to her? Or the Brash crowd will do – Hobson's Choice they call themselves? 😛
But, but, but if we have a Communist Government it is headed by a 'pretty little communist' isn't it and that must count for something surely. I mean better a pretty little communist than some idiot riding a bear? Your relative should thank their lucky stars. I didn't see the man on the bear being pressed to speak at the UN or being invited to the Queen's funeral.
I know the 'pretty little comm' is correct as I read it on a poster on the tractors and trucks in the Groundswill protest. And farmers know everything don't they? Those ones do anyway.
Perhaps get a membership form for Groundswell too so she can feel the faint pulse of this crowd from the rural sector. They are not supported by the majority of rural dwellers that I can see so should be a good match for VFF & Brash's rush of blood to the head group.
Actually I think it is the "pretty little communist:" who started it cos the plc is very attractive and intelligent and she's younger and oh so popular with her overseas peers.
Its called jealousy and afflicts a lot of women. HDPA is another example.
As a swing voter looking for excuses to stay with Labour, I'm finding it harder by the day. This so called '' hit job'' on Labour was in reality a reflection of what many voting people are pondering. Grant Robertson taking at hit in the ratings should be ringing alarm bells. He has generally until now been well tolerated by the opposition and general public. For me there were some surprises in the survey. Co-governance having some support for example. Labour has been given fair warning. They can continue to flip off such findings as the deluded rantings of rich white boys wanting more bucks in their pockets, or they can cross reference this survey with public opinion polls, gain a reality check, and do something about it.
Blimey ! You appear to be the first tragically-smug Woke dogmatist here to conspicuously break ranks from the well-rehearsed narrative that Vitamin D is all part of some Far Right Trumpist conspiracy theory to deliberately perplex the hoi polloi who lack the "unusually refined moral & intellectual sensibilities" of those wannabe elites trapped in your stifling little echo-chamber.
How did dear old muttonbird put it, again ? … oh yes:
The conspiracy theorists will be disappointed, Anne. Perhaps drowning their sorrows with horse-paste and Vitamin D cocktails under tin foil umbrellas.
Meanwhile the Medical Council of NZ says that Vitamin D supplementation is not required, except in some very specific population categories:
Supplementation is not recommended for the general population, but it can be considered for individuals from groups at risk of vitamin D deficiency.
At-risk groups are identified in this guidance: people with deeply pigmented skin, especially those who wear full-body coverage clothing; people who actively avoid sun exposure; people with low mobility who are frail or housebound; people in southern regions who spend a limited amount of time outdoors; and people with certain medical disorders (eg, kidney failure, malabsorption syndromes).
Unlike the Northern Hemisphere, Kiwis in general get enough sun exposure to ensure our levels are well within the healthy range.
Vitamin D prescription in NZ doesn't correlate with a reduction in the known medical consequences of low rates (rickets, etc). And is no longer prescribed for prevention of osteoporisis (no clinical benefit). It seems as though most prescriptions are to the 'worried well'
Collectively, these findings suggest that the supplementation of vitamin D in New Zealand needs to change. Although vitamin D supplements are inexpensive to prescribe to an individual, their widespread use creates substantial costs for the health system and individual patients, and there is no clear clinical benefit from this expenditure.
Stuart-listen to this afternoon's The Panel on RNZ. Fran O'Sullivan got a roasting, got pissed off and basically fell apart when questioned by Panel members about the Mood of the Boardroom survey.
I'm going to differ with you there. Fran is a damned good journalist when she sets her mind to it. I'll grant you, that may be less than half the time, but she knocks sad idiot panel hacks out of the park from time to time. It's just that she spends too much time rubbing elbows with CEOs to be a full-on Blomkvist.
Perhaps Shanreagh and Anne describe it better below, but I stand by the fact that O'Sullivan was very unimpressive, mostly because she was defending the indefensible because the Mood of the Boardroom survey is wrong to attack the performance of this government.
From about 10.00 in. But, but, splutter is a good summary of Fran's response to some of Simon Wilson's questions…she quickly switched to saying it was a snapshot of a mood and overseas there was inflation that the CE's were reflecting on.
Most unimpressive but then these are not a group given to self reflection or acknowledgement that we have faced tough times. She did not seem to have an answer to the query about pushback on paying workers more being a way to lift people out of poverty……something that the CE's group are ostensibly concerned about.
The best response was made by Wallace Chapman when he pointed out that the report did not acknowledge the fact this government had been through a major pandemic that no other government in NZ has had to grapple with, and was able to bring NZ through in far better shape than most other countries.
I note Fran O'Sullivan immediately changed tack and pointed out that the pandemic emergency has passed, and the CEO's are concerned about what is happening now.
I paraphrase both responses.
Surely what is happening now is a direct consequence of that pandemic and the world wide disruptions etc. it created. All the blame cannot be laid at the feet of the government. It will take time to re-establish normality in all sections of society including the business sector, so it is disingenuous to pass judgement at this stage of the procedure.
I gather also there was no mention of the impact being felt over the Russia/Ukraine conflict.
Yes Anne, 'disingenuous' is a good word to describe the responses from the CEOs being discussed with Fran O'Sullivan.
As well there have been thoughts that while the situation was 'fluid' we could generally have a look at whether we wanted to go back to BAU circa 2021 or if we could be 'nimble' and take the opportunities for change.
NZ used to have a reputation for this nimbleness in days gone by not so long ago. Nimbleness is not a product of $$$$ or of handouts but of far-sightedness in business and brains working. Also adequate R & D and product and market investigation and investment.
Perhaps the CEs have been struck down by a late arriving variant of the Moaning Minnie virus that my ‘research’ showed accompanied earlier Covid variants in the general population.
This Covid virus has been long lasting, we have had to help those affected and so we have had to take time to deal with it. Some of the responses I have seen have built on the bull kaka that every country in the world except NZ has moved on. Partner is in the south of Italy travelling by public transport and says operators of public transport are fanatical about continued mask wearing on buses etc. NB NZ has no mask wearing restrictions on public transport.
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Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
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The Prime Minister has ordered a paid national day off work on the death of the Queen
The death of 50 Muslim men women and children murdered in Christchurch got only two minutes.
What does this say about us?
What a ridiculous comparison.
Ridiculous?
How?
DB could you expand on your objection
In your opinion which is more ridiculous? A one whole day national stoppage for the death on the other side of the world of the Queen of England in her bed? Or the two minutes national stoppage for innocent deaths of Muslims murdered at prayer in this country?
I would like to ask you, DB which commemoration is more ridiculous?
I know which one I think is more 'ridiculous'
DB I can't help thinking how much more significant and worthwhile it would have been for us if the PM had ordered the country to take a day off for us to reflect on the lives and cruel deaths of of 51 defenceless innocent Muslim men women and children here in our country at the hands of a racist white supremacist?
How much more significant and worthwhile this would have been than ordering the country to take the day off in honour of the life and death of an uber rich white women on the other side of the world?
Maybe our leaders could pass legislation as they have done for the Queen's death, order that on the next significant anniversary of the Christchurch killings, that we are insightful and caring enough to mark out of respect for the dead in the terrible tragedy in Christchurch with a one off day off.
Would that be ridiculous or too much to ask?
You may ask of me nothing you ridiculous fake.
'
"…..they should have been safe in New Zealand."
Prime Minister Ardern, March 20, 2019
There goes my Good Friday …
I played the ball she replies with a bunch of personal pleas like one of those email ads trying to sell us a course for a motivational speaker. It may go on and on but I'm done with that speaker on that topic.
Also, you might have noticed – I short-ban myself if I get too tetchy.
Sorry, you took it the wrong way – it was meant as a very subtle response to Jenny’s … musings. I used capitals …
"I played the ball she replies with a bunch of personal pleas…."
DB Brown
With respect DB, you didn't play the ball you replied to me with an ad hominem insult.
"You may ask of me nothing you ridiculous fake."
DB Brown
Fuck off you and your clown shoes. I called you out when you, by name several times, tried drag me into your pathetic charade. You utter fuckwit.
[lprent: Less of that, please. While that is how I often think of you, I really don’t think that it adds anything to the debate. It is the act of a simpleton with poor control and no argument. ]
Do you think there should be a day off for the Pike River miners as well?
And certainly one for the people killed in road accidents (over 350 of them every year)
Now there's a thought.
Great idea.
Again. Why not?
We could have a real debate to examine the real cost of private transport on deaths and environmental damage, and how to effectively lower the road toll.
Why should one off commemorations be limited to celebrating royalty?
Maybe having one off paid days off work could be the way to have a national discussion and debate to examine and reflect on such major questions. It may very well be a way to engage the public and enhance our democracy.
Bring on this national debate I say.
Anyone who believes that a day off work involves people engaging in national discussion and debate on major questions, is invited to observe how the majority of Kiwis spend Waitangi Day.
‘
“Do you think there should be a day off for the Pike River miners as well?”
Jimmy
Yes.
It should have been done.
We can have a one off day for the death of the figurehead of one of the most brutal empires in the history of the world, but we can't have a day off to commemorate the deaths of honest working men who died arguably unnecessary deaths in the service of a fossil fuel company. .
Maybe if we had had a one off day to commemorate those men's deaths, it would have given us a chance to have a national debate to examine our collective consciences over whether those workers should have been engaged in that dangerous and environmentally damaging practice in the first place.
Instead of being treated as adults and equals we are made to passively consume images of empty pageantry and rituals of a dying empire on the other side of the world. Spoon fed endless mindless discussion and debate over the smallest minutia of the British Royals' lives (and deaths). Not that any of this has any relevancy at all to most people's real lived experience. Except as a form of escapism.
Ah, no. You are perfectly free to switch the channel on the TV coverage (should you actually watch that archaic form of media), and read/watch something else.
As, based on your frequent posts on international affairs, you clearly have done.
No one is forcing you to watch anything – either passively or actively.
Just as I (oh, heresy in NZ) am not particularly interested in rugby, and don't enjoy/watch or 'passively consume' the endless forensic analysis of the latest AB win or loss – and, therefore, choose not to watch/listen/read the coverage. However, I don't demand that the coverage cease to be produced for the benefit of those who do enjoy it – simply because I'm not interested.
Point taken.
If I hadn't rushed I would have written;
A lot of time and money and effort has been put into encouraging us to become passive consumers of the pageantry and rituals of a moribund empire on the other side of the world. The purpose of course is not to change it. (to
paraphrasemangle Marx)Public opinion is a manufactured product.
Well, yes. That is just as true of the Kardashians, Johnny Depp & whoever the latest sports royalty is.
Railing against press coverage of something which demonstrably has a significant degree of popular interest – but which you don't happen to like – is an entirely futile activity.
Vote with your feet (or eyes in this case).
“Vote with your feet (or eyes in this case).”
With the wall to wall coverage, that would have been hard.
Even if you were actively averting your eyes I am sure Belladonna that you would have viewed at least some of this footage or been aware of the massive fandom generated by it. If you did the opposite and watched the MSM media all you liked and you would have found it hard to get news of the terrible climate disaster in Pakistan unfolding
before our eyes, removed from before our eyes.[deleted]
I’ve deleted the paragraphs that looked like they were copy and pastes but didn’t have any formatting to show that and didn’t link to the source.
‘
"Vote with your feet (or eyes in this case)."
Belladonna
With the wall to wall coverage, hard to do in this case.
And I sure Belladonna that you, and probably everyone you know, would have watched at least some of it.
And even if you didn't, you would still have been aware of the massive Stan-dom being generated by this wall to wall coverage and hype.
But let's say, for arguments sake, you did the opposite to what you advocate, and didn't boycott the mainstream media.
The climate disaster and resulting deaths of ordinary people in Pakistan
unfolding in front of our eyesremoved from in front of our eyes, replaced with wall to wall coverage of the death of one, very white, very rich, very old lady.You would have to be a hermit living in a cave to not be aware of the Queen's death. But you could easily be unaware of the climate catastrophe in Pakistan. Which is still ongoing, with little relief for the people caught in it.
Royal pageantry and ritual is the original and oldest way of generating Stan Culture. As Juvenal said give them circuses to keep the people diverted from public policy and civic duty.
The Queen's greatest public service, for which she has been heaped endless praise and honours, has been to rehabilitate the reputation of imperialism and colonialism.
King Charles will be allowed to continue his mother's work and carry out his main political duty to white wash imperialism.
But Charles Windsor the former Prince of Wales has been reminded (more than once) of his civic duty, now that he is King, not to agitate on climate change and to concentrate on his main role.
Unfortunately all the gold braid and pageantry in the world will not save us, or our King.
[You failed to provide the link to Wikipedia for your quote on “Bread and circuses”.
You changed the quoted text (aka butchered it) in a way that was not clear and this only became clear by going to the original text.
This may not seem a big deal, this time, even relatively harmless, but this apparent clumsiness with selective quoting, altering text, removing context, et cetera, is often used as a tool for influencing and manipulating.
When you quote we have to trust you that your quote is a perfect representation (aka copy & paste) of the original text and an accurate representation of the meaning/message. Please lift your game – Incognito]
Mod note
Not really hard to avoid at all.
I chose to stay up and watch the actual funeral coverage (I happen to like old buildings, pageantry and church music)
But it was a deliberate choice – it was hardly in prime time viewing (from about 10pm onwards).
And haven't paid attention to any other coverage subsequently. I read the papers online, and simply choose not to read any of the articles. And, in common with the majority of Kiwis under 60, I don’t watch TV news – and catch up with any programmes on demand (i.e I choose what to watch and when to watch it)
It hasn't been hard.
Disasters in Pakistan would still not have had high profile coverage in NZ – regardless of any royal pageantry. Our media is fairly parochial – and those of us with wider interests know that we have to supplement them from overseas.
Luckily, in this modern age, this is relatively easy to do.
Your complaint about saturation coverage might have had validity in the 1950s (King George VI's funeral and Elizabeth's coronation) – when there were few (if any) media alternatives in NZ – the local paper and the TV channel were the sum total. These days – people's consumption of media comes from so many sources that it's virtually impossible to achieve the slanted presentation that you appear to believe is the secret plan of the British monarchy.
I can assure you, that the coverage of the Kardashians, Johnny Depp and Roger Federer continues unabated (based on a quick sample of my newsfeeds this morning). All continuing to suck media attention away from Pakistan, Ukraine & climate change. Why are those circuses (without even bread) not a target for your ire?
It says alot about you.
Trying to beat up a story where none exists.
'
"Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it"
George Santayana
If the government passed legislation that at the next significant anniversary of the Christchurch massacre a one off national day of reflection on the causes of this tragedy, it would be sign of our maturity as a nation.
We commemorate the war dead of the First and Second World Wars. We don't commemorate the war dead of the New Zealand Wars.
We condemn German and Japanese fascism but we don’t condemn British imperialism or colonialism.
Because alongside our culture of remembering and commemorating historical events, we have another culture of forgetting historical events that we don't want to remember.
I have heard a number of commentators saying that the death and life of the Queen of England will be remembered for ever in history. They are probably right.
How about this: Heeding George Santayana's caution, taking the precedent of a one off day to remember and reflect on life and death of the British Monarch. the government legislate; That at the next anniversary milestone of the Christchurch massacre a one off day stoppage will be called to reflect on this terrible tragedy committed in our midst, to learn and never forget, so that such a thing is never repeated.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57322/for-the-fallen
Do you think we needed to have assassinated the queen before we were entitled to a day off?
Now that would’ve been an event worth commemorating with a day off. [Sarc.]
We're just following the practice of others – to commemorate the end of an era of a head of state. These are (normative) national occasions.
The argument for the utility of another memorial is a separate matter – and there was a planned one (annual, pandemic impacted).
'
"We're just following the practice of others…."
SPC
We should all be heartilly sick of being global followers. John Key wanted us to be 'Fast Followers' It's time we stopped being followers and started being leaders. I have long supported calls for this country to be a global leader, in social in climate justice and peace issues.
.https://thestandard.org.nz/our-plan-to-change-the-government/#comment-1183829
P.S. It was very heartening to see on TV1 News tonight that New Zealand will be taking a global lead on dealing with plastic waste, especially encouraging are moves to sheet the responsibility back to the big plastic polluters at the point of production instead of the public at the point of consumption. Something I have long argued was sorely needed
https://i.stuff.co.nz/business/129960960/50000-people-may-need-to-lose-their-jobs-to-bring-inflation-under-control
Maybe the cold hearted zolner lady needs to go and come up with a better plan than fucking people lives to lower inflation
Yeah I saw this. These economists and their banking buddies are worse than useless, they're detrimental to society.
The plan here is to make many people poor so they can't afford to participate in society. This will in turn reduce demand for goods so prices drop and rich people can get cheaper goods.
We could have put ceilings on corporate profitability – the prices got jacked by corporations, not consumers. We could have retrospectively hit them with windfall taxes, of course we have not.
They blame supply and demand. They blame employment figures. They blame subprime mortgages, wars, pandemics, markets – anything but the truth of bank and corporate roles in society today – to take everything they can get their grubby hands on.
Yesterday, after widespread advertising for stories of supermarket profit gouging, I noticed several exorbitant prices have suddenly shrunk overnight. Flax meal, tahini, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, vegan mayo – all came down significantly since the last shop… Almost like they've been taking the absolute piss.
These people are a fucking disgrace. But just try stop the profit gouging – communism!
Banks have taken 30$ per week in PROFIT from every person in NZ
Can you link to where that figure came from? Sounds excessive…
It's more like $22 per person…..x52 x5million.
Last quarter 1.74 billion profit / 5 mill in 12 weeks
Is 29$
That's $7.8 billion in bank profits per annum I think they are about $6 billion altogether so that would be $23 per week from every person in NZ
Ouch
Don't shoot the messenger, wags. Thats just a more or less plain english description of what the RBNZ is planning to achieve via monetary policy.
The messenger is part of the establishment, so fuck im ,fire at will!!
'been spending most of life….living in a banksters….paradise'!![laugh laugh](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/teeth_smile.png?x42494)
"THERE HAS GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY "
the profit Lenny Kravitz I believe
I think, in general, that jobs might be lost if people demanded higher wages to compensate for the inflation. That would seem to be the theory.
Belive me I'm less than pleased that just when I finally got into a wage bracket that I thought might give me a chance of getting some security for my future, just got gobbled by the inflation monster, but I don't want 50,000 extra people on the dole to fix it for me.
Now that you have received an increase in income, do you feel that you are better off than before?
Yes but inflation has nicked a decent chunk of it, and no I don't think it's 'cindys' fault if that's where you going jimmy old boy.
No wasn't 'going there at all'. A large portion of the inflation is beyond NZ's control and would not matter who was in government.
Some though is definitely due to the reserve bank.
I genuinely think that making ends meet and affording petrol, groceries, mortgage and rent payments are the biggest and most immediate concern to many NZers. Many people have had pay increases this year (and it is a good time to ask the boss for a rise), but I think it will really tighten up next year with many companies unable to afford to give further pay increases.
As NZ inflation is mostly less than our trading partners.
No. It is not due to the reserve bank.
Except, of course for the house price inflation over the last several decades, Which is due to tax policy since the 90's, lack of curbs on foriegn "investment" and imported cheap labour numbers.
NZ inflation is greater then all our trading partners except the Americas and Europe.
The NZ $/US$ of which all trade is realized to include Freight and insurance has depreciated 14.4% YTD,
Our current account is 7.1% of gdp and is nearing the worst it has been,our debt loading is increasing as is government debt and with an increasing interest bill on sovereign debt doubling over the next 2 years.
High interest rates are here to stay,the days of easy money are gone,and can only be dampened when core inflation ( shelter,utilities and service inflation) reduces.
Nah, if there is such a concern of govt spending impacting interest rates then there will be a quiet conversation between Orr and Robertson (in a smoke filled room), followed by another round of QE and the govt owning more of its own debt.
If the RBNZ wanted interest rates at zero it could of course lower the OCR just as it has raised it recently.
This means sweet FA, but may well send you into a commenting frenzy.
The RBNZ balance sheet has increased around 7 billion since march,the so called QT has not happened as the RBNZ lent at OCR rates to Banks ( 12 billion to xmas)
https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/series/reserve-bank/our-balance-sheet
The Australian RBA took a hit removing all equity for a 36b loss on the effects of QE .
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/21/australias-central-bank-has-equity-wiped-out-by-billions-in-bond-losses.html
NZ debt is firmly in the hands of the kindness of strangers very similar to the UK were debt rates go through the roof.
https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/suspicious-minds-leave-uk-assets-all-shook-up-2022-09-14/
The only entity which can bankrupt a central bank is its legislature. This makes the question of central bank profit, loss and equity completely irrelevant. Unlike most entities, negative equity has zero impact on central banks ability to function.
Of course the way Citi bank talks about policy is in those terms because this is just the common language for "we recon the BofE should keep bumping interest rates up" (which co-incidentally helps Citi's profits). But, as Japans central bank policy is highlighting, alternate policies can equally be pursued at their discretion, including to lower interest rates.
Japan has 2 trillion in foreign exchange sitting in overseas banks,earning increasing interest payments.Its offshore investments outweigh its onshore foreign liabilities,this weak its 10 yr bond did not trade for 3 days.
The RBA decreased the ability to raise funds to protect its currency or Interest rates it de levered.
Sure, the RBA probably did for some combination of those reasons. But for some reason you didn't put it that way instead focusing on the "cost" of economic policy as if the RBA has any need to earn profits.
And regarding the BoJ (or other central banks) we can only evaluate any external limitations to its policy when they visibly buck market expectations and considering how that works. Highlighting foreign exchange reserves on a balance sheet is about as credible as the old story that, Japans long history of avoiding inflation while running QE for decades, was due to Japanese house wives saving rates.
Obviously when we consider some of the actual outcomes of RBNZ policy (e.g maybe 50,000 additional unemployed) some people are proposing its time to actually run some of the experiments and see how these theories stack up. Frankly if the NZ exchange rate fluctuates 2% off US inflation coming in low (but somehow also above market expectations), we could maybe focus on the economic policy bits we can actually control.
The Japanese household saving rate in July (last data) was 37.7% of disposable income..
With unemployment and some model showing 50k,would it not be better to reduce immigration,( which is a similar number) or would there be just a pool of unemployable.
Jobs full time positions increased by 7000 in the week ending 14/8.When the data reflects a decrease in value,the first affects will be in the service industry which it seems is not affected.
https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/employment-indicators-weekly-as-at-19-september-2022/
Sure, maintaining the lower immigration rate does seem to be having some positive outcomes for NZ.
As far as RBNZ policy implementation goes, their official policy position of running a raised cash rate, is supposed to flow through to the economy via elevated unemployment. AFAIK their expectations should be that domestic inflation will not decrease without the extra 50,000 unemployed. But this seems to have changed since they were initially just saying the country would need to accept the transitory (e.g. supply side) inflation and spread its burden fairly until it abated.
The fundamental question appears unstated….what can the NZD provide?
The answer is very little…. and even less if it is undesired offshore.
A low nz$ makes assets very cheap,especially rural land.
And inputs expensive…and it is all relative as your 'trading partner inflation rate' comment indicates.
A major issue is our exchange rate volatility….it makes long term investment decisions problematic…who will (either onshore or off) commit capital when any decision can be rendered a loser with a currency swing such as we have been subjected to the past 40 years?…a low of 0.39 to near parity with the world default trading currency and widly variable in between.
True,some will have local substitution possibilities such as cereal imported from Aus,where a new bulker on the coast will make shipping competitive SI-NI,cheaper then oz-nz. (up 70m in August)
So. Most of them. As I said.
No .not by price or volume.
https://www.worldstopexports.com/new-zealands-top-trade-partners/
Trading partners are not only "exports".
From your own link. Which is about export reciepts.
Imported inflation comes from imports and services supplied from overseas, does it not?
Global inflation tracker: see how your country compares on rising prices | Financial Times (ft.com)
Of the top 10 import countries into NZ,only the US and Germany have higher inflation rates.
The largest increases in cost are actually freight rates,insurance etc,with import values include CIF, which are now starting to contract.
The argument was not all our trading partners have high inflation,which excluding the Americas and Europe (excluding switzerland) they do not.
President of France Jacques Chirac knew in 1996. Hs told the ILO that the economy serves the people and not the other way round.
https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_008059/lang–en/index.htm
How much further away from a notion of a decent society is that 5% of the people should be unemployed so that others may prosper. This latest advocate talks of a necessary pain. One Mark Lister gives away the mantle of altruism to the unemployed when he would better serve us and himself by trying a little altruism in his own life.
“You’ve got to cause some pain. You’ve
got to create some unemployment” he said. Marlborough Express Sept 23 2022 page 7 Business section
Anybody's pain but mine…….
What a truly ugly man
Have these people not twigged the inherent stupidity of their version of an economy where it is argued that we need more workers and also we need more unemployment?
Locally in Rotorua its 11%. – per the pre election report from the current Rotorua council.
5%unemployment in Rotorua currently would be awesome.
Will somebody please ask Luxon for his 'wisdom' on this.
Wisdom? Best laugh of the day Barfly!! Opinion yes… Wisdom lol,
no!! He will lead with his arrogant chin.
Here's an interesting take on this:
Which 50 000 has to go?
If it's supply and demand issues, then we must get rid of the useless from the workforce, not the actual workers who produce the supply! Anything else would be madness. We know who is essential now (we've always known), the people who actually keep the lights on.
But there are others:
Economists are clearly useless, how many of them are there?
There's bound to be plenty of middle management playing paper-go-round in plenty of places.
Who must go?
Reminds me of the Douglas Adams Golgafrinchams
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/hitchhikers/guide/golgafrincham.shtml
We do know that the social value of a banker is negative but hospital cleaners add x15 the value of their salary.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/dec/14/new-economics-foundation-social-value
Economists are funny, one day they say we need more unemployment to reduce inflation BUT the next day they say the economy lacks workers and we need more migration.
These two things are not coherent. They and their neo-liberal school are out of their depth in the real world 2022.
I'll note that when Muldoon was PM 1976-1981 there was 5 years of wage growth/inflation during which house prices flatlined and fell in real terms.
Inflation reduces the real value of assets (which one can note are overvalued) and debt (good for coming out of the QE debt of the GFC and pandemic). Containing inflation by holding down wages merely to preserve the asset wealth of a privileged elite (after a period of extreme inequality) is risible.
RBG's applying neo-liberal policy are going to risk populist pressure to the democratic fabric in way not seen since the 1930's.
You can have both national proved that I believe last time , flood the country with cheep foreign labour ,have kiwis on the dole , added bonus is a bigger target for right wingers to hate on.
… they'll allow prison for profit growth to manage homelessness (known as three strikes and clearances for urban renewal in the USA and here to manage the lack of housing).
That is actually coherent. More imported cheap labour = in their minds, more unemployed, less wage rises and less inflation.
The idea that you fight inflation by driving down wage price pressure regardless of other factors.
Obviously it means workers, and unemployed pay all the coats of reducing inflation. But we can't have banks and assett/housing speculators taking the pain instead, can we??
All the costs???
Both will take the hit…a consequence of the interest rate hikes is asset depreciation. (or revaluation)
Wealth destruction,global sharemarkets 25 trillion ytd,Crypto 2 trillion,Housing will be big here as the half billion pumped bubble implodes.
https://edition.cnn.com/markets/fear-and-greed
Why do you think, speculators and banks are so keen on wages taking the hit to contain inflation?
So they don't, of course!
I would argue the stimulus from population growth (more migrants) would in fact increase demand/inflation.
Hubby and I banked with ANZ – well firstly the National Bank, for 55 years. We told them where to go 3 years ago and moved to Kiwibank. We'd had enough of their utterings from John Key and the CEO in Melbourne (who I believe is a Kiwi) who threatened to close the N Z division down. I guess he was bluffing, but sheesh, what a tosser. Sharon Zollner also needs to pull her head in, but of course the unemployment subject is a favourite among such pointy heads who wouldn't be at all affected by such a move. Just don't get me going on the report in the Herald today about the Mood of the Boardroom![devil devil](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/devil_smile.png?x42494)
The Former Guy claims he declassified the documents he removed from the White House just by thinking about it. We didn't know he has the amazing superpower of teledeclassification.
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2022/9/22/2124549/-Donald-Trump-claims-he-declassified-documents-by-thinking-about-it-but-that-s-not-the-worst-thing
Plotting, scheming, embezzling, gouging, dodging, lying, bullying–all skills Mr Mango Mussolini has amply demonstrated–but thinking? is a stretch.
In a fairer world Mr Trump would have been locked up years ago, but the US political establishment really has not chosen its battles with the ex President wisely at all.
Donald who?
He's not a well man.
https://twitter.com/ZTPetrizzo/status/1573012229661810694
New Zealand's very own Fox News, the NZ Herald, running their annual hit job on the left today. It is laughably titled, "The Mood of the Boardroom" – a name so suffused with fake gravitas it can only have come from the ponderously dull Fran O'Sullivan. The conclusion of 90 CEOs and 18 Directors is that this is the worst government since Muldoon. Yawn – rich, powerful private sector interests wanting the playing field tipped in their favour, and completely without irony, equating that with good economic management.
The winter of discontent team leader (2000) also ran an ad/editorial demanding New Zealand voters prevent a Labour-Green government (2005). Must have been so sad there when one law for all, across the board tax cuts (less money for poor families), keep interest on tertiary loans Don Brash was defeated
(Winston Peters kept his word to go with the party with more votes – Labour)(but in its way NZH represents the Koch brothers denial of need for global warming action and maintenance of a neo-liberal global regime)
The government must be doing something right then.![smiley smiley](https://cdn2.thestandard.org.nz/wp-content/plugins/ark-wysiwyg-comment-editor/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.png?x42494)
Yep, and one of the Herald and ZB adherents – who also happens to be a relative – told me yesterday we have a Communist government and its going to go next year before we are all destroyed.
Does anyone know where I can locate a membership form for the VFF crowd so I can send it to her? Or the Brash crowd will do – Hobson's Choice they call themselves? 😛
But, but, but if we have a Communist Government it is headed by a 'pretty little communist' isn't it and that must count for something surely. I mean better a pretty little communist than some idiot riding a bear? Your relative should thank their lucky stars. I didn't see the man on the bear being pressed to speak at the UN or being invited to the Queen's funeral.
I know the 'pretty little comm' is correct as I read it on a poster on the tractors and trucks in the Groundswill protest. And farmers know everything don't they? Those ones do anyway.
Perhaps get a membership form for Groundswell too so she can feel the faint pulse of this crowd from the rural sector. They are not supported by the majority of rural dwellers that I can see so should be a good match for VFF & Brash's rush of blood to the head group.
Actually I think it is the "pretty little communist:" who started it cos the plc is very attractive and intelligent and she's younger and oh so popular with her overseas peers.
Its called jealousy and afflicts a lot of women. HDPA is another example.
Yes indeed.
The Mood of the Boardroom in the Herald is just more right wing propaganda. Plenty more to come daily from Ganny Herald folks.
As a swing voter looking for excuses to stay with Labour, I'm finding it harder by the day. This so called '' hit job'' on Labour was in reality a reflection of what many voting people are pondering. Grant Robertson taking at hit in the ratings should be ringing alarm bells. He has generally until now been well tolerated by the opposition and general public. For me there were some surprises in the survey. Co-governance having some support for example. Labour has been given fair warning. They can continue to flip off such findings as the deluded rantings of rich white boys wanting more bucks in their pockets, or they can cross reference this survey with public opinion polls, gain a reality check, and do something about it.
25-26% of rain forest loss …
A study on Vitamin D levels and health outcomes.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8541492/
.
Blimey ! You appear to be the first tragically-smug Woke dogmatist here to conspicuously break ranks from the well-rehearsed narrative that Vitamin D is all part of some Far Right Trumpist conspiracy theory to deliberately perplex the hoi polloi who lack the "unusually refined moral & intellectual sensibilities" of those wannabe elites trapped in your stifling little echo-chamber.
How did dear old muttonbird put it, again ? … oh yes:
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03-08-2022/#comment-1903527
I was posting John Campbell on this back in 2020. and also on old fashioned “aspiration” in vaccination.
The only reason I take my vitamins is when instructed by my partner, and I don't think they are doing anything either.
I will now compare myself to Niels Bohr.
https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/magic-shows/miscellany/niels-bohrs-lucky-horseshoe
Meanwhile the Medical Council of NZ says that Vitamin D supplementation is not required, except in some very specific population categories:
Unlike the Northern Hemisphere, Kiwis in general get enough sun exposure to ensure our levels are well within the healthy range.
Vitamin D prescription in NZ doesn't correlate with a reduction in the known medical consequences of low rates (rickets, etc). And is no longer prescribed for prevention of osteoporisis (no clinical benefit). It seems as though most prescriptions are to the 'worried well'
https://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal-articles/vitamin-d-deficiency-supplementation-and-testing-have-we-got-it-right-in-new-zealand
Has anyone seen this rating of each Auckland Councillor?
Rating every Auckland councillor: Bernard Orsman and Simon Wilson give their verdicts – NZ Herald
It's Herald Premium content – but Aucklander's with a library card should be able to view it using Press Reader, through the library website.
I think this is absolutely accurate
CEOs give the govt. a fail report card. 'Wost Govt since Muldoon': Ardern, Robertson blasted by business leaders in CEO survey (msn.com)
Even from the title the illiteracy of said CEOs suggests their opinion is less than bankable.
Yes just get woser and woser really.
Stuart-listen to this afternoon's The Panel on RNZ. Fran O'Sullivan got a roasting, got pissed off and basically fell apart when questioned by Panel members about the Mood of the Boardroom survey.
Here it is:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018859987
Fran O….ex NBR…now with NZ Herald ….is so biased it's hard to take her…seriously.
I'm going to differ with you there. Fran is a damned good journalist when she sets her mind to it. I'll grant you, that may be less than half the time, but she knocks sad idiot panel hacks out of the park from time to time. It's just that she spends too much time rubbing elbows with CEOs to be a full-on Blomkvist.
"Fran O'Sullivan got a roasting, got pissed off and basically fell apart when questioned by Panel members about the Mood of the Boardroom survey."
Think we must have listened to a different panel discussion
Perhaps Shanreagh and Anne describe it better below, but I stand by the fact that O'Sullivan was very unimpressive, mostly because she was defending the indefensible because the Mood of the Boardroom survey is wrong to attack the performance of this government.
From about 10.00 in. But, but, splutter is a good summary of Fran's response to some of Simon Wilson's questions…she quickly switched to saying it was a snapshot of a mood and overseas there was inflation that the CE's were reflecting on.
Most unimpressive but then these are not a group given to self reflection or acknowledgement that we have faced tough times. She did not seem to have an answer to the query about pushback on paying workers more being a way to lift people out of poverty……something that the CE's group are ostensibly concerned about.
The group does not include large NGOs
The best response was made by Wallace Chapman when he pointed out that the report did not acknowledge the fact this government had been through a major pandemic that no other government in NZ has had to grapple with, and was able to bring NZ through in far better shape than most other countries.
I note Fran O'Sullivan immediately changed tack and pointed out that the pandemic emergency has passed, and the CEO's are concerned about what is happening now.
I paraphrase both responses.
Surely what is happening now is a direct consequence of that pandemic and the world wide disruptions etc. it created. All the blame cannot be laid at the feet of the government. It will take time to re-establish normality in all sections of society including the business sector, so it is disingenuous to pass judgement at this stage of the procedure.
I gather also there was no mention of the impact being felt over the Russia/Ukraine conflict.
Yes Anne, 'disingenuous' is a good word to describe the responses from the CEOs being discussed with Fran O'Sullivan.
As well there have been thoughts that while the situation was 'fluid' we could generally have a look at whether we wanted to go back to BAU circa 2021 or if we could be 'nimble' and take the opportunities for change.
NZ used to have a reputation for this nimbleness in days gone by not so long ago. Nimbleness is not a product of $$$$ or of handouts but of far-sightedness in business and brains working. Also adequate R & D and product and market investigation and investment.
Perhaps the CEs have been struck down by a late arriving variant of the Moaning Minnie virus that my ‘research’ showed accompanied earlier Covid variants in the general population.
This Covid virus has been long lasting, we have had to help those affected and so we have had to take time to deal with it. Some of the responses I have seen have built on the bull kaka that every country in the world except NZ has moved on. Partner is in the south of Italy travelling by public transport and says operators of public transport are fanatical about continued mask wearing on buses etc. NB NZ has no mask wearing restrictions on public transport.