“In November support for the newly elected Labour/NZ First/Greens Government was 54.5% (up 6% since early October) ahead of National/Act NZ on 41% (down 5.5%) with minor parties outside Parliament attracting the remaining 4.5% of support.”
Michelle Levine goes on to say:
“Ardern’s rise to the top job has seen an unprecedented spike in the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating – with 66.5% (up 8% since October) of New Zealanders saying New Zealand is ‘heading in the right direction’ contributing to a Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating of 146.5 – the highest in nearly 8 years.”
New Zealanders saying New Zealand is ‘heading in the right direction’ contributing to a Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating of 146.5 – the highest in nearly 8 years.”
The new government is enjoying a very good Confidence Rating – very similar to the levels of the last new government.
North
Can you discuss the ideas please and stop showing your unreasoning bias and prejudice in your attitude to CV?
I’m thinking here about the hostile personal response that CV seems to draw from a group of commenters here. It should be noted how this is an example of human behaviour that arises and leads to awful behaviour if unchecked. Someone is set up to be a pariah and vengeful negative attitudes are expressed and this builds in certain others. They combine and feel justified in joining in some negative action. In this case, in this forum, it takes the form of constant pecking by some commenters at the person themself, and heavy disagreement and contention with everything said in an effort to change the opinion to what is agreeable to the inquisitors, and there is animal-like hostile behaviour.
It is different from taking exception to someone who is an everyday RW wingnut. This person has a sincere fixed opinion that is not simply Party-oriented, rote learned and part of the accepted wisdom of the comfortable classes. Instead of mining the view and trying to gain perspective, the
intransigence of the commenter in taking a different line, is to be stifled and demolished.
tq. Holding onto fair and useful behaviour standards that work for us is important.
Because many civilised standards we thought were base to us and set in concrete are slipping away or just getting lip service, we become in danger of them being replaced by rigid authoritarian purist ‘strong-man’ or classist controls. We need balance and to hold that balance or we’ll get society that allows exclusion, hate and force at will.
Just to carry through on this thought. Think gun use in USA. and their lack of personal control and apparent inability to have reasonable redress through mediation on annoying situations. It has become acceptable to deal with people using force.
And the growth of diminishment and harrassment of people defined as ‘other’ and ‘them’ shows up in this example from Nazi Germany. As time went on and Jewish people were turned into pariahs by the authorities, no Jewish, or part Jewish family was allowed to keep a pet. ‘All pets should live in good Aryan homes.’ Just read it when I was reading some Klemperer, for those who are interested; it was classed as sadism by him. (I add that Victor Klemperer was amazed at the solidarity examples he met every day from ordinary Germans, who wished him well. They might give him some extra meat, or swear at the Fuhrer etc. You don’t hear much about the German people under the Nazi boot. But he notices it is from the proles that he receives these thoughtful honours, from communists and socialists.)
Cheers grey, well said.
It reminds me of two wise women- Helenen Kelly and my nana.
“Be kind to each other” and “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”
With this quote ‘there are no economists picking a recession for Jacinda Ardern’s Government.’ Dann proves he knows very little about what independent economists are saying.
I assume he takes the words of the BNZ, Westpac and ANZ economists at face value….
Has he heard of the term ‘ vested interests ‘?
There is a reason those banks are playing it down.
To banks and their economists and the wealthy people riding the prosperity wave, NZ is an investment vehicle, something that can travel on land or water! They have a licence to drive it, and they want to go wherever they wish.
Funny thing was he didn’t think much of the Forbes article because if he did it would have meant nats had been useless with nz finances. (End of the clip on the link)
He still talked a lot of shite about most other things however
George Monbiot
‘Our relentless consumption is trashing the planet.’
‘When you hear that something makes economic sense, this means it makes the opposite of common sense. Those sensible men and women who run the world’s treasuries and central banks, who see an indefinite rise in consumption as normal and necessary, are beserkers: smashing through the wonders of the living world, destroying the prosperity of future generations to sustain a set of figures that bear ever less relation to general welfare.
Green consumerism, material decoupling, sustainable growth: all are illusions, designed to justify an economic model that is driving us to catastrophe. The current system, based on private luxury and public squalor, will immiserate us all: under this model, luxury and deprivation are one beast with two heads.
We need a different system, rooted not in economic abstractions but in physical realities, that establish the parameters by which we judge its health. We need to build a world in which growth is unnecessary, a world of private sufficiency and public luxury. And we must do it before catastrophe forces our hand.’
‘Because here we are in 2016. The planet is burning in front of our eyes but we’re still going to buy those gifts, damn it! Because the world’s a grim and depressing place, so shut up and let me do this for strangers, as well as friends and family. I want to make them smile. Don’t judge me!
But I am going to judge you, and judge you hard. Strap yourself in.
If you’re not consciously thinking about this stuff, then you’re part of the problem.
Study after study shows that consumption now dwarfs population as the main environmental threat on earth.
Indeed, most of the extra consumption has so far been – but is rapidly changing – in wealthy countries that have long since stopped adding substantial numbers to their population. Like us.
Moreover, is it making anybody happy? Will those carefully wrapped presents in all their plastic glory keep anyone deeply delighted for more than an hour or two? Let’s be honest with ourselves.
Sure, I get that you want to please your kids but, really? Is this the way to go? Is there not an argument for opting out of this madness and telling them why?
I’m sure that most Secret Santa fans (and many bog-standard Xmas worshippers) are sane, rational human beings. They’re among the first to jump on social media and lament the loss of hundreds of species a day, or the vast inequality and poverty we see in our own country and around the world.
Except ironically, there appears to be this huge disconnect about what causes these events. Capitalism will literally be the death of us, our children, and humanity. But still we turn away, avert our eyes and do little to change the perfect storm bearing down on us.
It’s getting beyond urgent but, hey, let’s all have a cutesy cultural norm of a festive season. The economy depends on it, and the unequal wealth generated from it needs to be distributed to the usual suspects. Growth, growth, growth!
While you’re sitting around the tucker table and raising a glass to family, all misty-eyed about how much you care about future generations, raise the subject of just how serious climate change is becoming. How the Arctic ice is melting as quickly as the ice cream left out of the freezer by Uncle Bob. See how that conversation goes down.
They’ll call you “Grinch” and tell you to just enjoy the day. There’s nothing you can do about it anyway. Which is exactly how we got into this hellbeast of a planetary mess.’
All the evidence tells us that we should stop doing what we are but our politicians and rich people tell us that it can be no other way, There Is No Alternative (TINA).
This is, of course, bollocks. A few people just don’t want all the wealth and power that they’ve absconded with taken from them as it needs to be.
Country of origin labling should be part of the consumers guarantees act so we can chose wisely the quality of what we eat that’s the angle I would take on that subject of food labeling .
If I see or find a good Idea I don’t care were It comes from I will use it as the good idea will make me more successful and could save time and money so don’t listen to the bullies people talk about China controlling there people.
OUR world can see that our coalition government is honest and humane government
and Jacinda popularity is rising and so is OUR’s with her ka pai Forbes well they are all about the wealthy !!!!!!! so there statements are bullshit. Remember this Iwi it is not a fact until it is proven to be a fact 300 od years ago we would believe that OUR earth is flat now we no it is not flat but some idiot is spending heaps of money to try and prove that it is flat well that’s what the bullies are trying to do to they are making statements to try and damage Eco Maori Me YEA Right this shows the quality of our civil servants left to us from 9 years of national Its not about Justice Its about the system is always being right. Winston that’s exactly what I was thinking that one would have to be a soothsayer to answer Jack’s question . Ka pai
If I see or find a good Idea I don’t care were It comes from I will use it as the good idea will make me more successful and could save time and money so don’t listen to the bullies people talk about China controlling there people.
China is building influence around the world in subtle and not so subtle ways.
We should be concerned about this. China should not have influence upon our politicians or any other country’s politicians.
Remember this Iwi it is not a fact until it is proven to be a fact 300 od years ago we would believe that OUR earth is flat…
The idea of a spherical Earth appeared in Greek philosophy with Pythagoras (6th century BC), although most pre-Socratics (6th – 5th century BC) retained the flat Earth model. Aristotle provided evidence for the spherical shape of the Earth on empirical grounds by around 330 BC. Knowledge of the spherical Earth gradually began to spread beyond the Hellenistic world from then on.
But, yes, belief still existed beyond that. The same can be said of capitalism. It’s been proven to be a failure, time and time again, and yet still people believe it to be the only workable socio-economic system.
But, after all that, I still have NFI WTF you were going on about. There’s no context and no logical progression to your rant.
Well I’m thinking of running in my local elections next time they come up I will stir them up and make them serve the people and mother earth.
On shortages of labour these people are crying that they need 5000 workers . In reality it is much cheaper for business to hire foreign labour It is cheaper to recruit them and pay them . So the big picture is Business will have to part with more cash to recruit Kiwi’s as OUR unemployment rate aint O% so Kiwi workers are there waiting for work and business will have to treat OUR kiwi workers like diamonds and polish and look after them which is what happens under a left lead Government. I can remember when
the Helen Clark Government won our election the price of fuel went up this is big business response to a Government that puts Iwi before there profits WHAT big business has not grasped is that the more evenly that OUR resources are spread the more we have to spend an the more profits they make everyone’s happy so if I was a big business CEO I would be backing OUR new coalition government . Many thanks to OUR lady’s sports teams for there win’s I can see that you don’t like publicity but this is the way OUR world works and this is what is needed to get more ladies into power to run OUR world in a humane way Kia Kaha ladies I like horses they are wonderful intelligent beings as all animals are .Ka pai
Eco, we in the Greens have been wanting “country of origin” labelling for years. If my memory serves me well it was turned down by Helen’s lot. The food industry has powerful lobbyists and doesn’t want us to know the truth about our foods in so many ways.
The woman said she was “shocked and confused” by Harris’s actions.
“I certainly didn’t flirt with him. He could have been my grandfather,” she said. She did not complain to the police at the time because even her father was dismissive when he heard what happened, the court was told.
After telling her father Harris was a “dirty old man” and had “a bit of a go”, she said he replied: “you shouldn’t have worn that tight pink jumper”.
“GROPERS” is presented by GroperWatch, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc. More gropers…
No.1 George Herbert Walker Bush; No. 2 Bill O’Reilly; No. 3 Al Franken; No. 4 Robin Brooke; No. 5 Lester Beck; No. 6 Arnold Schwarzenegger; No. 7 Joe Biden
Yes of course. Clinton was the arch-groper, before the arrival of that alien life force that now pretends to be a president. Keep an eye out, my friend!
Deadbeat Dads
No. 5: This Old Etonian pig f***er treated his eight year old daughter with almost the same cavalier disregard as he treated the poor.
Its disclosure in the Sun newspaper has the potential to embarrass Cameron, coming on the day the government launched a fresh drive to tackle “problem families” who lead chaotic lives and cost taxpayers millions of pounds in policing and welfare costs.
Cameron and his wife Samantha only discovered their eldest child was missing when they returned to their official country residence, Chequers in Buckinghamshire, 40 miles northwest of London.
Working For Families is not included in the review and gets its own review.
Other members of the group will be announced before Christmas and will include a diverse range of tax and finance experts, Robertson said. Final recommendations are expected by February 2019, but significant changes would not come into force until the 2021 tax year – as promised on the election campaign.
Certain areas will be outside the group’s scope, including increasing income tax rates, the rate of GST, inheritance tax and changes that would apply to the family home or the land beneath it.
This is going to cost $4 million!
Reading the Herald article I reckon they could do it for the price of a single copy of the paper. All you would have to do is cut out Robertson’s instructions and hand them back to him. He has told them every thing the are to put in, or leave out, right there.
Meanwhile another $4,000,000.00 goes down the drain.
What the hell is the point if increasing income tax rates, GST rates, inheritance tax and land tax are out of scope? Those are exactly the things that need to change!
I’m a little…uneasy about all this. Do people get second chances or not, is he “allowed” to go back to his former occupation as others have and if not why not?
Is tv presenting a job or is it something exalted so is a privilege, if he was a storeperson or a builder or something else would people still care
Sure. I can’t imagine Himmler saying “Actually I feel pretty bad about the Holocaust now” and everyone saying “Oh, he’s sorry now, give him another chance.”
Veitch would be redeemable, but there are a few things involved in redemption. First up is remorse – Veitch has never shown any. If anything, he considers himself a constant victim of liberal virtue-signallers.
Next up is self-reflection and awareness of why people are angry about what you did. Veitch’s level of self-awareness is well illustrated by his tweet describing his new show as “hard-hitting.”
PR, the thing with domestic violence is they usually have been given many second chances. There’s usually been many more incidents before one gets the police involved.
If Veitch were working for some outfit in their media stable would Stuff have been so condemnatory? (Don’t for heaven’s sake suggest they wouldn’t take him on because they have ethics or morals.)
I don’t like him at all in his work. I do not like his style of person. He eminently suits the way the media operates in 2017.
For some to say he shouldn’t be given a platform though, he’s had a prominent radio platform for some years since his case. There is no reason if those protesting are to be consistent that the campaign against him cannot be taken to NZME.
Having said that, there are some who seemingly still wouldn’t be be satisfied even if he committed Hara-Kiri on the steps of Parliament.
At least Veitch can smile about the Veitch type hyperbole and ‘journalism’ from Kylie Klein Nixon on Stuff: “Do you know what it takes to break a human back? Apparently it’s roughly 4000 newtons, or enough force to bend a car door in half.”
She mightn’t have had much to do with others who’ve had bones broken in their backs but she sure listened to the advice about spicing up an article.
Well, yes, she could just have written “You have to kick someone pretty fucking hard to fracture their spine” instead, but I don’t think Veitchy comes out of that smelling any sweeter.
I stopped listening to radiosport when they re employed him with unseemly haste and advised SKY this morning I woukd cancel that subscription. Both stances are about the brushing aside of domestic violence cos sport is king and so forth
Media roles are public roles. These days, whether you’re a politician, sports player, or talking head, people look up to you. You set an example. It’s part of the job.
Part of Veitch’s problem is that he not only did a seriously bad thing, but he still really has no idea why it was bad and is completely tone deaf when it comes to his actions. See milt’s comment for what “redemption” can mean.
edit: the thing about media personalities is that they leverage their work off their image. So if they do something that screws with their image and then complain that they can’t get work, it’s like me downloading viruses onto my work computer and complaining that the thing is running slow.
You do not get to choose to be a role model. Children choose who they look up to based on many reasons from pleasing tgeir parents to marketing. So those who say “he shouldnt be a role model” educate yourselves. The reason media get inflated salaries is precisely because we have distorted views of them. It irks me when people say this shit.
If he was a builder would he have had access to the NZHerald pages to claim that he was actually the victim while not apologising for the harm that he had caused?
For me i think the issue is that he is in the public eye, a public figure, and a sporting figure. I feel that’s different from being say a tradesperson, who would not be in the public eye, won’t be on any billboards etc.
Yeah I think that’s my hang up about it all. Sounds a bit two faced, one law for public figures and another for everyone else, but it’s how I feel. Maybe because I see someone who is a public figure as a possible role model for others, a public representation of a companies brand etc. And maybe my feelings have a bit to do with the whole macho sports thing, which seems to be cropping up again and again of late.
Maybe I would feel different about it if he had say made an effort to acknowledge his wrong doings by speaking to kids about domestic violence, like doing a boys school road show etc. Doing something rather than donating $ etc.
I heard on the wireless that he didn’t even apologise to the lady whose back he broke.
Honestly have no clue where his political preferences sit.
I suppose you must have a job to do that takes up some of your time.
I think it would probably be a full time occupation trying to keep up a record of all the times they flip/flop on a pledge.
Fortunately my job does come with a computer but unfortunately they kind of expect me to produce work every now and then so i won’t be able to list all of the governments failings
Mostly because I work so I can’t really spend as much time as I’d like on here because as enjoyable as this is sometimes its not as enjoyable as getting paid
“Partnership with the private sector is one thing, but misleading the public about the ambition of the policy is another. Because the 50 million trees a year private industry currently plants is almost entirely replanting, replacing trees which they’ve already cut down. In other words, that’s just planting to stand still. Worse, the required replanting rate is going to soar over the next decade, as the forests that were planted in the 1990’s are harvested. If private industry wants to avoid deforesting land (and paying the carbon costs for doing so), it will probably end up planting that billion trees itself.”
“More”? I suppose that 1, if it eventually occurs, is “more” than 0.
Based on this case, it seems that your comment is interchangable with “Don’t worry I’m sure there will be lots more consistent policy commitments being reiterated and achieved by the government”.
Excellent grassroots, bottom up initiative and with ten thousand of these, or more, say one in every town and every city suburb, we will have the basis of a living country we can all be proud of. What about a series of articles put out on government media, and under the heading of Growth in Micro-business, and added to each time an authenticated, well-run, near target, or not for profit business is ready to be exhibited to encourage the others? We need a pragmatic but not capitalistic manager with flexibility to lead this. And don’t have it anywhere near Stuart Nash Minister of Small Business.
The couple are still together… these guys abused their positions as police officers ( so will lose their jobs?)? And only 1 family supported the actions?
Really? From a legal perspective I am surprised. Thought they had mitigation arguments for sentencing but cannot see how they are not guilty of charges?
Well I decided to change the water pump in my truck well had to the fan belts were squeaking that means the bearing are gone there was movement in the pump. I rang around and found the cheapest pump in Rotorua but when I went pick it up the price had gone up buy $60 so I brought it I tried to get the original price but the boy just would not budge he gave me a cheap price to get me into the shop and change the price this shop is across the road from Repco I’m not going there again Ka pai. Now you iwi with vehicles that’s has a 21st well you must change the oil every six months because the oil is like the blood of the motor even if the oil is full if you do not charge the oil the oil gets thick as sludge and makes your car use more fuel and over heat and the gaskets will dry out and leak oil should only cost $50 for a petrol car for oil and filter and use you tube to show you how to change the oil on the make of your car type in make and year and how to change oil and you are away it’s good you got YouTube I had to learn by trial and error blew up 2 cars before I figure that out you will save $50 on your fuel bill in one month. lol Ka pai
PS Google how to change air filter to but you just have to give this a bang and vacuum the dust out of it if you can not afford a new air filter and that will save you fuel and money Ka Pai
Like to be a fly on the wall at the upper level’s of both WorkSafe, and Whittal’s insurance company right now.
And why should parties who engage in illegal and /or corrupt practices to avoid prosecution not be held accountable for both the corrupt / illegal practice and the original unlawful activity?
On the basis that the suppression of the charges was illegally purchased, therefore shouldn’t count.
Although that opens up a further can of worms about “charges dropped – 5 years later SURPRISE! They’re back on!”
It would be poetic that anyone complicit in such a deal should face sentencing according to the likely sentences of the original charges, had they obtained a conviction.
edit: although being on the same side as James does give me pause for thought, lol
“It is accepted by them that orders to set aside the
decision to offer no evidence and to require the prosecution to proceed is no longer an
available option with the passage of time”
Translation: an insurance company can buy you out of a worksafe charge, appeal it through the entire court system, and by the time the transaction is overruled you get away with it.
Considering that does seem to be what happened then charges of corruption need to be laid.
Unfortunately, we probably don’t have such charges. The lack of such charges seems to be based on the but we’re the least corrupt country in the world argument.
The company let Whittal take the fall in return for the insurance payout and then he woukd never have to defend himself which woukd probably impact a Board member or more?
I think he should. The charges were dropped on the understanding that >$3 million dollars was going to be paid to the families. Immediately after the charges were dropped the company would up and no payment was made.
And that >$3 million plus interest should now come directly out of his pocket.
Yeah, it was. I quickly read in an article this morning that they’d received no payment but that must have been the company that hadn’t paid because it got folded up before hand.
Are you actually claiming that no payment was ever made?
If that is what you mean do you have any evidence for that claim?
It wasn’t the mine owners who were supposed to be paying, and who were the company that was wound up.
It was their Insurance company.
The decision makes an interesting read. Examining the machinations required to make the illegal appear legal is truly fascinating.
I’m not overly impressed that… “Further legal advice was then taken from in-house counsel, as well from Mr Stanaway and Crown Law, although privilege in the advice was not waived and details are not before the Court.”
You’d think that under the circumstances, some pressure would be brought to bear to waive such privilege…..
The Marlborough Wairau plain sank a metre in the 1848 earthquake allowing vessels to ply the Opawa river to the site where Blenheim now stands. So both land movement and sea level change is possible, up or down. I understand that northern Europe is rising in reaction to the Ice Age being no more in a phenomenon called glacial rebound. ( Not that I’m trying to deny climate change).
Kiribati is a coral based island group I think and susceptible to undersea erosion. But still it doesn’t really matter to the people, as wet feet are very real and the future is grim. Considering the relatively tiny population it should be possible to rehouse in places like NZ.
ya think?…Christchurch cant manage to rehouse a few 10s of people in Southshore post quake…how will we deal with the likes of South Dunedin (i.e)?….the public and political will is not there….”Im alright Jack” exemplified
p.s on rereading i realise i have misinterpreted your post but will keep the post as the question is still valid
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A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
This article was prepared for publication yesterday. More ministerial announcements have been posted on the government’s official website since it was written. We will report on these later today …. Buzz from the BeehiveThere we were, thinking the environment is in trouble, when along came Jones. Shane Jones. ...
New Zealand now has the fourth most depressed construction sector in the world behind China, Qatar and Hong Kong. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 8:46am on Thursday, May 2:The Lead: ...
Hi,I am just going to state something very obvious: American police are fucking crazy.That was a photo gracing the New York Times this morning, showing New York City police “entering Columbia University last night after receiving a request from the school.”Apparently in America, protesting the deaths of tens of thousands ...
Winston Peters’ much anticipated foreign policy speech last night was a work of two halves. Much of it was a standard “boilerplate” Foreign Ministry overview of the state of the world. There was some hardening up of rhetoric with talk of “benign” becoming “malign” and old truths giving way to ...
Graham Adams assesses the fallout of the Cass Review — The press release last Thursday from the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls didn’t make the mainstream news in New Zealand but it really should have. The startling title of Reem Alsalem’s statement — “Implementation of ‘Cass ...
This open-for-business, under-new-management cliché-pockmarked government of Christopher Luxon is not the thing of beauty he imagines it to be. It is not the powerful expression of the will of the people that he asserts it to be. It is not a soaring eagle, it is a malodorous vulture. This newest poll should make ...
The latest labour market statistics, showing a rise in unemployment. There are now 134,000 unemployed - 14,000 more than when the National government took office. Which is I guess what happens when the Reserve Bank causes a recession in an effort to Keep Wages Low. The previous government saw a ...
Three opinion polls have been released in the last two days, all showing that the new government is failing to hold their popular support. The usual honeymoon experienced during the first year of a first term government is entirely absent. The political mood is still gloomy and discontented, mainly due ...
National's Finance Minister once met a poor person.A scornful interview with National's finance guru who knows next to nothing about economics or people.There might have been something a bit familiar if that was the headline I’d gone with today. It would of course have been in tribute to the article ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Throughout the pandemic, the new Vice-Chancellor-of-Otago-University-on-$629,000 per annum-Can-you-believe-it-and-Former-Finance-Minister Grant Robertson repeated the mantra over and over that he saved “lives and livelihoods”.As we update how this claim is faring over the course of time, the facts are increasingly speaking differently. NZ ...
Chris Trotter writes – IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in acknowledgement of electoral victory: “We’ll govern for all New Zealanders.” On the face of it, the pledge is a strange one. Why would any political leader govern in ways that advantaged the huge ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanita Yadav, Senior Research Fellow, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Brett Boardman/Belvoir The complex and grappling issue of violence against women takes centre stage in the soul-stirring solo dance drama Nayika: A Dancing Girl. During a dinner conversation ...
Disruption to patient care from a nationwide junior doctors strike is bordering on unsafe, a senior doctor claims, despite what health officials say. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Diepstraten, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Ground Picture/Shutterstock The anti-cancer drug abemaciclib (also known as Vernezio) has this month been added to the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to treat certain ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic McAfee, Postdoctoral researcher, marine ecology, University of Adelaide Robbie Porter, OzFish Unlimited Around Australia, hundreds of people are coming together to help a once-prized, but decimated and largely forgotten marine ecosystem. They’re busy restoring Australia’s native oyster and mussel reefs. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology Austin Human/Unsplash How does Earth stop meteors from hitting Earth and hurting people? –Asher, 6 years 11 months, New South Wales Alright, let’s embark on a meteor ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rory Mulcahy, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of the Sunshine Coast Professional sports organisations regularly promote and develop initiatives to support diversity, equity and inclusion. While sport has the power to change attitudes by sparking conversations about political issues and social ...
Comment: The weekly Monday post-Cabinet press conference is a useful forum for observing Christopher Luxon and how he is developing into the job of Prime Minister. He attempts to convey the impression of a man of action, speaking fast, delivering memorised National Party strategies in a connect-the-slogans kind of way, ...
Double votes, missing ballot boxes, tired tech and stressed staff: how tick-tallying went astray at last year’s election. Cast your mind back to November 2023, that bleary-eyed post-election period duringwhichwewaited, andwaited, for a coalition deal to be hammered out. A distraction from the hotel-hopping of our ...
International audiences are starting to discover what New Zealand already knew about After the Party.When After the Party aired in New Zealand last year, the response was fast and furious. In his preview for Rec Room, Duncan Greive said it was a “gritty, wrenching and highly confronting” series. By ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shahram Akbarzadeh, Convenor of the Middle East Studies Forum (MESF), and Acting Director the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University Iran’s leadership has been a direct beneficiary of the months-long war in Gaza. With every missile that Israel fires ...
Claire Mabey reviews the haunting and sexy debut novel from Sinéad Gleeson, who is about to touch down in Aotearoa for a string of live events.When Irish writer Sinéad Gleeson was in Aotearoa in 2018 with her spectacular collection of essays, Constellations, she told me she was working on ...
PNG Post-Courier Bougainville Affairs Minister Manasseh Makiba has described the Post-Courier’s front page story yesterday regarding a meeting between Bougainville and national government leaders as “sensationalised” and without substance. The Autonomous Bougainville Government (AGB) had warned it might use “other avenues to gain its independence” should the PNG government “continue ...
Where some saw the worst press conference given by the government to date, Anna Rawhiti-Connell recognised girl maths game.Nicola Willis, recently exasperated by comparisons to Ruth Richardson, said she was “a bit sick of being compared with every female finance minister that’s ever been out there.”Some think that’s ...
The March results are reported against forecasts based on the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2023 (HYEFU 2023), published on 20 December 2023 and the results for the same period for the previous year. ...
Jamie Arbuckle, the district councillor who became an MP but decided to keep getting paid for both roles, will instead donate one salary to charity. ...
Adding gender to the Human Rights Act would simply make the implicit explicit. So why is it so controversial? Paul Thistoll explain. At present, Aotearoa’s 1993 Human Rights Act (HRA) includes sex, marital status, religious belief, ethical belief (meaning a lack of religious belief), colour, race, ethnicity or national origin, ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, an 18-year-old who’s studying and working in hospo shares their approach to spending and saving. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Transmasc Age: 18 Ethnicity: Pākehā/Māori Role: Student, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Resources Minister Shane Jones has reportedly asked officials for advice on whether oil and gas companies could be offered “bonds” as compensation if drilling rights offered by ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Gleeson, Associate Professor of Law, Macquarie University Shutterstock The Albanese government is weighing up the costs of delivering an election promise to protect religious people from discrimination in Commonwealth law. Such protections were relatively uncontroversial when included in state anti-discrimination ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yen Ying Lim, Associate Professor, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio Dementia is often described as “the long goodbye”. Although the person is still alive, dementia slowly and irreversibly chips away at their memories and the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judy Bush, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Adam Calaitzis/Shutterstock I met with a friend for a walk beside Merri Creek, in inner Melbourne. She had lived in the area for a few years, and as we walked ...
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Roy Morgan
http://roymorgan.com/findings/7419-roy-morgan-new-zealand-voting-intention-november-2017-201711220740
“In November support for the newly elected Labour/NZ First/Greens Government was 54.5% (up 6% since early October) ahead of National/Act NZ on 41% (down 5.5%) with minor parties outside Parliament attracting the remaining 4.5% of support.”
Michelle Levine goes on to say:
“Ardern’s rise to the top job has seen an unprecedented spike in the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating – with 66.5% (up 8% since October) of New Zealanders saying New Zealand is ‘heading in the right direction’ contributing to a Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating of 146.5 – the highest in nearly 8 years.”
The new government is enjoying a very good Confidence Rating – very similar to the levels of the last new government.
So, I guess the “minority government” attack line will be wearing a bit thin already – next spin line , please?
Not exactly; National still knows that the LAB/GR election result is only 2.5% higher than the LAB/GR losing election result in 2008.
National knows that erosion around the edges is all that is needed for 2020.
Are you finding the Authoritarian Right more and more attractive CV?
North
Can you discuss the ideas please and stop showing your unreasoning bias and prejudice in your attitude to CV?
I’m thinking here about the hostile personal response that CV seems to draw from a group of commenters here. It should be noted how this is an example of human behaviour that arises and leads to awful behaviour if unchecked. Someone is set up to be a pariah and vengeful negative attitudes are expressed and this builds in certain others. They combine and feel justified in joining in some negative action. In this case, in this forum, it takes the form of constant pecking by some commenters at the person themself, and heavy disagreement and contention with everything said in an effort to change the opinion to what is agreeable to the inquisitors, and there is animal-like hostile behaviour.
It is different from taking exception to someone who is an everyday RW wingnut. This person has a sincere fixed opinion that is not simply Party-oriented, rote learned and part of the accepted wisdom of the comfortable classes. Instead of mining the view and trying to gain perspective, the
intransigence of the commenter in taking a different line, is to be stifled and demolished.
Hear hear, greywarshark!
Agree.
GW, you have a delivery which is thoughtful, explanatory and perceptive
tq. Holding onto fair and useful behaviour standards that work for us is important.
Because many civilised standards we thought were base to us and set in concrete are slipping away or just getting lip service, we become in danger of them being replaced by rigid authoritarian purist ‘strong-man’ or classist controls. We need balance and to hold that balance or we’ll get society that allows exclusion, hate and force at will.
Just to carry through on this thought. Think gun use in USA. and their lack of personal control and apparent inability to have reasonable redress through mediation on annoying situations. It has become acceptable to deal with people using force.
And the growth of diminishment and harrassment of people defined as ‘other’ and ‘them’ shows up in this example from Nazi Germany. As time went on and Jewish people were turned into pariahs by the authorities, no Jewish, or part Jewish family was allowed to keep a pet. ‘All pets should live in good Aryan homes.’ Just read it when I was reading some Klemperer, for those who are interested; it was classed as sadism by him. (I add that Victor Klemperer was amazed at the solidarity examples he met every day from ordinary Germans, who wished him well. They might give him some extra meat, or swear at the Fuhrer etc. You don’t hear much about the German people under the Nazi boot. But he notices it is from the proles that he receives these thoughtful honours, from communists and socialists.)
An upsurge of hatred against the other.
Mladic found guilty for Bosnia genocide and war crimes.
https://euobserver.com/justice/139981
Cheers grey, well said.
It reminds me of two wise women- Helenen Kelly and my nana.
“Be kind to each other” and “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”
Seen the comments…….fair enough.
on the flipside, I just didn’t want to get into another fucking argument about him yet again. My opinion’s pretty close to yours.
What Recession?
Liam Dann in the Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11946855
With this quote ‘there are no economists picking a recession for Jacinda Ardern’s Government.’ Dann proves he knows very little about what independent economists are saying.
I assume he takes the words of the BNZ, Westpac and ANZ economists at face value….
Has he heard of the term ‘ vested interests ‘?
There is a reason those banks are playing it down.
Ann Pettifor
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/brexit-economy-economists-predict-financial-crash-recession-2008-michael-fish-austerity-cant-solve-a7513416.html
Steve Keen
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/201845436/steve-keen-the-coming-crash
To banks and their economists and the wealthy people riding the prosperity wave, NZ is an investment vehicle, something that can travel on land or water! They have a licence to drive it, and they want to go wherever they wish.
Good stuff. joyce is talking about the dodgy Forbes article on radiolive at around 7.20am this morning, standby for the lies and the spin.
Don’t listen, boycott Natz, and take the ratings down.
But if you can’t help it, count how many times can Joyce say ‘minority government’.
Maybe as many as Teresa May says ‘safe and stable’?
No doubt they have similar advisers.
Funny thing was he didn’t think much of the Forbes article because if he did it would have meant nats had been useless with nz finances. (End of the clip on the link)
He still talked a lot of shite about most other things however
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/11/steven-joyce-brushes-off-controversial-forbes-article.html
George Monbiot
‘Our relentless consumption is trashing the planet.’
‘When you hear that something makes economic sense, this means it makes the opposite of common sense. Those sensible men and women who run the world’s treasuries and central banks, who see an indefinite rise in consumption as normal and necessary, are beserkers: smashing through the wonders of the living world, destroying the prosperity of future generations to sustain a set of figures that bear ever less relation to general welfare.
Green consumerism, material decoupling, sustainable growth: all are illusions, designed to justify an economic model that is driving us to catastrophe. The current system, based on private luxury and public squalor, will immiserate us all: under this model, luxury and deprivation are one beast with two heads.
We need a different system, rooted not in economic abstractions but in physical realities, that establish the parameters by which we judge its health. We need to build a world in which growth is unnecessary, a world of private sufficiency and public luxury. And we must do it before catastrophe forces our hand.’
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/22/black-friday-consumption-killing-planet-growth
And Rachel Stewart on the same subject.
‘Why Christmas is killing us all.’
‘Because here we are in 2016. The planet is burning in front of our eyes but we’re still going to buy those gifts, damn it! Because the world’s a grim and depressing place, so shut up and let me do this for strangers, as well as friends and family. I want to make them smile. Don’t judge me!
But I am going to judge you, and judge you hard. Strap yourself in.
If you’re not consciously thinking about this stuff, then you’re part of the problem.
Study after study shows that consumption now dwarfs population as the main environmental threat on earth.
Indeed, most of the extra consumption has so far been – but is rapidly changing – in wealthy countries that have long since stopped adding substantial numbers to their population. Like us.
Moreover, is it making anybody happy? Will those carefully wrapped presents in all their plastic glory keep anyone deeply delighted for more than an hour or two? Let’s be honest with ourselves.
Sure, I get that you want to please your kids but, really? Is this the way to go? Is there not an argument for opting out of this madness and telling them why?
I’m sure that most Secret Santa fans (and many bog-standard Xmas worshippers) are sane, rational human beings. They’re among the first to jump on social media and lament the loss of hundreds of species a day, or the vast inequality and poverty we see in our own country and around the world.
Except ironically, there appears to be this huge disconnect about what causes these events. Capitalism will literally be the death of us, our children, and humanity. But still we turn away, avert our eyes and do little to change the perfect storm bearing down on us.
It’s getting beyond urgent but, hey, let’s all have a cutesy cultural norm of a festive season. The economy depends on it, and the unequal wealth generated from it needs to be distributed to the usual suspects. Growth, growth, growth!
While you’re sitting around the tucker table and raising a glass to family, all misty-eyed about how much you care about future generations, raise the subject of just how serious climate change is becoming. How the Arctic ice is melting as quickly as the ice cream left out of the freezer by Uncle Bob. See how that conversation goes down.
They’ll call you “Grinch” and tell you to just enjoy the day. There’s nothing you can do about it anyway. Which is exactly how we got into this hellbeast of a planetary mess.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11770187
All the evidence tells us that we should stop doing what we are but our politicians and rich people tell us that it can be no other way, There Is No Alternative (TINA).
This is, of course, bollocks. A few people just don’t want all the wealth and power that they’ve absconded with taken from them as it needs to be.
Country of origin labling should be part of the consumers guarantees act so we can chose wisely the quality of what we eat that’s the angle I would take on that subject of food labeling .
If I see or find a good Idea I don’t care were It comes from I will use it as the good idea will make me more successful and could save time and money so don’t listen to the bullies people talk about China controlling there people.
OUR world can see that our coalition government is honest and humane government
and Jacinda popularity is rising and so is OUR’s with her ka pai Forbes well they are all about the wealthy !!!!!!! so there statements are bullshit. Remember this Iwi it is not a fact until it is proven to be a fact 300 od years ago we would believe that OUR earth is flat now we no it is not flat but some idiot is spending heaps of money to try and prove that it is flat well that’s what the bullies are trying to do to they are making statements to try and damage Eco Maori Me YEA Right this shows the quality of our civil servants left to us from 9 years of national Its not about Justice Its about the system is always being right. Winston that’s exactly what I was thinking that one would have to be a soothsayer to answer Jack’s question . Ka pai
+1 ecoMaori, “Country of origin labling should be part of the consumers guarantees act so we can chose”
China is building influence around the world in subtle and not so subtle ways.
We should be concerned about this. China should not have influence upon our politicians or any other country’s politicians.
The Ancient Greeks worked out that the Earth wasn’t flat over 2500 years ago:
But, yes, belief still existed beyond that. The same can be said of capitalism. It’s been proven to be a failure, time and time again, and yet still people believe it to be the only workable socio-economic system.
But, after all that, I still have NFI WTF you were going on about. There’s no context and no logical progression to your rant.
Well I’m thinking of running in my local elections next time they come up I will stir them up and make them serve the people and mother earth.
On shortages of labour these people are crying that they need 5000 workers . In reality it is much cheaper for business to hire foreign labour It is cheaper to recruit them and pay them . So the big picture is Business will have to part with more cash to recruit Kiwi’s as OUR unemployment rate aint O% so Kiwi workers are there waiting for work and business will have to treat OUR kiwi workers like diamonds and polish and look after them which is what happens under a left lead Government. I can remember when
the Helen Clark Government won our election the price of fuel went up this is big business response to a Government that puts Iwi before there profits WHAT big business has not grasped is that the more evenly that OUR resources are spread the more we have to spend an the more profits they make everyone’s happy so if I was a big business CEO I would be backing OUR new coalition government . Many thanks to OUR lady’s sports teams for there win’s I can see that you don’t like publicity but this is the way OUR world works and this is what is needed to get more ladies into power to run OUR world in a humane way Kia Kaha ladies I like horses they are wonderful intelligent beings as all animals are .Ka pai
If you believe in something, stand up for it. Kia kaha brother.
Eco, we in the Greens have been wanting “country of origin” labelling for years. If my memory serves me well it was turned down by Helen’s lot. The food industry has powerful lobbyists and doesn’t want us to know the truth about our foods in so many ways.
Gull got 10 cent discount today till 12 am tomorrow once again I filled up yesterday at Gull Ka pai
GROPERS
No. 8: Rolf Harris
https://donaldelley.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/rhs_rolfharris0.jpg
“GROPERS” is presented by GroperWatch, a division of Daisycutter Sports Inc.
More gropers…
No.1 George Herbert Walker Bush; No. 2 Bill O’Reilly; No. 3 Al Franken; No. 4 Robin Brooke; No. 5 Lester Beck; No. 6 Arnold Schwarzenegger; No. 7 Joe Biden
Plan on doing on on Bill Clinton ?
Yes of course. Clinton was the arch-groper, before the arrival of that alien life force that now pretends to be a president. Keep an eye out, my friend!
i’d call bill a sprayer as well as a groper loloololz, sorry couldn’t help it.
Deadbeat Dads
No. 5: This Old Etonian pig f***er treated his eight year old daughter with almost the same cavalier disregard as he treated the poor.
If you think that John Key is a deadbeat dad you are an idiot.
The evidence is there for you to see, if you look at it….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11737059
LOL – so the kid say something stupid (and it was).
He apologies, and his father calls it out as inappropriate in a nation wide paper.
He tells his son its not appropiate – and gets the kids promise not to do it again.
Thats been a good father – not a deadbeat dad.
Poor Maxie, struggling to find his identity.
Google loves you. Well your compliance and money – that it really loves.
The Rock keeps a smile on my face when i drive to work Kia Kaha IwI
Sorry cannot separate each video, but the first one Capitalism, if it wasn’t so true it would be funny.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/gritpost/videos/?ref=page_internal
Sir Michael Cullen will lead the Tax Working Group.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11947072
Working For Families is not included in the review and gets its own review.
Other members of the group will be announced before Christmas and will include a diverse range of tax and finance experts, Robertson said. Final recommendations are expected by February 2019, but significant changes would not come into force until the 2021 tax year – as promised on the election campaign.
Certain areas will be outside the group’s scope, including increasing income tax rates, the rate of GST, inheritance tax and changes that would apply to the family home or the land beneath it.
Any change won’t come into effect until 2021.
This is going to cost $4 million!
Reading the Herald article I reckon they could do it for the price of a single copy of the paper. All you would have to do is cut out Robertson’s instructions and hand them back to him. He has told them every thing the are to put in, or leave out, right there.
Meanwhile another $4,000,000.00 goes down the drain.
C’mon now Michael needs a fine taxpayer trough to gorge at now that his gig at NZ Post has finished.
National and Labour looking after their own since forever – a pox on them all.
You are right, $4M could get us 1/6th of a flag referendum.
What did the job summit cost? And the “nothing to see here but we will look anyway” trust investigation ( not as a result of panama papers)?
What the hell is the point if increasing income tax rates, GST rates, inheritance tax and land tax are out of scope? Those are exactly the things that need to change!
Look like they’re targeting company tax and capital gains taxes – which are also things that need to change.
But yeah, GST and personal income taxes especially need to be nuked and made more progressive, respectively.
Veitch quits the new show before he starts:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11947097
I’m a little…uneasy about all this. Do people get second chances or not, is he “allowed” to go back to his former occupation as others have and if not why not?
Is tv presenting a job or is it something exalted so is a privilege, if he was a storeperson or a builder or something else would people still care
Are some crimes irredeemable?
Have you not known he has been on Radiosport for years?
As for second chances, most beneficiaries get no chances in NZ and they didn’t break anyone’s back.
Don’t listen to Radiosport but does this mean you don’t think he should go back to doing what he was doing before?
No it means he is not without a job
Are some crimes irredeemable?
Sure. I can’t imagine Himmler saying “Actually I feel pretty bad about the Holocaust now” and everyone saying “Oh, he’s sorry now, give him another chance.”
Veitch would be redeemable, but there are a few things involved in redemption. First up is remorse – Veitch has never shown any. If anything, he considers himself a constant victim of liberal virtue-signallers.
Next up is self-reflection and awareness of why people are angry about what you did. Veitch’s level of self-awareness is well illustrated by his tweet describing his new show as “hard-hitting.”
Last up is humility. He has none.
PM
+1
PM
+1 and I do like your last line
“Last up is humility. He has none.”
Well said. P M
That pretty much covers it, yeah.
Hear, hear.
PR, the thing with domestic violence is they usually have been given many second chances. There’s usually been many more incidents before one gets the police involved.
I don’t watch or listen to the guy but would the reaction be the same if he was a tradesman, would people still be saying he shouldn’t be a builder?
Some of it is sounding uncomfortably like its because hes on the “wrong” team he shouldn’t have a job in broadcasting
If Veitch were working for some outfit in their media stable would Stuff have been so condemnatory? (Don’t for heaven’s sake suggest they wouldn’t take him on because they have ethics or morals.)
I don’t like him at all in his work. I do not like his style of person. He eminently suits the way the media operates in 2017.
For some to say he shouldn’t be given a platform though, he’s had a prominent radio platform for some years since his case. There is no reason if those protesting are to be consistent that the campaign against him cannot be taken to NZME.
Having said that, there are some who seemingly still wouldn’t be be satisfied even if he committed Hara-Kiri on the steps of Parliament.
At least Veitch can smile about the Veitch type hyperbole and ‘journalism’ from Kylie Klein Nixon on Stuff: “Do you know what it takes to break a human back? Apparently it’s roughly 4000 newtons, or enough force to bend a car door in half.”
She mightn’t have had much to do with others who’ve had bones broken in their backs but she sure listened to the advice about spicing up an article.
Well, yes, she could just have written “You have to kick someone pretty fucking hard to fracture their spine” instead, but I don’t think Veitchy comes out of that smelling any sweeter.
Plenty of people would be quite satisfied if he took up a building job and never made the public spotlight again.
I stopped listening to radiosport when they re employed him with unseemly haste and advised SKY this morning I woukd cancel that subscription. Both stances are about the brushing aside of domestic violence cos sport is king and so forth
And he shouldn’t have. Not until he’s adequately apologised and shown that he understands that what he did was wrong.
I expect Hell to freeze over first.
Media roles are public roles. These days, whether you’re a politician, sports player, or talking head, people look up to you. You set an example. It’s part of the job.
Part of Veitch’s problem is that he not only did a seriously bad thing, but he still really has no idea why it was bad and is completely tone deaf when it comes to his actions. See milt’s comment for what “redemption” can mean.
edit: the thing about media personalities is that they leverage their work off their image. So if they do something that screws with their image and then complain that they can’t get work, it’s like me downloading viruses onto my work computer and complaining that the thing is running slow.
+1m
You do not get to choose to be a role model. Children choose who they look up to based on many reasons from pleasing tgeir parents to marketing. So those who say “he shouldnt be a role model” educate yourselves. The reason media get inflated salaries is precisely because we have distorted views of them. It irks me when people say this shit.
He. Has. A. Job.
If he was a builder would he have had access to the NZHerald pages to claim that he was actually the victim while not apologising for the harm that he had caused?
Going to be straight up honest with you PR
For me i think the issue is that he is in the public eye, a public figure, and a sporting figure. I feel that’s different from being say a tradesperson, who would not be in the public eye, won’t be on any billboards etc.
Yeah I think that’s my hang up about it all. Sounds a bit two faced, one law for public figures and another for everyone else, but it’s how I feel. Maybe because I see someone who is a public figure as a possible role model for others, a public representation of a companies brand etc. And maybe my feelings have a bit to do with the whole macho sports thing, which seems to be cropping up again and again of late.
Maybe I would feel different about it if he had say made an effort to acknowledge his wrong doings by speaking to kids about domestic violence, like doing a boys school road show etc. Doing something rather than donating $ etc.
I heard on the wireless that he didn’t even apologise to the lady whose back he broke.
Honestly have no clue where his political preferences sit.
Hope that makes sense 🙂
Looks like they saw him as potentially impacting their share price,
Heavens above its tiring work keeping up with the governments flip-flops/backtracks/misspokes 🙂
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/climate-change-fudging-on-trees.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11946729
But, helpfully, kiwiblog has a couple of new counters on its site, the kiwibuild deficit and the tree deficit, good of him to help out I guess
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/
We can all compare it to BlIps. You rated BlIps stuff ay?
Nationals not in power so now its the present governments turn to have to live up to its pre-election promises
Don’t worry I promise not to enjoy pointing out every single time the government fails to live up to its pledges 🙂
I suppose you must have a job to do that takes up some of your time.
I think it would probably be a full time occupation trying to keep up a record of all the times they flip/flop on a pledge.
Fortunately my job does come with a computer but unfortunately they kind of expect me to produce work every now and then so i won’t be able to list all of the governments failings
Kind of annoying really 🙂
nah, like you he just parrots lines from the dirty politics team and is pretty much done in five minutes.
Mostly because I work so I can’t really spend as much time as I’d like on here because as enjoyable as this is sometimes its not as enjoyable as getting paid
As long as you have an awareness of your hypocrisy 🙂
All good PR, although I will never tire of saying it’s all Nationals fault, for the next 9 years.
Yawn. I take it the trees link is what I saw in the paper today where apparently two times 500million trees does not equal 1 billion trees planted?
Math says different.
“Partnership with the private sector is one thing, but misleading the public about the ambition of the policy is another. Because the 50 million trees a year private industry currently plants is almost entirely replanting, replacing trees which they’ve already cut down. In other words, that’s just planting to stand still. Worse, the required replanting rate is going to soar over the next decade, as the forests that were planted in the 1990’s are harvested. If private industry wants to avoid deforesting land (and paying the carbon costs for doing so), it will probably end up planting that billion trees itself.”
Computer says no
Computer says you can’t backtrack by repeating what you originally announced.
Don’t worry i’m sure there’ll be lots more back tracking to come 🙂
“More”? I suppose that 1, if it eventually occurs, is “more” than 0.
Based on this case, it seems that your comment is interchangable with “Don’t worry I’m sure there will be lots more consistent policy commitments being reiterated and achieved by the government”.
LOL
Smart thinking by live NZs with Heart, Kindness and Practicality. Three attributes that will take us in the right direction to some happiness and security of conditions.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/98817463/wellington-op-shop-helping-divert-landfill-waste-with-firstofitskind-sewing-initiative
Excellent grassroots, bottom up initiative and with ten thousand of these, or more, say one in every town and every city suburb, we will have the basis of a living country we can all be proud of. What about a series of articles put out on government media, and under the heading of Growth in Micro-business, and added to each time an authenticated, well-run, near target, or not for profit business is ready to be exhibited to encourage the others? We need a pragmatic but not capitalistic manager with flexibility to lead this. And don’t have it anywhere near Stuart Nash Minister of Small Business.
That is totally awesome, thanks for sharing. I like your ideas Grey.
NZ WHISTLE-BLOWER UPDATE!
(Thursday 23 November 2017)
DIRECT ACTION WORKS!
‘Pocket’ occupation on Old Mill Rd traffic island, Westmere, Auckland stops the Auckland Transport juggernaut in its tracks…
https://i.stuff.co.nz/auckland/99019915/Auckland-Transport-faces-rising-backlash-as-shop-owners-across-super-city-say-it-is-destroying-their-businesses
”Auckland Transport faces rising backlash as shop owners across super city say it is destroying their businesses | Stuff.co.nz”
Who will benefit if small local businesses wither and die?
The multi-national malls?
Overseas investor$ and property developer$?
Follow the dollar ….
#ThinkForYourself
#StopKillingLocalBusinesses
#NoParkingNoStoppingNoShopping
#CyclewaysSavingThePlanetByDestroyingLocalCommunities
#WellDoneLisaPrager
#BringingLocalBackIntoAucklandLocalGovernment
“Two police officers have been found not guilty of kidnapping a 17-year-old boy to end a young love affair.”
A wise and fair decision.
that’s… surprising.
I guess in this day and age you can still be run out of town by the sherriff…
She was underage but then he was only 17 so its certainly one way to try to end it…
https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/99121504/jury-finds-police-officers-not-guilty-of-kidnapping-a-teenager
Yeah, but it’s not up to the cops to do that. Especially if they’re doing it because they know the family.
I’m glad they didn’t get convicted. Losing their jobs/careers seems enough. Fine balance though and I’d love to know what the tikanga argument was.
Not so sure. The trauma this young man suffered is real. For being in love in a consenting relationship? It smacks of major retro patriarchy to me.
The couple are still together… these guys abused their positions as police officers ( so will lose their jobs?)? And only 1 family supported the actions?
Really? From a legal perspective I am surprised. Thought they had mitigation arguments for sentencing but cannot see how they are not guilty of charges?
seems they gave the jury an out by saying he knew it was just a pretend arrest.
Well I decided to change the water pump in my truck well had to the fan belts were squeaking that means the bearing are gone there was movement in the pump. I rang around and found the cheapest pump in Rotorua but when I went pick it up the price had gone up buy $60 so I brought it I tried to get the original price but the boy just would not budge he gave me a cheap price to get me into the shop and change the price this shop is across the road from Repco I’m not going there again Ka pai. Now you iwi with vehicles that’s has a 21st well you must change the oil every six months because the oil is like the blood of the motor even if the oil is full if you do not charge the oil the oil gets thick as sludge and makes your car use more fuel and over heat and the gaskets will dry out and leak oil should only cost $50 for a petrol car for oil and filter and use you tube to show you how to change the oil on the make of your car type in make and year and how to change oil and you are away it’s good you got YouTube I had to learn by trial and error blew up 2 cars before I figure that out you will save $50 on your fuel bill in one month. lol Ka pai
PS Google how to change air filter to but you just have to give this a bang and vacuum the dust out of it if you can not afford a new air filter and that will save you fuel and money Ka Pai
If you wash your car with washing soap powder you will get it clean and it will shine to Ka pai
You are such a good buzz Eco 🙂
Supreme Court rules….http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/344548/pike-river-prosecution-withdrawal-unlawful-supreme-court
“…the payment was in exchange for the withdrawal of the prosecution and was unlawful.”
We all knew that…but makes my day to hear the Supreme Court agrees.
Well done.
+100
Bring it.
Yes. It seems as though big business can avoid prosecution by being Big. Erebus Inquiry anyone? Winebox enquiry?
https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/cases/anna-elizabeth-osborne-and-sonya-lynne-rockhouse-v-worksafe-new-zealand/@@images/fileDecision?r=661.823221568
Enjoy!
The one thing I really disagree with in this is that if it was unlawful he should still face the charges.
Like to be a fly on the wall at the upper level’s of both WorkSafe, and Whittal’s insurance company right now.
And why should parties who engage in illegal and /or corrupt practices to avoid prosecution not be held accountable for both the corrupt / illegal practice and the original unlawful activity?
Is it perverting the course of justice? Interesting question…
Who is the ultimate boss of WorkSafe. That may be the real question.
Wouldn’t the buck stop with Michael Woodhouse? As he was the minister in charge.
On what basis?
On the basis that the suppression of the charges was illegally purchased, therefore shouldn’t count.
Although that opens up a further can of worms about “charges dropped – 5 years later SURPRISE! They’re back on!”
It would be poetic that anyone complicit in such a deal should face sentencing according to the likely sentences of the original charges, had they obtained a conviction.
edit: although being on the same side as James does give me pause for thought, lol
I am confused. James is saying this should not result in charges being relaid?
oh – damn, I read it that he was saying charges should be relaid.
Yeah, he wrote it down in a very confusing manner.
There was a near double negative in there
Indeed I did.
What I was saying is that one only bit I disagreed with is the point that charges are not going to be laid.
If there are charges to be faced – he should indeed face them.
He won’t, James, and I actually thought that was what you mean’t…but I too was guilty of assuming you’d commented to piss on the parade.
Sincere apologies.
“It is accepted by them that orders to set aside the
decision to offer no evidence and to require the prosecution to proceed is no longer an
available option with the passage of time”
Translation: an insurance company can buy you out of a worksafe charge, appeal it through the entire court system, and by the time the transaction is overruled you get away with it.
Considering that does seem to be what happened then charges of corruption need to be laid.
Unfortunately, we probably don’t have such charges. The lack of such charges seems to be based on the but we’re the least corrupt country in the world argument.
Agree
Justice still for sale…
The company let Whittal take the fall in return for the insurance payout and then he woukd never have to defend himself which woukd probably impact a Board member or more?
I think he should. The charges were dropped on the understanding that >$3 million dollars was going to be paid to the families. Immediately after the charges were dropped the company would up and no payment was made.
And that >$3 million plus interest should now come directly out of his pocket.
I thought the payment from whitall was covered by insurance, the company skipped payment of the fine by folding up
Yeah, it was. I quickly read in an article this morning that they’d received no payment but that must have been the company that hadn’t paid because it got folded up before hand.
Are you actually claiming that no payment was ever made?
If that is what you mean do you have any evidence for that claim?
It wasn’t the mine owners who were supposed to be paying, and who were the company that was wound up.
It was their Insurance company.
” Immediately after the charges were dropped the company would up and no payment was made.”
Not quite, DTB.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pike-river-mine-disaster/9553523/Payout-to-Pike-River-families-under-way
The decision makes an interesting read. Examining the machinations required to make the illegal appear legal is truly fascinating.
I’m not overly impressed that… “Further legal advice was then taken from in-house counsel, as well from Mr Stanaway and Crown Law, although privilege in the advice was not waived and details are not before the Court.”
You’d think that under the circumstances, some pressure would be brought to bear to waive such privilege…..
Another report says in exchange for suppressing a prosecution!
Deutsche Weller documentary on how Kiribati is quickly dying as a nation through sea level rise::
http://www.dw.com/en/top-stories/documentary-report/s-32861
It’s pretty dark.
they are the refugees we should be preparing for , but most likely we’ll wait till at least one island gets wiped clean in a storm first
Silly question but is the sea level rising or the land sinking? The Marlborough Sounds as sunken valleys are very slowly sinking further.
The Marlborough Wairau plain sank a metre in the 1848 earthquake allowing vessels to ply the Opawa river to the site where Blenheim now stands. So both land movement and sea level change is possible, up or down. I understand that northern Europe is rising in reaction to the Ice Age being no more in a phenomenon called glacial rebound. ( Not that I’m trying to deny climate change).
Kiribati is a coral based island group I think and susceptible to undersea erosion. But still it doesn’t really matter to the people, as wet feet are very real and the future is grim. Considering the relatively tiny population it should be possible to rehouse in places like NZ.
ya think?…Christchurch cant manage to rehouse a few 10s of people in Southshore post quake…how will we deal with the likes of South Dunedin (i.e)?….the public and political will is not there….”Im alright Jack” exemplified
p.s on rereading i realise i have misinterpreted your post but will keep the post as the question is still valid