Quick Herald online scan, ‘National thinking outside the square about housing crisis’ – regarding sending Pacific Islanders to other cities, ‘John Key looks at a fourth term’ – a strong year for National ahead apparently, ‘We asked & they delivered’ – regarding the flying of one of the alternative flag (which happens to be Keys favourite).
One of the places they selected to fly the 2 flags was my dyed in the wool National card carrying member uncles holiday house in Whitianga (they call it a bach but its a freaking house).
“For those people and for that group of voters, the two things that are really critical are interest rates staying low and the job market staying strong. So if they lose their job there is opportunity and that their mortgages don’t climb despite the nominal size of their mortgage.”
Sounds me like keys claiming low interest rates as something he’s doing for the good of the country, its a shame his Muppet followers will believe it.
Interest rates have been trending down since the 80s. Is it any coincidence that as the world has gathered more and more debt over time that the interest rates have shrunk, so the debt can be serviced, and more people can be enticed into the global ponzi scheme.
Low interest rates is definitely something National are trying make people believe is all their doing.
In the spring 2015 issue of Nathan Guys “The Guy Report” junk-mail drop there is a survey portion readers are asked to complete and return. Listed under the heading: Which of National’s policies are making the biggest difference to you and your family? there are the following…
-Extending Paid Parental leave to 18 weeks
-ACC levy cuts Free GP visits for children aged under 13 (yes that’s how it’s written)
-HomeStart package for first home buyers
-KEEPING MORTGAGE INTEREST RATES LOW (my bold)
-Tackling the worst repeat offenders and increasing services for victims
-Growing the economy and creating jobs
-Increasing access to Early Childhood Education
-Providing breakfast in schools
-Improving the quality of teaching and leadership in our schools
“The majority of the Hurunui’s 12,000 residents live with tap water connected to supplies given an “E” grade by the Ministry of Health.
It is the lowest grade possible and represents an “unacceptable level of risk”, according to the Ministry.
In the last analysis conducted in 2014, supplies for Cheviot, Amberley, Waiau and Waipara all recorded excessive E.coli levels and failed protozoa tests – placing them in the bottom 3 per cent of supplies nationwide.
Seven rural water schemes in the district are on a permanent boil notice.”
BUT…
“The district council says it is more of a “nuisance” than a health issue.”
AND…
“The council has until 2025 to meet national drinking water standards, which it said could cost up to $14 million, as most of its water supplies do not meet the standard.
It had previously told the Ministry of Health the standards were unfair, as much of the district’s water was consumed by animals.”
Shipping water for commerce or anything other than aid is immoral in a world of climate change. Would love to see the ecological and carbon footprinting for that business including the water being returned.
It’s only profitable because everyone else is paying for the costs that the current rules place outside the business. If they had to pay for the ecological footprint overshoot it would look entirely different.
Water is a public resource that the public (via the Government or council) should benefit/capitalize from. Opposed to practically giving it away to foreign owners, allowing them to profit from it.
The way we’re giving it away,some would think we’ve got money to splash around.
“The company would meet their own carbon, packaging and transport costs.”
Pretty sure that the company is not paying for the pollution it is causing via production, transport, packaging and waste. Happy for you to prove otherwise.
“Their footprint would be no worse than a number of other exporters.”
Quite, which is why a relatively geographically isolated country like NZ should be taking climate change into account in its export strategy.
Internal transport is often more of an issue too, the ecological footprint in NZ is bad because we rely on trucking so much.
Pollution from production would be covered within their fuel costs
Similar with transport, packaging and waste.
Who are you suggesting pays the company’s running costs?
Due to our debt based money supply (the principal of which enters the economy while the interest incurred has to be seeked offshore) nations are required to export to maintain and grow their wealth.
I know the Misery of Health is not renowned for its interventionism…but this is…..fucking unbelievable. And the CDHB backing up the council….what is that all about? I thought they had ace shit stirer Medical Officer Alistair whosit speaking up on water quality.
Beggars belief.
Unless…the plan is to force the humans to move…more water for the animals.
Excerpt:
“Bernie Sanders is nowhere near as radical as Corbyn; they are not even in the same universe. But, especially on economic issues, Sanders is a more fundamental, systemic critic than the oligarchical power centers are willing to tolerate, and his rejection of corporate dominance over politics, and corporate support for his campaigns, is particularly menacing. He is thus regarded as America’s version of a far-left extremist, threatening establishment power.”
I wouldn’t support Bradford in this position. Because politics.
I believe Bradford has the skills and ability to do an excellent job. However her energy and unabashed fight for justice means she has been smeared and maligned by PR companies and politicians for years.
This has led to the rump of the NZ electorate simply turning off Bradford’s voice, filtering it out.
It’s shitty and unfair. But there it is.
A more moderate face would be better suited to the job of getting NZ to recognise the violence it rains down upon its citizens.
I see on social media that Marama Davidson has been lending some moral support to Peter Dunne’s gradual moves on Medical Cannabis, only to be attacked by all and sundry in the recreational crowd, (NORML, Cannabis party) for the stance.
A seismic shift has occurred politically on the issue for the Greens to be on the Same page as UF, unrecognized by those wanting full reform.
Why do you consider Norml and Cannabis Party to be for recreational use only?
Why not make the plant legal for medicinal use and recreational use, created jobs, raise tax revenues, keep the prisons empty and such. And be done with it?
If anything i think lending support to Peter Fn Dunne is somewhat a tepid approach, as clearly he could get things started much faster. Remember, he had no issue allowing for ‘legal highs’ or synthetic Greenery ( i don’t want to call it weed as that would be an insult to the actual plants – weeds have a purpose in life), and they have been proven to be a danger to the physical and mental health to the users of that substance.
So frankly, in this day and time, anybody not calling for the full decriminalization of the plant could be as well just silent.
But i guess maybe Peter Fn Dunne feels special when he gets the application for the right to use medicinal marijuana from terminally ill people or people suffering painful afflictions that make life miserable.
Or maybe our doctors need to re-study and re-research all the things that others have already studied and researched a thousand times.
I have lived in the blue Tamaki electorate since moving to New Zealand in 2000, and last year I took over as chair of Tamaki Labour LEC.
Today we take the fight against privatisation to St Heliers, where SOE NZ Post has planned to close its busy, friendly, spacious post shop and shunt some of the services up the road to Take Note, as they are doing at many other locations. Kiwibank will be particularly crippled by this, as new customers for accounts and mortgages would have to go downtown or to Pakuranga to be serviced.
We will be petitioning outside the St Heliers library from 9 AM. Judith Collins now lives in this electorate and the MP, Simon O’Connor, who clearly never stood up for the post shop to remain as is, thinks it’s great that the services remain–even though NZ Post is contractually obliged to provide them at a certain number of locations.
The decision was not announced in the local paper, the East and Bays Courier. The news comes at a time when many are on summer holiday and seniors organisations on hiatus. O’Connor posted about it on Neighbourly, but only sign-up members can read his words there.
This should be interesting! I hope to live to tell the tale.
The Postshop / Kiwibank branch services were sold to a private operator.
Now, when I do my banking there, my business and personal financial details are viewed by people who are not employed by the bank.
Before the changeover several people in the community tried to raise awareness about the issue by talking to people and disemminating information about the change.
The folks (3 or 4 middle aged folks) were shadowed the whole time by private security guards which put off all but the hardiest souls from speaking to them.
This behaviour of intimidation toward people in local communitues who still believe that NZ still has a functioning democracy is as mindless as it is foolhardy.
Is our Michael Cullen still the chair of the board of directors of NZ Post?
Maybe you could appeal to him. LOL.
More seriously, a blue voting comfortable middle class electorate with plenty of social capital can apply a lot more influence to keep their services than other areas.
Yes, he is. Shame!
I agree, that’s part of why I wanted to take up this fight. And to my surprise, people were very receptive. I’d say about 80% of passersby wanted to sign. We got 333 signatures today and will go back tomorrow from 1-4.
TPP – does this make you feel any better about this dodgy deal?
Froman: Implementation Plans One Way To Address Lawmakers’ TPP Demands
U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said Wednesday (Jan. 20) that the administration is looking at addressing objections raised by business groups and members of Congress about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement through implementation plans and the way the agreement is enforced.
The following information will give you some idea of how corporations use tribunals to provide political pressure to change laws which protect the consumer.
First here is a short video (2mim39s) explaining why Country of Origin Labelling COOL for meat was removed in the US. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ILYAJ64Atw
In December, Congress passed a spending bill that included a repeal of a law requiring meat to be labeled with its country of origin. The repeal of the legislation came after the World Trade Organization threatened to impose billion-dollar sanctions against the United States, saying the label law violated trade deals.
And the history of this is, the U.S. meatpacking industry, plus their Canadian and Mexican counterparts, didn’t want this law. And they tried in federal court. They tried to fight us in Congress. It only took 50 years, we finally won. The law becomes the law of the land. And the polling shows 90 percent of Americans love that law. Well, when they couldn’t win in the democratic process of our courts, of our Congress, these interests went to a trade tribunal. Mexico and Canada challenged the law at the WTO in one of the trade tribunals, saying this violates the U.S. obligations at the WTO. And the tribunal, one tribunal after another after an appellate one, they said yes. The U.S. government even changed the law to address the technical errors that the WTO tribunal pointed out. And again, we lost the appeal. So, basically, Canada and Mexico, at the end, were in a position, because this is how it works, to say to the U.S., “Either kill the law or pay $2 billion in trade sanctions every year”—every year—for the right of knowing where our meat comes from. And the Congress said, “Oh, oh, my god, trade war. Let’s avoid the sanctions.” And they gutted the law. So, if you go to the grocery store now, you’re going to notice that’s gone.
It’s time we got used to the fact that water is a finite resource and that in a climate change world we’re going to feel the squeeze. Fortunately it’s possible to garden with a lot less water than we are used to, just a matter of learning and changing our practices.
True, but in any given catchment there is only so much water you can take out for human use because you start degrading the environment. In that sense it’s a finite resource. If we want to limit our use and/or population then it’s true that it’s also renewable.
In NZ we have a tendancy to think that water is limitless, because relatively speaking we have a lot. But if we look at the infrastructure of many NZ towns and cities we find that there are limits there too once the population exceeds the capacity of the water to recycle throught natural systems. So economics (in it’s neutral sense) is at play as well.
It’s better I think to understand the natural limits of where we live and work within them rather than treating the natural world as infinite.
Integration of green infrastructure within built environments will also be key.
Currently most rain hitting rooftops and roads goes straight out to sea.
Higher quality design to turn this water from marine pollutor to a productive resource is needed.
The next centurys game changing tech will revolve around efficiency of energy and resource use.
Decentralising sources of common resources like water, power etc will be part of this.
yep pretty much agree with all of that. And going back to the gardening thing, changing how we view what a garden is for. There’s some interesting stats from the US about lawns and water and fossil fuel use to maintain them even when the lawns aren’t being used for anything. First world problems turning into everyone’s problem.
You are wrong Chairman. I’m on my way out the door, but try googling what is happening to the rivers in California that no longer reach the sea due to increases in infrastructure use. There is only so much water no matter how many ways you find to capture it, and creating new catchments is just another form of capture. The people downstream from you lose out.
I don’t know where you live but we already have problems with rivers not running true due to irrigation take. Have a look at the Sam Mahon link I posted upthread. And the reason it’s not as bad as California is because we haven’t done as much damage yet, but every indicator is that we are following the same path.
“If caught and stored when in abundance, no one misses out.”
That’s a nonsensical statement. In reality if you catch and store water in a dam you and then use that water to irrigate paddocks instead of letting to flow in the river, then you are by definition depriving those downstream of the water. This is precisely what happens.
In the case of the Wellington water patrollers it’s easy to write that off as infrastructure mismanagment, but from what I can tell in a number of areas in NZ the catchments are now not entirely sufficent for the population and use. It’s the same with hydro. There is only so much water that can be stored in the lakes, and only so many rivers that can be dammed, and then we’re at the limit.
I seem to remember the Kapiti Coast council some years ago asking people to look at putting dry landscape gardens in because they needed to reduce water take. But that’s a relationship between water availability and use and infrastructure. You seem to think that there is always the same amount of water falling from the sky. There isn’t (and if we take from the aquifers, it’s not the same there either). This is the stark reality of climate change.
It’s not all bad news. We do have a lot of really good sustainability tech available now to make much better use of the water we have. But the idea that water is infinite is making us treat it in a very cavalier manner.
Water for irrigation can also be captured and stored.
Capturing and storing water increases ones supply, thus making it available for greater use.
The fact I stated we do this when water is in abundance (the rainy season when peak flows are high) clearly highlights I don;t think that there is always the same amount of water falling from the sky.
Catchments not being entirely sufficient for the population and use overtime largely comes down to a failure to increase or create new catchments.
Kapiti council wasted ratepayer money on water meters, opposed to building new catchments.
Do you believe it’s going to completely stop raining at some stage?
Of course not, don’t be stupid. You seem to be ignoring physics. There is only so much rainfall in a year. That equals x litres that can be stored and then there is no more. Why is that so hard for you to account for in your argument?
The only thing you could realisitically argue is that we are very far from our upper limit of capture and storage of available rainfall. Is that what you mean?
Right, so your argument is that there is excess water in the landscape that we can capture and use and therefore we don’t have to limit growth until some later time that’s not an issue yet. Did you watch the Mahon clip? I’m guessing not. Your theory doesn’t stack up in practice. I suspect you see rivers as mere tubes that transport water to the sea instead of being the critical centre points of the whole ecosystems they exist within. I can’t teach you the kind of ecoliteracy needed to understand this if you can’t even get the basic physics right.
And then completely fucking up the function of the river systems, causing an ecological disaster, failure of aquifers used for water supplies, failure of recreational fisheries – the list goes on and on. There are limits to what you can take, and in many places in New Zealand we are at those limits.
I listened to a bit of the RNZ coverage yesterday where the Brits were all indignant. As if they don’t kill people when they need to. Unfortunately I had also just watched Spectre, lol, but the whole what the secret services are for thing and how now democracy is seen as old fashioned seemed pertinent. Bold faced liars the lot of them.
Britain would not have used polonium – the traces last too long.
But we should deal with the truth, not the counterfactual. Putin had him killed, as he has had numerous political enemies killed, from Politkovskaya to Nemtsov.
Poison seems to be ‘in’ in Russia at present – You will recall that Yushchenko was poisoned too.
“The Russians had no reason to want Alexander dead,” he said. “My brother was not a spy, he was more like a policeman…he was in the FSB [Russian Federal Security Service] but he worked against organized crime, murders, arms trafficking, stuff like that.”
Er, working against organised crime in Russia effectively is working against the government. That’s why he was living in the UK, not Russia, and why the people running Russia didn’t want him talking to European prosecutors about their “business” dealings.
For more than a decade, the United States has supplied huge quantities of weapons and military hardware to the Iraqi government—and a large chunk of that equipment has disappeared and landed in the hands of ISIS fighters and members of Iranian-backed Shiite militias responsible for massacring civilians. Everything from M-16s and bullets to Humvees and tanks have been lost. But neither the US nor Iraqi governments can say how much US-supplied materiel has been diverted to militant groups or how it’s ending up there…………………………………….
A comment just as relevant to the NZ Left as the British….
“True, we don’t have a communist movement any more. But we do without doubt have a revived left in Britain, which has dusted off some of the same ambitions, some of the same political ideas, some of the same historic dreams and some of the same deep flaws, foolishness and even intellectual turpitude that made British communism unsustainable.
This left of today looks to me suspiciously as if it is developing into another church. This left too is marked by a reluctance to ask necessary but difficult questions about its plans for the world beyond the church walls. This left too seems happiest as a fellowship of true believers, squabbling among itself, dismissive of all those who remain sceptics or whose beliefs the elders find unacceptable. Just as the communists knew things deep down that they should have faced up to, so too does this left.
There is nothing inherently wrong with having a politics that is essentially a religion, providing that you recognise it for what it is, something personal between you and your friends. But I’ve been there and done that. If politics is an act of faith – rather than a programme and a willingness to change and adapt to new times – it will fail, as communism did. That’s fine for those for whom belief in socialist principles matters more than anything else, just as it was for the communists. But it won’t work. And in the end people will hate it too.”
…..except living conditions of the masses in pre- 1945 UK looking alot closer than 70 years ago, feels like today, that’s what happens when you put Tories in charge though….soon we will be focused solely on monetary returns and workers will have no rights/health and safety irrelevant/social housing switched back to landlord’s goldmine/power and control the sole focus of the police etc…..oh, what’s that I hear you say?
The difference between NuZull and American mainstrean media
NuZull: Ugh uh uh arr ur a a goan Oik oik Skins de ugh eer um hear uld derr blah Stuff en um arrhhh sceart de bluh bluh um ar ugg rilly rilly umerr Joan de Loam um sully buch in um de ugh hootun
Umerrika: Urrr de urr urrr urrr, da urrr the Don de urr Hilurrrry im urrrrrr rrrrr rrr breaking urrr rrr de urrr fux extrurrr gotta go to brrrrreak de urr urr urrr Trump rrrrr Adiss on Coopa d rrrrr Fux Noose errr ahh rrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Let’s Not Lose Our Tempers: If John Key Wants A Riot Outside Sky City – Don’t Give Him One!
Chris Trotter on BowalleyRoad today is suggesting that ShonKey is wanting a street riot against TPPA signing outside Sky City to make it look as if protesters are “loony left” and not to be taken seriously. And that a street riot would just play into ShonKey’s hands and make him look good to the majority of people.
Extracts from his blog – with a link to the full blog below.
“ ON THE FACE OF IT John Key has made a serious tactical blunder. By insisting on hosting the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in New Zealand, just two days before Waitangi Day, at the country’s most notorious beneficiary of crony capitalism, he would appear to have given his opponents an unparalleled opportunity to rally their forces and reinvigorate their campaign.
Frankly, I’m suspicious. Because John Key is not prone to making tactical blunders. Which raises the worrying possibility that the readily predictable consequences of his decision – mass protest action outside Sky City, with a high probability of violence and property damage – may be exactly what he wants to happen.
The Chinese philosopher-general, Sun Tzu, wrote: “If your enemy is of choleric temper – irritate him.”………….
My best guess is that over the summer, Key and his pollster, David Farrar, have been drilling down deep into New Zealanders’ thoughts and feelings about the TPPA. Judging by the Government’s actions, this is what they have discovered.
That most New Zealanders are quite relaxed about the TPPA. Any fears Kiwis may have had about it in 2015 were allayed by a combination of Helen Clark’s pre-Christmas endorsement of the agreement, and the mainstream media’s generally positive coverage of the final draft. …………….
If that is the case, then an angry protest, or, worse, a violent riot, outside the Sky City complex will rebound, almost entirely, to the Government’s advantage. Not only it will reinforce the prejudices of Key’s supporters, but it will also alienate those who are still making up their mind on the TPPA. …………..
The fight against the TPPA must not be waged on the streets – where John Key wants it to be waged – but in the hearts and minds of those New Zealanders who are still not sure that the agreement will, in the end, be good for their country.
If John Key wants a riot at Sky City, then that’s the very last thing the anti-TPPA movement should give him.”
I think it’s a double bluff – key knows what he is doing and this is not designed to get a riot but to stop one out of fear (as described by trotter above).
Think it through – this is an International event not for the nzpublic – the deal is done – he doesn’t need the meek middle to agree with him – he’s got the numbers – he wants to big note the international crew for his next job opp.
Fuck letting him win in that bastion of skyshit.
If we don’t fight for our rights we won’t fucking get them off these arseholes.
– Labour has zero media (such as it is) presence?
– The 4th Estate has been auctioned off and corrupted with clothing allowances, polling, American Express Gold cards, private equity takeovers and short term thinking?
– Koiwois have a different perception as to what charisma is from the rest of the world?
– Lazy is as lazy does?
– The cult of bubbles has now infected politics as well as media?
– Labour has zero media (such as it is) presence?
– The 4th Estate has been auctioned off and corrupted with clothing allowances, polling, American Express Gold cards, private equity takeovers and short term thinking?
– Koiwois have a different perception as to what charisma is from the rest of the world?
– Lazy is as lazy does?
– The cult of bubbles has now infected politics as well as media?
as you can see – there is a double comment and a pesky little bug.
One comment was posted yet appears in duplicate. One comment is stored and legitimised immediately, and the other (as I type) is still going thru’ the countdown.
Also the comment fields are not reset (below is what’s left as I typeover)
…. as Paul says – humour us oh wise one
(I only type a comment ONCE, then hit r e t u r n)
That made a lot of sense ?, not sure what he was getting at barring the socialist elite taking other people’s money and giving it away to there is nothing left to take Not sure why he did not just say that rather than hide it with waffle around loosing our way and caring
America Rising PAC, the GOP opposition network founded by Matt Rhoades and Joe Pounder, has set its sights on Jane Mayer, shopping around accusations that she has ideological bias.
Mayer, who has been chronicling the Kochs for years, recently published a book about the rise of conservative activism by a few rich families, called “Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right.”
[…]
It’s far from the first time Mayer has been attacked for reporting on the Kochs, and Mayer has been described as the brothers’ “public enemy no. 1,” discouraging organizations from giving her reporting awards. Allegations that Mayer plagiarized were shopped to some media outlets in 2010 but they were never published because they were proven false. Though the Kochs’ spokespeople said in the past they had no knowledge of the allegations, Mayer has said she connected the dots to the Kochs, and has alleged they hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on her.
Asked why they were taking up the cause of defending the Kochs, Chassé they were defending their allies.
Ongoing Concerns
Process
The process of TPP development has not been transparent. Whilst text
documents have been released after they have been negotiated, it is
simply unfathomable that the modelling, assumptions and objectives of the
modelling have not been released.
What is the horizon of the modelling in year
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
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. ...
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. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
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Quick Herald online scan, ‘National thinking outside the square about housing crisis’ – regarding sending Pacific Islanders to other cities, ‘John Key looks at a fourth term’ – a strong year for National ahead apparently, ‘We asked & they delivered’ – regarding the flying of one of the alternative flag (which happens to be Keys favourite).
One of the places they selected to fly the 2 flags was my dyed in the wool National card carrying member uncles holiday house in Whitianga (they call it a bach but its a freaking house).
The last debate before the first vote
https://youtu.be/ti2Nokoq1J4
Which is a week old. Here’s an analysis of what happened: http://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/nbc-democratic-debate-presidential-election-2016/
Herald’s political editor Audrey Young launches the Herald’s narrative for ’16-’17. “It’s the only game in town folks. For the fourth time I give you the Prime Minister, John Key……”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11578289
Herald’s sub-narrative which feeds the first, re SkYCity – “The company, ever mindful of its role as a corporate citizen……”
“For those people and for that group of voters, the two things that are really critical are interest rates staying low and the job market staying strong. So if they lose their job there is opportunity and that their mortgages don’t climb despite the nominal size of their mortgage.”
Sounds me like keys claiming low interest rates as something he’s doing for the good of the country, its a shame his Muppet followers will believe it.
Interest rates have been trending down since the 80s. Is it any coincidence that as the world has gathered more and more debt over time that the interest rates have shrunk, so the debt can be serviced, and more people can be enticed into the global ponzi scheme.
Low interest rates is definitely something National are trying make people believe is all their doing.
In the spring 2015 issue of Nathan Guys “The Guy Report” junk-mail drop there is a survey portion readers are asked to complete and return. Listed under the heading: Which of National’s policies are making the biggest difference to you and your family? there are the following…
-Extending Paid Parental leave to 18 weeks
-ACC levy cuts Free GP visits for children aged under 13 (yes that’s how it’s written)
-HomeStart package for first home buyers
-KEEPING MORTGAGE INTEREST RATES LOW (my bold)
-Tackling the worst repeat offenders and increasing services for victims
-Growing the economy and creating jobs
-Increasing access to Early Childhood Education
-Providing breakfast in schools
-Improving the quality of teaching and leadership in our schools
Its amazing how key got all those big countries to print vast amounts of money just to keep the interest rates down in little old In Z
“…ever mindful of its role as a corporate citizen…”
Did anyone else feel the bile rise in their throat as they read that line?
Criminals are citizens too.
Our own Flint here in NZ…?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/north-canterbury/75970641/crunchy-occasionally-yellow-tap-water-plagues-district
and you really couldn’t make up shit like this…
“The majority of the Hurunui’s 12,000 residents live with tap water connected to supplies given an “E” grade by the Ministry of Health.
It is the lowest grade possible and represents an “unacceptable level of risk”, according to the Ministry.
In the last analysis conducted in 2014, supplies for Cheviot, Amberley, Waiau and Waipara all recorded excessive E.coli levels and failed protozoa tests – placing them in the bottom 3 per cent of supplies nationwide.
Seven rural water schemes in the district are on a permanent boil notice.”
BUT…
“The district council says it is more of a “nuisance” than a health issue.”
AND…
“The council has until 2025 to meet national drinking water standards, which it said could cost up to $14 million, as most of its water supplies do not meet the standard.
It had previously told the Ministry of Health the standards were unfair, as much of the district’s water was consumed by animals.”
Towards a brighter future…
“Clean Green” and all that.. Even our “export grade” water has been rejected, by China: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/76117504/hawkes-bay-companys-first-shipment-of-drinking-water-rejected-by-china
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the extraction and sale of water.
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/campbelllive/who-owns-new-zealands-water-2015041518#axzz3xrFYeoaP
Shipping water for commerce or anything other than aid is immoral in a world of climate change. Would love to see the ecological and carbon footprinting for that business including the water being returned.
Yet, it’s purported to be vastly profitable. And by practically giving the water away, we’re largely missing out.
It’s only profitable because everyone else is paying for the costs that the current rules place outside the business. If they had to pay for the ecological footprint overshoot it would look entirely different.
Another example of the elite commodifying and commercialising everything under the sun.
Not just the elite, plenty of middle and working class people support, endorse, want and take advantage of those systems.
I would expect local councils (or Government) to run and own ventures as such to help offset rates.
what?
Government and local councils require to broaden and increase their revenue streams. Ventures as such would be well suited.
I don’t see how that’s relevant to either my or CV’s comments.
Water is a public resource that the public (via the Government or council) should benefit/capitalize from. Opposed to practically giving it away to foreign owners, allowing them to profit from it.
The way we’re giving it away,some would think we’ve got money to splash around.
Practically giving the water away helps build their profitability.
There are no royalties being paid.
What costs are you speaking of?
I’ve already named some of them. Look at the carbon footprint of production and transport for starters. Then look at packaging and other pollutants.
I was referring to the costs you stated the rules placed outside the business.
The company would meet their own carbon, packaging and transport costs.
Their footprint would be no worse than a number of other exporters.
“The company would meet their own carbon, packaging and transport costs.”
Pretty sure that the company is not paying for the pollution it is causing via production, transport, packaging and waste. Happy for you to prove otherwise.
“Their footprint would be no worse than a number of other exporters.”
Quite, which is why a relatively geographically isolated country like NZ should be taking climate change into account in its export strategy.
Internal transport is often more of an issue too, the ecological footprint in NZ is bad because we rely on trucking so much.
Pollution from production would be covered within their fuel costs
Similar with transport, packaging and waste.
Who are you suggesting pays the company’s running costs?
Due to our debt based money supply (the principal of which enters the economy while the interest incurred has to be seeked offshore) nations are required to export to maintain and grow their wealth.
Disgusting.
“It had previously told the Ministry of Health the standards were unfair, as much of the district’s water was consumed by animals.”
Fucking unbelievable. Is that stupidity, ignorance or hubris? (all three I guess).
So this would be the area where the Regional Council was sacked and replaced with appointees on the basis that the councillors were incompetent?
Meanwhile, here’s Sam Mahon speaking from the heartland (he talks about the Hurunui as well as other rivers in the area).
https://www.facebook.com/choosecleanwaternz/videos/1689867331298547/
https://www.toko.org.nz/petitions/choose-clean-water-set-swimmable-as-the-standard-for-all-lakes-and-rivers-1
http://www.choosecleanwater.org.nz/
“Fucking unbelievable”
My initial reaction too.
I know the Misery of Health is not renowned for its interventionism…but this is…..fucking unbelievable. And the CDHB backing up the council….what is that all about? I thought they had ace shit stirer Medical Officer Alistair whosit speaking up on water quality.
Beggars belief.
Unless…the plan is to force the humans to move…more water for the animals.
Glenn Greenwald writes on the establishment reactions and at times systematic attacks on both Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders: https://theintercept.com/2016/01/21/the-seven-stages-of-establishment-backlash-corbynsanders-edition/
Excerpt:
“Bernie Sanders is nowhere near as radical as Corbyn; they are not even in the same universe. But, especially on economic issues, Sanders is a more fundamental, systemic critic than the oligarchical power centers are willing to tolerate, and his rejection of corporate dominance over politics, and corporate support for his campaigns, is particularly menacing. He is thus regarded as America’s version of a far-left extremist, threatening establishment power.”
+100 …interesting article by Glenn Greenwald
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/76148874/Former-Green-Party-MP-Sue-Bradford-nominated-for-Childrens-Commissioner-role
What’s her chances I wonder.?
I wouldn’t support Bradford in this position. Because politics.
I believe Bradford has the skills and ability to do an excellent job. However her energy and unabashed fight for justice means she has been smeared and maligned by PR companies and politicians for years.
This has led to the rump of the NZ electorate simply turning off Bradford’s voice, filtering it out.
It’s shitty and unfair. But there it is.
A more moderate face would be better suited to the job of getting NZ to recognise the violence it rains down upon its citizens.
“A more moderate face would be better suited to the job of getting NZ to recognise the violence it rains down upon its citizens.”
By, that, Naturesong, do you mean “an appointee who is more sympathetic to the Right wing and its antisocial policies”?
No.
One that doesn’t start with the disadvantage of having been the target of smears and negative PR campaigns for almost two decades.
I would be fine with someone more radical than Bradford if they were less well known.
0%
I see on social media that Marama Davidson has been lending some moral support to Peter Dunne’s gradual moves on Medical Cannabis, only to be attacked by all and sundry in the recreational crowd, (NORML, Cannabis party) for the stance.
A seismic shift has occurred politically on the issue for the Greens to be on the Same page as UF, unrecognized by those wanting full reform.
Check out our new website.
http://mcadvocacynz.org/
Why do you consider Norml and Cannabis Party to be for recreational use only?
Why not make the plant legal for medicinal use and recreational use, created jobs, raise tax revenues, keep the prisons empty and such. And be done with it?
If anything i think lending support to Peter Fn Dunne is somewhat a tepid approach, as clearly he could get things started much faster. Remember, he had no issue allowing for ‘legal highs’ or synthetic Greenery ( i don’t want to call it weed as that would be an insult to the actual plants – weeds have a purpose in life), and they have been proven to be a danger to the physical and mental health to the users of that substance.
So frankly, in this day and time, anybody not calling for the full decriminalization of the plant could be as well just silent.
But i guess maybe Peter Fn Dunne feels special when he gets the application for the right to use medicinal marijuana from terminally ill people or people suffering painful afflictions that make life miserable.
Or maybe our doctors need to re-study and re-research all the things that others have already studied and researched a thousand times.
I have lived in the blue Tamaki electorate since moving to New Zealand in 2000, and last year I took over as chair of Tamaki Labour LEC.
Today we take the fight against privatisation to St Heliers, where SOE NZ Post has planned to close its busy, friendly, spacious post shop and shunt some of the services up the road to Take Note, as they are doing at many other locations. Kiwibank will be particularly crippled by this, as new customers for accounts and mortgages would have to go downtown or to Pakuranga to be serviced.
We will be petitioning outside the St Heliers library from 9 AM. Judith Collins now lives in this electorate and the MP, Simon O’Connor, who clearly never stood up for the post shop to remain as is, thinks it’s great that the services remain–even though NZ Post is contractually obliged to provide them at a certain number of locations.
The decision was not announced in the local paper, the East and Bays Courier. The news comes at a time when many are on summer holiday and seniors organisations on hiatus. O’Connor posted about it on Neighbourly, but only sign-up members can read his words there.
This should be interesting! I hope to live to tell the tale.
Good luck.
You are in the lions’ den.
This was done in Glen Eden recently.
The Postshop / Kiwibank branch services were sold to a private operator.
Now, when I do my banking there, my business and personal financial details are viewed by people who are not employed by the bank.
Before the changeover several people in the community tried to raise awareness about the issue by talking to people and disemminating information about the change.
The folks (3 or 4 middle aged folks) were shadowed the whole time by private security guards which put off all but the hardiest souls from speaking to them.
This behaviour of intimidation toward people in local communitues who still believe that NZ still has a functioning democracy is as mindless as it is foolhardy.
Is our Michael Cullen still the chair of the board of directors of NZ Post?
Maybe you could appeal to him. LOL.
More seriously, a blue voting comfortable middle class electorate with plenty of social capital can apply a lot more influence to keep their services than other areas.
Yes, he is. Shame!
I agree, that’s part of why I wanted to take up this fight. And to my surprise, people were very receptive. I’d say about 80% of passersby wanted to sign. We got 333 signatures today and will go back tomorrow from 1-4.
Corporate play eliminate the opposition?
TPP – does this make you feel any better about this dodgy deal?
http://insidetrade.com/
The following information will give you some idea of how corporations use tribunals to provide political pressure to change laws which protect the consumer.
First here is a short video (2mim39s) explaining why Country of Origin Labelling COOL for meat was removed in the US.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ILYAJ64Atw
http://www.democracynow.org/2016/1/7/mystery_meat_after_wto_ruling_us
Water use patrollers take to Wellington streets
http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/water-use-patrollers-take-to-wellington-streets-2016012308#axzz3xrFYeoaP
It’s time we got used to the fact that water is a finite resource and that in a climate change world we’re going to feel the squeeze. Fortunately it’s possible to garden with a lot less water than we are used to, just a matter of learning and changing our practices.
I disagree.
Water is a finite resource only in as much as we are destroying the infrastructure that produces it.
If we reverse the systematic degradation of our green infrastructure we get more clean water.
True, but in any given catchment there is only so much water you can take out for human use because you start degrading the environment. In that sense it’s a finite resource. If we want to limit our use and/or population then it’s true that it’s also renewable.
In NZ we have a tendancy to think that water is limitless, because relatively speaking we have a lot. But if we look at the infrastructure of many NZ towns and cities we find that there are limits there too once the population exceeds the capacity of the water to recycle throught natural systems. So economics (in it’s neutral sense) is at play as well.
It’s better I think to understand the natural limits of where we live and work within them rather than treating the natural world as infinite.
Integration of green infrastructure within built environments will also be key.
Currently most rain hitting rooftops and roads goes straight out to sea.
Higher quality design to turn this water from marine pollutor to a productive resource is needed.
The next centurys game changing tech will revolve around efficiency of energy and resource use.
Decentralising sources of common resources like water, power etc will be part of this.
yep pretty much agree with all of that. And going back to the gardening thing, changing how we view what a garden is for. There’s some interesting stats from the US about lawns and water and fossil fuel use to maintain them even when the lawns aren’t being used for anything. First world problems turning into everyone’s problem.
Water is a renewable resource.
Shortages are largely a failure to increase and create new catchments to keep up with demand and the odd dry spell.
You are wrong Chairman. I’m on my way out the door, but try googling what is happening to the rivers in California that no longer reach the sea due to increases in infrastructure use. There is only so much water no matter how many ways you find to capture it, and creating new catchments is just another form of capture. The people downstream from you lose out.
We don’t face that problem (rivers that no longer reach the sea). And sea levels are rising.
If caught and stored when in abundance, no one misses out .
I don’t know where you live but we already have problems with rivers not running true due to irrigation take. Have a look at the Sam Mahon link I posted upthread. And the reason it’s not as bad as California is because we haven’t done as much damage yet, but every indicator is that we are following the same path.
“If caught and stored when in abundance, no one misses out.”
That’s a nonsensical statement. In reality if you catch and store water in a dam you and then use that water to irrigate paddocks instead of letting to flow in the river, then you are by definition depriving those downstream of the water. This is precisely what happens.
In the case of the Wellington water patrollers it’s easy to write that off as infrastructure mismanagment, but from what I can tell in a number of areas in NZ the catchments are now not entirely sufficent for the population and use. It’s the same with hydro. There is only so much water that can be stored in the lakes, and only so many rivers that can be dammed, and then we’re at the limit.
I seem to remember the Kapiti Coast council some years ago asking people to look at putting dry landscape gardens in because they needed to reduce water take. But that’s a relationship between water availability and use and infrastructure. You seem to think that there is always the same amount of water falling from the sky. There isn’t (and if we take from the aquifers, it’s not the same there either). This is the stark reality of climate change.
It’s not all bad news. We do have a lot of really good sustainability tech available now to make much better use of the water we have. But the idea that water is infinite is making us treat it in a very cavalier manner.
Water for irrigation can also be captured and stored.
Capturing and storing water increases ones supply, thus making it available for greater use.
The fact I stated we do this when water is in abundance (the rainy season when peak flows are high) clearly highlights I don;t think that there is always the same amount of water falling from the sky.
Catchments not being entirely sufficient for the population and use overtime largely comes down to a failure to increase or create new catchments.
Kapiti council wasted ratepayer money on water meters, opposed to building new catchments.
Do you believe it’s going to completely stop raining at some stage?
Of course not, don’t be stupid. You seem to be ignoring physics. There is only so much rainfall in a year. That equals x litres that can be stored and then there is no more. Why is that so hard for you to account for in your argument?
The only thing you could realisitically argue is that we are very far from our upper limit of capture and storage of available rainfall. Is that what you mean?
btw, did you watch the Sam Mahon clip?
Yes, there is only so much rainfall per annum. And the majority of that goes back out to sea. Giving scope for plenty more to be captured and stored.
Right, so your argument is that there is excess water in the landscape that we can capture and use and therefore we don’t have to limit growth until some later time that’s not an issue yet. Did you watch the Mahon clip? I’m guessing not. Your theory doesn’t stack up in practice. I suspect you see rivers as mere tubes that transport water to the sea instead of being the critical centre points of the whole ecosystems they exist within. I can’t teach you the kind of ecoliteracy needed to understand this if you can’t even get the basic physics right.
And then completely fucking up the function of the river systems, causing an ecological disaster, failure of aquifers used for water supplies, failure of recreational fisheries – the list goes on and on. There are limits to what you can take, and in many places in New Zealand we are at those limits.
‘Britain had more motivation to kill Aleksandr Litvinenko than Russia, brother claims’
https://www.rt.com/news/329804-litvinenko-brother-britain-murder/
I listened to a bit of the RNZ coverage yesterday where the Brits were all indignant. As if they don’t kill people when they need to. Unfortunately I had also just watched Spectre, lol, but the whole what the secret services are for thing and how now democracy is seen as old fashioned seemed pertinent. Bold faced liars the lot of them.
Britain would not have used polonium – the traces last too long.
But we should deal with the truth, not the counterfactual. Putin had him killed, as he has had numerous political enemies killed, from Politkovskaya to Nemtsov.
Poison seems to be ‘in’ in Russia at present – You will recall that Yushchenko was poisoned too.
“The Russians had no reason to want Alexander dead,” he said. “My brother was not a spy, he was more like a policeman…he was in the FSB [Russian Federal Security Service] but he worked against organized crime, murders, arms trafficking, stuff like that.”
Er, working against organised crime in Russia effectively is working against the government. That’s why he was living in the UK, not Russia, and why the people running Russia didn’t want him talking to European prosecutors about their “business” dealings.
ooops
and the pentagon is not quite sure just how many weapons it has ‘lost’ to Daesh/Isis.
Ever have the feeling that really we are just so fucked? Does this feel like we are winning?
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/01/why-iraq-black-hole-american-arms
For more than a decade, the United States has supplied huge quantities of weapons and military hardware to the Iraqi government—and a large chunk of that equipment has disappeared and landed in the hands of ISIS fighters and members of Iranian-backed Shiite militias responsible for massacring civilians. Everything from M-16s and bullets to Humvees and tanks have been lost. But neither the US nor Iraqi governments can say how much US-supplied materiel has been diverted to militant groups or how it’s ending up there…………………………………….
And not only that. Remember the destruction of the US embassy in Benghazi?
Looked to me like the US was shipping the entire of Gaddafi’s extensive armoury to Syrian jihadists for $$$, for use against Assad.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3408383/Massive-50-caliber-rifle-inside-El-Chapo-s-Mexican-hideout-sold-government-Fast-Furious-program.html
El Chapo the Mexican drug lord was caught with American sourced weapons. And BIG weapons too!
A comment just as relevant to the NZ Left as the British….
“True, we don’t have a communist movement any more. But we do without doubt have a revived left in Britain, which has dusted off some of the same ambitions, some of the same political ideas, some of the same historic dreams and some of the same deep flaws, foolishness and even intellectual turpitude that made British communism unsustainable.
This left of today looks to me suspiciously as if it is developing into another church. This left too is marked by a reluctance to ask necessary but difficult questions about its plans for the world beyond the church walls. This left too seems happiest as a fellowship of true believers, squabbling among itself, dismissive of all those who remain sceptics or whose beliefs the elders find unacceptable. Just as the communists knew things deep down that they should have faced up to, so too does this left.
There is nothing inherently wrong with having a politics that is essentially a religion, providing that you recognise it for what it is, something personal between you and your friends. But I’ve been there and done that. If politics is an act of faith – rather than a programme and a willingness to change and adapt to new times – it will fail, as communism did. That’s fine for those for whom belief in socialist principles matters more than anything else, just as it was for the communists. But it won’t work. And in the end people will hate it too.”
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/22/communist-family-politics-religion
Gawd……where to start
Gawd, where to start? what about taking a look back at 1945 in the UK, to see just why the Labour Party won?
Look back 70 years?
Love your sense of irony!
…..except living conditions of the masses in pre- 1945 UK looking alot closer than 70 years ago, feels like today, that’s what happens when you put Tories in charge though….soon we will be focused solely on monetary returns and workers will have no rights/health and safety irrelevant/social housing switched back to landlord’s goldmine/power and control the sole focus of the police etc…..oh, what’s that I hear you say?
stay out of washington dc very scary warning.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZXFI7GU8AAo4jj.jpg
lol.
Godzilla strikes again?
It could only happen in the USA!
The difference between NuZull and American mainstrean media
NuZull: Ugh uh uh arr ur a a goan Oik oik Skins de ugh eer um hear uld derr blah Stuff en um arrhhh sceart de bluh bluh um ar ugg rilly rilly umerr Joan de Loam um sully buch in um de ugh hootun
Umerrika: Urrr de urr urrr urrr, da urrr the Don de urr Hilurrrry im urrrrrr rrrrr rrr breaking urrr rrr de urrr fux extrurrr gotta go to brrrrreak de urr urr urrr Trump rrrrr Adiss on Coopa d rrrrr Fux Noose errr ahh rrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rent increases of $ 100 per week, surely the can just move away if they can’t afford it?
Oh hang on it is not Auckland, it is Queenstown!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/75566565/queenstown-accommodation-crisis-may-force-business-owner-out-of-town
Let’s Not Lose Our Tempers: If John Key Wants A Riot Outside Sky City – Don’t Give Him One!
Chris Trotter on BowalleyRoad today is suggesting that ShonKey is wanting a street riot against TPPA signing outside Sky City to make it look as if protesters are “loony left” and not to be taken seriously. And that a street riot would just play into ShonKey’s hands and make him look good to the majority of people.
Extracts from his blog – with a link to the full blog below.
“ ON THE FACE OF IT John Key has made a serious tactical blunder. By insisting on hosting the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in New Zealand, just two days before Waitangi Day, at the country’s most notorious beneficiary of crony capitalism, he would appear to have given his opponents an unparalleled opportunity to rally their forces and reinvigorate their campaign.
Frankly, I’m suspicious. Because John Key is not prone to making tactical blunders. Which raises the worrying possibility that the readily predictable consequences of his decision – mass protest action outside Sky City, with a high probability of violence and property damage – may be exactly what he wants to happen.
The Chinese philosopher-general, Sun Tzu, wrote: “If your enemy is of choleric temper – irritate him.”………….
My best guess is that over the summer, Key and his pollster, David Farrar, have been drilling down deep into New Zealanders’ thoughts and feelings about the TPPA. Judging by the Government’s actions, this is what they have discovered.
That most New Zealanders are quite relaxed about the TPPA. Any fears Kiwis may have had about it in 2015 were allayed by a combination of Helen Clark’s pre-Christmas endorsement of the agreement, and the mainstream media’s generally positive coverage of the final draft. …………….
If that is the case, then an angry protest, or, worse, a violent riot, outside the Sky City complex will rebound, almost entirely, to the Government’s advantage. Not only it will reinforce the prejudices of Key’s supporters, but it will also alienate those who are still making up their mind on the TPPA. …………..
The fight against the TPPA must not be waged on the streets – where John Key wants it to be waged – but in the hearts and minds of those New Zealanders who are still not sure that the agreement will, in the end, be good for their country.
If John Key wants a riot at Sky City, then that’s the very last thing the anti-TPPA movement should give him.”
http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/lets-not-lose-our-tempers-if-john-key.html
I think it’s a double bluff – key knows what he is doing and this is not designed to get a riot but to stop one out of fear (as described by trotter above).
Think it through – this is an International event not for the nzpublic – the deal is done – he doesn’t need the meek middle to agree with him – he’s got the numbers – he wants to big note the international crew for his next job opp.
Fuck letting him win in that bastion of skyshit.
If we don’t fight for our rights we won’t fucking get them off these arseholes.
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6639-roy-morgan-new-zealand-voting-intention-january-2016-201601220219
Interesting poll results. Any explanation why Labour are so low?
Humour us.
Was Fisi’s poll taken in Northland ??? …………………….. 🙂
– Labour has zero media (such as it is) presence?
– The 4th Estate has been auctioned off and corrupted with clothing allowances, polling, American Express Gold cards, private equity takeovers and short term thinking?
– Koiwois have a different perception as to what charisma is from the rest of the world?
– Lazy is as lazy does?
– The cult of bubbles has now infected politics as well as media?
…. as Paul says – humour us oh wise one
– Labour has zero media (such as it is) presence?
– The 4th Estate has been auctioned off and corrupted with clothing allowances, polling, American Express Gold cards, private equity takeovers and short term thinking?
– Koiwois have a different perception as to what charisma is from the rest of the world?
– Lazy is as lazy does?
– The cult of bubbles has now infected politics as well as media?
…. as Paul says – humour us oh wise one
Msg to Mr Prent …
as you can see – there is a double comment and a pesky little bug.
One comment was posted yet appears in duplicate. One comment is stored and legitimised immediately, and the other (as I type) is still going thru’ the countdown.
Also the comment fields are not reset (below is what’s left as I typeover)
…. as Paul says – humour us oh wise one
(I only type a comment ONCE, then hit r e t u r n)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAJFKmfrny0
That made a lot of sense ?, not sure what he was getting at barring the socialist elite taking other people’s money and giving it away to there is nothing left to take Not sure why he did not just say that rather than hide it with waffle around loosing our way and caring
Sounds familiar.
.
America Rising PAC, the GOP opposition network founded by Matt Rhoades and Joe Pounder, has set its sights on Jane Mayer, shopping around accusations that she has ideological bias.
Mayer, who has been chronicling the Kochs for years, recently published a book about the rise of conservative activism by a few rich families, called “Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right.”
[…]
It’s far from the first time Mayer has been attacked for reporting on the Kochs, and Mayer has been described as the brothers’ “public enemy no. 1,” discouraging organizations from giving her reporting awards. Allegations that Mayer plagiarized were shopped to some media outlets in 2010 but they were never published because they were proven false. Though the Kochs’ spokespeople said in the past they had no knowledge of the allegations, Mayer has said she connected the dots to the Kochs, and has alleged they hired a private investigator to dig up dirt on her.
Asked why they were taking up the cause of defending the Kochs, Chassé they were defending their allies.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/01/america-rising-pac-sets-sights-for-koch-chronicler-jane-mayer-218081#ixzz3xvDhyCj0
TPP
http://www.mathematicians.org.au/images/Submissions/DFATSubmissionTPPMathematiciansPartyAustraliaJan232016.pdf