The Maritime Union appreciates the community support so far. While we continue to push for a settlement of the dispute via collective bargaining we are seeing no movement from the Port Company except to progress the contracting out process. As a result we have no choice but to fight for maintaining some security of employment and against the contracting out of our jobs. This week therefore sees the start from Friday of a two week strike at the Port.
Your support is going to be increasingly important to us as we fight over issues that are significant for us all.
We will have a 24/7 picket at Teal Park – outside the Fergusson Wharf gate (in front of the Westpac Rescue Centre) corner Tamaki Drive and Solent Street from 10 am Friday 24 February . If you are Auckland based or visiting town we would appreciate you joining us at the picket where you can learn about the dispute, directly from the workers concerned and show your solidarity. Where ever you live you can encourage people you know to come and join us. We are particularly inviting the community to visit on 25-26 February and 3-4 March 11am-3pm when there will food, children’s’ activities and entertainment for all. Parking is on Tamaki Drive and surrounding streets. Contributions of food are appreciated and can be left at the picket.
Please join us.
Financial Support
We have set up 2 ways for individuals to provide financial support for our members.
By calling our information line 0900ourport / 09006877678 to make a $5 automatic contribution.
or by depositing money into our bank account:
Account name: MUNZ National Fighting Fund
Account number: 02-0560-0450165-004
Branch: BNZ Manners Street, Wellington
Deliveries
We are organising groups to deliver postcards in your local area. If you haven’t already indicated you are willing to deliver a one hour bag of delivery and are able to, let us know.
Website and Facebook
Visit http://www.saveourport.com or http://www.facebook.com/saveourport to keep up to date with the dispute. Please encourage others to visit the site and sign our online petition. Attached to this email is a copy of the petition which you can take to your workplace, community organisation and events to encourage people to sign.
Prime Minister John Key has refused a request by the Public Service Association for an urgent meeting to discuss his plans for the state sector.
Earlier this month Mr Key signalled more mergers and job losses as the Government continues its goal of slashing $1billion from the public service.
The Government is looking at how technology such as smart phones can be used to replace over-the-counter contact and how savings can be made through further sharing of back-office functions such as human resources.
Mr Key plans to outline the Government’s proposals in a speech next month and has warned he will “make no apology” for trying to make the state sector more efficient.
Too busy for this, yet he never seems too busy to take holidays in Hawaii, or to spend an hour chatting about cats and other trivial stuff on the radio, to meet with Warners’ execs who are looking for some extra NZ taxpayer money and law changes…..etc, etc….?
We want to achieve a lasting and sustainable solution to the current labour productivity issues and disruptive action in Auckland as quickly as possible through two separate and parallel processes: firstly through negotiations on a Collective Agreement which will deliver improved flexibility, and a long term solution to the current productivity issues which have diminished our customer focus and impaired the Port’s performance for decades; and secondly, through consultation on a proposal to contract out labour at the Port.
Tony Gibson, Customer Advisory, 22 February 2012
Getting rid of the union by outsourcing, and seeking a collective with the union are both mutually exclusive of each other.
The inescapable conclusion is, the Ports of Auckland are only going through the motions of negotiating with the union, to meet their minimal legal requirements to do so.
The Ports of Auckland ltd. are on track with their premeditated plan to lock out the union members.
Contracting Out Proposal:
POA issued an RFP to prospective contractors on 10 January, and we are now in advanced discussions with contractors on the proposal. We’ve had three meetings with the union, but consultation has been relatively one-sided. We will be asking MUNZ to give us a formal response to the proposal by early next week. Meanwhile, the Port has been gathering views from prospective contractors and other staff through the consultation process. We’ll be reviewing this feedback over the next two weeks with a view to deciding whether we take this approach further. Our consultation process on a contract-out model is not just with union members, or stevedores, but involves a complete organisational review.
These are possibly the 5 best sentences you’ll ever read:
1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealthy
out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work
for without receiving.
3. The government cannot give to anybody, anything that the government does
not first take from somebody else.
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!
5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work
because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other
half gets the idea that it does no good to work, because somebody else is
going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any
nation.
1. It is regrettable that some wealthy insist on accumulating so much when if it was shared around many would benefit.
2. What a chief executive receives without deserving many struggling workers must work without receiving properly.
3. The government can and does create wealth. Anyone who denies this is a fool.
4. New Zealand does not have a wealth problem, it has a sharing problem.
5. When 1% of the people get the idea that they are entitled to exorbitant wealth because the remaining 99% is going to take care of them, and when the other 99% understands this is wrong, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.
1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealthy
out of prosperity. Correct. You simply legislate against the wealthy ticket clipping the poor.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work
for without receiving. But this will be the end of capitalism – an entire ownership class who gets massive economic benefits while others do the work for them on the minimum wage or close to it
3. The government cannot give to anybody, anything that the government does
not first take from somebody else. Correct. Tax the wealthiest who can afford it, the most. Don’t worry they’ll still have plenty for another investment house, overseas holiday and a couple of new cars afterwards.
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!Correct. This is why the wealthy insist on taking wealth from the many and giving it to themselves, the few. That way they can MULTIPLY the wealth of the country…for just themselves.
5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work
because the other half is going to take care of them, Actually this happens when work means having a minimum wage JOB (just above broke), and we have an economy which doesn’t need or want NZ workers.
Oh, that old chestnut that the highest-paid amongst us work the hardest, and therefore deserve the most, while the people who do the hardest, dirtiest, most dangerous jobs in our society deserve the least.
Millions of dollars a year for a CEO, minimum wage for a caregiver looking after the elderly.
All is right in James111’s world.
But I would agree that number 5 is a problem. When half the people got the idea that property speculation would mean they didn’t have to work and could live off their tenants, and the other half decided to leave because there was nothing here for them but tenant-slavery, the country did indeed go to hell in a handbasket.
Oh, that old chestnut that the highest-paid amongst us work the hardest, and therefore deserve the most, while the people who do the hardest, dirtiest, most dangerous jobs in our society deserve the least.
Millions of dollars a year for a CEO, minimum wage for a caregiver looking after the elderly.
Seconded! My daughter in law works at Selwyn Village, and pours her heart into caring for her “ladies” – for peanuts!
It bothered me last year when I worked at the language school, getting $35.00 an hour, leaving at 6.00 pm and seeing the cleaners come in then, knowing they were just starting, cleaning up our mess for half the money…(That being said, despite that my job was far more temporary than they ever let on 🙁 , I preferred it to cleaning!)
At least schools are not all that filthy…
No, they’re all BS. There’s only poverty because of the rich. Get rid of the rich and there won’t be any poverty. The actual truth is that you cannot get wealthy without stealing from the rest of the community.
A couple of days ago the Standard started a thread with the fact that the National lead government had broken the $ 50 billion debt ceiling. One of my comments there was that they were doing Greece on us triggering an avelange of Gosman misinfo crap.
Here are some time lines and articles with regards to the Greece/Goldman history you might find interesting:
No misinformation travellerev. I just pointed out the many flaws in your Goldman Sachs causing the Sovereign Debt crisis conspiracy theory.
What you fail to understand is that it was the Greeks inability to cut Government spending , (or at least to fund it domestically), which is at the heart of their problem not Goldman Sachs setting up deals for them. You might like to treat a modern sovereign nation like some sort of drug addled crack whore incapable of making rational decisions. I prefer to place the blame squarely on the people who spent the cash, not on the ones who enabled them to borrow it.
At least you should now know the EU is not the same as the Eurozone. So you have learnt something.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be. They are both fools. And each cares not a jot for the other. This has always been the way.
But given that the entire monetary system is a privately owned ponzi scheme it is clear that the solution is an erasion and replacement of the scheme. No ponzi schemes last.
But this ponzi scheme called the fractional reserve banking system just gets completely ignored in your shallow one-dimensional assessments.
Not just mine vto. I have yet to see one mainstream NZ politician rally against fractional reserve banking. You may very well be right, however your views have yet to persuade anyone, even on the left of the political spectrum, that is likely to be in a position of power in future.
Clearly ideas for change to systems which are not sustainable take time to gain traction in the mainstream and then for politicians to be brave enough to pick them up. This has been the case with such things as limited voting, slavery, apartheid, foreign ownership of land in NZ, the list goes on and back into time. But you will surely realise this. The fact that the fractional reserve system is not being picked up by politicians yet is immaterial to the issue.
The fractional reserve banking system is a ponzi scheme. You are aware of this and it should figure in your in-depth analysis of everything monetray, no? In particular the global debt problem, no? I mean, should the monetary system be included as part of an analysis of this problem gosman?
It’s not just not being picked up by politicians. It isn’t even being picked up by any mainstream political party at a discussion level as far as I can see.
There is also no influential grass roots movement or pressure group bringing this to the public attention. All there seems to be is some fringe far left people throwing this idea around amongst themselves.
You might like to compare this to the process to change limited voting, slavery, apartheid, etc (laughable in my mind) but those things took decades to change and this was despite strong support for them. You have nothing at this stage.
Wow…you can’t see the mainstream power structures acting to undermine the banking system which shares with them some of its power? I wonder why that is.
It’s not just me who can’t see this C.V. It is pretty much all mainstream political parties in the Western world (including the left leaning ones). Now I’m sure you believe your ideas make sense yet it isn’t an old idea. As you pointed out variations on a non-Fractional Reserve Banking system have been practiced in the past. However the ideas you expouse are failing to gain traction for some reason. It must be very frustrating for you C.V.
The ideas etc are not “failing to gain traction”. In case you hadn’t noticed across the entire western world especially, since the gfc, these thoughts and ideas are in fact gaining traction. In evidence see the Occupy movement, among others.
Unless you have any evidence that there is less discussion around the monetary system today than before the gfc, then you are simply wrong.
The Occupy movement? Oh yes now I remember, that little leftist get together at the end of last year. How’s that all going now? Must have achieved something surely.
Excellent, thanks gosman, an acknowledgement that the issues around the monetary system and its unsustainable nature are gaining traction and being openly discussed (your opinion on the Occupy people is immaterial to the relevance of its existence, which is what your point concerned), contrary to your point above.
In fact I don’t think the Occupy Movement managed to convey any such message that they were against the Fractional Reserve Bank System. Sure they were angry at bankers but so what. I’m angry at bankers a lot as well and I work for a bank. Doesn’t mean I want to change the syatem.
I didn’t state that. I did state that the specific idea that the problem is with Fractional Reserve Banking isn’t gaining traction. You haven’t really provided any evidence that it is.
I just dealt with all of those points above. And you don’t answer my question.
As always.
Why do you not take the fractional reserve banking system, and its ponzi unsustainable nature, into account when discussing the global debt situation and in particular Greece?
Because I reject your proposition. As does most of the Governments and opposition parties in the Western world. It must eat you up inside at times to be so sure your views are correct yet noone in a position of influence can see what to you is obvious.
Oh, so you don’t consider the very nature of the fractional reserve money system in discussing the global debt problem and in particular the Greek debt situation because of me.
No, on another thread I discussed why I reject the proposition from an economic stand point.
Now I have a couple of questions for you.
Have you ever discussed the issues you have with the fractional reserve banking system with any politician of a left leaning party (Labour, Greens, Mana, heck even NZ First)?
If you did, did they slowly back away from you while making excuses why they had to go?
Well gosman, that is not what you said above. If you have outlined reasons for viewing the fractional reserve banking system as inert in the global debt situation elsewhere then, without you outlining them again now, the discussion will have to stop. Useless.
As to your two questions, no. I don’t have anything to do with political parties, either from the right where I have placed most of my votes or from the left where I, and most the world imo, have dabbled and are now heading back to.
Conclusion as to the value of this mini-thread with you – witheringly useless.
So you haven’t presented your entirely presuassive and rock solid argument that the current financial system we live under in the Western world is a Ponzi scheme and needs to chang to anyone who might have an ability to actually change the system.
Instead you come on to a Blog site and express these views in the comments section among people that essentially agree with you but are on the whole largely powerless to do anything about them at this stage.
Wow! I admire your persistence. Much like I admire the Wile E Coyote’s persistence chasing the Road Runner. What’s the definition of insanity again? Something about doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different outcome.
Don’t presume so much gosman, you just look a fool. I attend to things such as this in my own particular way, which has its effects, trust me.
As for comments on a blog site – the reasons I bung around on here are my own personal ones (and not very good one really). And anyway as I understand, this site is watched and commented on at times by, by way of example sample, politicians as senior as Mallard and journalists as senior as Hooten and Garner. So your claim that it is ineffectual is in fact completely wrong. Blog sites are referenced by all manner of commentary in the modern world – maybe you have missed that change.
.
What amazes me Gosman, is that you refuse to take the nature, structure and ownership of the world’s debt system into account when discussing the world’s debt.
Gosman, can you explain how on the one hand you are opposed to Government debt, but on the other defend the system that creates out of thin air and runs on such vast quantities of it?
I just dealt with all of those points above. And you don’t answer my question.
As always.
Why do you not take the fractional reserve banking system, and its ponzi unsustainable nature, into account when discussing the global debt situation and in particular Greece?
Gosman says no mainstream politician is up to the task of calling the reserve bank to task but in London mayoral candidate Livingstone is calling for the hanging of a banker a day until they get it as his slogan to get elected. That’s progress I reckon.
Wasn’t Ken Livingston the Mayor of London previously? You know in the early 2000’s when the Bankers were running riot. Also how is ‘hanging bankers until they improve’ the same as deciding to change the banking system to be non-fractional resevere banking?
There is a fair amount of fairly respectable (right wing) economic opinion which is opposed to fractional reserve banking. i.e. Milton Friedman, Hayek, von Mises etc.
If I understand your analogy correctly, the deficit spending is the crack, which would make GS the dealer.
I’m no great fan of the war on drugs, but if we believe crack use to be a problem in society, I’m not convinced that a good respnse would be to have the state enforce the payment of users tic bills. YMMV of course.
Who was using the analogy again vto? Oh that’s right it was me. Therefore I think I would know if PB was understanding the purpose of it wouldn’t you agree?
And a multitude of unelected politicians and bureaucrats are the inside agents for the banksters, while organisations like the IMF are lobby groups and executive arms for them.
given that you are a complete tool who has been repeatedly caught lying, fails to read his own sources, and frequently has no idea what he’s talking about, it’s not really a good idea for you to simply assume that your “points” go over other people’s heads.
’tis better to remain quiet and be thought a stupid lying incompetent selfish tool, than to start typing and remove all doubt…
it was the Greeks inability to cut Government spending , (or at least to fund it domestically), which is at the heart of their problem gets analogised, somehow, to crack addiction.
Looks to me like he was saying the Greeks were ‘addicted’ to not funding their govt spending domestically, forcing them to borrow money from offshore.
But you can’t really be addicted to ‘not doing’ something, ergo, it’s the borrowed money that they were addicted to.
Ummmmm….. I think you will find that I basically stated it would be simplistic nonsense to believe such an analogy. But it is always good to see it confirmed that leftists believe in simplistic nonsense. Thanks for the laugh at your expense.
No you didn’t. But to save people from scrolling up:
What you fail to understand is that it was the Greeks inability to cut Government spending , (or at least to fund it domestically), which is at the heart of their problem not Goldman Sachs setting up deals for them. You might like to treat a modern sovereign nation like some sort of drug addled crack whore incapable of making rational decisions. I prefer to place the blame squarely on the people who spent the cash, not on the ones who enabled them to borrow it.
the bold bit is where you use the simplistic analogy you introduced to explain your position. #hack #stupidtroll
Ummmm…. I think you missed discussing the bit where I stated the actual analogy
“You might like to treat a modern sovereign nation like some sort of drug addled crack whore incapable of making rational decisions.”
Notice I am attributing this view to someone else (in this case the champion of wacky conspiracy theories travellerev). It is clear in this context it is not a view I share.
I also make the distinction between a modern sovereign nations and the drug addled crack whore. This is because I am highlighting that it would be simplistic nonsense to do so. Modern Sovereign nations are nothing like some sort of drug addled crack whore. They are far more complex and sophisicated.
But hey, if you want to run with such a simplistic view of the world go ahead and be my guest. It just makes you look like a plonker that’s all.
Then you probably shouldn’t have talked about a ‘greek inability’ rather than a ‘greek choice’. That set up the confusion. In any case, I tend to the view that bankers who loan money* to people with no ability to repay it, ar at least**, as culpable for the resulting shitstorm.
“…Over the last week, an important approach to economics that has spent years on the sidelines went mainstream: Modern Monetary Theory.
This is good news for anyone who wants to see the neoliberal paradigm challenged- and a positive sign to heterodox economists who have difficulty getting a hearing in a field still gripped by outmoded models.
The theory, which provides unusual perspectives on issues including currency, debt, and government spending, kicked off in the mid-90s – and has since grown into a movement.
Its roster of proponents includes James K. Galbraith; Australian economist Bill Mitchel; Randall Wray and Stephanie Kelton of the University of Missouri-Kansas City; Rob Parenteau; Scott Fullwilier; Warren Mosler; and blogger Marshall Auerback. ‘
Their insights have been particularly valuable in countering the deficit hysteria which reached a fever pitch in the U.S. during the summer of 2011 –
Bank of America is about to get hammered.
US$100 billion in litigation from investors claiming fraud in the mortgage backed securities and now it seems the Attorney-General of NY is going after it for all the taxes that weren’t paid on those security deals. – Kaiser Report interview with Chris Whalen of Tangent Capital.
I wonder if our dear leader still has his money in B of A. Knowing that his biography [Not the one written by Crosby Textor] has numerous incidences where he skips town before he has to face the consequences [“It wasn’t me gov. That was after I left town”], I guess he has dumped and run.
Does any one know his B of A exposure or am I dealing in old news?
On the government website regarding the financial interests of our politicians the only portion of his wealth outside of his trust funds is shares in BofA.
This could mean several things. He wants total control and no trust fund managers to know how much he owns in shares.
The amount in shares is probably considerable making his position as our prime minister a giant conflict of interest.
They were his long term Merrill Lynch investment shares turned into BofA shares when they were forced to buy Merrill Lynch.
Some more related facts are that Goldman Sachs is one of the biggest share holders in BofA which does not bode well for NZ.
Robert Rubin who spent 26 years at Goldman Sachs eventually serving as a member of the Board, and Co-Chairman from 1990-1992 served on the foreign Exchange committee from 1996-1998 after which he went on to preside over the repeal of the Glass Steagall act in the same year.
What is interesting is that he shared the upon invitation only job with none other than John Key’s direct boss Stephen Belotti and John Key received his invitation to “serve” on that committee which is used as a sounding board for the Federal Reserve of New York and a grooming hotspot for future revolving door politicians/bankers.
Here is a post I wrote about the 6 degrees of separation and how close John Key is to the key players in the global bankster takeover.
And no, this is not old news but very opportune because the only way John Key can hang on to his paper wealth is by keeping the system going and that can only be done by indebting the globe further and further into debt so the derivatives bubble ( $ 32 trillion worth) with which he made his money does not collapse.
Thanks ev.
Very informative as usual. Do we have any idea about the level of exposure? The share prices have taken a hit over the last year and there is a prospect of chapter 11 or at least a heavy restructuring, either of which would affect the share price.
I see from your 6 degrees article he is so well connected that he will not be in the dole cue any time soon, but do we know how much a dive in BofA could hurt his interests?
Thank you for taking the time to check out the links I gave you.
As I said before the fact that the shares are not in a trust fund therefore not even allowing the trustees of his funds to know the extend of the share portfolio is probably an indication that it is considerable but I think nobody knows the true size of his paper wealth.
But here is food for thought:
Would it matter if it was $1 million or $25 million in size or would John Key with his future and his shares in mind play along to get along so he can get a cushy job when he leaves (what he considers to be) this dump?
Would he violate his own interests in order to break us free from the Reserve bank system which made him a “made man” still beholden to his international finance masters to help liberate his country men from the collapsing system?
The thing is that unless Greece defaults and goes back to the Drachma and as a result the rest of the financial system goes in meltdown exposing the reserve system for the Ponzi scheme that it is we’re stuffed and under no circumstance will John Key do what is in the best interest of the NZ population. Namely to break away from the reserve system and start issuing interest free government social credit to rebuild the production capability of this country thereby decentralising the power now held by the 1%.
The excuses for war have focused mainly on a threat of terrorism from Iran and nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands. The propaganda for war is as usual, highly flawed. It is based on a falsehood that the United States and Israel are somehow operating their nuclear weapons industries properly, and can therefore judge a hypothetical threat from Iran.
Great to see The Standard (comments at least) turning into a playground for wacky conspiracy theorists. I find the best way to scare people off the left is to direct them here to see all the crazy talk of ‘Banksters’ and ‘Shadowy forces’ and ‘Plots to undermine democracy’. You guy’s provide me with hours of amusement.
You should delve back into the archives a bit more. You’ll find massive and extensive archives on building collapses, signatures on paintings, electoral law, labour law on fishing, taxation systems, science of climate change, implication of falling discoveries of hydrocarbons, and just about everything else you want to name.
It literally comes from across the spectrum and has varying levels of knowledge from your pious knowledge that is usually limited to criticism (and yes there is a place for critics), to people who suggest ideas that are frequently wacky, to those who merely sprout slogans (and risk my boredom).
The point is that airing and discussing ideas is useful. Coming up with ideas for others to cut holes into is useful. Being a dickhead critic isn’t. Being a good critic is. Pick your place….
Don’t get me wrong. Some of the articles and associated comments are generally quite good. However when anything involves economics or general discussion you get the usual suspects turn up with wacky ideas that are generally unsupported even by the wider left movement. It is the comments I generally direct people to so as to turn them off the left not usually the articles (although a couple have proved useful in that regard).
I would suggest that Gosman read up on Copernicus, who resisted openly publishing his views, not wishing – as he confessed – to risk the scorn “to which he would expose himself on account of the novelty and incomprehensibility of his theses.”
When ever I read the rubbish that Gosman generally spouts, I take a quick look at a comment Felix made a while ago that reads:
It seems to me that many who self-identify as “conservative” – especially at an early age, the sort of panty-sniffers and thumb-suckers you find in the young nats for example – seem to have never examined exactly what it is they’re identifying as. It’s more like a club they join that offers the security of never having to examine themselves (or anything else) too closely for comfort.
And understandable if so. Imagine the cognitive dissonance that would arise from actually admitting to yourself that you think things are as good as they’ll ever be and we’d best just stop now, um actually let’s go back a bit just to be sure.
In fact it’s to their advantage to be a bit thick if they want to hold fast to their thick beliefs, because a smarter person simply couldn’t do it. The best a smart conservative can hope for is a double life where inwardly s/he understands the absurdity of it all but publicly puts on a thick face to avoid confrontation, both internal and within the peer group.
Awful really. Some of your Nat friends really are this twisted, grinning smugly to the world while cowering behind the eyes.
You’ll find extreme messages on any forum that isn’t subject moderated. Hell, I find them on comment threads that are exclusively on c++. Did you realize that there are conspiracy theories about the c++ 2011 standard?
We moderate almost entirely on commenting behaviour rather than subjects. There are a few exceptions for the racist, sexist, pointless abuse comments, and generally anti-social commentators. Some people seem to think that raising these in every context are valid subjects. The moderators don’t. But mostly it is behaviours of diversion commenting, fire and forget comments, things that bore the moderators to even read, attacking authors or the site, and all of the paraphernalia of the modern major disruptor.
Gosman seems to be one of those people who think that conspiratorial behaviour is simply absent from the human condition.
That is doesn’t exist in business (lol), doesn’t exists in relationships (lol), doesn’t exist in the workplace (lol), doesn’t exist in politics (LOL)….
Gosman is the type of person who comes here, refuses to accept any evidence, spouts generalisations and expects everyone to side with him; pretty pathetic really.
The Standard documents current affairs. If you have a specific argument against it or those that post here, please define it? Don’t just try to plonk what is obviously troll dung on everything.
I was wondering why there were so many comments on this thread so early in the day. I was expecting this little green goblin and it turns out I was right.
Four Injured After Troops Break into Palestinian Home in Jerusalem http://www.imemc.org/article/62987
Monday February 13, 2012 00:00 by Saed Bannoura – IMEMC & Agencies
Palestinian medical sources in Jerusalem reported that four residents were wounded on Sunday evening, when Israeli troops and policemen broke into a Palestinian home of a former political prisoner, in al-Isawiyya town, in East Jerusalem.
Eyewitnesses said that the army broke into the home of former political prisoner, Samer al-Eesawy, by smashing the main door, and attacked his relative, lawyer Shereen al-Eesawy, her mother Laila, and her brother Shadi.
The lawyer suffered fractures in her arm and leg, and was taken prisoner by the police. Her mother was moved to the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem suffering bruises in the neck, and a fracture in her arm, the Palestinian Information Center reported.
Also, resident Rami Ismat was shot by a rubber-coated metal bullet fired by the army while invading the town. He was also moved to Hadassah Hospital.
It is worth mentioning that in October of last year, Samer al-Eesawy was released under the prisoner-swap deal that secured the release of Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, in exchange for the release of over a thousand Palestinian prisoners.
The first phase of the deal was implemented on October 18, 2011, when Israel released 450 detainees, and Shalit was handed by the Hamas movement to Egypt, and on December 18, 2011, Israel released 550 Palestinian detainees in the second phase of swap-deal.
Your ignorance is astounding. Why don’t you find out about what Israel does in the Occupied Territories before you make such a grossly stupid statement?
Perhaps we should send Jim Jim and Gossie out into international waters with a copies of Atlas Shrugged and Javanese For Idiots and see how that get on? I’m prepared to chip in a few bucks for the fares, if only for the peace and quiet round these parts while they’re away.
I’m in two minds – if he crashes there, then he’s back on our telly.
But if he were successful over there, I think the waves of smug infantilism would still radiate powerfully across the Tasman – and more local folk might try to copy him.
Paul Henry has kept true to his controversial reputation in his debut on Australian breakfast television this morning.
After being wound-up by his co-hosts for being a technophobe, Henry hassled Deputy Opposition leader Julie Bishop for not choosing who she would vote for between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.
In a segment called Henry Hotline, where viewers call to ask Henry a question, one caller said the show had to be “kidding” with the choice of hosts.
“Never have I seen two out of three more unprofessional newscasters ever in my life,” the caller said.
“Who’s that bloke with the glasses on? I don’t know him, I don’t want him,” said another caller.
Henry also commented that one caller sounded like she had been drinking.
The first airing of Channel Ten’s Breakfast show was brought forward by four days following Labor MP Kevin Rudd’s resignation as Foreign Minister in Washington late last night.
Rehearsals for Henry and his three co hosts, Andrew Rochford, Kathryn Robinson and Magdalena Rose, were cut short in a bid to capitalise on the ratings from the political fall out between Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Rudd.
Executive producer Majella Wiemers has said in recent interviews that her job “is to make a show that’s different and unpredictable”.
An official statement said: “We said be prepared for a show that’s cheeky and unpredictable, and (yesterday’s) surprise resignation by Kevin Rudd means it’s time for Breakfast to launch.”
Channel Ten, which puts on the Breakfast show, tweeted late last night: “Get and early night, guys! @TenBreakfast will be making a surprise launch tomorrow at 6am!”
Henry resigned from TVNZ’s Breakfast show after a public uproar over comments about New Zealand’s former Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand and an international outcry over him laughing at Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s name.
Where the hell is David Shearer?
If disappearing is his idea of doing things differently then I’m not impressed.
I want him to be different but I want to know he’s there and can and will and is taking it to Wankey!
Now, yesterday on the radio the defense lawyers had cross-examined the two young witnesses, yet todays ‘updated’ Herald story fails to mention this, instead painting a very different scenario to the one described on Radio NZ yesterday.
The Government is challenging opponents of state-owned asset sales to explain why it would be better to borrow billions of dollars from overseas lenders.
He either really doesn’t get that selling assets is worse than borrowing or it’s another misdirection. I’m betting on the latter – this government really, really wants to sell our assets to their rich mates and make us serfs.
Alternately, English could explain the pros and cons of selling state owned enterprises, in public, in detail, covering all the points the opposition have already made and placing them into context and also examine alternative choices to reducing debt that run contrary to his party’s philosophy.
After all, it’s his job to persuade the public, not the Opposition’s to support his illusions.
He seems to be saying, that since every person in NZ who opposes Asset sales cannot prove beyond any doubt that he is not witholding or concealing agendas or details, he is therefore telling the truth.
English is a snakeoil salesman and the MSM are traitors because they know it and won’t call it.
“Referring to social welfare reform which will apply tougher work tests on sole parents and address youth employment, Mr English said the Government would move quickly to get reforms underway.
He said it was staggering that around one in eight New Zealanders aged 18 to 64 was on a benefit and about half of them had spent at five of the past 10 years on a benefit.
“That’s not only bad for the beneficiaries and their children, it’s a waste for society and taxpayers.”
And what jobs might they all be going to then Balanced Bill?
The class war is going to ramp up hard by the looks of it!
Japan had 54 nuclear reactors. Ten were ‘knocked out’ by the earthquake/tsunami last March. A further six that sat on active fault lines were shut down. The remainder, bar three that will shut down in April, were also shut down.
And yet, in December there was a 6% surplus in electricity generating capacity in Japan.
So the question is; If Japan, that was supposedly highly reliant on nuclear generation can lose it’s entire nuclear generating capacity and have a surplus of power available, then what’s the basis of arguments that would have us believe that we (globally) need nuclear power generation?
The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 18
Why not start a Gosman thread tomorrow? He can there talk about anything that takes his fancy. And anyone who wants to interact with him can do so there. And there alone.
Why not start a Gosman thread tomorrow? He can there talk about anything that takes his fancy. And anyone who wants to interact with him can do so there. And there alone.
I’d like to know how gossies plan to put poor children into concentration camps so they die quicker is going. I’m sure his cowboyhat is too tight – he should take note of the great Dan’s hat – now that is class
Apologies if this has already been posted, but MUNZ have a really nice web button that would look real sweet on Teh Standard. Actually, on any worker friendly blog or website. Find it here.
Great to see the profit result for Ports of Tauranga today over 33 million for six months up 22% year on year,and higher than any analysts predicted.Really puts a spotlight on how badly POA is performing
Just goes to show what a well run port with competitive Labor rates ( contractors can achieve). Cant wait to see the mess sorted out at POA.
Get the port running the way it should be with the Labor costs much more competitive with their rival. Then all the rates payers of Auckland might get a decent return above 2.2% which is pathetic.
There is a mantra with the neo Liberals that goes something like “private good, public bad”.
So the cuts in the jobs of the “anonymous” are okay.
However, the newly redundant public servants are human beings with lives, mortgages and usually loyal to the core for their country (as opposed to a lot of the Right’s supporters who salt their profits overseas).
When is there going to be a voice in support of these people and their jobs? A great many will have dedicated a “lifetime” to their jobs – ACC/IRD/WINZ/HOUSING/CYPFS/RMA, (taken burdens from a day’s events home, and often shielded their ministers from embarrassment). They will have often implemented unpopular policy driven by their ministers and had to cop the flack from the public.
Along comes a government of zealots and removes swathes of jobs without any regard for these individuals.
And before the ministers claim that the jobs are a drain and unproductive, they might ask just what contribution they themselves make to the GDP.
@logie97
The NACTs aren’t just zealots, they are manipulators, liars and destroyers of the country and the services enjoyed by all NZ people.
I have family that support NACT and they have achieved much and have a good income and nice life and and make a point that they are paying tax ans think anyone getting welfare is wasting their tax payments. There is no attempt to understand the conditions of the general lower income group, just hostility and disdain. But when one of their family falls into the lower income bracket. that person, being a favourite, receives kindness and thoughtfulness which is not shown to other ‘losers’.
Buzz from the Beehive Transport Minister Simeon Brown dutifully issued advice to all road users to keep safe on our roads during the Easter weekend. He encouraged them to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. ...
Oliver Hartwich writes – New Zealanders recently learned about a new feature film. It will be about former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – and taxpayers will subsidise it to the tune of NZ$800,000. Ardern had nothing personally to do with either the film or the subsidy. But her government’s ...
TL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above that was recorded yesterday afternoon above between and The Kākā’s climate correspondent : An independent review panel into the emergency response to Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawkes Bayconcluded “that ...
There are now only a few days left to give feedback on the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport 2024-34 (see our earlier post this week on GPS submission guides). As we’ve reported, the GPS is a disaster for Local Government, so we were particularly interested to hear ...
Willis has pledged to go ahead with the debt-funded tax cuts, despite growing opposition from her own supporters worried about appearing fiscally irresponsible. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for ...
Open access notables A survey of interventions to actively conserve the frozen North, van Wijngaarden et al., Climatic Change:The frozen elements of the high North are thawing as the region warms much faster than the global mean. The dangers of sea level rise due to melting glacier ice, increased ...
Bryce Edwards writes – New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure. The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On ...
In 2015, then-Prime Minister John Key announced plans for a huge ocean sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands, banning fishing and mining from 15% of Aotearoa's EEZ. It was bold, it was ambitious, and it suggested that National might actually care about the environment. Except they fucked it up: Key failed ...
1. Who has just been given the accolade New Zealander of the Year?a. The Kokakob. The Cook Strait Ferryc. Fair God. Dr Jim Salinger 2. Which of these is an affront to decent society?a. Dame Edna Everageb. Mrs Doubtfire c. Dr. Frank-N-Furterd. Brian 3. Who is Penny Simmonds?a. The aspiring actress in Big ...
New Zealand’s biggest-ever political donations scandal is finally at an end. But what is the conclusion? No one can really be sure.The Court of Appeal released its judgement on Tuesday about the Serious Fraud Office case against the NZ First Foundation. On the face of it, the court found ...
Buzz from the Beehive Waves of rain are set to lash much of the North Island during Easter Weekend as a low-pressure system forms east of New Zealand, according to a weather forecast published in the past day or so. Niwa was warning of a “moisture-laden” long weekend, with rain expected ...
Look around us…Nicola Willis’ promises of balancing the books, of cutting spending without reducing services, and of delivering game changing tax cuts are disappearing before her eyes.Everyday we see stories of violent crime ending in horrific injuries, or worse. The cost of living worsens, whereas the PM claimed renters would ...
TL;DR: My top six news of note on the morning of Thursday, March 28 include:The Government will have to borrow between $10 billion to $15 billion more than previously expected in order to make up for a slowing economy and to pay for $14.9 billion of tax cuts, according to ...
This story by Naveena Sadasivam and Kate Yoder was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The long-awaited jobs board for the American Climate Corps, promised early in the Biden administration, will open next month, according to details shared exclusively ...
Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don’t think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of ...
Treasury’s first report on the economy since the change of government presents a damning indictment of Labour’s economic management. The problem for National is that it is so damning that logically, coupled with a rapidly slowing economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis should respond to it by postponing or even cancelling ...
Budget tensions are becoming evident within the Coalition Government. Winston Peters made numerous political points in his speech to the NZF annual conference. But the attack on his own government’s fiscal policies raised issues of substance. ‘Today in the Sunday Star Times, journalist and former advisor to the Labour ...
Buzz from the Beehive The media – sure enough – have been binging on Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ release of the Budget Policy Statement and a statement headed Government announces Budget priorities This assures us – or rather, this parrots the Luxon team mantra – that the Budget “will deliver ...
The Ides of March brought me COVID followed by a bereavement. No wonder they tell you to be careful of them.I’m home now and have resumed the interrupted recuperation. Very much looking forward to getting back to regular things. Meanwhile, some thoughts…OneThis new Prime Minister guy just keeps getting more dire. ...
News that the Chinese ATP 40 cyber-hacking unit penetrated parliamentary internet networks in 2021 has renewed concerns about the PRC’s malign intentions in Aotearoa. But is the hack that significant given the length of time that has passed since its … Continue reading → ...
When Parliament passed the Intelligence and security Act in 2017, they assured us all that it was full of safeguards. Any intrusive surveillance of New Zealanders would be subject to a "triple lock", requiring the approval of the Minister and (supposedly independent) Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, as well as post-facto ...
Eric Crampton writes – Richard Harman’s Politik newsletter provides a bit of the context that ought to have been showing up in other media reports on potential reductions in public service staffing. Media has been reporting on staffing cuts on the order of about 7%. Is that ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – It’s becoming increasingly apparent that many perceive free speech to have become the preserve of the politically right wing, the religiously conservative, the libertarian fringe, the anti-trans, the anti-Māori and…. well, just fill in with whatever groups or individuals you don’t like and don’t ...
Don Brash writes – As everybody who is not blind and deaf is aware, there is a huge political preoccupation with climate change at the moment, a widespread (though by no means unanimous) belief that global temperatures are rising mainly as a result of the greenhouse gases created ...
TL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy on Wednesday, March 27 include:Chris Bishop laid out his vision for filling Aotearoa-NZ’s $100 billion infrastructure deficit in a speech yesterday, emphasising user pays and private funding, but failed to say how to achieve bipartisanship on population, public borrowing and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Former Finance Minister Grant Robertson and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins have been conveying how unhappy they are with the tax system. Last week in his valedictory speech, Robertson called for the introduction of a wealth or capital gains tax. And this week Hipkins ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Buzz from the Beehive China has loomed large in Beehive considerations over the past 24 hours, largely because of that country’s mischief-making in the cyber espionage department. Two media statements emerged on that subject hard on the heels of the PM baulking at questions put to him on RNZ’s Morning ...
Chris Trotter writes – WHY IS THE NATIONAL PARTY doing so much for landlords, property developers, trucking, and construction companies, and so little for everybody who isn’t already pretty well-off? It’s as if protecting landlords’ investments and building apartments and roads now constitute the whole of National’s ...
Bryce Edwards writes – When she was campaigning to be Minister of Finance last year, Nicola Willis pledged that she would resign from the job if she failed to deliver tax cuts in her first Budget. Now, it’s that pledge, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s ...
Robert MacCulloch writes – The Reserve Bank has doubled staff numbers in five years to 510, with personnel costs rising to $80 million in 2023 from $32 million in 2018 – up by a whopping 150%. I guess when you print $50 billion and flood markets with liquidity, ...
The furore. In case you didn’t notice there was a controversy in the weekend involving dolphins in a little town off the South Island. Don’t panic, they haven’t declared independence and resumed whaling, this was simply a sailing event.The problem began when racing was cancelled on the opening day of ...
For 20 years or more, the case for a meaningful capital tax gains has been mulled over and analysed to death, including by the tax working group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen. More than once, the International Monetary Fund has said a CGT would be a good idea for New ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: The Public Health Communications Centre (PHCC) call for urgent preventive action and a risk assessment survey of long covid in this briefing noteLocal scoop: NZ road deaths surpass OECD rates, so why is the govt reversing safety plans? ...
This story was originally published by Grist and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. This story is part of a collaboration with Grist and WABE to demystify the Georgia Public Service Commission, the small but powerful state-elected board that makes critical decisions about everything from raising ...
This is a guest post from Robert McLachlan Global warming is accelerating; 2023 was off the charts. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. In New Zealand, transport accounts for half of all fossil fuels burnt. In the Emissions Reduction Plan, transport emissions fall 41% by 2035. As the ...
Labour productivity has been receding rapidly over the past two years, reversing a post-lockdown rise. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy as at 6:26am on Tuesday, March 26 include:Workers have been treading water in output per hour worked for 12 years, ...
TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 2 include:Today, Parliament resumes sitting at 2pm for the second week of a two-week session. Officials for SIS and GCSB report their annual reviews in public to the Intelligence and Security Select Committee from 5.10pm.Tomorrow, ...
Faced with a barrage of criticism over the promised tax cuts from usually supportive commentators, Finance Minister Nicola Willis yesterday reaffirmed her intention to include them in this year’s Budget. The Government is up against it over the cuts just about every way it turns. Commentators like Fran O’Sullivan, Matthew ...
Here’s my pick of today’s substack posts as of 6:26pm on Monday, March 25: writes via his substack that Market-rate housing will make your city cheaper writes via his substack about the problems talking to double-cab ute (truck) drivers about their vehicles. today about moments of radicalisation in ...
Buzz from the Beehive Just before Christmas, Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered something that was pitched as a mini-budget and brayed about the decisive action being taken to repair the Government books and support income tax relief in Budget 2024. In a statement headed Fiscal repair job underway. she introduced ...
My sister Belinda asked Dad yesterday what one word would describe Mum best. He said: vivacious.If you only knew her from the photos on the slideshow we've made for today,you might wonder about that, because the camera tended to lie with Mum.If ever she saw a camera pointed at her, she ...
There are two major public consultations closing in the next week, Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP), and the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS). Closing dates and times: LTP closes Thursday 28 February, at 11.59pm – a minute to midnight! GPS closes Tuesday 2 April, at 12pm noon – note that’s ...
From Kiwiblog’s David Farrar – Bryce Wilkinson writes: Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson’s analysis reveals that since March 2009, New Zealand has spent $158 billion more overseas than it has earned, but its NIIP has only fallen by $32 billion.Statistics New Zealand shows that receipts from overseas reinsurers have ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition? Brian Easton writes – The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could ...
Dear Nicola Willis,Right now you’ve probably got lots of competing demands coming at you. Ministers who’ve inherited quite a mess, or so you’ve told us, looking for money in the budget to improve things. I imagine that’s why they came to parliament - to make things better.You’ll have to make ...
The Local Government, Transport and Auckland Minister hasthreatened councils with intervention if they don’t merge water assets to take them off balance sheet, just as the now-repealed Three Waters plan directed. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things of note this morning for Monday, March 25 include:Simeon ...
A listing of 36 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 17, 2024 thru Sat, March 23, 2024. Story of the week Thanks to John Mason having the stamina to sit down to watch "Climate - the Movie" ...
This morning the Q&A programme had Simeon Brown on to talk about National’s replacement for Three Waters. In case anyone’s forgotten the three are - drinking water, waste water, and sewerage. It’s quite important not to get them mixed up. In much the same way that you wouldn’t want to ...
Today’s newsletter comes with a mini-podcast conversation between me and my buddy Liv Tennet, talking about her time as a child actor in Lord of the Rings. It’s a conversation with a lot of giggles as she talks about falling off a horse, and becoming a meme. Read ...
The Desmog Climate Disinformation Database documents, "individuals and organisations that have helped to delay and distract the public and our elected leaders from taking needed action to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight global warming." It's a who's who of the organised climate change denial movement, in other words. In ...
Bob Edlin writes – A High Court judge has decided miscreants who have mana – or who claim to have mana – should be treated differently from miscreants who have none. It’s a ruling that suggests indigenous law-breakers have a better chance of securing a discharge without conviction ...
Welcome to the first, and possibly last, edition of Brickbats, Bouquets and Bull’s Wool. In which I’ll take a look at the events of the last week or so, and rate them.In such ratings the numbers usually have more to do with the opinions of the reviewer, than the actual ...
Roger Partridge writes – My earlier column this month, New Zealand’s highest court could be facing a turning point, prompted a flood of feedback from business readers and lawyers alike. A common query was what Parliament can do to restrain an overreaching judiciary. This week I discuss two steps Parliament ...
TL;DR: In today’s ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.16pm on Friday, March 22: writes about New Zealand's Building Boom—And What the World Must Learn From It over at his substack. challenges the Auckland Council’s use of a 3.8 degrees of warming forecast to oppose a wave-park and data centre project ...
Is she hinting that the Coalition Government will have to back down on key promises it made in Opposition?The Minister of Finance, Nicola Willis, is telling an evolving story about her fiscal challenges. In Opposition she was confident that she could deliver her promised income tax cuts. Appointed minister, she ...
Buzz from the Beehive Ministers of the Crown have drawn attention to one sector of the science sector which is unlikely to be subjected to heavy spending cuts, a state-funded broadcaster which is doing nicely, thank you, and a sporting event that had $5.4 million from the public purse puffed ...
Abbott’s Freestyle Libre sensors allow continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The sensor is applied to the back of the patient’s arm, with a thin filament under the skin measuring glucose levels constantly. But it costs around $100 per sensor and must be replaced once every 14 days. Photo by BSIP/Universal Images ...
The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) recently released a report in which he exposes the existence of a foreign intelligence partner-controlled technological “capability” inside the headquarters of the GCSB, NZ’s 5 Eyes-affiliated signals intelligence collection and analysis agency. … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 29 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
Asia Pacific Report A New Zealand investigative journalist and author says the US spy system hosted by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) appears to be a controversial intelligence system used in global capture-kill operations. Writing a commentary for RNZ News today, Nicky Hager, author of Secret Power, a 1996 ...
While Nicola Willis wouldn’t give any details on its size, she said a package of tax cuts is definitely still coming in this year’s budget, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the investigation into the Department of Internal Affairs after it was revealed that the Department’s Chief Executive personally reached out to expedite a DJs passport application. Taxpayers’ Union Campaigns ...
Finance minister Nicola Willis delivers her first budget statement, and unwittingly helps Joel MacManus save his relationship. Nicola Willis strode into the Beehive Theatrette. Around me, on the green foldout seats, were the country’s top business and political journalists. They were all here to see her announce the Budget Policy ...
Twenty years ago today, Māori Television launched after much controversy. Jamie Tahana looks back on its survival and impact across two decades. Chad Chambers stepped onto the stage, the brim of his cap casting a shadow across his face. His smile beamed as bright as his white freezing works gumboots, ...
Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellsford, Onehunga, Westhaven marina – Gavin Strawhan walks the meanish streets of New Zealand in his entertaining debut novel The Call, almost sure to roar into the number 1 position on the Nielsen bestseller chart, its front cover bearing a rave from somebody: “A really good and genuinely ...
On a Thursday in February, at Wellington’s Conservation House, the Conservation Authority, a statutory body advising the eponymous department and minister, Tama Potaka, opened its 195th meeting. Under consideration that afternoon was an agenda item written by Tim Bamford, chief advisor in the Department of Conservation’s biodiversity, heritage and visitors ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Thursday 28 March appeared first on Newsroom. ...
A lengthy response to the recently released draft Government policy statement on transport will soon be delivered from Auckland Council to Minister of Transport Simeon Brown. A submission raising concerns about funding distribution and the plan’s treatment of Auckland passed through the council’s transport committee on Wednesday, despite some councillors ...
MUNZ seek support
So JonKey is too busy to mee the PSA over public sector cuts even though this is a policy Key has fronted on?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6464535/PSA-disappointed-Key-won-t-discuss-cuts
Too busy for this, yet he never seems too busy to take holidays in Hawaii, or to spend an hour chatting about cats and other trivial stuff on the radio, to meet with Warners’ execs who are looking for some extra NZ taxpayer money and law changes…..etc, etc….?
The PSA need to link up with the Maritime workers.
MUNZ need the numbers and the PSA need a way of making the Government sit up and listen.
‘
A lock out by any other name would smell as sweet?
Customer Advisory
An update from Tony Gibson
Getting rid of the union by outsourcing, and seeking a collective with the union are both mutually exclusive of each other.
The inescapable conclusion is, the Ports of Auckland are only going through the motions of negotiating with the union, to meet their minimal legal requirements to do so.
The Ports of Auckland ltd. are on track with their premeditated plan to lock out the union members.
These are possibly the 5 best sentences you’ll ever read:
1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity, by legislating the wealthy
out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work
for without receiving.
3. The government cannot give to anybody, anything that the government does
not first take from somebody else.
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!
5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work
because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other
half gets the idea that it does no good to work, because somebody else is
going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any
nation.
emphasis on the possibly
5 sentences that will earn you a failing grade in economics
ahhh, James, read number four again and then explain your oft spoken love of a system that’s very foundation is built upon fractional reserve banking?
How about these?
1. It is regrettable that some wealthy insist on accumulating so much when if it was shared around many would benefit.
2. What a chief executive receives without deserving many struggling workers must work without receiving properly.
3. The government can and does create wealth. Anyone who denies this is a fool.
4. New Zealand does not have a wealth problem, it has a sharing problem.
5. When 1% of the people get the idea that they are entitled to exorbitant wealth because the remaining 99% is going to take care of them, and when the other 99% understands this is wrong, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.
Micky
What wealth did the last Labour government create in nine years? Answer none they just taxed people to death
James 111 arguing with you is like arguing with a rock.
A rock gives off the impression of potential wisdom whereas james opens his mouth and removes all doubt there’s ony RWNJ dribble
And rocks also give the hope of finding they contain small nuggets of precious minerals.
James is more like a coprolite.
yes i remember the times well.
piles of bodies in the streets
hazmat teams burning the dead
tax relief soup kitchens were everywhere
im just grateful we didnt live in any of those countries which paid even more tax than we do.
“im just grateful we didnt live in any of those countries which paid even more tax than we do.”
Like you mean almost all of the rest of the OECD?
yeah – thems the ones
FIFY Jimmy
Oh, that old chestnut that the highest-paid amongst us work the hardest, and therefore deserve the most, while the people who do the hardest, dirtiest, most dangerous jobs in our society deserve the least.
Millions of dollars a year for a CEO, minimum wage for a caregiver looking after the elderly.
All is right in James111’s world.
But I would agree that number 5 is a problem. When half the people got the idea that property speculation would mean they didn’t have to work and could live off their tenants, and the other half decided to leave because there was nothing here for them but tenant-slavery, the country did indeed go to hell in a handbasket.
Seconded! My daughter in law works at Selwyn Village, and pours her heart into caring for her “ladies” – for peanuts!
It bothered me last year when I worked at the language school, getting $35.00 an hour, leaving at 6.00 pm and seeing the cleaners come in then, knowing they were just starting, cleaning up our mess for half the money…(That being said, despite that my job was far more temporary than they ever let on 🙁 , I preferred it to cleaning!)
At least schools are not all that filthy…
No, they’re all BS. There’s only poverty because of the rich. Get rid of the rich and there won’t be any poverty. The actual truth is that you cannot get wealthy without stealing from the rest of the community.
A couple of days ago the Standard started a thread with the fact that the National lead government had broken the $ 50 billion debt ceiling. One of my comments there was that they were doing Greece on us triggering an avelange of Gosman misinfo crap.
Here are some time lines and articles with regards to the Greece/Goldman history you might find interesting:
http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-washington-dc/read-it-and-weep-a-timeline-of-goldman-sachs-corruption
http://www.creditwritedowns.com/2010/02/inside-the-mind-of-an-investment-banker-greece-goldman-and-derivatives.html
http://antioligarch.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/what-chase-goldman-sachs-did-to-greece/
The Matt Taibbi article with regards to Goldman Sachs actively betting that Greece would fall is particularly poignant.
And Gosman? Go fuck yourself with your pathetic misinfo tripe
No misinformation travellerev. I just pointed out the many flaws in your Goldman Sachs causing the Sovereign Debt crisis conspiracy theory.
What you fail to understand is that it was the Greeks inability to cut Government spending , (or at least to fund it domestically), which is at the heart of their problem not Goldman Sachs setting up deals for them. You might like to treat a modern sovereign nation like some sort of drug addled crack whore incapable of making rational decisions. I prefer to place the blame squarely on the people who spent the cash, not on the ones who enabled them to borrow it.
At least you should now know the EU is not the same as the Eurozone. So you have learnt something.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be. They are both fools. And each cares not a jot for the other. This has always been the way.
But given that the entire monetary system is a privately owned ponzi scheme it is clear that the solution is an erasion and replacement of the scheme. No ponzi schemes last.
But this ponzi scheme called the fractional reserve banking system just gets completely ignored in your shallow one-dimensional assessments.
Not just mine vto. I have yet to see one mainstream NZ politician rally against fractional reserve banking. You may very well be right, however your views have yet to persuade anyone, even on the left of the political spectrum, that is likely to be in a position of power in future.
Again so shallow gosman.
Clearly ideas for change to systems which are not sustainable take time to gain traction in the mainstream and then for politicians to be brave enough to pick them up. This has been the case with such things as limited voting, slavery, apartheid, foreign ownership of land in NZ, the list goes on and back into time. But you will surely realise this. The fact that the fractional reserve system is not being picked up by politicians yet is immaterial to the issue.
The fractional reserve banking system is a ponzi scheme. You are aware of this and it should figure in your in-depth analysis of everything monetray, no? In particular the global debt problem, no? I mean, should the monetary system be included as part of an analysis of this problem gosman?
It’s not just not being picked up by politicians. It isn’t even being picked up by any mainstream political party at a discussion level as far as I can see.
There is also no influential grass roots movement or pressure group bringing this to the public attention. All there seems to be is some fringe far left people throwing this idea around amongst themselves.
You might like to compare this to the process to change limited voting, slavery, apartheid, etc (laughable in my mind) but those things took decades to change and this was despite strong support for them. You have nothing at this stage.
Wow…you can’t see the mainstream power structures acting to undermine the banking system which shares with them some of its power? I wonder why that is.
As usual the Keiser Report reveals much.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efw8ntVLKj8&feature=fvst
It’s not just me who can’t see this C.V. It is pretty much all mainstream political parties in the Western world (including the left leaning ones). Now I’m sure you believe your ideas make sense yet it isn’t an old idea. As you pointed out variations on a non-Fractional Reserve Banking system have been practiced in the past. However the ideas you expouse are failing to gain traction for some reason. It must be very frustrating for you C.V.
The ideas etc are not “failing to gain traction”. In case you hadn’t noticed across the entire western world especially, since the gfc, these thoughts and ideas are in fact gaining traction. In evidence see the Occupy movement, among others.
Unless you have any evidence that there is less discussion around the monetary system today than before the gfc, then you are simply wrong.
The Occupy movement? Oh yes now I remember, that little leftist get together at the end of last year. How’s that all going now? Must have achieved something surely.
Excellent, thanks gosman, an acknowledgement that the issues around the monetary system and its unsustainable nature are gaining traction and being openly discussed (your opinion on the Occupy people is immaterial to the relevance of its existence, which is what your point concerned), contrary to your point above.
No acknowledgment at all.
In fact I don’t think the Occupy Movement managed to convey any such message that they were against the Fractional Reserve Bank System. Sure they were angry at bankers but so what. I’m angry at bankers a lot as well and I work for a bank. Doesn’t mean I want to change the syatem.
If even a leftist like Naomi Wolf isn’t picking up that one of the main issues of the Occupy movement is with Fractional Reserve Banking (see http://econintersect.com/b2evolution/blog1.php/2011/11/27/naomi-wolf-occupy-has-objectives) what hope do you have of getting this message wider coverage VTO. You certainly ain’t goin get it posting here.
Ok gosman, you are right … there is less discussion around the world’s money system today than there was a few years ago.
bonkers
I didn’t state that. I did state that the specific idea that the problem is with Fractional Reserve Banking isn’t gaining traction. You haven’t really provided any evidence that it is.
No Gosman. I did provide evidence by way of the Occupy example. You have provided no evidence for your assertion.
Gosman you’re a gift…
“In fact I don’t think the Occupy Movement managed to convey any such message that they were against the Fractional Reserve Bank System”
“The Disastrous Success of Fractional Reserve Banking”
http://theoccupiedtimes.co.uk/?p=1026
http://occupychi.org/phpbbforum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=684
http://occupywallst.org/forum/end-the-federal-reserve-and-the-fractional-reserve/
http://plancast.com/p/853c/occupy-federal-reserve-end-fractional-reserve-banking
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimkiernan/6532691879/
Washington Post mainstream enough for you Gossy?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/modern-monetary-theory-is-an-unconventional-take-on-economic-strategy/2012/02/15/gIQAR8uPMR_print.html
I just dealt with all of those points above. And you don’t answer my question.
As always.
Why do you not take the fractional reserve banking system, and its ponzi unsustainable nature, into account when discussing the global debt situation and in particular Greece?
Because I reject your proposition. As does most of the Governments and opposition parties in the Western world. It must eat you up inside at times to be so sure your views are correct yet noone in a position of influence can see what to you is obvious.
Oh, so you don’t consider the very nature of the fractional reserve money system in discussing the global debt problem and in particular the Greek debt situation because of me.
well done.
pathetic attempt at diversion and avoidance.
I’ve already discussed previously why I reject the issues with fractional reserve banking.
“I’ve already discussed previously why I reject the issues with fractional reserve banking.”
What you have said is that you reject the issues with fractional reserve banking because few politicians take them up.
That’s fine. At least it adds to an understanding of your understanding of the world, namely;
1. shallow.
2. the fractional reserve monetary system is immaterial to the current global debt problem.
No, on another thread I discussed why I reject the proposition from an economic stand point.
Now I have a couple of questions for you.
Have you ever discussed the issues you have with the fractional reserve banking system with any politician of a left leaning party (Labour, Greens, Mana, heck even NZ First)?
If you did, did they slowly back away from you while making excuses why they had to go?
Well gosman, that is not what you said above. If you have outlined reasons for viewing the fractional reserve banking system as inert in the global debt situation elsewhere then, without you outlining them again now, the discussion will have to stop. Useless.
As to your two questions, no. I don’t have anything to do with political parties, either from the right where I have placed most of my votes or from the left where I, and most the world imo, have dabbled and are now heading back to.
Conclusion as to the value of this mini-thread with you – witheringly useless.
So let me get this straight then.
So you haven’t presented your entirely presuassive and rock solid argument that the current financial system we live under in the Western world is a Ponzi scheme and needs to chang to anyone who might have an ability to actually change the system.
Instead you come on to a Blog site and express these views in the comments section among people that essentially agree with you but are on the whole largely powerless to do anything about them at this stage.
Wow! I admire your persistence. Much like I admire the Wile E Coyote’s persistence chasing the Road Runner. What’s the definition of insanity again? Something about doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different outcome.
Don’t presume so much gosman, you just look a fool. I attend to things such as this in my own particular way, which has its effects, trust me.
As for comments on a blog site – the reasons I bung around on here are my own personal ones (and not very good one really). And anyway as I understand, this site is watched and commented on at times by, by way of example sample, politicians as senior as Mallard and journalists as senior as Hooten and Garner. So your claim that it is ineffectual is in fact completely wrong. Blog sites are referenced by all manner of commentary in the modern world – maybe you have missed that change.
.
What amazes me Gosman, is that you refuse to take the nature, structure and ownership of the world’s debt system into account when discussing the world’s debt.
Mainstream economics and politics being such a measure of success at this juncture too eh Gosman. At least you don’t have unattainable expectations..
Gosman, can you explain how on the one hand you are opposed to Government debt, but on the other defend the system that creates out of thin air and runs on such vast quantities of it?
“There is also no influential grass roots movement or pressure group bringing this to the public attention.”
I’d watch out for Occupy on May1st before proclaiming that Gos..
I just dealt with all of those points above. And you don’t answer my question.
As always.
Why do you not take the fractional reserve banking system, and its ponzi unsustainable nature, into account when discussing the global debt situation and in particular Greece?
VTO,
Gosman says no mainstream politician is up to the task of calling the reserve bank to task but in London mayoral candidate Livingstone is calling for the hanging of a banker a day until they get it as his slogan to get elected. That’s progress I reckon.
Wasn’t Ken Livingston the Mayor of London previously? You know in the early 2000’s when the Bankers were running riot. Also how is ‘hanging bankers until they improve’ the same as deciding to change the banking system to be non-fractional resevere banking?
Haven’t had a chance to read this yet, but an MMT’r on fiat..
http://coppolacomment.blogspot.co.nz/2011/11/merits-of-debt-money-system.html
I hope your masters pay you well shilly G, I really do, because you’re going to need every cent when it goes to pot globally.
And for those of you still believing John Key is here for your interest here is another shill doing his masters dirty work
There is a fair amount of fairly respectable (right wing) economic opinion which is opposed to fractional reserve banking. i.e. Milton Friedman, Hayek, von Mises etc.
If I understand your analogy correctly, the deficit spending is the crack, which would make GS the dealer.
I’m no great fan of the war on drugs, but if we believe crack use to be a problem in society, I’m not convinced that a good respnse would be to have the state enforce the payment of users tic bills. YMMV of course.
Nope, you don’t understand the analogy at all.
Nope, P’s b absolutely understood the analogy.
Who was using the analogy again vto? Oh that’s right it was me. Therefore I think I would know if PB was understanding the purpose of it wouldn’t you agree?
GS is the dealer and the credit ratings agencies are the thugs and the muscle.
Whoosh!
Did you see that C.V?
That was the point going over your head.
And a multitude of unelected politicians and bureaucrats are the inside agents for the banksters, while organisations like the IMF are lobby groups and executive arms for them.
Gosman,
given that you are a complete tool who has been repeatedly caught lying, fails to read his own sources, and frequently has no idea what he’s talking about, it’s not really a good idea for you to simply assume that your “points” go over other people’s heads.
’tis better to remain quiet and be thought a stupid lying incompetent selfish tool, than to start typing and remove all doubt…
Not at all. If you intended some other understanding then you should be more accurate with your analogies.
It’s like Humpty Dumpty saying to Alice: “When I use an analogy… it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less”.
It should be fairly easy to clear this up.
it was the Greeks inability to cut Government spending , (or at least to fund it domestically), which is at the heart of their problem gets analogised, somehow, to crack addiction.
Looks to me like he was saying the Greeks were ‘addicted’ to not funding their govt spending domestically, forcing them to borrow money from offshore.
But you can’t really be addicted to ‘not doing’ something, ergo, it’s the borrowed money that they were addicted to.
Ummmmm….. I think you will find that I basically stated it would be simplistic nonsense to believe such an analogy. But it is always good to see it confirmed that leftists believe in simplistic nonsense. Thanks for the laugh at your expense.
No you didn’t. But to save people from scrolling up:
What you fail to understand is that it was the Greeks inability to cut Government spending , (or at least to fund it domestically), which is at the heart of their problem not Goldman Sachs setting up deals for them. You might like to treat a modern sovereign nation like some sort of drug addled crack whore incapable of making rational decisions. I prefer to place the blame squarely on the people who spent the cash, not on the ones who enabled them to borrow it.
the bold bit is where you use the simplistic analogy you introduced to explain your position. #hack #stupidtroll
Ummmm…. I think you missed discussing the bit where I stated the actual analogy
“You might like to treat a modern sovereign nation like some sort of drug addled crack whore incapable of making rational decisions.”
Notice I am attributing this view to someone else (in this case the champion of wacky conspiracy theories travellerev). It is clear in this context it is not a view I share.
I also make the distinction between a modern sovereign nations and the drug addled crack whore. This is because I am highlighting that it would be simplistic nonsense to do so. Modern Sovereign nations are nothing like some sort of drug addled crack whore. They are far more complex and sophisicated.
But hey, if you want to run with such a simplistic view of the world go ahead and be my guest. It just makes you look like a plonker that’s all.
Then you probably shouldn’t have talked about a ‘greek inability’ rather than a ‘greek choice’. That set up the confusion. In any case, I tend to the view that bankers who loan money* to people with no ability to repay it, ar at least**, as culpable for the resulting shitstorm.
**or other peoples money
* and probably more.
A graph to show you the effects of Austerity on Greece’s GDP slide post 2008, think they will ever pay it back while being strangled Gosman/
The dealer doesn’t get paid when the junkie dies!
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/austerity-europe/?smid=tw-NytimesKrugman&seid=auto
And a clip, from the mouths of those who dealt with Goldman to help them get into the EU
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17108367
yeah I know Gosman… lalalala, can’t hear you, fingers in your ears and all that..
my banker buddies told me it was all those lazy Greeks
http://whoar.co.nz/2012/the-challenge-to-status-quo-economics-everybody-is-talking-about/
“…Over the last week, an important approach to economics that has spent years on the sidelines went mainstream: Modern Monetary Theory.
This is good news for anyone who wants to see the neoliberal paradigm challenged- and a positive sign to heterodox economists who have difficulty getting a hearing in a field still gripped by outmoded models.
The theory, which provides unusual perspectives on issues including currency, debt, and government spending, kicked off in the mid-90s – and has since grown into a movement.
Its roster of proponents includes James K. Galbraith; Australian economist Bill Mitchel; Randall Wray and Stephanie Kelton of the University of Missouri-Kansas City; Rob Parenteau; Scott Fullwilier; Warren Mosler; and blogger Marshall Auerback. ‘
Their insights have been particularly valuable in countering the deficit hysteria which reached a fever pitch in the U.S. during the summer of 2011 –
– and still darkens policy debates worldwide…”
(cont..)
phil-at-whoar.
Bank of America is about to get hammered.
US$100 billion in litigation from investors claiming fraud in the mortgage backed securities and now it seems the Attorney-General of NY is going after it for all the taxes that weren’t paid on those security deals. – Kaiser Report interview with Chris Whalen of Tangent Capital.
I wonder if our dear leader still has his money in B of A. Knowing that his biography [Not the one written by Crosby Textor] has numerous incidences where he skips town before he has to face the consequences [“It wasn’t me gov. That was after I left town”], I guess he has dumped and run.
Does any one know his B of A exposure or am I dealing in old news?
Hi .William,
On the government website regarding the financial interests of our politicians the only portion of his wealth outside of his trust funds is shares in BofA.
This could mean several things. He wants total control and no trust fund managers to know how much he owns in shares.
The amount in shares is probably considerable making his position as our prime minister a giant conflict of interest.
They were his long term Merrill Lynch investment shares turned into BofA shares when they were forced to buy Merrill Lynch.
Some more related facts are that Goldman Sachs is one of the biggest share holders in BofA which does not bode well for NZ.
Robert Rubin who spent 26 years at Goldman Sachs eventually serving as a member of the Board, and Co-Chairman from 1990-1992 served on the foreign Exchange committee from 1996-1998 after which he went on to preside over the repeal of the Glass Steagall act in the same year.
What is interesting is that he shared the upon invitation only job with none other than John Key’s direct boss Stephen Belotti and John Key received his invitation to “serve” on that committee which is used as a sounding board for the Federal Reserve of New York and a grooming hotspot for future revolving door politicians/bankers.
Here is a post I wrote about the 6 degrees of separation and how close John Key is to the key players in the global bankster takeover.
And no, this is not old news but very opportune because the only way John Key can hang on to his paper wealth is by keeping the system going and that can only be done by indebting the globe further and further into debt so the derivatives bubble ( $ 32 trillion worth) with which he made his money does not collapse.
Here is John Key confessing on breakfast TV to the fact that every bankster knew that the derivatives trade was a short term Ponzi scheme.
I hope this helps!
Thanks ev.
Very informative as usual. Do we have any idea about the level of exposure? The share prices have taken a hit over the last year and there is a prospect of chapter 11 or at least a heavy restructuring, either of which would affect the share price.
I see from your 6 degrees article he is so well connected that he will not be in the dole cue any time soon, but do we know how much a dive in BofA could hurt his interests?
W,
Thank you for taking the time to check out the links I gave you.
As I said before the fact that the shares are not in a trust fund therefore not even allowing the trustees of his funds to know the extend of the share portfolio is probably an indication that it is considerable but I think nobody knows the true size of his paper wealth.
But here is food for thought:
Would it matter if it was $1 million or $25 million in size or would John Key with his future and his shares in mind play along to get along so he can get a cushy job when he leaves (what he considers to be) this dump?
Would he violate his own interests in order to break us free from the Reserve bank system which made him a “made man” still beholden to his international finance masters to help liberate his country men from the collapsing system?
The thing is that unless Greece defaults and goes back to the Drachma and as a result the rest of the financial system goes in meltdown exposing the reserve system for the Ponzi scheme that it is we’re stuffed and under no circumstance will John Key do what is in the best interest of the NZ population. Namely to break away from the reserve system and start issuing interest free government social credit to rebuild the production capability of this country thereby decentralising the power now held by the 1%.
Here is an interesting analysis by Dan Denning from Ozzie blog the Daily Reckoning: What the Greek debt crisis is all about.
Dismantling the reason for war
The excuses for war have focused mainly on a threat of terrorism from Iran and nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands. The propaganda for war is as usual, highly flawed. It is based on a falsehood that the United States and Israel are somehow operating their nuclear weapons industries properly, and can therefore judge a hypothetical threat from Iran.
Great to see The Standard (comments at least) turning into a playground for wacky conspiracy theorists. I find the best way to scare people off the left is to direct them here to see all the crazy talk of ‘Banksters’ and ‘Shadowy forces’ and ‘Plots to undermine democracy’. You guy’s provide me with hours of amusement.
You should delve back into the archives a bit more. You’ll find massive and extensive archives on building collapses, signatures on paintings, electoral law, labour law on fishing, taxation systems, science of climate change, implication of falling discoveries of hydrocarbons, and just about everything else you want to name.
It literally comes from across the spectrum and has varying levels of knowledge from your pious knowledge that is usually limited to criticism (and yes there is a place for critics), to people who suggest ideas that are frequently wacky, to those who merely sprout slogans (and risk my boredom).
The point is that airing and discussing ideas is useful. Coming up with ideas for others to cut holes into is useful. Being a dickhead critic isn’t. Being a good critic is. Pick your place….
Don’t get me wrong. Some of the articles and associated comments are generally quite good. However when anything involves economics or general discussion you get the usual suspects turn up with wacky ideas that are generally unsupported even by the wider left movement. It is the comments I generally direct people to so as to turn them off the left not usually the articles (although a couple have proved useful in that regard).
“…wacky ideas that are generally unsupported even by the wider left movement”
Could you explain what you mean please? At the moment it looks like you are out of your depth.
I would suggest that Gosman read up on Copernicus, who resisted openly publishing his views, not wishing – as he confessed – to risk the scorn “to which he would expose himself on account of the novelty and incomprehensibility of his theses.”
When ever I read the rubbish that Gosman generally spouts, I take a quick look at a comment Felix made a while ago that reads:
It seems to me that many who self-identify as “conservative” – especially at an early age, the sort of panty-sniffers and thumb-suckers you find in the young nats for example – seem to have never examined exactly what it is they’re identifying as. It’s more like a club they join that offers the security of never having to examine themselves (or anything else) too closely for comfort.
And understandable if so. Imagine the cognitive dissonance that would arise from actually admitting to yourself that you think things are as good as they’ll ever be and we’d best just stop now, um actually let’s go back a bit just to be sure.
In fact it’s to their advantage to be a bit thick if they want to hold fast to their thick beliefs, because a smarter person simply couldn’t do it. The best a smart conservative can hope for is a double life where inwardly s/he understands the absurdity of it all but publicly puts on a thick face to avoid confrontation, both internal and within the peer group.
Awful really. Some of your Nat friends really are this twisted, grinning smugly to the world while cowering behind the eyes.
And some of them are just thick.”
And I too, just laugh
You’ll find extreme messages on any forum that isn’t subject moderated. Hell, I find them on comment threads that are exclusively on c++. Did you realize that there are conspiracy theories about the c++ 2011 standard?
We moderate almost entirely on commenting behaviour rather than subjects. There are a few exceptions for the racist, sexist, pointless abuse comments, and generally anti-social commentators. Some people seem to think that raising these in every context are valid subjects. The moderators don’t. But mostly it is behaviours of diversion commenting, fire and forget comments, things that bore the moderators to even read, attacking authors or the site, and all of the paraphernalia of the modern major disruptor.
Gosman seems to be one of those people who think that conspiratorial behaviour is simply absent from the human condition.
That is doesn’t exist in business (lol), doesn’t exists in relationships (lol), doesn’t exist in the workplace (lol), doesn’t exist in politics (LOL)….
Weird, ain’t it?
Gos should tell the police they can stop investigating anyone suspected of conspiring, cos it just doesn’t happen.
Save them a fair bit of time I reckon.
Gosman is the type of person who comes here, refuses to accept any evidence, spouts generalisations and expects everyone to side with him; pretty pathetic really.
The Standard documents current affairs. If you have a specific argument against it or those that post here, please define it? Don’t just try to plonk what is obviously troll dung on everything.
I was wondering why there were so many comments on this thread so early in the day. I was expecting this little green goblin and it turns out I was right.
Yep. It’s getting to the point where I’m reading the posts and skipping most of the comments.
Open mike is pretty much fucked now too by the looks.
Little green boring goblin is not worth reading it’s just gosman dribbling drivel.
Four Injured After Troops Break into Palestinian Home in Jerusalem
http://www.imemc.org/article/62987
Monday February 13, 2012 00:00 by Saed Bannoura – IMEMC & Agencies
Palestinian medical sources in Jerusalem reported that four residents were wounded on Sunday evening, when Israeli troops and policemen broke into a Palestinian home of a former political prisoner, in al-Isawiyya town, in East Jerusalem.
Eyewitnesses said that the army broke into the home of former political prisoner, Samer al-Eesawy, by smashing the main door, and attacked his relative, lawyer Shereen al-Eesawy, her mother Laila, and her brother Shadi.
The lawyer suffered fractures in her arm and leg, and was taken prisoner by the police. Her mother was moved to the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem suffering bruises in the neck, and a fracture in her arm, the Palestinian Information Center reported.
Also, resident Rami Ismat was shot by a rubber-coated metal bullet fired by the army while invading the town. He was also moved to Hadassah Hospital.
It is worth mentioning that in October of last year, Samer al-Eesawy was released under the prisoner-swap deal that secured the release of Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, in exchange for the release of over a thousand Palestinian prisoners.
The first phase of the deal was implemented on October 18, 2011, when Israel released 450 detainees, and Shalit was handed by the Hamas movement to Egypt, and on December 18, 2011, Israel released 550 Palestinian detainees in the second phase of swap-deal.
Been a fair bit happenning in Syria recently………….
Israelis seems a lot more considerate than Assad.
Just saying…………………………
Your ignorance is astounding. Why don’t you find out about what Israel does in the Occupied Territories before you make such a grossly stupid statement?
Not as “outstanding” as your hypocracy.
Could you elucidate? Right now, you’re floundering, and I don’t think you are in any way capable of explaining how I am guilty of “hypocracy”.
As we all know, there is no such thing as wage slavery, so I don’t why these guys are bleating so much.
They’re not slaves and slaveowners, they’re rational economic actors maximising their utility.
Perhaps we should send Jim Jim and Gossie out into international waters with a copies of Atlas Shrugged and Javanese For Idiots and see how that get on? I’m prepared to chip in a few bucks for the fares, if only for the peace and quiet round these parts while they’re away.
A disgusting blot on our international reputation. One wonders how the owners of these fishing corporations can sleep at night………..
Paul Henry get’s hammered by the Aussies: “I don’t know him, I don’t want him” Classic!
Bugger! I was kinda hoping they’d love him over there so there would be no chance he’d come back here.
I’m in two minds – if he crashes there, then he’s back on our telly.
But if he were successful over there, I think the waves of smug infantilism would still radiate powerfully across the Tasman – and more local folk might try to copy him.
I think this one is more objective and McFlock gets his wish…………
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/game-on-as-breakfast-crashes-the-morning-tv-party-20120223-1toz8.html
Upping the IQ in both Australia and NZ…
Paul Henry comes under fire on Aussie debut
http://tvnz.co.nz/entertainment-news/paul-henry-s-early-aussie-debut-4738470?ref=rss
Paul Henry has kept true to his controversial reputation in his debut on Australian breakfast television this morning.
After being wound-up by his co-hosts for being a technophobe, Henry hassled Deputy Opposition leader Julie Bishop for not choosing who she would vote for between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.
In a segment called Henry Hotline, where viewers call to ask Henry a question, one caller said the show had to be “kidding” with the choice of hosts.
“Never have I seen two out of three more unprofessional newscasters ever in my life,” the caller said.
“Who’s that bloke with the glasses on? I don’t know him, I don’t want him,” said another caller.
Henry also commented that one caller sounded like she had been drinking.
The first airing of Channel Ten’s Breakfast show was brought forward by four days following Labor MP Kevin Rudd’s resignation as Foreign Minister in Washington late last night.
Rehearsals for Henry and his three co hosts, Andrew Rochford, Kathryn Robinson and Magdalena Rose, were cut short in a bid to capitalise on the ratings from the political fall out between Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Rudd.
Executive producer Majella Wiemers has said in recent interviews that her job “is to make a show that’s different and unpredictable”.
An official statement said: “We said be prepared for a show that’s cheeky and unpredictable, and (yesterday’s) surprise resignation by Kevin Rudd means it’s time for Breakfast to launch.”
Channel Ten, which puts on the Breakfast show, tweeted late last night: “Get and early night, guys! @TenBreakfast will be making a surprise launch tomorrow at 6am!”
Henry resigned from TVNZ’s Breakfast show after a public uproar over comments about New Zealand’s former Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand and an international outcry over him laughing at Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s name.
Where the hell is David Shearer?
If disappearing is his idea of doing things differently then I’m not impressed.
I want him to be different but I want to know he’s there and can and will and is taking it to Wankey!
.
From today’s Herald coverage http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10787478
Now, yesterday on the radio the defense lawyers had cross-examined the two young witnesses, yet todays ‘updated’ Herald story fails to mention this, instead painting a very different scenario to the one described on Radio NZ yesterday.
More unbalanced reporting?
English issues asset sales challenge
He either really doesn’t get that selling assets is worse than borrowing or it’s another misdirection. I’m betting on the latter – this government really, really wants to sell our assets to their rich mates and make us serfs.
Can English explain why it would be good for NZ to have our State Assets sold by NAct? NO he can’t!
Can bungling Bill even tie his own shoe laces? The bloke is a lemon
Alternately, English could explain the pros and cons of selling state owned enterprises, in public, in detail, covering all the points the opposition have already made and placing them into context and also examine alternative choices to reducing debt that run contrary to his party’s philosophy.
After all, it’s his job to persuade the public, not the Opposition’s to support his illusions.
He seems to be saying, that since every person in NZ who opposes Asset sales cannot prove beyond any doubt that he is not witholding or concealing agendas or details, he is therefore telling the truth.
English is a snakeoil salesman and the MSM are traitors because they know it and won’t call it.
“Referring to social welfare reform which will apply tougher work tests on sole parents and address youth employment, Mr English said the Government would move quickly to get reforms underway.
He said it was staggering that around one in eight New Zealanders aged 18 to 64 was on a benefit and about half of them had spent at five of the past 10 years on a benefit.
“That’s not only bad for the beneficiaries and their children, it’s a waste for society and taxpayers.”
And what jobs might they all be going to then Balanced Bill?
The class war is going to ramp up hard by the looks of it!
” around one in eight New Zealanders aged 18 to 64 was on a benefit”
how does that even work when our unemployment rate is round 6-7%?
what am i missing here?
is it actually heaps worse than that – or more un-verified repeating by the media?
Open question.
Japan had 54 nuclear reactors. Ten were ‘knocked out’ by the earthquake/tsunami last March. A further six that sat on active fault lines were shut down. The remainder, bar three that will shut down in April, were also shut down.
And yet, in December there was a 6% surplus in electricity generating capacity in Japan.
So the question is; If Japan, that was supposedly highly reliant on nuclear generation can lose it’s entire nuclear generating capacity and have a surplus of power available, then what’s the basis of arguments that would have us believe that we (globally) need nuclear power generation?
Why not start a Gosman thread tomorrow? He can there talk about anything that takes his fancy. And anyone who wants to interact with him can do so there. And there alone.
Excellent idea. He’s such a bore!
Dunno, might prove popular.
The Daily Gos?
daily floss maybe
I’d like to know how gossies plan to put poor children into concentration camps so they die quicker is going. I’m sure his cowboyhat is too tight – he should take note of the great Dan’s hat – now that is class
http://ponderosascenery.homestead.com/files/castbios/hoss.html
Apologies if this has already been posted, but MUNZ have a really nice web button that would look real sweet on Teh Standard. Actually, on any worker friendly blog or website. Find it here.
Great to see the profit result for Ports of Tauranga today over 33 million for six months up 22% year on year,and higher than any analysts predicted.Really puts a spotlight on how badly POA is performing
Just goes to show what a well run port with competitive Labor rates ( contractors can achieve). Cant wait to see the mess sorted out at POA.
Get the port running the way it should be with the Labor costs much more competitive with their rival. Then all the rates payers of Auckland might get a decent return above 2.2% which is pathetic.
Can’t wait to see you run crying to mummy when your paper-round pay gets slashed in half little jim.
There is a mantra with the neo Liberals that goes something like “private good, public bad”.
So the cuts in the jobs of the “anonymous” are okay.
However, the newly redundant public servants are human beings with lives, mortgages and usually loyal to the core for their country (as opposed to a lot of the Right’s supporters who salt their profits overseas).
When is there going to be a voice in support of these people and their jobs? A great many will have dedicated a “lifetime” to their jobs – ACC/IRD/WINZ/HOUSING/CYPFS/RMA, (taken burdens from a day’s events home, and often shielded their ministers from embarrassment). They will have often implemented unpopular policy driven by their ministers and had to cop the flack from the public.
Along comes a government of zealots and removes swathes of jobs without any regard for these individuals.
And before the ministers claim that the jobs are a drain and unproductive, they might ask just what contribution they themselves make to the GDP.
@logie97
The NACTs aren’t just zealots, they are manipulators, liars and destroyers of the country and the services enjoyed by all NZ people.
I have family that support NACT and they have achieved much and have a good income and nice life and and make a point that they are paying tax ans think anyone getting welfare is wasting their tax payments. There is no attempt to understand the conditions of the general lower income group, just hostility and disdain. But when one of their family falls into the lower income bracket. that person, being a favourite, receives kindness and thoughtfulness which is not shown to other ‘losers’.