Open mike 23/02/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 23rd, 2013 - 147 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner).

Step right up to the mike…

147 comments on “Open mike 23/02/2013 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Jenny 1
    23 February 2013 at 6:30 am

    “A DECADE OF DECEPTION”

    Police say they cannot discuss the Christchurch man’s claim, but do not accept the allegations and will be “vigorously” defending the proceedings.

    The draft claim alleges that, on the instructions of police, Mr Gilchrist foiled a plan to “gas” 50,000 battery chickens.

    Stuff.co.nz @ Farifax News

    Apart from the civil action…..

    When will see senior police commanders in the dock to answer for their alleged crimes?

    For Incitement:

    For aiding and abetting Rob Gilchrist in his campaign to incite his unwitting victims to commit crimes.

    For collecting fake evidence:

    For aiding and abetting Gilchrist in the manufacture and collection and the storage of false evidence.

    For knowingly accepting and holding this fake evidence, knowing it was fake, against citizens accused of no crimes.

    Evidence produced through the use of staged photo shoots, with protesters holding weapons. Weapons supplied from an arsenal kept by Gilchrist, presumably with the full knowledge police.

    For still holding this illegally obtained staged photographic evidence of ‘domestic political terrorism’.
    If Gilchrist’ double life had not been uncovered. It is quite likely that under the Suppression of Terrorism Act this photographic evidence could quite legitimately have been used to arrest those depicted. Serving the political purpose of discrediting them, as “terrorists”.

    Why aren’t the police officers responsible not facing charges?

    Am I wrong in thinking that such serious actions against protesters are illegal in this country?

    Are these sort of politically motivated police tactics legal in New Zealand?

    Is it legal for the police to pay agent provocateurs to cause incitement and discredit those they see as political enemies of the authorities?

    Aren’t these the sort of tactics more normal in a police state?

    Are these sort of political police tactics being normalised here?

    Or is this just a one-off aberration?

    Is there any politician in this country prepared to stand up for civil liberties in parliament prepared to forward a private members bill making it a crime punishable by imprisonment, for the police to wittingly, or unwittingly hire, or otherwise engage, or encourage an agent provocateur or provocateur to act against protesters or any other political target?

    It it is not already, let us make the use of agent provocateurs by the state forces a criminal offence in this country.

    • Tiger Mountain 1.1
      23 February 2013 at 7:33 am

      Under the NZSIS Act 1969 and Ammendment Act 1977 such things are perfectly legal. And the numbers of these would be “Johhny English” types like Ghilchrist are large enough to stop the majority of people that apply for a copy of their SIS file to either be refused or get pages of black marker pen. The identity cover of these junior snoopers (stasi indeed) is more important to the service than the freedom of information for other citizens.

      • Rogue Trooper 1.1.1
        23 February 2013 at 1:43 pm

        allegedly police had Gilchrist SPY on EPMU, SFW, MU, CTU, environment, peace, animal rights and political groups (with no related charges found against animal rights groups; wtf is wrong with these conformist idiots?)

    • xtasy 1.2
      23 February 2013 at 3:36 pm

      Jenny –

      “Aren’t these the sort of tactics more normal in a police state?”

      “Are these sort of political police tactics being normalised here?”

      “Or is this just a one-off aberration?”

      I am sure you and many others know the answers.

      What is most worrying is that key persons in this government, same as in former governments, know about all this, were at least in part informed about certain activities by state agencies, and they are sitting there silently, condoning it all.

      So draw your conclusions, those that do not quite get it yet.

      If in a small country like NZ true freedom of speech and other actions were allowed, this country would indeed look very different to what it looks like now (as it has looked like for a damned long time already).

    • xtasy 1.3
      23 February 2013 at 3:46 pm

      I would not believe everything Gilchrist claims, but for sure, it is nothing new, that Police and SIS have their focus on certain groups in society, who generally and to my best knowledge all just act within the law.

      One prime evidence of excessive surveillance was to see police film anti social welfare reform protest actions in Henderson, West Auckland on 04 October 2012, from even before the start, to the very end, non-stop! Every attending person was filmed!

      Now, what was the reason for that, I ask? There were only limited numbers of protestors and supporters, there was NO threat or danger to the public or anybody else at all, at no time then.

      This kind of stuff going on makes you wonder, yes indeed quite scared!

  2. The Al1en 2
    23 February 2013 at 7:03 am

    “Police software mines social media”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10867135

    Shouldn’t they be out blocking roads and checking wof and reggos in low decile areas at school drop off/pick up times?
    The thin blue line – Debt collectors in drag.

    • marty mars 2.1
      23 February 2013 at 8:26 am

      I do agree that that seems like a total waste of time and sinister too, especially in combination with jenny above talking about that scum gilchrist. I wonder if they check the blogs for moaners and stick-pokerers – you could be on the list A 🙂

      • The Al1en 2.1.1
        23 February 2013 at 8:47 am

        I’m egotistical enough to think I deserve to be on it, but I doubt a no-one like me is 😉

        I got stopped the other day, and when the officer came over I said my warrant had just run out. His face lit up. That’ll make Ma proud – Join the force and protect us from criminals.
        Then I said, oh, hang on, I’ve still got four months left, my mistake.
        Gutted. 😆

    • Draco T Bastard 2.2
      23 February 2013 at 10:15 am

      During the Rugby World Cup, it allowed police to detect a boy racer convoy heading from Auckland to Hamilton.

      The drivers “felt they would be able to get away with dangerous behaviour on the roads because they believed police resources would be busy elsewhere”, he said.

      One wonders why the police think a convoy of people being sociable is dangerous.

      • QoT 2.2.1
        23 February 2013 at 10:26 am

        I love the over-dramatic phrasing – “allowed police to detect a boy racer convoy heading from Auckland to Hamilton”.

        Because “police ran a Twitter search for “road trip to the Tron this weekend?” and found a number of tweets saying “You guys wanna road trip to the Tron this weekend?” and freed up a couple of officers to set up a checkpoint” sounds far less futuristically awesome.

        Let’s also note that there is no mention of anyone being arrested, or of the police’s exact response to the Great Boy Racer Convoy, because that isn’t at all relevant.

      • Roflcopter 2.2.2
        23 February 2013 at 11:28 am

        “One wonders why you think a convoy of people being dangerous is sociable.”

        FIFY

        • Draco T Bastard 2.2.2.1
          23 February 2013 at 12:41 pm

          There was no indication of danger, there was no arrests made. Sounds to me like young people being sociable and the police then turning that into fear mongering.

    • muzza 2.4
      24 February 2013 at 8:48 am

      Signal was developed as part of a $60,000 emergency management tool.

      Is this attempting to insinuate the tool was inclusded in the 60k EMT costs?

      If so, this is bull pucky – The social media monitoring capability, will not have been developed (as a part of anything else, let alone in silo) for 60k, and its unlikely that it was developed in NZ, I would guess it to have been given provided to the police, free of charge from offshore!

      There are deliberate attempts to ratchet up the *scare factor* in NZ, but the best thats been come up with was , Uruwera, and in this article, car convoys, and possible rugby team protests..

      One could speculate that some other *event* might be hatched to bring in the police state, but on reflection, we are long past that stage, and the weapon used, was apathy of the NZ public, job done!

      Michael Jackon said it well – * Just (a) Beat Up!* –

      • Draco T Bastard 2.4.1
        24 February 2013 at 10:40 am

        Not just apathy but ignorance. NZers are purposefully kept ignorant of what the government is doing and that ignorance produces a feeling of powerlessness.

  3. karol 3
    23 February 2013 at 8:25 am

    NAct song and dance show – Key the Clown, Gerry-the-showman (all performance, little political substance).

    I was looking for the Onion by-line, but’s all Vicki Anderson and Fairfux.

    • Rogue Trooper 3.1
      23 February 2013 at 1:49 pm

      Reid poll into Brownlees’ performance as earthquake czar; 50% approval (chancer)

      Insurers response to claims; 27% approval (Two years on 70% of claims still not processed)

      while a poll on forcing beneficiaries to relocate to a recent disaster zone revealed 39% support

  4. marty mars 4
    23 February 2013 at 8:34 am

    I do not agree with DOC cutting down a 500 year old tree to make extensions on a tramping hut. The excuse that it was a health and safety issue and that there are plenty of more trees is bullshit – it was all about saving money. D for DOC on this one, they have let us all down.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10867084

    http://www.mars2earth.blogspot.co.nz/2013/02/dr-doc.html

    • Colonial Weka 4.1
      23 February 2013 at 11:40 am

      Completely agree marty. NZ still has a long way to go putting right our relationship nature, and DOC, who should be aware of the spiritual, cultural and social issues, treat the conservation estate as a fucking resource.

      I notice that DOC didn’t way what the actual safety issues are.

      Did DOC go through a public consultation process on this? Imagine if a council or private person cut down a tree like that because they wanted to extend a building. Unbelievable arrogance. Looks like the real issue is increasing income for DOC (not just saving money).

  5. johnm 5
    23 February 2013 at 9:25 am

    The USK situation
    The Artistic Taxi Driver. Key has the same agenda.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_viGMBe1fg&list=UUGThM-ZZBba1Zl9rU-XeR-A&index=3

    🙁 🙂 The Benes in this country have been stigmatised for a long time.

  6. bad12 6
    23 February 2013 at 9:25 am

    The ACT Party will hold it’s annual general meeting this weekend under a banner of ”rejuvenation” of the party,

    i have to assume that this will mean that the Doctors will be in attendance and a full public display of John Bank’s being pumped full of Botox will take place,

    Bank’s in what appears to have been a panic filled nervous fit heaped praise on incoming Prez of ACT John Boscowan for the latter’s ability to raise money, money money,

    2013 is probably a bit early for Boscowan to avail Bank’s that the Party doesn’t ‘see’ Him as the candidate for Epsom at the 2014 election and i expect the move to knife Bank’s wont occur until the 2014 meeting where Boscowan will become the ACT Party candidate for Epsom…

    • chris73 6.1
      23 February 2013 at 9:35 am

      Remove John Banks from pary and issue apology+ Promote younger talent + Stop cosying up to the SST = More seats in parliament

      • bad12 6.1.1
        23 February 2013 at 9:41 am

        Remove John Banks from ACT Party and Parliament=a slightly lessened stench of corruption+whip the tired discredited philosophy of naked greed around the track for another election on the back of the nod of electoral gerrymandering from a Slippery Prime Minister=

        1 seat in the 2015 Parliament and bye bye to this FAILURE of a National Government…

        • chris73 6.1.1.1
          23 February 2013 at 9:46 am

          Yes well the Labour party know all about corruption I guess

          However in the interests of democracy its good that Act (like I grudgingly concede the Mana party) are in parliament however if they were to get back to core values then they’d do a lot better

          • felixviper 6.1.1.1.1
            23 February 2013 at 10:02 am

            Meh, seems like their core values only attract a point or two. Without cosying up to the SST they’re nothing really.

          • bad12 6.1.1.1.2
            23 February 2013 at 10:07 am

            You guess??? proof please…

            • chris73 6.1.1.1.2.1
              23 February 2013 at 10:50 am

              Taito Phillip Field ring any bells…

              • felixviper …
                23 February 2013 at 10:57 am

                It’s a disgrace that he’s still in the house. Labour should’ve stood him down as a minister and booted him from the party.

                • James Thrace …
                  23 February 2013 at 12:08 pm

                  TPF isn’t in Parliament anymore..

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    23 February 2013 at 12:17 pm

                    uh, I reckon fv saw that memo 😀

                  • NoseViper (The Nose knows) …
                    23 February 2013 at 12:20 pm

                    James Thrace
                    The Standard commenters require an ability to understand irony, sarcasm amongst other things. Everyone knows that Mr Field is in his house now, (different from The House in case you don’t understand the allusion) and that was the sarcastic response used to reply to a weak comment. You need to exercise your brain cells here.

              • bad12 …
                23 February 2013 at 12:55 pm

                Ring ring, can you hear that bell, it is the one which gives an estimate of your time left here at the Standard, the clock just struck 5 to midnight,

                You should be more careful of making such insinuations, you make claim of corruption in the Labour PARTY, proof please,

                Taito Phillip Field was an ex MP and i now assume ex member of the Labour Party, get something right wont you…

                • McFlock …
                  23 February 2013 at 2:10 pm

                  yep.
                  ACT would have made him party leader because he was the only MP that remained. And lauded his entrepreneurial spirit.

                • chris73 …
                  23 February 2013 at 2:37 pm

                  Unless I’m mistaken he was a member of the Labour party at the time of his offending and his offending was minimized by Labour and Dear Leader at the time…

                  Something about only being guilty of being helpful comes to mind

                  Also I don’t know if its troughing but certain labour MPs certainly spent up a storm on the taxpayers dime…Chris Carters a good example

                  “Ring ring, can you hear that bell, it is the one which gives an estimate of your time left here at the Standard, the clock just struck 5 to midnight,”

                  – Are you telling the moderators of this blog what to do? Is that because you think they can’t make decisions of their own?

                  You should be more careful of making such insinuations, you make claim of corruption in the Labour PARTY, proof please,

                  – You are a sad, strange little man and I pity you 🙂

                  • bad12 …
                    23 February 2013 at 6:05 pm

                    Lolz, me tell the mods who to spank, nah, i just like making little predictions about how close to being past their use-by you wing-nuts are on any given day,

                    Even if i do say so myself i am getting quite good at identifying the nut-jobs in your little tribe that have committed hari-kari on the mountain of their own stupidity,

                    2 in the last 3 weeks have bit the dust after having been handed the poison chalice of my little prediction,

                    Ah i see the usual wing-nut tactic you have employed here, when called upon to provide ‘facts’ for a baseless accusation and having none it’s change of subject time…

      • Trickledrown 6.1.2
        23 February 2013 at 1:00 pm

        ACT r fucked they should join the crazy Con servatives!

      • millsy 6.1.3
        23 February 2013 at 7:37 pm

        ACT needs to ditch the neo-liberal bullshit and start looking to the libertarian left (as much as the libertarian right). Things that a new look ACT party could adopt:

        Universal Basic Income – the whole ‘free money’ think may rub a few of the faithful the wrong way, but it would fit into the whole small government thing. All you would need to do is fill out a form at the post office, show your ID, and you get paid. No MSD/WINZ to administer the whole thing. ACT’s idol, Freidman, proposed a form of UBI to Nixon, but the volatile changes in the 1970’s kinda meant that it came to nothing.

        Direct consumer ownership of utilities. Everyone owns shares in Genesis/MRP/MERI via their power account. Full democratic collective control and no big government in sight.

        The whole dope decrimisation thing.

        Universal health insurance, similar to the ACC system. People pay into a universal healthcare scheme, and get to choose what hospital/doctor they go to, etc.

    • David H 6.2
      23 February 2013 at 9:42 am

      So which phone box will be unavailable ?

      • Treetop 6.2.1
        23 February 2013 at 10:32 am

        I heard that the annual general meeting will be on private farm land just up from Auckland. Were the meeting to be be held in Wellington (a mid point) the media would out number the party faithful attending.

        Banks probably thinks that the Dotcom donations are all forgotten just because he got away with it.

        I wonder if Dotcom would be welcome at the annual general meeting?

        • NoseViper (The Nose knows) 6.2.1.1
          23 February 2013 at 12:26 pm

          Would the ACT meeting at a farm north of Whangarei be at the Newmans, of the living on the Smell of an Oily Rag advice book for prols, and why can’t Maoris just agree with us and be happy with what they’ve got, beliefs?

          • bad12 6.2.1.1.1
            23 February 2013 at 1:02 pm

            No it is at the property of rich lister Alan Gibbs, Banks along with going all gushy over Mr money money money Boscowan also went into a thrall possibly the closest He has been in the past time of His life to that of sexual orgasm over the Gibbs property,

            1000 acres of productive land that Gibbs treats as if it’s a front lawn and it is glowingly described how once a week 5 tractors are used to mow the grass amid a few statues that the owner having more money than brains paid ten times the going rate for such art to obtain…

            • Treetop 6.2.1.1.1.1
              23 February 2013 at 1:13 pm

              I haven’t looked up where the farm is. Banks would be orgasmic over Gibbs money.

            • NoseViper (The Nose knows) 6.2.1.1.1.2
              23 February 2013 at 2:17 pm

              I remember seeing in some psycophantic womens magazine, a long solid fencelike sculpture, I think painted orange snaking over the Gibbs pad. I think it is so nice of him to spread his money around the needy artistic community.

              • Treetop …
                23 February 2013 at 3:26 pm

                Gibb has got to spend his money on something. I’d like to see him donate to breakfast and lunch programmes in schools.

          • Rogue Trooper 6.2.1.1.2
            23 February 2013 at 1:53 pm

            i got that book LOTSOAOR on my table 🙂

            • NoseViper (The Nose knows) 6.2.1.1.2.1
              23 February 2013 at 6:42 pm

              “i got that book LOTSOAOR on my table:
              Are you using it for a placemat, that would be useful for a start.

    • bad12 7.1
      23 February 2013 at 9:44 am

      Take your blubber boy sewerage back to the sewer where it belongs and seek the opinion of the inhabitants of that particular dark place, it appears to be your natural ‘home’ after-all…

      • chris73 7.1.1
        23 February 2013 at 9:50 am

        So didn’t read the opinion of the well-known bastion of right wing thinking The Guardian then…

        Gives more insight into charter schools, you really should read it. Its less about what experts say may happen (in their opinion) and what actually is happening in practice

        • felixviper 7.1.1.1
          23 February 2013 at 10:18 am

          I didn’t read any of it, but I blame you for saying we should read them in order and then putting Slater’s dreck at the top.

        • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1.2
          23 February 2013 at 10:34 am

          Again, why would we want to follow the US considering that our education system is already better than theirs?

          • chris73 7.1.1.2.1
            23 February 2013 at 10:51 am

            Because the results in New Orleans are quite astounding…

            • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1.2.1.1
              23 February 2013 at 10:54 am

              No, not really. Even the thinktank that did the research was ambivalent about its results.

              • chris73 …
                23 February 2013 at 2:05 pm

                From the Guardian:

                “Before Katrina, the graduation rate was less than 50 percent. Now it’s more than 75 percent. Test scores are up 33 percent.”

                “Over the past few years, there is a story that has been unfolding down on the Gulf Coast that all Americans need to hear or read about. It is the story of the turnaround of the New Orleans Schools. This major city school system has gone from being one of the worst in the nation to one of the best. It is important to understand that we are talking major city schools here, not all schools, and there is a huge difference.

                There has been renewed national focus on New Orleans schools and its students’ progress. The school system has slowly ramped up the number of students served. In 2005, just before Katrina, it had 65,000 students; the next year it was down to 25,600. Enrollment has now climbed to 38,000. The demographics are still daunting: 95 percent of students are minorities and 83 percent are eligible for free or reduced lunches. Last year, 61 percent went to charter schools (a number that will increase this school year), by far the largest percentage of children in an urban area attending charters in the county. And the students have made progress.”

                • McFlock …
                  23 February 2013 at 2:32 pm

                  The most interesting thing about that quote is the post-Katrina school population recovery, or lack thereof.

                  As to whether charter schools are responsible for any of the apparent improvement: who knows? Nobody knows. As mentioned in the Guardina artice:

                  A study by the Cowen Institute at Tulane University notes the improvement, but is cautious about the reasons why. Many claims have been put forward “but few have been proven by the available data,” it says.

                  Hence “ambivalent”. No data = no verifiable claim = more WO propaganda.

                  • chris73 …
                    23 February 2013 at 2:42 pm

                    Something about clutching at straws comes to mind…

                    • McFlock …
                      23 February 2013 at 3:11 pm

                      Sorry, yes, charter schools must be wonderful. It can’t be because of:

                      reduced school population
                      federal or charity funding injections post-Katrina
                      greater community spirit among those who stayed or returned
                      housing relocations removing the poorest-performing students
                      or sample bias as poorest-performing students slip through the cracks and aren’t registered at any school

                      Or a thousand other reasons.

                      Any source of improvement must be charter schools, because otherwise there wouldn’t be a single item from the tory catechism that actually works in the real word. The economics are bunk, private prisons and no rehabilitation increase crime, and kicking beneficiaries doesn’t seem to lower unemployment. What is a poor toryboy to do?

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      23 February 2013 at 3:24 pm

                      Yep, that’s what you RWNJs do all the bloody time when reality fails to be what you want it to be. Hell, you and WO are taking some research that conclusively proved nothing, which is what the researchers say, and are now ranting about it as if it proved your ideology. That is most definitely “clutching at straws”.

                    • TheContrarian …
                      23 February 2013 at 4:06 pm

                      What do you do, Draco, when your reality collapses around you and doesn’t correspondent to what you want it to be?

                    • Puddleglum …
                      23 February 2013 at 9:27 pm

                      Hi chris73, being open-minded about these things, you’ll be interested in this link from the comments on the Guardian piece.

                      Seems that superintendent White is in a bit of a bind …

            • Foreign Waka 7.1.1.2.1.2
              23 February 2013 at 5:53 pm

              Yes, because in the land of the blind the one eyed is king. If anything NZ should focus on standard orientated and not populist today’s fashion ragout education. Private or public – the difference is the quality of the teacher and parent support. EVERY child has potential – EVERY one o them. It is the adults who mess it all up.

          • TheContrarian 7.1.1.2.2
            23 February 2013 at 4:04 pm

            This is one of those moments where Draco says something not stupidly crazy.

            Agreed – the education system in the US is fucked. We don’t want to emulate it.

    • AsleepWhileWalking 7.2
      23 February 2013 at 11:12 am

      I’m offended you even linked to that hate driven site from this one. I don’t need nor want to know what that nasty piece of right wing trash has to say.

      • chris73 7.2.1
        23 February 2013 at 2:03 pm

        Yeah ‘casue the Guardian is well known for being a tool of the tories…ideology is not a good way to run things…

        • Colonial Viper 7.2.1.1
          23 February 2013 at 2:06 pm

          Ideology is critical, otherwise you will never understand why you are in charge or why you should even be there.

        • Colonial Viper 7.2.1.2
          23 February 2013 at 2:07 pm

          By the way, not all stories have different sides, and sometimes those ‘different sides’ are plain BS.

    • NoseViper (The Nose knows) 7.3
      23 February 2013 at 6:54 pm

      Teachers evaluated on each lesson? Throwing out crisp questions that demand instant return.
      Sounds like a military academy.

      In NZ we already know that peer pressure can stop bright children from extending themselves mentally. In fact in the country there was hostility to facts and ideas from universities. They were called ‘ivory tower’ academics.

      As quoted in google –
      ” It is a world where people are remote from worldly or practical affairs.” But the common-sense practical approach can’t handle change well as it can’t be bothered studying ivory tower facts. That’s our problem in NZ. Charter schools won’t help that.

    • Puddleglum 7.4
      23 February 2013 at 10:00 pm

      chris73,

      Here’s another article from the same Guardian journalist (when he wrote this and the one linked to by you, he was the Guardian education editor, I believe).

      Basically, it’s a sad tale of the consequences of the impoverished view of education that hails rote learning and teaching to the test as much-needed reform (also note the motivation for it in the US – ‘slipping behind’ East Asia in producing engineers – we’re all Koreans and Singaporeans now).

      It also betrays the view that all an education should produce is conformist workers willing to do what they are told (i.e., it trains children in being monitored, evaluated and told what they should do – excellent preparation for the modern workforce, if ever there was one).

  8. bad12 8
    23 February 2013 at 9:52 am

    Why would ‘Bill from Dipton’ be in anyway surprised by the fact that the States coal miner Solid Energy this week declared it’self all but insolvent,

    As the Minister of Finance Bill is the shareholding Minister who yearly negotiates with Solid Energy over what dividend that company will pay to Government and is fully briefed on future plans of the company including it’s proposed debt structure,

    Perhaps Bill had either a hangover or brain fade during that briefing…

    • vto 8.1
      23 February 2013 at 10:35 am

      Over the last few years, when coal prices were up, Bill English would have known the consequences would be this if coal prices dropped. It was widely known that the mining boom would come to an end, as it did, and coal prices have dropped back.

      Given this knowledge, why did the shareholder (English) take so much money out of the company by way of dividents? And why did he let it take on so much debt?

      The responsibility rests entirely with him.

      It is in fact eerily similar to the Mainzeal collapse, who had ex-National Party PM Jenny Shipley as a director.

      You have to wonder…

      • Draco T Bastard 8.1.1
        23 February 2013 at 3:27 pm

        Given this knowledge, why did the shareholder (English) take so much money out of the company by way of dividents? And why did he let it take on so much debt?

        Because it allows him to:
        1.) Help cover up the holes he made in the budget by giving the rich tax cuts and
        2.) to say that it’s losing money and should therefore be sold at which point he’ll sell it for far less than what it’s worth to his rich mates

      • Foreign Waka 8.1.2
        23 February 2013 at 5:59 pm

        You really expect the farm boy to support the people of NZ? It should by now be crystal clear that his mates are his foremost and major concern. He does not want to know the peasant’s woes, the market will take care of everything!

    • Treetop 8.2
      23 February 2013 at 10:40 am

      Oh don’t be so hard on Billy, after all he has been very busy filling in for Key to do with the GCSB and has not had a lot of spare time to run his own portfolio.

      • Colonial Viper 8.2.1
        23 February 2013 at 12:18 pm

        Let’s all just remember that Solid Energy is sitting on assets worth billions upon billions of dollars.

        Companies like this might be illiquid, but they are definitely not balance sheet insolvent, far from it.

        • tc 8.2.1.1
          23 February 2013 at 12:27 pm

          +1 another manufactured crises a-la ACC, etc what are they up to while the hand wringing routine’s performed over SE.

          It’ll be WOMD if the opposition ever gets it’s shite together enough to place some serious sunlight on this nasty corrupt NACT regime and show them for the life sucking vampires they are.

        • tc 8.2.1.2
          23 February 2013 at 12:27 pm

          +1 another manufactured crises a-la ACC, etc what are they up to while the hand wringing routine’s performed over SE.

          It’ll be WOMD wheeled out if the opposition ever gets it’s shite together enough to place some serious sunlight on this nasty corrupt NACT regime and show them for the life sucking vampires they are.

  9. DH 9
    23 February 2013 at 10:11 am

    When issues like SkyCity come up it’s an opportunity to check the mettle of various journalists. John Armstrong has the bit between his teeth & written three very scathing articles on it. John Roughan, on the other hand, writes this bizzare psycophantic whitewash;

    “SkyCity deal insight into PM’s mind”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10867117

    There must be a few versions of the AO report. The one I read doesn’t have the phrase “social regulations” in it. In my copy the AO call it an “exchange of value” where the Govt trades regulatory changes with a monetary value for something of similar value.

    Nothing social or ambiguous about this John;

    “Even if the Government provided little or no upfront funding, SkyCity had made clear that it would need regulatory reform to create an enhanced revenue stream for the project to be viable. It was apparent that any further discussion would eff ectively be a commercial negotiation about an exchange of value to achieve the desired outcome”

    Then there’s this gem from Roughan……

    “And the casino is the best place for them if their gambling is to be monitored and limited.”

    The gaming machines at SkyCity rake in more money than the non-casino ones, monitoring and limiting really works there doesn’t it.

    (Roughan is the Herald Assistant Editor)

    • NoseViper (The Nose knows) 9.1
      23 February 2013 at 10:37 am

      DH
      Very terse new word to me ‘psycophantic’ – could be used a lot these days.

    • David H 9.2
      23 February 2013 at 10:37 am

      And let us not forget they want to make it easier to spend your money by just using an innocent looking plastic card. And they also want the Taxpayers to help with god knows what, to the tune of 10 Million bucks a year.

    • Treetop 9.3
      23 February 2013 at 3:11 pm

      Any deal which manipulates the government and exploits addicts is morally corrupt.

      The biggest problem in Christchurch resulting from the earthquakes is being caused by home and land owners being manipulated and exploited.

      The land in the CBD is more earthquake prone than the land in the red zone, they are rebuilding in the CBD and not in the red zone. I am wondering if it is too expensive to replace the water system and roads in the red zone compared to the CBD.

      The government is going to be the biggest land owner in Christchurch, they may even want to turn Christchurch into a Vegas gambling mecca. That would really bring the tourists in.

  10. KhandallaViper 10
    23 February 2013 at 10:28 am

    I am worried.

    Too many people are repeating the line that National & Key will loose in 2014 and that some type of Shearer led coalition will follow. A “political cycle” change of government.

    The coach of any team would ban such talk: VERBOTEN!

    Let s not believe our own wishful thinking.

    The talk has complacency underlying every word. It is the surest way to loose. Ask any team coach. Self-belief is critical for success. I see an element of self-delusion. We need more self-awareness.

    Key, English, Joyce and their well funded supporters are not about to give up. Parata will be sacrificed-up at a suitable time. They are not stupid despite the series of cock-ups.

    Labour needs to have its best possible team in best possible mental condition.

    That is what Shearer has to achieve with his shuffle. Anything less will blow our chances.

    • vto 10.1
      23 February 2013 at 10:37 am

      It’s not “loose” it’s “lose”

      sheesh, it’s becoming out of control…

      • KhandallaViper 10.1.1
        23 February 2013 at 10:50 am

        vto, sweetie darling, I spotted the mistakes and some wrong hyphenation as Soonbas I pasted it from Pages and read through. Unfortunately the delete command would not work in the site,

        I’ll go to my grave in shame.

        • Foreign Waka 10.1.1.1
          23 February 2013 at 6:10 pm

          No worries, those who have a bit of tolerance read beyond that – alas the new methodology introduced for reading classes some 2 decades ago: “recognize the word”. 😉
          In any case, I am not convinced that the current labor party formation has anything to offer. So far only intrigue – invented or otherwise – and a”plan” for affordable housing. With the amount of unemployed people we have we may see them selling their property and there will be plenty of those “affordable” ones around. So for all intend and purposes, where is a plan to get people into meaningful paid full employment? Any such undertaking would in itself solve a lot of other ills.

    • Lanthanide 10.2
      23 February 2013 at 1:06 pm

      Well the alternative is what we saw in 2011: everyone talking about how National were surely going to win, resulting in a low turnout and bad performance for Labour, when actually they were within striking distance of winning (assuming Winston played ball) if only there had been a stronger turn out.

      • bad12 10.2.1
        23 February 2013 at 1:26 pm

        Just about snuck the impossible under the wire in 2011, commenting on another web-site at the time i happily whipped up the chances of NZFirst being in the Parliament after that election, even going so far to predict their vote at 6.2%,

        i can easily ‘see’ a Labour/Green majority in the House after November 2014 without either the Maori Party or NZFirst…

        • Colonial Viper 10.2.1.1
          23 February 2013 at 1:36 pm

          Labour can form the next government with just 31% or 32% of the vote. Assuming as you say NZF plays ball.

          Sure, that’ll be a much improved result on 2011. But what kind of Labour Government will it be.

          And do they realise with that result on e-day, that they’ll have to give away 1/3 of the seats around the Cabinet table.

          • NoseViper (The Nose knows) 10.2.1.1.1
            23 February 2013 at 1:45 pm

            Sharing the Cabinet seats with demanding bodies from other parties of the left could be the only way of getting some new blood into Labour – stir up the cocoa instead of it just falling to the bottom of the cup. I should cocoa!

    • bad12 10.3
      23 February 2013 at 1:21 pm

      Wishful thinking???, my opinion is that this far out from the 2014 election a blind donkey called Brucie, after the current Slippery Prime Minister has taken a break from plucking the soft hairs from between it’s anal crack to use as replacement for the hair He is fast losing could topple the present Government on any given day,

      This far out it’s a 1-2% game for Labour/Green to be able to form a Government, the economy does not perform some miraculous recovery this or next year and unemployment has not stopped at the usual suspects and is now beginning to bite the middle class severely in the butt,

      That middle class will be unforgiving as tax cuts and asset sales are of no use to those of them personally or with family or friends facing the job cutting axe…

      • Colonial Viper 10.3.1
        23 February 2013 at 1:47 pm

        KV is right. Underestimate the enemy at your own peril.

        National can win an election easy-peasy. Three easy steps.

        1) A massive affordable housing programme. Trade apprenticeships and new employment galore. And the kicker – housing built to outstanding environmental and energy efficiency standards.

        2) Secondly: a true blue-green strategy, not a PR facade. Vast steps to improve waterway quality throughout NZ. This is already underway in a stuttering fashion but National can lend its weight and make it happen. Scientific monitoring, regulations, enforcement. New R&D and environmental monitoring positions, grants for universities.

        Make the Blue-Green thing real and suck 1%-2% back off the Green Party.

        3) Thirdly: immediately phase in the $15/hr minimum wage. A 75c increase this year, with another planned for 2014 before the election. Head the pressure for a living wage off at the pass by saying that we need to get there, but the economy is not yet ready for it and doing more will harm jobs. But that the Government recognises that ordinary NZ workers are doing it tough and need help.

        • Colonial Viper 10.3.1.1
          23 February 2013 at 1:56 pm

          By the way, this is only $2B-$3B in spending over a term. Easy.

          Oh yeah, re-introduce a 39% tax rate on those earning over $200K pa as a 4th step.

          • Colonial Viper 10.3.1.1.1
            23 February 2013 at 2:04 pm

            And close a few more tax loopholes. Which will only cost National supporters a hundred million or three but will be a hat tip towards making the ‘everyone pay their fair share’.

            • KhandallaViper 10.3.1.1.1.1
              23 February 2013 at 3:27 pm

              And they have all of that budget allocated to Roads of National Significance to play with.

              I see them doing a great U Turn on the roads investment and putting it all into housing an R&D or some such like…

              We need all out top players included in the re-shuffle including those the ABC faction want obliterated.

              • Colonial Viper …
                23 February 2013 at 3:34 pm

                Yep I hear National is working on a big phat housing plan. Yes, their private sector mates are going to hit paydirt with the scheme (of course), but cheap affordable housing will be built.

                • Foreign Waka …
                  23 February 2013 at 6:12 pm

                  Is that as in affordable in Auckland – today’s news 480k? I think I need a break to have a good laugh cause I cannot hit the keyboard anymore…

        • Colonial Weka 10.3.1.2
          23 February 2013 at 4:20 pm

          “2) Secondly: a true blue-green strategy, not a PR facade. Vast steps to improve waterway quality throughout NZ. This is already underway in a stuttering fashion but National can lend its weight and make it happen. Scientific monitoring, regulations, enforcement. New R&D and environmental monitoring positions, grants for universities.”

          Except that is utterly incompatible with industrial dairying. The only ‘true’ way to clean up that part of the environment (water and land) is to change the farming model, including reducing intensity. Can’t see that happening under NACT.

          • ropata 10.3.1.2.1
            24 February 2013 at 12:28 am

            a great stonking fuck-off tunnel under the southern alps to pipe that lovely rainwater from the Coast across to the cash cows of canterbury…

          • Colonial Viper 10.3.1.2.2
            24 February 2013 at 9:44 am

            Indeed, however no one is going to get rid of industrial dairying, not National, not Labour, not the Greens. The best we can hope for is enforcement of regulations and ‘best practice’ to minimise run off into waterways.

            To change the farming model, the government would probably have to take over financing of the dairy industry as well as deflating the value of dairy farms.

            • Colonial Weka 10.3.1.2.2.1
              24 February 2013 at 4:29 pm

              The GP position is to promote organic conversions, and to route research funding into sustainable farming. Along with regulation, I think those things will take time but will influence dairying in the medium long term. Then there is Peak Oil….

              I still can’t see NACT doing anything meaningful in terms of real green solutions, because they go against everything else they are trying to do. eg making the Regional Councils adopt sensible regulations that protect the environment vs what is happening in Canty?

        • bad12 10.3.1.3
          23 February 2013 at 5:33 pm

          LOLZ CV, you is being funny right, the National Government Cabinet doing any one of those things???

          All of those things??? they would all rather have their genitalia removed with a chainsaw,

          Bill from Dipton saw the recovery yesterday out of the corner of His eye, triple doses of self medicating alcohol and a prescription for double ups on the prozac dose should see no-one in the Cabinet blinking and business as usual till 2014,

          Bill from Dipton has His own record to break after all….

          • KhandallaViper 10.3.1.3.1
            23 February 2013 at 5:40 pm

            A strategy based on another person’s failure rather than a strategy based on something under one’s own control is lazy stupid and gutless.

            The election will be won by the choices and action plans undertaken by the Labour Party.

        • muzza 10.3.1.4
          24 February 2013 at 8:08 am

          KV is right. Underestimate the enemy at your own peril.

          Erm, that should read :*Fail to recognise your enemy at your own peril*

          In this case the enemy is the entire system, but lets keep the focus to parliament only for now.

          This constant belief that a change of govt is going to make the beneficial differnce in direction, is starting to reek of desperation.

          Instead of waiting for the system to right itself (it won’t, it can’t, because the owners of the system don’t want to change it). go out and take it back for yourselves – Stand as independents, for your tactics amongst friends and strangers who would love to see some real people in parliament, who were not controlled, corrupted and bent over to do the bidding of others..

          What are you waiting for by not getting involved!

  11. BLiP 11
    23 February 2013 at 10:39 am

    .

    As Bradley Manning’s 1000th day in capitivity approaches, his legal options for presenting his case are, again, arbitrarily narrowed . . .

    In a potential blow to his defense, Pfc. Bradley Manning has been largely denied the opportunity to present evidence about his motives for leaking documents to WikiLeaks in his upcoming trial.

    Manning’s defense attorney David Coombs has argued in the soldier’s pretrial hearings at Fort Meade that Manning’s intentions to act as a whistleblower show he had no desire to harm U.S. interests. However, military judge Col. Denise Lind on Thursday’s pretrial session ruled that the defense would not be permitted to argue motive except against the specific charge that Manning knew giving information to WikiLeaks meant he was “dealing with the enemy” . . .

    Meanwhile . . .

    A former CIA officer, who was the first member of the agency to publicly acknowledge that torture was official US policy under the administration of President George W. Bush, has been sentenced to thirty months in jail. He was convicted in October of last year of violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act (IIPA) when he provided the name of an officer involved in the CIA’s Rendition, Detention and Interrogation (RDI) program to a reporter . . .

    . . . John Kiriakou is wearing his conviction as a badge of honour; as, indeed, he should.

  12. Draco T Bastard 12
    23 February 2013 at 10:56 am

    Your Currency Trade on Tarnished Gold

    So rather than gold, Brian Kelly of Shelter Harbor Capital is eyeing a currency he’s calling the new gold: the New Zealand dollar. New Zealand is not participating in whatever currency wars are taking place, and he expects that to keep the currency relatively strong.

    NZs failure to invoke policies to lower the forex value of our dollar has been noted by the country that is steadily working to lower the value of theirs.

    • AsleepWhileWalking 12.1
      23 February 2013 at 11:17 am

      Now all I need is many more of them.

    • Lanthanide 12.2
      23 February 2013 at 1:08 pm

      Australia isn’t either, though, so surely you’d treat the Oz $ as gold before you treated NZ the same, just on their fundamentals? This is backed up by the fact that the Oz $ is quite a bit more valued than the NZ one.

      • Colonial Viper 12.2.1
        23 February 2013 at 1:19 pm

        Fundamental valuation is not a driver of financial market pricing any longer, and previously rarely has been particularly for currencies.

        Ability to speculate on a predictable currency that is free from Government interference is a more valuable characteristic to traders than any ‘fundamental (asset or financial statement based) valuation’ of a currency.

      • Draco T Bastard 12.2.2
        23 February 2013 at 3:29 pm

        Actually, due to Australia’s dependence upon commodities, I wouldn’t be so sure that the value of their dollar will stay as stable as ours.

        • bad12 12.2.2.1
          23 February 2013 at 6:40 pm

          The ‘driver’ of both currencies at the moment is the US$, $40 billion dollars a month of printed money by the US will continue to devalue their currency and over-value ours…

  13. AsleepWhileWalking 13
    23 February 2013 at 11:26 am

    “Affordable” housing at only $400,000 or less!
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10867157

    Bargain!! If only I could be one of the priviliged few to be able to secure this nice 400K stone around my neck.

  14. Penny Bright 14
    23 February 2013 at 2:10 pm

    FYI

    Be interesting to see whether the ‘rejuvenated’ ACT Party still believe in ‘ONE LAW FOR ALL’?

    YES or NO?

    If YES – the ‘rejuvenated’ ACT Party still DO believe in ‘ONE LAW FOR ALL’ – will they support the private prosecutions lodged by Graham McCready against the current and former Leaders of the ACT Party, John Banks and Don Brash, who both signed, as former fellow Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd, Huljich Kiwisave Scheme registered prospectuses and investment statements which contained untrue statements?

    IF NOT – WHY NOT?

    http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/should-directors-be-held-more-liable-company-performance-set-go-weekend-review-db-136267

    “Second, directors are already personally accountable for their actions when managing the affairs of the company. It is the directors who are in the firing line after a company fails if they have in any way acted in bad faith, had a conflict of interest, acted recklessly, misled investors, or traded while insolvent.”

    Not if your names are John Banks or Don Brash and the company that they were the Directors of – was Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd?

    Unless, of course, private prosecutor Graham McCready is successful?

    Penny Bright
    ‘Anti-corruption campaigner’
    2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

    (For more background information – check out:

    http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz

    http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com

  15. Rogue Trooper 15
    23 February 2013 at 2:17 pm

    Koinonia- in for a penny, in for a Poundcake,

    EPMU organiser- “there is desperation out there” (1500 apply for 48? jobs at a Warehouse) while Solid Energy pay 23M in bonuses in the last two years.
    On RNZ this am, Transpacific to lay wastage to up to 200 jobs to “reduce costs” in unprofitable waste management.
    Eurozone economy will contract (where did we read that before), unemployment will expand to 20M / approx 12%
    the insect swarm above NI “beyond comprehension”; another aussie pest.
    China officially acknowledges “Cancer Villages” mutating out of waste and pollutants. Dioxin anyone?

    HBT-Road maintenance to become increasingly difficult to afford with “very serious long-term effects”- council assets management group manager

    Dom- paediatrician doctor sentenced for possessing images of child abuse “could be back treating”
    new entrant ” patients by next year”.

    Gluckman-“the greater the mismatch between biological maturation and acceptance as an “adult” (wtf that is) the greater the morbidity; Resilience is what is necessary yet majority of children are experiencing greater mollycoddling (risk protection) while increased exposure to digital life. what a dilemma; brain death by social media?

    awhi to Helen; in FORESTRY, since 2008, 900 Serious Injuries, 23 deaths
    fine print- 9 prosecutions by 2010 with the industry narrative felling the workers as root cause.

    while in the UK operation “Prevent” extremism (Islamic), despite millions of pounds spent, not making any inroads into domestic IED interception.

    “Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge; fitter to bruise than polish.
    -Anne Bradsheet

    • Colonial Viper 15.1
      23 February 2013 at 2:21 pm

      China isn’t the only place where people are going to be growing gills. US hanford site dating back to Manhattan project looks real bad.

      http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-02-22/radioactive-waste-leaking-washingtons-hanford-nuclear-reservation

      • Rogue Trooper 15.1.1
        23 February 2013 at 2:25 pm

        I think Robert Guyton’s Art is beautiful yet “I couldn’t possibly comment” 🙂 (btw, was reading the intro to 1 John this morning (yes in the NIV) and it was very interesting 🙂 what was your occupation? was it that “branch” you linked to all those months ago?)

        • Colonial Viper 15.1.1.1
          23 February 2013 at 2:46 pm

          Ahhhh, I am nought more than a pilgrim on a long and dusty road. One which although beset by inequity from all sides, along which I am hoping to find some suitable clothes and a gourd of sustaining water for the long journey ahead.

          • Rogue Trooper 15.1.1.1.1
            23 February 2013 at 2:56 pm

            true.you certainly have a broad understanding though, particularly of economics it appears
            add this up…
            http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10867176
            (I always stock-pile water in me emergency kit; might live as long as Methuselah…)

            • Colonial Viper 15.1.1.1.1.1
              23 February 2013 at 3:11 pm

              I feel that I have an incomparable advantage in economics: I never studied it at university.

            • Colonial Viper 15.1.1.1.1.2
              23 February 2013 at 3:18 pm

              14: I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
              15: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
              16: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
              17: And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

          • muzza 15.1.1.1.2
            24 February 2013 at 8:26 am

            Cv, so you will be standing in local elections this year, or perhaps as an independent next year then?

            With all that time on your hands, and no financial pressure (by your words), surely not doing so, yet blogging all over the place, might not be best use of those *understandings* RT seems to feel you have.

            Most on this site indicate little idea what understanding truly means, RT might be one of the few who does, although I must say that economics would not fall into the understandings category, but could be a helpful tool in the journey!

    • Colonial Viper 15.2
      23 February 2013 at 3:10 pm

      Gluckman-”the greater the mismatch between biological maturation and acceptance as an “adult” (wtf that is) the greater the morbidity;

      I’d say this is bullshit. Remembering that the life expectancy for most was no more than 35 or 40, only a couple of centuries ago. People did not tend to spend the first 30 of them as immature teenie wannabes.

      You could once serve as an officer in the Royal Navy at age 15, with powers over many men, and over life and death itself.

      • Rogue Trooper 15.2.1
        23 February 2013 at 3:34 pm

        “morbidity” not mortality; for a number of researched and documented reasons humans (well, in the West anyway) are reaching biological and socially constructed “maturity” milestones earlier in their lifespans, yet, as Gluckman identifies, not the required brain development maturity, therefore the increased risks of morbidity I would suggest? Keh? (occupations? go on give us a clue) I showd ya mine… :). (was watching a Doco on The Forbidden City last night briefly, gotta love those people).

        • Colonial Viper 15.2.1.1
          23 February 2013 at 3:35 pm

          Ahhhh but brain development is stimulated by the pressures and environment (or lack of) placed upon the brain…

          • Rogue Trooper 15.2.1.1.1
            23 February 2013 at 3:52 pm

            lack of EEA pressures not as helpful as a World War, or “life red in tooth and claw” I would suggest (not much “feel” in these modern technologies); anyway evidence appears to be in the escalating morbidity stats, whether it be meds, cancers, PTSD, hyperventilation, well, just tragedy in general, and yes, it’s “innit”, not “ofit”; nothing new there, been followed since Origen 🙂 and does require the od dusting off of the sandals 🙂 (who wuld a thunk it)
            -i thought the Farquar et al; was Very insightful! (was all over Town yet she too has gone to OZ)

      • Saccharomyces 15.2.2
        23 February 2013 at 9:48 pm

        Just a small point, most of the life expectancy figures are at birth, and infant mortality was a huge factor back then, hence the low average expectancies. Once people were out of the danger zone of childhood their life expectancy increased greatly, many people lived to ripe old ages, not infrequently 60+. That’s not to say there haven’t been improvements since either, just that it’s not as dramatic as the figures seem to suggest.

        I don’t disagree that people in the past did seem to mature much earlier though.

  16. yeshe 16
    23 February 2013 at 3:00 pm

    The mangled mess of Mainzeal .. can Shipley be held accountable ? Complete lack of governance … Brian Gaynor this morning …

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10867172

  17. xtasy 17
    23 February 2013 at 3:57 pm

    Brain Gaynor, Herald columnist, sometimes writes some revealing stories about listed and not listed companies in New Zealand, or active here. Today he wrote a revealing article about Richina Pacific and Mainzeal:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10867172

    So no reports to shareholders for years, no annual meetings since 2008, a registration in Bermuda, and Shipley, former NZ Prime Minister is in the midst of all this.

    No wonder she suddensy resigned from the Mainzeal board of directors not long ago.

    More must be revealed on her role in all this, and about how much she knew about what went on at Mainzeal Construction.

    • Arfamo 17.1
      23 February 2013 at 4:41 pm

      I would have thought her role in all this is perfectly obvious. To collect a fat directors fee and associated benefits and to ensure she would be unaccountable when it went belly up through mismanagement. It’s the New Zealand company directors’ standard isn’t it? It’s only the fools who neglect the steps necessary to be unaccountable who end up in Court.

    • Foreign Waka 17.2
      23 February 2013 at 8:08 pm

      Maybe she was coned and used as an “advertisement tool” overseas – since she was once PM of NZ, that would have given Richina some credibility. I think that vanity got her as she promoted for a very long time the “fantastic opportunities” in the Asian Market. Somehow she had to follow trough – maybe?
      Looking at some markers, it was already clear in 2009 that something does not work as well as shareholders got news that they will not be paid as quickly (??) as promised.
      I don want to be mischievous – but everybody right down to the cleaner of the beehive would realize that something is up when a company is listing in Bermuda. Sad part: not everybody knew that the NZ shareholder has had basically no regulatory protection. Who was the Trade Minister at the time of restructure 2008 when Richina was de listed?

      • xtasy 17.2.1
        24 February 2013 at 1:07 am

        Foreign Waka:

        Hey, you have just “revealed” something else by commenting this:

        “Maybe she was coned and used as an “advertisement tool” overseas – since she was once PM of NZ, that would have given Richina some credibility.”

        That explains why John Key was so keen to become PM of New Zealand, right?!

        So it enhances his CV/Resume and “reputation”! His own personal reputation is not much worth by now, so having been PM of NZ may make him look a lot better again, that is in front of overseas representatives, who only know very little about what Key has been up to here.

        NZ’s reputation is not quite so bad yet overseas, this would enable him to put on a new “coat” and get up to more mischief kind of deals in big business and finance.

        It is all falling into place now, the use of that “childhood dream” story.

  18. Rogue Trooper 18
    23 February 2013 at 4:18 pm

    Lightbulb (strobe)
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10867166
    m.sadness / sl. loss
    seroquel nation

  20. Tim 20
    23 February 2013 at 5:25 pm

    Hey peeps, Hello People, Kia Ora, Non bloody Jour – etc.
    What do you reckon John Key’s greatest fear is?

    I reckon it’s that one day, an offspring (though they may lerv the cnut) will wake up and realise what a shallow, lacking in intelligence, ideologically-driven, over-ambitoius, wiki-defined-psycopath the guy ‘ekshly’ is. They’ll have no problem understanding how and why the specimen was propped up for so long, but when shit comes to push – I’m happy to keep a distance

    • bad12 20.1
      23 February 2013 at 6:34 pm

      Lolz, funny you should mention this, and, probably the reason why a certain journo is now not ‘with Murray McCully but instead now is said to be with Trev,

      Prodigal son of the Slippery one is said to have, according to Jane writing in the Dominion Newspaper, is said to have txted His old man calling Him a wanker over some offense real or imagined…

  21. Tim 21
    23 February 2013 at 5:27 pm

    Since ‘Edit duz’t werk dot dot dot’ I meant Bon bloody Jour, not Non Bloody Jour, though in the case of our Proim Minsta – Non bloody Jour could be more appropriate

  22. Pascal's bookie 22
    23 February 2013 at 8:06 pm

    Well if this plays out, it looks good for the battery side of a whole of issues:

    http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/science/more-good-news-on-those-carbon-supercapacitors.html

    • Draco T Bastard 22.1
      23 February 2013 at 11:16 pm

      That’s awesome. Still, there’s the problem of generating that power in the first place. I also don’t think he really has an issue with mass production:

      English translation: He painted a DVD with a liquid carbon solution and stuck it into a standard-issue DVD burner.

      I mean, really, how many billion DVD burners are there in the world?

      That is the power of 3d printing. It doesn’t have to be fast, it just has to fit in any garage.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 27

    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    42 mins ago
  • Ticket To Anywhere

    You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 hour ago
  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    19 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T01:08:59+00:00