Depends what you mean. There was a general stoppage of comments last night by accident. In the post edit screen there is a button to moderate comments for that post.
//=====
In the discussion settings screen there is a setting to require that only logged in users are able to comment. This is used by some sites who want to restrict comment writing access. Kiwiblog is probably the most noticeable.
We use different techniques which tend to allow a wider and less selective participation.
However, the setting screen used when banning commenters, and releasing them from bans. Which is a bit of a nuisance as the toggle gets hit by accident and turned on. Especially by overly sensitive touchpad clickareas. It has happened a few times over the last decade.
When I get my machines set up again (just moving apartments), I’ll get the style sheet to hide the button.
//=====
If you mean that certain posts get full moderation (ie they must be released by a moderator). That happens occasionally, and usually on guest posts from politicians or posts about client change or ones that outrage misogynist idiots. That is to reduce the workload on moderators cleaning up after children who can’t behave with any degree of decorum
//=============
Could you please try to be more precise when asking questions. My toleration for wide open diffuse questions is pretty limited.
Sorry, some of the new topics today require a commenter to be logged in with WordPress to be able to comment. I think that’s the first of the two options you provided.
Nice to know that after all this time Bill English at last thinks its time to concentrate on jobs and incomes . . .
About the only thing in those he would be concerned with would be the wages and how to lower them to ‘make us more competitive’. One way to do that is to import people to fill job slots.
The student spoke on the condition of anonymity because most in the programme had signed non-disclosure agreements before starting on the programme.
She believed the complaints and leaks to the media were driven by one or two interns who had a beef with the programme. She claimed one was dropped from a leadership position on the programme after allegedly taking bottles of wine from Labour MP Jenny Salesa’s house after Salesa hosted a meal for them.
…
She said it was disappointing to read comments in the media about “sweatshop” conditions and “slave labour”.
“Three meals a day, every single day, were provided. The care they have provided is comprehensive. The one thing that has cause a bit of chatter is the cubicle situation, which I understand is not ideal. But the sweatshop conditions, where we were rallied into a line and forced to work, that’s not true at all.”
She defended Awataha marae, saying most were moved into proper living quarters on the marae which are “more than ideal”.
“The food is great and they are very accommodating.”
She said many others shared her view but could not speak because of the non-disclosure agreements.
McCarten’s (and the Marae) supporters come out in support of McCarten and Te Awataha Marae:
So the students were offered something that turned out to be not true, but the students are very aware of who is at fault and it is not the Labour party leadership, but those running the campaign, most of who do not have paid authority in the Labour party.
The NZ Herald also has a good article this morning from an interview with a different intern. The Marae have also defended themselves and their facilities on the radio news
It appears the biggest issue is that the people running the scheme tried to go too big and were a bit ‘creative’ with the promotion of the scheme to try and entice Sanders & Corbyn supporters down to NZ to bring their enthusiasm and desire for social change to NZ.
I am beginning to think this is definitely more a manufactured crisis than a real one.
“So the students were offered something that turned out to be not true, but the students are very aware of who is at fault and it is not the Labour party leadership, but those running the campaign, most of who do not have paid authority in the Labour party.”
I don’t care if the law has been breached or not, the supposed worker’s party should not be asking people to come and work here for fuck all wages that’s what we expect from right wing scum.
Oh James, how lovely to see you back, I was very concerned we hadn’t seen you commenting during the whole Barclay alleged breaking the law affair, but glad to see you back now commenting on a volunteer intern scheme (possibly blown up by a disgruntled wine thief).
Biased as heck???? Pot… kettle….
Its because Im out of the country and only online a little. Glad to hear you missed me.
Re Barclay – the guys and idiot and gets everything he deserves. English was an idiot on the way he handled it. Other than that I havnt read too much on it – Enjoying the sun too much.
Because there appears to be one story saying it is all labours fault and multiple stories saying it was a cock up by the Change campaign after the people involved left labour to run the campaign that labour is now fixing because of the perceived connections.
Also now there are more stories which are disputing the “all volunteers/students feel ripped off” story line, and it looks like it was between 5-10 people who had a bit of a beef with the organisation
“I was out to the Marae 2 weeks ago having a look around at what they were doing. I had a meal with them, talked with some of the volunteers. They were fantastic young people who were loving the adventure of it all.”
“Firstly, let’s be clear of the timeline here. Bryce Edwards had mentioned this program 20 days ago on June 1st… …”another type of resource is being utilised by the Labour Party this election – comrades from the US and UK. The party is currently importing dozens of young leftwing activists who are staying at an Auckland Marae”,”
“…and Bryce’s mention was after a news story on the 20th of April – a full month ago, where Hone was attacking Labour for doing this. ”
“The spluttering shock and hyperventilation of the corporate media at a story that is over a month old right when English was getting screwed seems remarkably good timing for National.”
“The perception of political hypocrisy is a mainstream media generated one, …”
With this first electioneering shot from our pro-nat media …. the only thing missing is Dong Liu
I wonder how many foreign students are helping with the National Party campaign? I doubt they have many volunteers so another question is, are they being paid by the taxpayer via Parliamentary Services?
Probably more foreign donations or ‘sweet’ deals u want to look for. Lucky with Skycity & 0 tax havens laundering conditions r favourable for the Natz.
So looks like it was a wish list made by the change programme when asked by unions to provide a plan to get them to provide funding. A wishlist which never made it into a real plan nor proposal, nor appears to have been approved by anyone, and no statement from anyone on if it is actually real… so basically garbage
At the risk of kicking a hornets nest:
In the context of change the government, the common refrain is a vote for anyone other than Labour/green is a wasted vote/or a vote for national….
I am of the opinion that if I vote for a minor party that is to the left of labour, and national govern again after the election, then labour weren’t ready to be an alternative government.
Labour may need another period of time in opposition to get it to move ‘left’. Especially if it looses votes to the ‘left/non neo-liberal’ parties.
The old left right paradigm may not be relevant any more.
I forget who put the theory up about there being a triangular aspect to politics (left, right, not neo-liberal) but having an option of a non neo liberal party really appeals.
There is greens & mana on the left.
Labour is a liberal centre party that’s gonna go in the direction voters indicate in elections. If it’s greens & mana it will push labour left. If it’s national it will push them right, if it’s nzfirst it will push them conservative centre. So if u r a leftie & for some inexplicable Reason U don’t vote, u r the ones pushing the parties right. Don’t whine about the middle class, rich & corporations and how to blame they r next election if u don’t vote, blame yourself!
Also my guess is it’s last chances for the public to choose a different future, because at the rate of state house sell offs , rising rents & lowering wages & asset sales from the national party and their grab of power across the state sectors, the poor are being socially cleansed.
The cost of houses of over 1 million in Auckland and the price of rents rising & prices spreading rapidly ( just saw a do up 90m2 villa in arrow town for 1.1million).
Even if u don’t live in Auckland the social cleansing & immigration practices going on will generate votes for the national party, giving them a long term advantage in ongoing elections. Auckland is 1/3 of the vote apparently.
so vote Green. The problem is lefties voting Mana or TOP and those votes being wasted if Mana don’t gain TTT and TOP don’t get to 5%. That’s a gift to National.
Sorry, I am away from my fone for the rest of the day.
That is my point, my vote isn’t wasted, rather it is invested.
If Labour lose this election but shift profoundly left/non neo-liberal for the next cycle.
Probably the other vibe I want to articulate is: is a Labour government that much of a change?
Gsays the message u send to labour is the opposite. If people r voting for the right political parties only – it’s sending all the left parties to the right because that is what the voters r telling them to do.
In my view that has been nationals biggest dirty politic propagating the message that labour is national. So don’t bother voting.
That’s the national tactic to vulnerable people. Don’t bother voting.
Voters need to send a message back to national – I reject your policy by voting against them.
yes. Also the people that criticise the Greens for not being more radical or left than they are but who haven’t been voting for them, well that’s why the Greens have become more mainstream. If there was a viable party further on the left I would agree with voting for them, but there really isn’t. Voting Mana or TOP as a protest vote will have very little effect on Labour or the Greens (if it was going to move them left it would have already).
“If Labour lose this election but shift profoundly left/non neo-liberal for the next cycle.”
Yes, that’s the bet. But it’s a risk IMO. A few % to Mana or TOP isn’t going to change Labour’s mind if they lose but it might cause them to lose. Little will probably be replaced as leader. What more left wing MP is there to take his place?
And why not just vote Green who are to the left of Labour already? To me your argument is very FPP. It’s not about Labour losing the election, it’s about the parliamentary left as a whole. I hope Harawira wins TTT and that Mana get another crack at parliament, but they don’t need left wing party votes to do that. They blew it at the last election, so it’s on them to rebuild over time if they want more MPs.
TOP aren’t left wing and are basically capitalism with more social justice than we have now so long as it’s framed in economics (that’s neoliberal imo).
“Probably the other vibe I want to articulate is: is a Labour government that much of a change?”
That one irks. For one, it won’t be a Labour govt. It will be a L/G govt or a L/G/NZF govt or a L/NZF one. That alone is a bloody good reason to vote Labour or Green. Best thing for the left right now is a L/G govt that doesn’t need Peters. In order for that to happen we need more people voting Labour or Green not less.
The other aspect is that if you compare policy Labour are very different to National in ways that impact directly on people and the country as a whole. Add in Green policy and on almost every area you can name a L/G govt would be substantially different to National. It beggars belief that we are still arguing about this on the left, are people not reading actual policy? If you want to understand the difference, have a look at water, welfare, and housing. It’s glaring.
hi weka,
i can see we aren’t gonna see eye to eye on this.
mana blowing it last election is a point of view, the internet thing didn’t help.
i do feel labour did not help at all either, which is form for them and the way they can treat parties to the left of them.
“Probably the other vibe I want to articulate is: is a Labour government that much of a change?”
i certainly accept labour and national have differing polices, but as you and bill and others have pointed out, we need RADICAL changes to the way we live.
electric cars and vegetarian tuesdays isn’t gonna save our bacon.
labour will still be beholden to the status quo and lobbyists.
fair enough labour/green govt will help some of those that need it most.
labour, green, and 2,3,4 mana mps will be even better for the disadvantaged.
cheers for your input. hopefully the feathers arent too ruffled.
Also ‘investing’ your vote is something a neoliberal day trader would think of.
Have u by chance, had something pop into your social media accounts? Because I heard that’s how trump won.
data mining social media & sending individualised fear messages to voters. Ie Hillary Clinton thinks black men r predators to Black voters to make them not vote.
hi save, cheers for yr responses.
kinda hard to have a nuanced conversation, via text only, hours between responses.
believe it or not the standard is my social media.
no facebook, if you are on facebook you are not the customer you are the product.
no instantgram or twitter.
ts, rnz and stuff for the odd sports story/result is the limit cyber wise.
much rather engage with people in the flesh.
i am aware of trumps team use of targetted facebook posts, brilliant and dastardly use of a tool.
i think at the heart of this is i resent the implication that i must vote with the crowd.
mana last time round resonated with me.
Labour might think “oh gee, we’d better try nationalising everything as a policy because nobody is voting for us now”, but you know there will be loads of advice to “just go a little bit lmore like national to capture the middle ground”.
As investments go, that one’s pretty high risk. You might waste money on sports betting, but it’s not really an “investment”.
And I genuinely think that at least a labgrn government will improve the lives of thousands of people, even if it won’t bring about the revolution. I for one support the idea of less homeless people, but in a “give them homes and support” way, not a “move them out of my sight” way.
I forget who put the theory up about there being a triangular aspect to politics (left, right, not neo-liberal) but having an option of a non neo liberal party really appeals.
I think those three would be: Left, Right, Not Capitalist
Going Left or Right while maintaining capitalism maintains all the problems of the status quo. Although, going Left is more likely to lead to the removal of capitalism.
Just wondering what others think of the idea of foreign (mostly US) people campaigning for Labour? Would kiwis respond positively to someone flown in from another country telling them how to vote? I don’t think it’s a very good idea.
Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of activists heading to Aussie, UK, and US as volunteers in their elections. Plus quite a few who have acted as observers in elections all around the world. I have also seen small numbers of overseas volunteers coming here.
It is a way to transfer information about different electoral systems and the way that campaigns and elections are run – for better or for worse.
For instance, explaining the nuances of MMP campaigns to overseas volunteers has been a private amusement for quite a while. Always nice when you can see the light of understanding in their eyes.
Update: I see that Anne said much the same thing further down.
What you refer to as globalism, is basically globalisation by and for the wealthy and corporates. They have their wealthy international think tanks, Bildeberg groups and other networks.
The best way to combat this internationalisation of the power of the elites, is to work collaboratively with other less powerful individuals and groups across countries. Pulling up the draw bridge, and isolating the less well off in individual countries, will be no defense against the international reach of the powerful and wealthy elites.
This scheme has been operating for some 20 plus years and political parties of all persuasions do it. Kiwis have gone to America, to Aussie, to England. Americans have gone to England, to Aussie and now to NZ. Aussies have gone to… and on it goes.
It’s an excellent way for young people of like mind to meet their counterparts in other countries and gain experience along the way.
What a closed mind you and other detractors must have.
TC
It’s hard to try and move forward when having to drag a concrete Noah’s Ark from your left leg full of survival animals who can’t think anything different than what they’ve always had without squawking in fright.
I don’t have a problem with it being a resource, I just think that Labour needs to get our young people politically motivated as a priority.
While overseas volunteer supporters of like minded parties may look forward to coming over and having the experience. It is not necessarily true that the policies of similar positioned parties are the same. They have a lot of trust that the campaign they are working on follows their values until they get here. They are also unaware of any of the political happenings in the last three years for NZ, where US and UK politics can be easily followed on this side of the world.
A non-partisan encouragement of young people, presenting the overriding issues and looking for comprehensive solutions would be a great vehicle to get this started. If Labour and the Greens were involved, they would have to place trust in NZers that once they are informed, they would no longer accept trite assurances from Ministers and media that everything is hunky-dory. But the pay-off would most likely benefit those parties involved, and the left side of NZ politics as a whole. When people work together successfully, they are more inclined to view the wider community as their responsibility and with care.
I don’t have a problem with it being a resource, I just think that Labour needs to get our young people politically motivated as a priority.
Which is exactly what has been happening under the radar for some time Molly. I have noticed the increasing number of young people who have joined the Labour Party in recent years. It has almost seemed like a revival of the Norman Kirk years when many young people – including me – were motivated to join Labour.
A few weeks ago I attended a public meeting in Glenfield, Auckland which had been called to discuss the local housing crisis. There were several guest speakers including Phil Twyford. I was surprised to see there were an equal number of young people present as there were older people.
Oh and for the detractors, many of those young people present were not members of the Labour Party, but who chose to attend because they were interested to hear what Phil Twford had to tell them.
“Which is exactly what has been happening under the radar for some time Molly. I have noticed the increasing number of young people who have joined the Labour Party in recent years. It has almost seemed like a revival of the Norman Kirk years when many young people – including me – were motivated to join Labour.”
Thanks Anne. Always interested to hear from someone who knows the history and current position of Labour, as opposed to those who view it from an outside perspective.
A couple of questions, for clarity rather than inquisition:
1. Why is it under the radar? Is that a resources issue, a failure to see future value, or an intended choice?
2. There is a difference between motivating the young to get involved in politics – and getting the young involved in party politics.
I’m thinking that the resurgence in youth politics in Scotland and the UK, has been instigated by the Scottish referendum (and all the non-partisan grassroots community meetings held in support and against) and the Brexit referendum.
I would love to see a true initiative to get the youth electorate voting – regardless of party.
This would require the parties on the left to work together and would require them to have a lot of trust in the electorate, but would pay dividends on election day to the benefit of the left opposition.
Not only does it show how like minded parties can work together for the benefit of the public, it shows how valuable political engagement and knowledge can be. Once awakened, that skill and judgement will be deployed over the course of their voting lives. Political commentators and politicians will be working with a voting public that has the skills to more keenly judge media reports and obfuscations.
I was hoping the internship was something along these lines, but it doesn’t appear to have been in it’s current form.
Because it is fundamentally about people going somewhere to learn how others political systems operate by getting involved in them. It isn’t about making continuous press releases or a big deal about it.
The media will have known about these kinds of programmes for a long time. They really aren’t news – well at least not until National’s spinners like Hooten and Farrar need a diversionary story and someone is found to provide kernel of it.
The question was more about how to make it known to the youth in NZ, so they can intern, rather than the media for commentary. (In particular, youth not currently aligned with the Labour party).
As for the internship initiative, given the quality and depth of the reporting, it seems the typical “sound and fury, signifying nothing” distraction.
Hi Molly. I wasn’t being critical of your comment @ 9.2.2
Just wanted to let you know Labour are doing what they can to get the youth to take part in politics. And of course the Greens are doing like-wise. I also believe the young are coming to recognise their futures don’t look too bright under the current regime. They have every reason to worry about their ability to ever have a home of their own, and of course Climate Change [rightly] hangs heavy on their minds. It wouldn’t surprise me if they are starting to look seriously at wanting a change of regime in NZ.
“What a closed mind you and other detractors must have.”
Wow- what a nasty response to a question imagining how kiwis might respond to doorknocking by American interns.
If that’s an example of how a Labour Party Aucklander replies to a genuine question, glad I’m a Southern Greenie.
[lprent: What a delicate wee lazy flower you must be. Read the policy – especially that about robust debate.
Learn not to make simpleminded presumptions about others nor to try to use a typical troll ‘victim’ act. Because I really don’t like lazy fuckwits like you who try to impose your obnoxious rules on this site. That is my and the moderator’s job. We don’t pass it out to opinionated idiots like you. If I see you try it again, I will amend your behaviour with a sudden permanent ban for violating the rules of this site.
Sorry, warning taken on board. I really wasn’t meaning to impose any rules and, yeah, being a bit sensitive about the closed mind bit. Haven’t been commenting for a while, need to toughen up.
I’ve been involved with overseas volunteers on local revegetation projects, they’ve been great. All I had heard about re the ones this week was about them campaigning/door knocking for Labour and I wondered how that would work out. Now I know more about this type of thing thanks to the other comments.
I’ve noticed a lot of interest in our political culture from some of the Americans I interact with at the gallery. They are intrigued that we have a much more constructive political conversation than they are used to. Several have asked about internships. From where I’m seeing it, it’s not surprising that this got overwhelmed with interest. Tis’ a bugga being popular…
This item on NBC sort of touches on it and explains a lot of how we are place du jour in America right now
It wasn’t the best idea. Yet, it seems Labour gave this little consideration.
In fact, they didn’t even clear the legality of it, which should have been one of the first things to do. Moreover, they are carrying on with it while it is still unclear.
This won’t inspire voter confidence in their ability to run the country.
I’m not a fan – in principle parties should cultivate a local activist or volunteer base.
It may not be illegal but it’s going to cost a couple of points. Looks to me like some middle echelons wanted an entry to the lucrative US political job market.
Garner and that other odious prick held a poll on the AM show this morning asking if the Labour migrant scandal was of more concern than the Barclay affair That odious bit of shit was using terminology like slave ships slave labour etc and Garner in his usual style was reading out the most blatant rightwing crap people supposedly was writing in. with the usual discussions that Labour was not beyond redemption if they change their leader etc etc ad nauseam
That odious prick was most upset when at the last time I saw it more people were concerned about the Barclay affair than Labours. Also it was delightful to see Ardern put hysterical Benefit well and truly in her place.
Has anyone seen the whole morning programme and what was the result of the biased poll they had. because I think people are beginning to wake up the shit by the Garners, Gowers Hoskins and Johnny come lately odious Mark whatever his surname is.
did you see how Ardern had garner eating out of her hand and saying that labour had acting in the right way as opposed to the nats spending a year lying and such.
here that you nat scum the truth will set you free
I haven’t not bothered reading about this labour intern issue, sounds more to me like a msm distraction to drum up, now that national are on the rocks with Barclay etc
No-one brings bashing upon themselves. Bashing is different from holding to account.
“If it wasn’t for Labour messing up, there be no bashing from the left.”
Obviously. But we’re all humans here and all of us make mistakes. I’m far more interested in how we handle those mistakes than in everyone having to be perfect and never make any. As far as I can tell Little fronted up well on this and Labour are doing the work to sort out the actual problem not just the perceived political one.
It’s time to change the government. Your own incessantly negative approach appears to work against that.
“I’m far more interested in how we handle those mistakes”
Indeed, it’s the putting right that counts. Many mess up, not many put it right.
However, in this instance the putting right looks as if it may unravel. I’m concerned Labour are starting to dig a larger hole.
As highlighted, sorting out the legality should be a priority. The media will have a field day with Labour continuing on if it turns out to be illegal. Therefore, this could potentially get far worse.
There is even paperwork bringing their excuse (it was over subscribed) into question.
Labour have been round long enough to know how the game is played, yet they aren’t playing too well, hence we’ve got to keep their feet to the fire.
That’s a pretty ugly metaphor, but useful to know that you think people asked to be damaged and that damaging people is warranted. Including natural allies.
It has been raised by government ministers. Of course Labour is now going to do due diligence..
But it’d be interesting if National are willing to extend this kind of scrutiny to all volunteers who are housed on a Marae. I’m sure that the Maori Party will want a say in that. Or Lions and Rotary who also have widespread international volunteer program. Or churches. Or…. whatever – you may understand the point.
Not to mention kiwis going offshore to do things like VSA, or the volunteers that DOC uses.
“Of course Labour is now going to do due diligence..”
Having a political party associated to an illegal act (not that it has yet been established) isn’t a good look, therefore this should have been cleared up from the get go.
No that is wrong and you are quoting The Hub of all places as a reliable source, you must be joking
Garner kept trying to put words into Kirton’s mouth and kept repeating “does that mean you don’t’ know if you have broken the law yet is that what you are saying”, to which Kirton replied “Oh look I don’t actually but that doesn’t mean anything really and I am focussing on the welfare of these volunteers.” which was more or less repeated a little later by Arderne “I wouldn’t know enough about the explicit rules around someone who’s here on a short-term voluntary basis. I wouldn’t have thought so… we’ve got to be absolutely sure,”
So it is NOT coming from Labour.
If someone said my car had flat tyres I would check to see if they needed inflating but that doesn’t mean I would be admitting that I have been driving around with flat tyres. As I can see the same dirty politics coming into play with this election with all the shit being bounded around about slave ships and sweat shops by labour I am pleased they are checking the law.
Did you know that proven liar Prime Minister John key left and Bill English took over and has been caught lying too only he is a bit more yaap so he’s no good at it. That makes the last two gnat leaders caught lying. Breathe it in bm these are the last of the good days for you old bean.
I haven’t really followed it that closely, beltway stuff.
The issue with the Labour “interns” though…
Oh, how we laughed. The PM lying about what he knew of a crime and his involvement in helping covering it up? Beltway stuff, nothing of interest there. A couple of disgruntled Labour interns, though? Disgusting! Heads must roll!
When asked if Labour has broken any immigration laws, Kirton replied he’s still getting to the bottom of it. Therefore, clearly they’re unsure.
Moreover, the fact he didn’t know, hence wasn’t able to refute it, leaves the thought (it may be illegal) hanging in peoples minds.
This is something they should have cleared up right from the get go.
But here’s another problem, Kirton believes whether it’s legal doesn’t mean anything. However it does. This will look far worse if it turns out to be illegal, yet Kirton can’t see it.
It will be back in the headlines if it is.
And while that would explain why they are carrying on, it’s disappointing they can’t see the potential storm they’re sailing into if it turns out to be illegal.
Meanwhile, the head of the Auckland marae at the centre of the complaints about living conditions said it had been unfairly smeared for political purposes.
Awataha Marae chief executive Anthony Wilson said most interns he had spoken to had loved their stay.
He said politicians had seized on the publicity and the marae was being booted back and forth like a political football, which has upset some kaumatua.
Someone I know intimated something along these lines two weeks ago.
[posted in another thread, but seems pertinent and was offtopic in the other thread so deleted it]
For an engineer in the political machine, McCarten seems to be a bit shit with paperwork. Although it could also be supervision – a few people involved and the person doing the recruiting didn’t tell the colleagues or McCarten how many people were coming.
Actually, I wonder if they just didn’t expect the usual rush of applications at the last minute? Every year I am part of the organising committee for an event, and every year we start shitting ourselves that we’ve overcatered and nobody will show up, and it’s always in the last week/ten days that a solid 80% of attendees register. Fucks my blood pressure up and no mistake. But failing to have the guts to tell people “no, time’s up, we’ll put you on a list of alternates if you want” could have gotten them into this position.
Yes. There does seem to have been a bit of the… left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing. It also sounds like more people took up the offer than they had prepared for, but heaven forbid… nobody committed any crimes, and it’s something everybody has experienced when organising an event or a family reunion. There’s always a hitch of some sort which rears its ugly head at the last minute.
It most certainly didn’t warrant the attention or the vitriol that was heaped on Labour by the MSM over the past 24 hours. They behaved like a pack of howling, rabid dogs. I hope they have sought medical assistance for their hysterical nonsense.
On the plus side, the Labour thing looks like a bit of a flash in the pan, whereas the deBarclay is a long and steady burner. He’s hanging around like a persistent pimple, and we’ll see if a search warrant comes by this time.
1. The Iraqi government and US military have a plan to rebuild built infrastructure, the Mosque, schools and hospitals and housing, to start to make Mosul a liveable place again.
2. Iran just waits for the post-victory near-anomie, uses proxies to gain a stronger hold with the Iraqi government, carves the area up informally with the Kurds, and Mosul becomes a shell of a place.
Given that the U.s.a has just sold $120 Billion of weapons to the Saudis …. and that they seem to be a military industrial society that needs to export these weapons of democracy to stay afloat.
And the fact they help fund Isis … and act as its air-force at crucial moments in Syria.
Then I would suggest it would be the u,s,a ( and Nato ), who continue the destructive conflicts in the middle east ….. that they started with illegal wars/invasions, launched under false pretenses.
What do you think Iran would be like today, if the u.s.a and Brits had not attacked and overthrown their democracy way back in 1953 Ad? ….
Mossadegh was a good man…. and the west has treated the Iranian people with malevolence ever since they overthrew their democratically elected leader.
Go ahead and defend Iran. Because you clearly can’t see I’m not defending either Iran or the USA.
Always amusing to see another moist leftie look for the last European regime it can find to assign the ills of the world upon. It was them colonialists who instigated the comprehensively fundamentalist, misogynist, fanatical , murderous and corrupt 1979 Revolution? And the lack of any reform since?
Have a nice armchair-general time running your alternative history.
Meantime, first coalition to come up with a post-war plan wins.
Well we can know for certain that the `1979 revolution would not have happened if Iran was allowed to continue as a peaceful secular democracy.
We know that the Shah imposed upon the Iranians was a murderous thieving thug.
Ayatollah Khomeini was the fanatical blow back that removed the unpopular Shah.
The average Iranian is obviously far worse off thanks to the real … not alternative ….. history behind the present.
No 1953 coup ,,, no 1979 Ayatollah
And basically evidence since Yugoslavia onward s points to the fact.
That from the west.
The plan Is war ….
For profit …. to the few.
The fate of Mosul ….. going on its history since the u.s.a turned Iraq into one huge war crime ….. is that it will see more shells and bombing and death squads than building.
“The Kurdistan region of Iraq enjoys more stability, economic development, and political pluralism than the rest of the country. And public opinion under the Kurdistan Regional Government demands rule-of-law-based governance. But power is concentrated in the hands of the ruling parties and families, who perpetuate a nondemocratic, sultanistic system. These dynamics could foster instability in Kurdistan and its neighborhood, but could also provide a rare window of opportunity for democratization.”
Well with the Billions of weapons being pumped into the middle east I think the destruction rate ( 3.5 million refugees Iraq ) will continue.
Who are we bombing ?” 3mins 43
P.s I thought Saddam, another c.i.a installed thug, should have been hung when he used Sarin nerve gas on the Iranians with coordination and coordinates from the usa …
Muammar Gaddafi on the other hand with his bloodless coup …… demonstrated socialism working ….. by the largest improvements of living standards for the people of Libya …., in the shortest period of time …. in any country anywhere in the world ….. in the 20th century.
Nato will be able to take credit for the quickest reversal …..
Muammar Gaddafi on the other hand with his bloodless coup
then it was all down hill – mass arrests and detention, torture, disappearances, televised executions, the assassination of expat opponents abroad, nuclear ambitions, war with his neighbours, the financing of ETA in Spain, the IRA and the Italian Red Brigades, as well as groups in Japan, Turkey, Thailand and the Philippines……
You sound like your reeling of the actions of the cia/u.s.a in south america or Iraq or Vietnam Joe90 ….. or to quote Nelson Mandela …….“If you look at those matters, you will come to the conclusion that the attitude of the United States of America is a threat to world peace. If there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the USA. They don’t care for human beings.”
I on the other hand was talking about a man using the resources of his country ( instead of BP getting it ), ……. and lowering infant mortality from over 100 deaths per thousand live births down to approx 14
Who granted equal Human rights to women in 1972 ….. something the fundamentalist terrorists Hated …… like the British sponsored “Manchester Boys” …. and other religious extremists used by the west.
He vastly improved housing from most living in slums ….. and declared housing a human right.
He vastly improved access to and quality of medical care … free
He was ridding the country of illiteracy and had full enrollments of children into schools
University education was free …… and of course women could attend.
He took Libya from one of the most impoverished countrys in the world …….. and before being Mob murdered had Libya with the highest standard of living in Africa and a life expectancy comparable to Europe.
No other country in the world improved the standard of living for its citizens by such an amount in such a short time ……. through Socialism.
Nato will bear responsibility for the quickest decline
He supported the Palestinians which infuriated the Israelis
I tend to think that the hard facts and statistics regarding health, education…..water and housing projects. The improvements in living standards are there for anyone to find on the internet.
Speaks more to me of the man than tony Blair , or Cameron type hyperbole…… the types who give safe harbors to ‘Manchester Boys’.
You can see Cameron in action in the video I linked to above.
EF Schumacher on small economics. Too bad 40 years on we turned our backs on this stuff and doubled down on waste, consumption and greed. It looks like we’re going to learn the hard way.
Was thinking that John key has haijacked the ‘third way’ for the national party that politicians like tony blair did for Labour Party in th UK. It goes too far and the leaders turn into arguably criminal liars and their obsession with networking & likeability drag their counties into war, debt & division.
For the national party voters, that hanker after the ‘old values’ of the national party before they became asset selling, migration touting, arrogant careerists that don’t give a crap about their constituents and spend their days drinking & lunching & day trading & doing real estate deals like hotels & conference centres, nz first is a good alternative. It’s the national party of old! Hope winston does a killing in all the Natz stronghold provinces!
if labour & greens pick up the missing million as well, then the the public can kick the ‘third way’ Natz to the curb – hopefully in a landslide to send that message home!
Hope that makes National nervous. I wonder how many of those National voters saying they won’t vote National are talking about the party vote or the seat vote.
From my personal acquaintances who vote nat, and a very small sample, split between not voting, see who the new candidate is, Mark Patterson (NZF candidate) / National pv, NZF / NZF.
Prior to toddles’ departure (Monday, Tue morning) you could take out the new candidate option. Patterson was getting a lot of interest and maybe that triggered the end game.
My comment about the missing million. It could affect National just like it got Labour in 2008. And for exactly the same reason, arrogance and moved too far into opposition territory to try and hold onto the centre voters.
The Government has been dealt a huge blow as the High Court ruled its benefit cap is unlawful and illegally discriminates against single parents with young children.
#notsurprised
If we could take our government to court over their benefit policies we’d probably get the same ruling.
Also, to those who think an Upper House works, this must have got past the UKs House of Lords.
………………… June 5-7 ………… June 21-22 Corbyn ………… 32 …………………… 35 …… + 3 May …………….. 43 …………………… 34 ……. – 9
The first time YouGov have a Labour leader ahead a Tory leader on the best PM question since the summer of 2007.(although 35% still a long way from wildly popular)
The only way to fight “terror” in the region is to reclaim a shared vision that transcends tribalism and sectarianism.
The discourse on terrorism has itself been narrowed down so much that there is little or no space in mainstream media for any other ideas on how to combat it
“What 95 percent of all suicide attacks have in common, since 1980, is not religion, but a specific strategic motivation to respond to a military intervention, often specifically a military occupation, of territory that the terrorists view as their homeland or prize greatly. From Lebanon and the West Bank in the 80s and 90s, to Iraq and Afghanistan, and up through the Paris suicide attacks we’ve just experienced in the last days, military intervention – and specifically when the military intervention is occupying territory – that’s what prompts suicide terrorism more than anything else.”
Such findings – based on examining 4,600 suicide attacks – had no influence on US foreign policy.
Many who applied terror against their own people, or funded terrorism elsewhere, are not hesitating to accuse others of terrorism
We are being lied to to justify invasion into other countries.
Anyone got anything similar for our local scene? I know the strike rate with ACT is high enough that trouble with the law feels like a near prerequisite to serving in Parliament, but I’ve got no feel for how the balance looks for other parties.
Bryce Edwards stirring it around again. He is from Christchurch and seems all shook up with the earthquakes and that, and hasn’t settled and found stability in his political discourse so up bubbles a lot of liquefaction. Which faction it is differs from week to week.
Regardless what “we” might think or like or dislike about this Student Internship Calamity Recruitment Campaign Drive ….the Hack LSM & Hoots are going to keep on kicking this story all the way to the election.
Its a fuck up in anyone’s book & the fault lies with all involved who’ve forgotten the golden rule, dont piss your workers off! And also remember; the first rule is the same as the 2nd & the 3rd, you dont talk about …
So, a collective “Fuck this Fuck’n mess!” Time to shore up the dyke because the latest RM Polls out & that is just going to compound this almighty fuck up.
Heard Nick Smith on the wireless saying the new nelson branch of the young Nat’s is thriving, dang are there only six members = 5 white males, 1 white female?
The Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 2) had part of its committee stage yesterday. its a generally tedious bill about the nitty-gritty of local government reorganisation. But it includes a clause making the Local Government Commission subject to the Ombudsmen Act, and hence the OIA. Great! Except of ...
Yesterday Ihumātao's mana whenua reached a consensus that they would like their land back, and asked the government to negotiate with Fletcher's for its return. The government's response? Try and undermine that consensus, while talking about how doing anything would undermine existing Treaty settlements. The first is just more bad ...
Its Suffrage Day, the 126th anniversary of women winning the right to vote (but not stand in elections) in New Zealand. And to celebrate, the government has bought Kate Sheppard's house in Christchurch:The government has bought Kate Sheppard's former home in Christchurch for more than $4 million. The Ilam villa ...
The UN climate summit is happening in new York next week, and unlike previous years, coal-burners and denier-states are not being invited to speak:Leading economies such as Japan and Australia will not be invited to speak at next week’s crunch UN climate change summit, as their continued support for coal ...
Get Back Jojo! The elation in Mayor Phil Goff’s camp may be easily imagined as they watched social media light up in indignation at challenger John Tamihere’s "Sieg Heil to that" quip. Just when JT’s notoriously right-wing, sexist and homophobic stains were beginning to fade back into his ‘colourful’ past, ...
Patrick Gower is good value when he's high. Not that I've ever, you know, got stoned with him. But in the second part of his documentary Patrick Gower on Weed, he does what you'd expect in a modern weed documentary and immerses himself – first with a doctor, then a ...
We surveyed candidates on their attitudes to issues facing the Western Bay Region, find out what they think: “Closing the Gap” Tauranga, one of the area groups of Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc., has surveyed all candidates in the three local body elections to discover attitudes to some basic issues ...
Please spread widely, and sign, to support science and rationalism over the new irrationalism sweeping universities and institutions. PROJECT NETTIE Sexual reproduction, the generation of offspring by fusion of genetic material from two different individuals, evolved over 1 billion years ago. It is the reproductive strategy of all higher animals ...
Just when I was thinking that Palmerston North's mayoral race (which includes a convicted child molester / public wanker and a convicted child beater) was the worst in the country, Auckland mayoral candidate John Tamihere opened his mouth:Auckland mayoral candidate John Tamihere is being slammed for using the words "sieg ...
We reprint below an article from the excellent website the Economics of Imperialism by Tony Norfield This is an update of the statistics for my Index of Power, using data for 2018-19 and discussing what a country’s ranking reflects. The major change is that China’s rank has shifted up and ...
The All Blacks have been, for more than a century, arguably the most successful International sports team in the world. But they are more than that; even for those Kiwis who are immune to the charms of rugby (and there are more than a few), the All Blacks are ambassadors ...
Alone, Alone, All, All, Alone: To argue that the Prime Minister is the victim of her advisers’ failure to keep her informed may offer Jacinda some measure of exoneration – but only at the cost of casting her as a hopeless political ingénue. A star-dusted muppet, whose only purpose is to ...
In times of hysteria about the “World coming to an end” and “rising sea levels” so-called ‘Journalists’ who can barely spell words longer than four letters are having a ball! Though the majority of the Public have worked out that manmade climate change is nothing short of pseudo-science, and the ...
I don't want to give pblicity to certain parts of the internet that are better left to fester in their own irrelevance (I know, a bit like this place) but the listing of Chris Trotter as a 'author' on Cameron Slater's spinoff website, the BFD requires some explanation.Now, I don't ...
The text below is a Twitter thread by Heather Heying that explains the essence of sexual reproduction and it long evolutionary history. She is an evolutionary biologist and a “professor-in-exile” after she and her husband, Bret Weinstein, stood up to supporters of an enforced “Day of Absence” for white staff and teachers ...
With crunch time for new Zealand climate policy approaching, most of the New Zealand media have got on board with a global reporting effort to cover the issue. There's one strand of stories today about polling and what it shows about changing public attitudes to the crisis, but the strand ...
Dangerous Foes: For those readers of Bowalley Road who feel disposed to dismiss any prospect of an Israeli destabilisation of New Zealand politics, the example of the United Kingdom repays close attention. Ever since the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the British Labour Party, the Israelis have sanctioned, funded and ...
Make It 16, the youth-led campaign to lower New Zealand's voting age, is holding an official campaign launch at Parliament this Friday from 16:30. If you'd like to attend, you can register using EventBrite here. ...
by Don Franks It was a lovely sunny Wellington afternoon with blue skies above the beaches. In Courtenay Place, political activists packed out a stuffy upstairs room for an important meeting. The assembled pacifists, anarchists, communists and independent young radicals of Peace Action Wellington felt the need for a mission ...
Current and former NZDF top brass are being publicly grilled this week by the hit and run inquiry over their public responses to allegations of civilian casualties. Previously, they've claimed there were no casualties, a position which led them to lie to Ministers and to the public. Now, they're saying ...
by Rafael D. Quiles (gender-critical gay man from Puerto Rico) The writing on the wall is right in people’s faces and people just don’t see it or don’t want to. What could actually possess a heterosexual male to want to feminize himself and claim that he is a lesbian? Because ...
From the Wall Street Journal:Inside a room of the ornately decorated Hotel du Palais during last month’s Group of Seven summit in Biarritz, France, President Trump awaited a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. Mr. Trump looked over a gathering of American and Egyptian officials and called out in ...
by the Redline blog collective At Redline we are very saddened to hear of the death of Magdalen Burns who passed away on the morning of Friday, September 13 (British time). Magdalen was a great fighter for the rights of women in general and lesbian women in particular, a defender ...
The Brexit issue has certainly brought with it a series of apparently difficult constitutional issues, many of them concerning the respective roles of the executive and parliament. Most of them arise because of the unwillingness of MPs, despite their professions to the contrary, to be bound by a constitutional rarity ...
. . This blogpost is different to my usual format of reporting on issues… Since July 1011, I have blogged on a variety of political issues; near always political and/or environmental; mostly highly critical of the previous National Government. Other issues included Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and repression of ...
Those close to the Police Minister believe the initiative may be the result of Nash “seeing a great deal” on AliExpress. In a move that comes seemingly out of nowhere, Police Minister Stuart Nash announced this afternoon that he expects all frontline staff to don bearskin hats, famously worn by ...
The government has released its Arms Legislation Bill, containing the second tranche of changes to gun laws following the March 15 massacre. And it all looks quite sensible: a national gun register, higher penalties for illegal possession and dealing, tighter restrictions on arms dealers and shooting clubs, and a shorter ...
Private prisons are a stain on humanity. Prison operators explicitly profit from human misery, then lobby for longer prisons terms so they can keep on profiting. And in the US, prison companies run not only local and state prisons, but also Donald Trump's immigration concentration camps. Faced with this moral ...
When National was in power, they were very keen on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) - basicly, using private companies to finance public infrastructure as a way of hiding debt from the public. They were keen on using them for everything - roads, schools, hospitals. But as the UK shows, that "service" ...
Moving And Shaking: There was a time when people spoke matter-of-factly about the “labour movement” – a political phenomenon understood to embrace much more than the Labour Party. Included within the term’s definition was the whole trade union movement – many of whose members looked upon the Labour Party as ...
by Philip Ferguson Much of the left, even people who formally identify as marxists, have collapsed politically in the face of postmodern gender theory of the sort pioneered by American philosopher Judith Butler. For Butler even biological sex is socially constructed. “If the immutable character of sex is contested, perhaps ...
The media is reporting that the (alleged) Labour party sexual assaulter has resigned from their job at Parliament, which means hopefully he won't be turning up there making people feel unsafe in future. Good. But as with everything about this scandal, it just raises other questions. Most significantly: why the ...
By Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern I am every bit as angry as you are. I am every bit as disappointed as you must be. The people with power, oversight and the ability to do something about these processes within the Labour Party should be ashamed. Whoever those people are, I ...
Property developers think there is an "oversupply" of houses in Auckland:High turnover rates and falling prices may be a sign that there are too many new houses going in to some parts of Auckland, commentators say. [...] Property developer David Whitburn said there was a "bit of an oversupply" in ...
Labour Party president Nigel Haworth resigned yesterday over the party's sexual assault scandal. But while that's good news, its unlikely to take away the stench of a coverup. Because according to Paula Bennett in Parliament yesterday, pretty much everyone in the Prime Minister's office was involved as well:I have been ...
Two-Faced? Labour insiders' commitment to the neoliberal status quo puts them at odds with their party’s membership; its trade union affiliates; and a majority of Labour voters, but this only serves to strengthen the perception they have of themselves as a special elite. Among the lesser breeds, they’ll talk up a ...
There has been a lot of talk about Boris Johnson wanting an election, and he has blustered with great gusto about 'chicken' Jeremy Corbyn refusing one, but I think there are many reasons why he is secretly glad he has been refused the opportunity:The Tories are an utter rabble,tearing themselves ...
Scottish appeal court judges have declared that Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament in the run-up to the October Brexit deadline is unlawful. The three judges, chaired by Lord Carloway, Scotland’s most senior judge, overturned an earlier ruling that the courts did not have the powers to interfere in the prime ...
By Simon Bridges. The following is a press release from the office of Simon Bridges, leader of The National Party. Key ora, New Zealand. Happy Maori Language Week. Look, I’m writing to you today because I want to clear something up. There’s been a lot of kerfuffle around some things ...
I understand there's some stuff going round about how the SIS "was removed from the list of public offices covered by the Public Records Act in 2017". The context of course being their records derived from US torture, which will be disposed of or sealed. The good news is that ...
Dr. Christopher Labos and Jonathan Jarry discuss the recent Canadian fluoride/IQ research. They provide an expert analysis of the paper and its problems. Click on image to go to podcast. The critical debate about the recent ...
Australia is burning down again, and meanwhile its natural disaster minister is denying climate change:Australia’s minister responsible for drought and natural disasters, David Littleproud, has said that he doesn’t “know if climate change is manmade”. Clarifying earlier comments that the question is “irrelevant” when considering the Coalition government’s response to ...
Auckland Philippines Solidarity is excited to host Professor Judy Taguiwalo for a speaking tour of NZ in September. She is a well-known activist in the Philippines and was a political prisoner under the Marcos dictatorship. Professor Taguiwalo briefly served as a Cabinet member under President Duterte but was forced from ...
This open letter to the Green Party was penned after an opinion piece by Jill Abigail, a feminist and founding member of the party, was censored by the Greens’ leadership. (Redline has reprinted her article here).The intolerance of the Green Party leaders and their acceptance of the misogyny of gender ...
Today is a Member's day, and David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill continues its slow crawl through its committee stage. They're spending the whole day on it today, though the first hour is likely to be spent on voting left over from last time. After that they'll move on ...
An ambitious plan to fly to Los Angeles petered out into a brief sight-seeing trip and a desire to return home and get some sleep before work tomorrow. Air New Zealand has confirmed a flight to Los Angeles last night was turned back about a quarter of the way into ...
There appears to be consensus – by omission – that the concept of indigenous futures should be accepted at face value. So I scavenged the internet to see if I could locate an academic descriptor or a framework around how we think about it as a concept, and whether it ...
Here’s another novelty chocolate to shove in your gob, New Zealand Cadbury could be seeking to make itself great again with a rumoured new release: Pineapple Trumps, a spin on its classic chocolate-encased pineapple treat and do-it-yourself tooth remover. The global confectionery manufacturer and bumbling “before” character in an infomercial, ...
During my time in the Pentagon I had the privilege of sitting down with military leaders and defence and security officials from a variety of Latin American nations. Sometimes I was present as a subordinate assistant to a senior US defence department official, sometimes as part of a delegation that ...
Kia ora, Aotearoa. It’s that magical time of year. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. In English, the week that frightens talk radio. As you probably know by now, all your favourite media outlets are participating, some more successfully than others. Stuff has changed its name to Puna for the ...
Eighteen months ago, the government promised to strengthen the Bill of Rights Act, by explicitly affirming the power of the courts to issue declarations of inconsistency and requiring Parliament to formally respond to them. So how's that going? I was curious, so I asked for all advice about the proposal. ...
As the Brexit saga staggers on, the focus is naturally enough on the Prime Minister and his attempts to achieve Brexit “do or die”. But the role played by the Leader of the Opposition is of almost equal interest and complexity. The first problem for Jeremy Corbyn is that he ...
Last week, English Prime Minister Boris Johnson boldly declared that he would rather die be dead in a ditch than delay Brexit. Unfortunately for him, the UK parliament accepted the challenge, and promptly dug one for him. The "rebellion bill" requires him to ask for and secure yet another temporary ...
Lost In Political Space: The most important takeaway from this latest Labour sexual assault scandal, which (if I may paraphrase Nixon’s White House counsel’s, John Dean’s, infamous description of Watergate) is “growing like a cancer” on the premiership, is the Labour Party organisation’s extraordinary professional paralysis in the face of ...
by Daphna Whitmore Every Sunday for the past two months unionists from First Union, with supporters from other unions, have set out to the Ihumatao land protest, put up gazebos and gas barbeques, and cooked food for a few hundred locals and supporters who have come from across the country. ...
Newsroom today has an excellent, in-depth article on pine trees as carbon sinks. The TL;DR is that pine is really good at soaking up carbon, but people prefer far-less efficient native forests instead. Which is understandable, but there's two problems: firstly, we've pissed about so long on this problem that ...
Canan Kaftancioglu is a Turkish politician and member of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). Like most modern politicians, she tweets, and uses the platform to criticise the Turkish government. She has criticised them over the death of a 14-year-old boy who was hit by a tear gas grenade during ...
Hi there, just call me Tim.We face tough problems, and I’d like to help, because there are solutions.An Auckand District Health Board member has nominated me for as a candidate for the ADHB, because her MS-related pain and fatigue is reduced with hemp products from Rotorua. Nothing else helped her. If I ...
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security has published their report on whether the SIS and GCSB had any complicity in American torture. And its damning. The pull quote is this:The Inquiry found both agencies, but to a much greater degree, the NZSIS, received many intelligence reports obtained from detainees who, ...
Bewhiskered Cassandra? Professor Hugh White’s chilling suggestion, advanced to select collections of academic, military and diplomatic Kiwi experts over the course of the past week, is that the assumptions upon which Australia and New Zealand have built their foreign affairs and defence policies for practically their entire histories – are ...
For most of the time I was a British MP, my party was out of government – these were the Thatcher years, when it was hard for anyone else to get a look-in. As a front-bencher and shadow minister, I became familiar with the strategies required in a parliamentary democracy ...
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh On August 29th a video in which veteran FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) commander Iván Márquez announced that they had taken up arms again was released. There was no delay in the reaction to it, from longtime Liberal Party figure and former president Uribe, for ...
Air New Zealand couldn’t believe its luck that this seemingly ideal piece of real estate had so far gone entirely unnoticed. Air New Zealand’s search for a site to build a second Auckland Airport may have made a breakthrough this afternoon, after employees scanning Google satellite imagery spotted a huge, ...
No-one on the anti-capitalist left in this country today puts forward a case that Labour is on the side of the working class. There are certainly people who call themselves ‘socialist’ who do, but they are essentially liberals with vested interests in Labourism – often for career reasons. Nevertheless, there ...
When National was in government and fucking over the poor for the benefit of the rich, foodbanks were a growth industry. And now Labour is in charge, nothing has changed: A huge demand for emergency food parcels means the Auckland City Mission is struggling to prepare for the impending arrival ...
Growth has now slowed to a 6-year low, and downside risks are dominating. June quarter GDP growth came in at 0.5%qoq, in line with our expectation, and slightly above consensus. Although there were a few sensational reports of the chance of a negative print. ...
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is calling the release of the National Climate Change Risk Assessment (NCCRA) framework a good first step in balancing New Zealand’s response to climate change. ...
Family First NZ says that a new Colorado report compiled by the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area finds marijuana-positive traffic fatalities, hospitalisations, marijuana use, and illegal market activity have exploded since marijuana legalization. ...
This year’s Ratepayers’ Report , local government league tables released yesterday, reveals which local councils owe the most and which owe the least. ...
Rachel MacGregor welcomes the decision released today by Justice Hinton. The key issue on which all the various litigation has been based is the question, did Colin Craig sexually harass Rachel. That question has been answered – he did. Justice ...
The Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) has today ratified a ground breaking pay deal with Dunedin Railways which will see all union members being paid a living wage and the lowest paid receiving an 18% wage increase. Higher paid RMTU members ...
Inclusion for trans women/men and non-binary peoples has today been announced as the cornerstone of a new resolution for the National Council of Women New Zealand (NCWNZ). ...
It took a testy Morning Report interview this week to remind me that Simon Bridges was still the Leader of the Opposition. Until then, he had been largely invisible as the events of recent weeks unfolded. ...
The National Council of Women NZ has today welcomed the news that the Government has purchased Kate Sheppard’s house in Christchurch, the base for the NZ suffrage campaign. ...
The Māori Party supports mana whenua of Ihumātao and acknowledges their coming together to reach consensus on the future of their whenua. “We also acknowledge the leadership of the Kīngitanga who have played an important role in supporting ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is questioning why, for the second time, Jacinda Ardern has appointed a Crown-owned company Chief Executive to Chair her “Business Advisory Council”, following her announcement that Mercury CEO Fraser Whineray ...
Responding to the Government’s decision to give around $300 million to Amazon as a sweetener for filming a TV series in New Zealand, New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says: “As a matter of simple waste, this is striking, ...
I am very pleased with Air New Zealand’s Decision to backdown and withdraw their application to trademark into a logo Kia Ora. I said at the time that it was an ill conceived idea and poorly thought out – more importantly it should never have been ...
NZEI Te Riu Roa members will be joining with others across the union movement by wearing black and white in support of pay equity on Suffrage Day tomorrow, and urging the Government to commit to a settlement for teacher aides this year. ...
Yesterday’s announcement from the Minister for Immigration, to improve temporary work visas for migrant workers, provides some positive changes but more detail is needed. The Council of Trade Unions fundamentally supports the principle of making ...
FIRST Union today welcomed Westpac’s public admission of the significant gender pay gap in its workforce and reiterated its call for employers to work with unions to close this disparity, arguing that this work must begin at the bottom of the pay ...
Changes to the work visa system announced by the Minister of Immigration are not all positive for employers or migrants, comments Ms June Ranson, chair of the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment (NZAMI) , a leading voice in the ...
The Dairy Workers Union (DWU) has welcomed the announcement from dairy company, Synlait, that they will be boosting parental leave entitlements significantly for working parents. ...
In June, the Children’s Commissioner announced a thematic review into Oranga Tamariki’s policies, processes and practice relating to care and protection issues for tamariki Māori aged 0-3 months. Today the Children’s Commissioner has released the full ...
“Closing the Gap” Tauranga, one of the area groups of Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc., has surveyed all candidates in the three local body elections to discover attitudes to some basic issues of the Western Bay region. We believe that this is ...
In response to DairyNZ's attempt to dismiss an economic report that highlighted dairy's role in the New Zealand economy is only three per cent of GDP, Fish & Game New Zealand Chief Executive Martin Taylor says: "If DairyNZ wishes to reject a report ...
Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII has successfully guided the mana whenua of lhumaatao to reach a consensus on the future of their whenua. ...
Two activists disguised as shareholders interrupted the AGM of a gold mining company in central Auckland this morning to inform shareholders their plans to mine for gold in conservation estate in the Karangahake Gorge were unwelcome. ...
The Capital and Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) has been labelled ‘NATO’ (no action, talk only) when it comes to child mental health, with just 0.6 full time staff (24 hours per week) for inpatient child psychology and just 0.8 full time staff ...
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has awarded three New Zealand climate youth groups with its Ambassador of Conscience award, its highest recognition for human rights work, previously given to the likes of Nelson Mandela, Ai Weiwei and Malala Yousafzai. ...
The New Zealand Taxpayers' Union , in partnership with the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance , has today published this year's Ratepayers' Report – online local government league tables – at www.ratepayersreport.nz . ...
NZUS Council executive director Jordan Small welcomes the news New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will meet with US President Donald Trump in New York next week. ...
The recent NZIER report trivialises the significant role the dairy sector plays in New Zealand’s economy – and fails to look at the specifics of the Government’s freshwater package, according to DairyNZ. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said ...
This week, the New Zealand Parliament and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will jointly host a seminar on tackling the global spread of illicit weapons. ...
In a landmark judgment issued this morning, the Court of Appeal confirmed that the Southern Response Concealment Class Action will proceed issued on an "opt out” basis. ...
Mainstream media, as the purveyors of truth and source of balanced information, took another backward step today with the announcement by Stuff that most New Zealand organisations had joined 170 media outlets from around the world in the “Covering ...
The goal of one million Kiwis having basic conversations in te reo by 2040 is unrealistic if more is not done to get serious about reo acquisition says the Māori Party. “While small steps have been taken to bolster efforts to increase the numbers of speakers, ...
Changes announced today by the Immigration Minister to employer-assisted visas will help businesses, but more work is needed to boost economic growth says Business Central. ...
DairyNZ Chief Executive Dr Tim Mackle is welcoming today’s announcement that the Government will be streamlining the employer assisted work visa process to help businesses and farms fill skills shortages. ...
Lawrence Yule MP wrote to our Office with concerns about the Department of Corrections' approach to procuring design and build services for rapid deployment of prison accommodation. We have published our response to Mr Yule on our website . ...
That from the chair of the Wellington Region of the College of Midwives, Siobhan Connor, following the news that Hutt Valley District Health Board is targeting midwives from overseas to help fill gaps in maternity units. ...
70% of New Zealand’s surface water take is allocated to Meridian’s Manapouri Power Scheme. But when Environment Minister David Parker asked to exempt the Scheme from his Freshwater Action Plan, he didn’t tell Cabinet that. ...
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that officers responded in a timely and appropriate manner as soon as they were aware that a fleeing driver had hit a pedestrian. ...
prevention and intervention. Following Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s post-Cabinet press conference we are encouraged to see the acknowledgement of the mistakes made and the need to address this. The five points outlined in the action plan, which ...
A surge in teen vaping rates and a series of deaths being linked to vaping has resulted in a number of bans on the sales of flavoured Vape juice products in the United States. Though it is widely acknowledged that vaping is far less harmful than smoking tobacco, ...
The governments’ new environmental proposals will further accentuate the move of good, productive farmland into forestry according to environmental lobby group 50 Shades of Green. ...
17 September 2019: New Zealanders are acutely aware of the impact food production processes have on our planet according to new research released today by the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust. ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is making no apology for her focus on the Christchurch Call at the United Nations next week and points to Facebook's recent action as a sign of early success. ...
Auckland mayoral candidate John Tamihere's latest verbal outrage moves his campaign strategy from the bellicose to the bizarre. Mark Jennings listens in at yet another debate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Coates, Program Director, Household Finances, Grattan Institute Compared to the rest of the world, income inequality is not particularly high in Australia, nor is it getting much worse. The real problem is housing inequality. Rising house prices have increased wealth inequality. ...
A harrowing account of what it’s like trying to save your child from suicide, and the toll it takes on everyone involved.This essay discusses suicide in detail. Please proceed with caution.Last week there was a lot of stuff shared around suicide awareness, and I wanted to share something as well, ...
Chloe Blades reviews Kate Weinberg’s first novel, which is selling like mad and earning the London writer comparisons to Agatha Christie and Donna Tartt. It was always going to be unfair on whichever book I read after Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women; that divisive, genre-defying masterpiece on the manipulation of female desire. ...
Annual economic growth has slowed to its weakest level in nearly six years as growth in service industries offset construction and manufacturing weakness. ...
By Wansolwara staff in Suva Twelve leading journalists from 11 Pacific Island countries will converge in Suva, Fiji, this Friday to discuss critical issues affecting the region including climate change and natural disaster relief and recovery and regional security. The one-day “Capstone at The University of the South Pacific” (USP) Laucala ...
Covering Climate Now: The release of the new Nissan Leaf electric vehicle signals a shift in the role of cars in our society. Simon Day was at the launch of the new model. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!According to ...
Covering Climate Now: Charging businesses for their greenhouse gas emissions seems simple enough, but in New Zealand, at least, emissions keep on rising. Is the system flawed, or is it how we’re implementing it?The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Economists ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Foreign affairs and trade Sam Sachdeva (Newsroom): Global uncertainty and domestic troubles as Ardern heads ...
Covering Climate Now: Earlier this year, the climate change response (zero carbon) bill had its first reading. The public was then invited to submit their takes on it to the government. We assessed a few of the stranger ones.The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to ...
Op-Ed by Luis Alfonso de Alba – UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Climate Action SummitLuis Alfonso de Alba – UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Climate Action SummitClimate change is not a far-away problem– it is causing huge damage right now in Asia-Pacific and around the world. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Bateman, Associate professor, Curtin University Every spring in Australia is heralded by reports of magpies swooping at people. While it is of little comfort to those at the receiving end of a surprise attack, such events are actually quite rare when ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University There’s no shortage of special days throughout the year. Some — like International Literacy Day — speak to important issues in society. Others speak to our inner dag. Today marks one of the daggier days, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Pickles, Professor of History at the University of Canterbury and current Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi James Cook Research Fellow, University of Canterbury Today marks the passing of the much celebrated 1893 Electoral Act, 126 years ago, which made ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meagan Brennan, Clinical A/Prof Breast Physician, Westmead Breast Cancer Institute, University of Sydney Victorian Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos recently announced six new 3D breast screening machines would be rolled out across the state. These will be used to assess women recalled ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Brodie, Professorial Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Few feel the pain of the Great Barrier Reef’s decline more acutely than the scientists trying to save it. Ahead of next week’s UN climate summit, two ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hilary Whitehouse, Associate Professor, James Cook University This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story. Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing our ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Youqing Fan, Lecturer, Western Sydney University Affordable housing is a critical problem for Australia’s biggest housing markets. Five Australian cities are in the top 25 with “severely unaffordable” housing in a 2019 Demographia survey of 91 major metropolitan markets. Sydney was ranked ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angelina Hurley, PhD candidate, Griffith University From Darkness, directed by Isaac Drandic, La Boite Theatre From Darkness is the story about the aftermath of sorry business – Aboriginal rituals that are observed during a period of mourning. It looks at how, on ...
Mana whenua say they want the government to negotiate with Fletcher Building to return the land at Ihumātao. But Winston Peters is questioning if the consensus includes everyone's voice. ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Difficult decision looms for govt over Ihumātao, NZDF story scrutinised at inquiry, and innovative new bus service to be trialled in Timaru. This is far from the end of the story about what will happen to the land at Ihumātao. A ...
People in central and eastern Europe take a different view on climate change than many in the west, writes the Hungarian news site Index, for the Covering Climate Now project. ...
The power balance of the incoming Auckland Council could be decided by two overheated local debates about a golf course and a carpark. Hayden Donnell reports.The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click here.Albert-Eden local ...
Covering Climate Now:Carys Goodwin reflects on giving up, and what convinced her to take up the fight again. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Four years ago, while working for the Green Party in parliament, I did a brief stint ...
By RNZ Pacific Vanuatu and Solomon Islands have raised the issue of human rights abuses against West Papuans at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The two governments made a statement which also noted that Indonesia had not yet given access to Papua for the UN Human Rights ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Rogue construction union boss John Setka is already in fights with the Labor party and the ACTU leadership. Now he faces a battle with parliament. Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick is moving to refer an ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paxton Loke, Paediatric Allergist and Immunologist, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Spring has sprung and if you’re one of the one in five Australians who get hay fever, you’ve probably noticed some of those pesky symptoms: sneezing; an itchy, runny or stuffy nose; ...
Covering Climate Now: Alex Casey watches 2040, a climate change documentary determined to let the light in. I’ve seen enough documentaries about climate change to know what I don’t want to see anymore. I don’t want Leonardo DiCaprio stroking his goatee on a sheet of ice and saying “folks: it’s bad”. ...
Covering Climate Now: We need to broaden our measures of success if we want to have any chance of reaching blunt targets for reducing emissions, writes Catherine Leining.The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Since 1992, multiple rounds of greenhouse gas ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has acknowledged the Labour sexual assault scandal risks hurting New Zealand's reputation on the world stage as she heads abroad. ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has acknowledged the Labour sexual assault scandal risks hurting New Zealand's reputation on the world stage as she heads abroad. ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has acknowledged the Labour sexual assault scandal risks hurting New Zealand's reputation on the world stage as she heads abroad. ...
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk Thousands of forest fires have been burning across Indonesian Borneo and Sumatra, disrupting air travel, closing schools and sickening thousands of people, reports the New York Times. Officials have said that about 80 per cent of the fires were intentionally set to make room for lucrative ...
Open Mike 23/06/2017 
The Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 2) had part of its committee stage yesterday. its a generally tedious bill about the nitty-gritty of local government reorganisation. But it includes a clause making the Local Government Commission subject to the Ombudsmen Act, and hence the OIA. Great! Except of ...27 mins ago
Get Back Jojo! The elation in Mayor Phil Goff’s camp may be easily imagined as they watched social media light up in indignation at challenger John Tamihere’s "Sieg Heil to that" quip. Just when JT’s notoriously right-wing, sexist and homophobic stains were beginning to fade back into his ‘colourful’ past, ...8 hours ago
Patrick Gower is good value when he's high. Not that I've ever, you know, got stoned with him. But in the second part of his documentary Patrick Gower on Weed, he does what you'd expect in a modern weed documentary and immerses himself – first with a doctor, then a ...17 hours ago
We surveyed candidates on their attitudes to issues facing the Western Bay Region, find out what they think: “Closing the Gap” Tauranga, one of the area groups of Income Equality Aotearoa NZ Inc., has surveyed all candidates in the three local body elections to discover attitudes to some basic issues ...24 hours ago
Please spread widely, and sign, to support science and rationalism over the new irrationalism sweeping universities and institutions. PROJECT NETTIE Sexual reproduction, the generation of offspring by fusion of genetic material from two different individuals, evolved over 1 billion years ago. It is the reproductive strategy of all higher animals ...1 day ago
Why is New Zealand climate change policy so crap? The Herald this morning has a long article on the twists and turns of climate change policy in New Zealand [paywalled / depaywall script], which shows where we've been. The short version is that the government first began worrying about this ...1 day ago
The All Blacks have been, for more than a century, arguably the most successful International sports team in the world. But they are more than that; even for those Kiwis who are immune to the charms of rugby (and there are more than a few), the All Blacks are ambassadors ...1 day ago
2 days ago
In times of hysteria about the “World coming to an end” and “rising sea levels” so-called ‘Journalists’ who can barely spell words longer than four letters are having a ball! Though the majority of the Public have worked out that manmade climate change is nothing short of pseudo-science, and the ...2 days ago
3 days ago
Dangerous Foes: For those readers of Bowalley Road who feel disposed to dismiss any prospect of an Israeli destabilisation of New Zealand politics, the example of the United Kingdom repays close attention. Ever since the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the British Labour Party, the Israelis have sanctioned, funded and ...3 days ago
Make It 16, the youth-led campaign to lower New Zealand's voting age, is holding an official campaign launch at Parliament this Friday from 16:30. If you'd like to attend, you can register using EventBrite here. ...3 days ago
by Don Franks It was a lovely sunny Wellington afternoon with blue skies above the beaches. In Courtenay Place, political activists packed out a stuffy upstairs room for an important meeting. The assembled pacifists, anarchists, communists and independent young radicals of Peace Action Wellington felt the need for a mission ...3 days ago
From the Wall Street Journal:Inside a room of the ornately decorated Hotel du Palais during last month’s Group of Seven summit in Biarritz, France, President Trump awaited a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. Mr. Trump looked over a gathering of American and Egyptian officials and called out in ...4 days ago
. . This blogpost is different to my usual format of reporting on issues… Since July 1011, I have blogged on a variety of political issues; near always political and/or environmental; mostly highly critical of the previous National Government. Other issues included Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and repression of ...5 days ago
Those close to the Police Minister believe the initiative may be the result of Nash “seeing a great deal” on AliExpress. In a move that comes seemingly out of nowhere, Police Minister Stuart Nash announced this afternoon that he expects all frontline staff to don bearskin hats, famously worn by ...6 days ago
Moving And Shaking: There was a time when people spoke matter-of-factly about the “labour movement” – a political phenomenon understood to embrace much more than the Labour Party. Included within the term’s definition was the whole trade union movement – many of whose members looked upon the Labour Party as ...6 days ago
By Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern I am every bit as angry as you are. I am every bit as disappointed as you must be. The people with power, oversight and the ability to do something about these processes within the Labour Party should be ashamed. Whoever those people are, I ...7 days ago
Two-Faced? Labour insiders' commitment to the neoliberal status quo puts them at odds with their party’s membership; its trade union affiliates; and a majority of Labour voters, but this only serves to strengthen the perception they have of themselves as a special elite. Among the lesser breeds, they’ll talk up a ...1 week ago
By Simon Bridges. The following is a press release from the office of Simon Bridges, leader of The National Party. Key ora, New Zealand. Happy Maori Language Week. Look, I’m writing to you today because I want to clear something up. There’s been a lot of kerfuffle around some things ...1 week ago
Dr. Christopher Labos and Jonathan Jarry discuss the recent Canadian fluoride/IQ research. They provide an expert analysis of the paper and its problems. Click on image to go to podcast. The critical debate about the recent ... 1 week ago
An ambitious plan to fly to Los Angeles petered out into a brief sight-seeing trip and a desire to return home and get some sleep before work tomorrow. Air New Zealand has confirmed a flight to Los Angeles last night was turned back about a quarter of the way into ...1 week ago
There appears to be consensus – by omission – that the concept of indigenous futures should be accepted at face value. So I scavenged the internet to see if I could locate an academic descriptor or a framework around how we think about it as a concept, and whether it ...1 week ago
Here’s another novelty chocolate to shove in your gob, New Zealand Cadbury could be seeking to make itself great again with a rumoured new release: Pineapple Trumps, a spin on its classic chocolate-encased pineapple treat and do-it-yourself tooth remover. The global confectionery manufacturer and bumbling “before” character in an infomercial, ...1 week ago
During my time in the Pentagon I had the privilege of sitting down with military leaders and defence and security officials from a variety of Latin American nations. Sometimes I was present as a subordinate assistant to a senior US defence department official, sometimes as part of a delegation that ...1 week ago
Kia ora, Aotearoa. It’s that magical time of year. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. In English, the week that frightens talk radio. As you probably know by now, all your favourite media outlets are participating, some more successfully than others. Stuff has changed its name to Puna for the ...1 week ago
Lost In Political Space: The most important takeaway from this latest Labour sexual assault scandal, which (if I may paraphrase Nixon’s White House counsel’s, John Dean’s, infamous description of Watergate) is “growing like a cancer” on the premiership, is the Labour Party organisation’s extraordinary professional paralysis in the face of ...1 week ago
Bewhiskered Cassandra? Professor Hugh White’s chilling suggestion, advanced to select collections of academic, military and diplomatic Kiwi experts over the course of the past week, is that the assumptions upon which Australia and New Zealand have built their foreign affairs and defence policies for practically their entire histories – are ...1 week ago
Air New Zealand couldn’t believe its luck that this seemingly ideal piece of real estate had so far gone entirely unnoticed. Air New Zealand’s search for a site to build a second Auckland Airport may have made a breakthrough this afternoon, after employees scanning Google satellite imagery spotted a huge, ...2 weeks ago
A new opinion poll released today by Gun Control NZ shows that 70% of Kiwis support strengthening New Zealand’s existing gun laws. ...44 mins ago
An investigation into the poisoning of cattle with 1080 on a King Country farm a year ago still has not been completed. ...59 mins ago
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is making no apology for her focus on the Christchurch Call at the United Nations next week and points to Facebook's recent action as a sign of early success. ...1 hour ago
Auckland mayoral candidate John Tamihere's latest verbal outrage moves his campaign strategy from the bellicose to the bizarre. Mark Jennings listens in at yet another debate. ...2 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Coates, Program Director, Household Finances, Grattan Institute Compared to the rest of the world, income inequality is not particularly high in Australia, nor is it getting much worse. The real problem is housing inequality. Rising house prices have increased wealth inequality. ...2 hours ago
A harrowing account of what it’s like trying to save your child from suicide, and the toll it takes on everyone involved.This essay discusses suicide in detail. Please proceed with caution.Last week there was a lot of stuff shared around suicide awareness, and I wanted to share something as well, ...2 hours ago
Chloe Blades reviews Kate Weinberg’s first novel, which is selling like mad and earning the London writer comparisons to Agatha Christie and Donna Tartt. It was always going to be unfair on whichever book I read after Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women; that divisive, genre-defying masterpiece on the manipulation of female desire. ...2 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Rich, Lecturer in International Relations and Security Studies, Curtin University This week’s strikes on the Abqaiq and Khurais oil processing facilities in Saudi Arabia represent the latest in a pattern of actions by the Islamic Republic of Iran to escalate tensions ...2 hours ago
Annual economic growth has slowed to its weakest level in nearly six years as growth in service industries offset construction and manufacturing weakness. ...2 hours ago
By Wansolwara staff in Suva Twelve leading journalists from 11 Pacific Island countries will converge in Suva, Fiji, this Friday to discuss critical issues affecting the region including climate change and natural disaster relief and recovery and regional security. The one-day “Capstone at The University of the South Pacific” (USP) Laucala ...3 hours ago
Covering Climate Now: The release of the new Nissan Leaf electric vehicle signals a shift in the role of cars in our society. Simon Day was at the launch of the new model. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!According to ...4 hours ago
Covering Climate Now: Charging businesses for their greenhouse gas emissions seems simple enough, but in New Zealand, at least, emissions keep on rising. Is the system flawed, or is it how we’re implementing it?The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Economists ...5 hours ago
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.
Op-Ed by Luis Alfonso de Alba – UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Climate Action Summit
New Zealand's largest bank has said it has no intention of selling off farm debt to overseas investors. ...6 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bill Bateman, Associate professor, Curtin University Every spring in Australia is heralded by reports of magpies swooping at people. While it is of little comfort to those at the receiving end of a surprise attack, such events are actually quite rare when ...6 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Rich, Lecturer in International Relations and Security Studies, Curtin University This week’s strikes on the Abqaiq and Khurais oil processing facilities in Saudi Arabia represent the latest in a pattern of actions by the Islamic Republic of Iran to escalate tensions ...6 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University There’s no shortage of special days throughout the year. Some — like International Literacy Day — speak to important issues in society. Others speak to our inner dag. Today marks one of the daggier days, ...6 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meagan Brennan, Clinical A/Prof Breast Physician, Westmead Breast Cancer Institute, University of Sydney Victorian Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos recently announced six new 3D breast screening machines would be rolled out across the state. These will be used to assess women recalled ...6 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jon Brodie, Professorial Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Few feel the pain of the Great Barrier Reef’s decline more acutely than the scientists trying to save it. Ahead of next week’s UN climate summit, two ...6 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angelina Hurley, PhD candidate, Griffith University From Darkness, directed by Isaac Drandic, La Boite Theatre From Darkness is the story about the aftermath of sorry business – Aboriginal rituals that are observed during a period of mourning. It looks at how, on ...6 hours ago
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Difficult decision looms for govt over Ihumātao, NZDF story scrutinised at inquiry, and innovative new bus service to be trialled in Timaru. This is far from the end of the story about what will happen to the land at Ihumātao. A ...8 hours ago
Agency offshoot’s first product taps into anonymised location data from mobile phone towers. ...9 hours ago
People in central and eastern Europe take a different view on climate change than many in the west, writes the Hungarian news site Index, for the Covering Climate Now project. ...10 hours ago
The power balance of the incoming Auckland Council could be decided by two overheated local debates about a golf course and a carpark. Hayden Donnell reports.The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about becoming a member and supporting The Spinoff’s journalism click here.Albert-Eden local ...10 hours ago
Covering Climate Now: Carys Goodwin reflects on giving up, and what convinced her to take up the fight again. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here!Four years ago, while working for the Green Party in parliament, I did a brief stint ...10 hours ago
By RNZ Pacific Vanuatu and Solomon Islands have raised the issue of human rights abuses against West Papuans at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The two governments made a statement which also noted that Indonesia had not yet given access to Papua for the UN Human Rights ...15 hours ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paxton Loke, Paediatric Allergist and Immunologist, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Spring has sprung and if you’re one of the one in five Australians who get hay fever, you’ve probably noticed some of those pesky symptoms: sneezing; an itchy, runny or stuffy nose; ...19 hours ago
Covering Climate Now: Alex Casey watches 2040, a climate change documentary determined to let the light in. I’ve seen enough documentaries about climate change to know what I don’t want to see anymore. I don’t want Leonardo DiCaprio stroking his goatee on a sheet of ice and saying “folks: it’s bad”. ...20 hours ago
Jacinda Ardern flies to New York with hope of action on the Christchurch Call and climate change. ...20 hours ago
Without targets, the Government will have a difficult task in defining whether the gun buyback is successful. Some say it’s impossible. ...22 hours ago
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk Thousands of forest fires have been burning across Indonesian Borneo and Sumatra, disrupting air travel, closing schools and sickening thousands of people, reports the New York Times. Officials have said that about 80 per cent of the fires were intentionally set to make room for lucrative ...23 hours ago
Test comment to check that they are now possible.
A flag got flipped
Yay being able to comment
Just checking – is there a reason for some of the topics requiring logging in to reply?
Depends what you mean. There was a general stoppage of comments last night by accident. In the post edit screen there is a button to moderate comments for that post.
//=====
In the discussion settings screen there is a setting to require that only logged in users are able to comment. This is used by some sites who want to restrict comment writing access. Kiwiblog is probably the most noticeable.
We use different techniques which tend to allow a wider and less selective participation.
However, the setting screen used when banning commenters, and releasing them from bans. Which is a bit of a nuisance as the toggle gets hit by accident and turned on. Especially by overly sensitive touchpad clickareas. It has happened a few times over the last decade.
When I get my machines set up again (just moving apartments), I’ll get the style sheet to hide the button.
//=====
If you mean that certain posts get full moderation (ie they must be released by a moderator). That happens occasionally, and usually on guest posts from politicians or posts about client change or ones that outrage misogynist idiots. That is to reduce the workload on moderators cleaning up after children who can’t behave with any degree of decorum
//=============
Could you please try to be more precise when asking questions. My toleration for wide open diffuse questions is pretty limited.
Sorry, some of the new topics today require a commenter to be logged in with WordPress to be able to comment. I think that’s the first of the two options you provided.
Bill English says we need to concentrate on important issues likes jobs and incomes and prospects (Morning Report this morning: http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201848564/barclay-saga-threatens-to-overshadow-national-party-conference ) – but then we hear that at the National Party conference there will be no policy announcements. Surely he isn’t trying to distract us from something else!
Nice to know that after all this time Bill English at last thinks its time to concentrate on jobs and incomes . . .
About the only thing in those he would be concerned with would be the wages and how to lower them to ‘make us more competitive’. One way to do that is to import people to fill job slots.
Enough semi-hysteria and hyperbole over the so-called Labour Party ‘student intern scandal’?
Let’s have some proper investigation based upon FACTS, EVIDENCE and the underpinning LAW?
1) What exactly were these student ‘interns’ offered?
2) What exactly did these student ‘interns’ receive?
3) What exactly is the law covering immigration and ’employment’ in these circumstances?
4) Where exactly has the law been breached (if it has?)
Penny Bright
2017 Independent candidate for Tamaki.
Exposing the $1.6 billion Tamaki ‘Regeneration’ – GENTRIFICATION $CAM.
In the NZ Herald an opinion piece: “US intern defends Labour’s ‘fellowship’ campaign programme from ‘sweatshop’ claims”
McCarten’s (and the Marae) supporters come out in support of McCarten and Te Awataha Marae:
Bradbury on The Daily Blog: “Why the Labour Party Student Intern ‘scandal’ is a smear”
Moana Maniapoto on Twitter:
From the links and news posts abound yesterday, this appears to be the best
http://www.95bfm.com/news/exclusive-transcript-with-labour-student-intern
So the students were offered something that turned out to be not true, but the students are very aware of who is at fault and it is not the Labour party leadership, but those running the campaign, most of who do not have paid authority in the Labour party.
The NZ Herald also has a good article this morning from an interview with a different intern. The Marae have also defended themselves and their facilities on the radio news
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11880781
It appears the biggest issue is that the people running the scheme tried to go too big and were a bit ‘creative’ with the promotion of the scheme to try and entice Sanders & Corbyn supporters down to NZ to bring their enthusiasm and desire for social change to NZ.
I am beginning to think this is definitely more a manufactured crisis than a real one.
“So the students were offered something that turned out to be not true, but the students are very aware of who is at fault and it is not the Labour party leadership, but those running the campaign, most of who do not have paid authority in the Labour party.”
Then the next question is, if the people running the campaign had no authority in Labour, why were they advertising the fact that people would be coming to New Zealand to help Labour?
https://umichpicsannouncements.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/labour-party-campaign-fellowship-in-new-zealand/
https://casit.illinoisstate.edu/sites/pol/2017/04/12/2017-labour-campaign-fellowship/
https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/students/news/show/news-labour-campaign-fellowship/
http://stage.wp.hum.uu.nl/170424-2-new-zealand-labour-party-2017-campaign-fellowship/
https://bskstage.weblog.leidenuniv.nl/2017/05/12/internship-2017-labour-campaign-fellowship-new-zealand/
https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/students/news/show/news-labour-campaign-fellowship/
I don’t care if the law has been breached or not, the supposed worker’s party should not be asking people to come and work here for fuck all wages that’s what we expect from right wing scum.
Read this story in the Herald, Penny Bright, and get a corrected version on the overseas student “interns” story.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11880781
So Jenny – whats makes this version a ‘corrected version’ as opposed to the others stories?
Because this one makes labour look less bad and you are biased as heck?
Oh James, how lovely to see you back, I was very concerned we hadn’t seen you commenting during the whole Barclay alleged breaking the law affair, but glad to see you back now commenting on a volunteer intern scheme (possibly blown up by a disgruntled wine thief).
Biased as heck???? Pot… kettle….
Its because Im out of the country and only online a little. Glad to hear you missed me.
Re Barclay – the guys and idiot and gets everything he deserves. English was an idiot on the way he handled it. Other than that I havnt read too much on it – Enjoying the sun too much.
Because there appears to be one story saying it is all labours fault and multiple stories saying it was a cock up by the Change campaign after the people involved left labour to run the campaign that labour is now fixing because of the perceived connections.
Also now there are more stories which are disputing the “all volunteers/students feel ripped off” story line, and it looks like it was between 5-10 people who had a bit of a beef with the organisation
“and it looks like it was between 5-10 people who had a bit of a beef with the organisation”
According to one person.
One person, and the Marae…
and 85 people have the beef according to one person…
Funny you take the view of the first story (broken by a partisan source) and ignore further developments as biased.
But you know, continue with your confirmation bias, I am ensuring I keep updated with new information
update, at least 2 people, if not 3 people plus the marae saying not squalid conditions, but actually quite nice
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/93997696/internal-docs-on-labour-intern-scheme-wishful-thinking
Most stories from volunteers saying not labour’s fault, just the change campaigns disorganisation
It’s election time …. and our media becomes dirty mis-informers….. just like last election….. and the one before that….
Although not popular here, Martyn Bradbury credibly dismantles this dirty media manufactured bullshit.
. https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/06/23/why-the-labour-party-student-intern-scandal-is-a-smear/
“I was out to the Marae 2 weeks ago having a look around at what they were doing. I had a meal with them, talked with some of the volunteers. They were fantastic young people who were loving the adventure of it all.”
“Firstly, let’s be clear of the timeline here. Bryce Edwards had mentioned this program 20 days ago on June 1st… …”another type of resource is being utilised by the Labour Party this election – comrades from the US and UK. The party is currently importing dozens of young leftwing activists who are staying at an Auckland Marae”,”
“…and Bryce’s mention was after a news story on the 20th of April – a full month ago, where Hone was attacking Labour for doing this. ”
“The spluttering shock and hyperventilation of the corporate media at a story that is over a month old right when English was getting screwed seems remarkably good timing for National.”
“The perception of political hypocrisy is a mainstream media generated one, …”
With this first electioneering shot from our pro-nat media …. the only thing missing is Dong Liu
I wonder how many foreign students are helping with the National Party campaign? I doubt they have many volunteers so another question is, are they being paid by the taxpayer via Parliamentary Services?
First you have to establish if there are any.
No one would willingly donate their time to the NACt, so yeah none and so no problems there….
Probably more foreign donations or ‘sweet’ deals u want to look for. Lucky with Skycity & 0 tax havens laundering conditions r favourable for the Natz.
Interesting read
https://www.scribd.com/document/351981366/Labour-Intern-Scheme
Other than it was uploaded by NewShrub… any clue if that is a real document and who wrote it?
Most likely by a gutter hog or a reverse young Nat an Old Nat.
So looks like it was a wish list made by the change programme when asked by unions to provide a plan to get them to provide funding. A wishlist which never made it into a real plan nor proposal, nor appears to have been approved by anyone, and no statement from anyone on if it is actually real… so basically garbage
According to the General Secretary of the Labour Party, Andrew Kirton it was Matt McCarten and his Auckland Labour party side kicks that wrote it.
Was that leaked?
At the risk of kicking a hornets nest:
In the context of change the government, the common refrain is a vote for anyone other than Labour/green is a wasted vote/or a vote for national….
I am of the opinion that if I vote for a minor party that is to the left of labour, and national govern again after the election, then labour weren’t ready to be an alternative government.
Labour may need another period of time in opposition to get it to move ‘left’. Especially if it looses votes to the ‘left/non neo-liberal’ parties.
The old left right paradigm may not be relevant any more.
I forget who put the theory up about there being a triangular aspect to politics (left, right, not neo-liberal) but having an option of a non neo liberal party really appeals.
There is greens & mana on the left.
Labour is a liberal centre party that’s gonna go in the direction voters indicate in elections. If it’s greens & mana it will push labour left. If it’s national it will push them right, if it’s nzfirst it will push them conservative centre. So if u r a leftie & for some inexplicable Reason U don’t vote, u r the ones pushing the parties right. Don’t whine about the middle class, rich & corporations and how to blame they r next election if u don’t vote, blame yourself!
Also my guess is it’s last chances for the public to choose a different future, because at the rate of state house sell offs , rising rents & lowering wages & asset sales from the national party and their grab of power across the state sectors, the poor are being socially cleansed.
The cost of houses of over 1 million in Auckland and the price of rents rising & prices spreading rapidly ( just saw a do up 90m2 villa in arrow town for 1.1million).
Even if u don’t live in Auckland the social cleansing & immigration practices going on will generate votes for the national party, giving them a long term advantage in ongoing elections. Auckland is 1/3 of the vote apparently.
If u care, vote now.
so vote Green. The problem is lefties voting Mana or TOP and those votes being wasted if Mana don’t gain TTT and TOP don’t get to 5%. That’s a gift to National.
Yep agree with weka, best bet greens or labour dep on where u sit. Safest way to change the government.
Sorry, I am away from my fone for the rest of the day.
That is my point, my vote isn’t wasted, rather it is invested.
If Labour lose this election but shift profoundly left/non neo-liberal for the next cycle.
Probably the other vibe I want to articulate is: is a Labour government that much of a change?
Gsays the message u send to labour is the opposite. If people r voting for the right political parties only – it’s sending all the left parties to the right because that is what the voters r telling them to do.
In my view that has been nationals biggest dirty politic propagating the message that labour is national. So don’t bother voting.
That’s the national tactic to vulnerable people. Don’t bother voting.
Voters need to send a message back to national – I reject your policy by voting against them.
yes. Also the people that criticise the Greens for not being more radical or left than they are but who haven’t been voting for them, well that’s why the Greens have become more mainstream. If there was a viable party further on the left I would agree with voting for them, but there really isn’t. Voting Mana or TOP as a protest vote will have very little effect on Labour or the Greens (if it was going to move them left it would have already).
“If Labour lose this election but shift profoundly left/non neo-liberal for the next cycle.”
Yes, that’s the bet. But it’s a risk IMO. A few % to Mana or TOP isn’t going to change Labour’s mind if they lose but it might cause them to lose. Little will probably be replaced as leader. What more left wing MP is there to take his place?
And why not just vote Green who are to the left of Labour already? To me your argument is very FPP. It’s not about Labour losing the election, it’s about the parliamentary left as a whole. I hope Harawira wins TTT and that Mana get another crack at parliament, but they don’t need left wing party votes to do that. They blew it at the last election, so it’s on them to rebuild over time if they want more MPs.
TOP aren’t left wing and are basically capitalism with more social justice than we have now so long as it’s framed in economics (that’s neoliberal imo).
“Probably the other vibe I want to articulate is: is a Labour government that much of a change?”
That one irks. For one, it won’t be a Labour govt. It will be a L/G govt or a L/G/NZF govt or a L/NZF one. That alone is a bloody good reason to vote Labour or Green. Best thing for the left right now is a L/G govt that doesn’t need Peters. In order for that to happen we need more people voting Labour or Green not less.
The other aspect is that if you compare policy Labour are very different to National in ways that impact directly on people and the country as a whole. Add in Green policy and on almost every area you can name a L/G govt would be substantially different to National. It beggars belief that we are still arguing about this on the left, are people not reading actual policy? If you want to understand the difference, have a look at water, welfare, and housing. It’s glaring.
+111
hi weka,
i can see we aren’t gonna see eye to eye on this.
mana blowing it last election is a point of view, the internet thing didn’t help.
i do feel labour did not help at all either, which is form for them and the way they can treat parties to the left of them.
“Probably the other vibe I want to articulate is: is a Labour government that much of a change?”
i certainly accept labour and national have differing polices, but as you and bill and others have pointed out, we need RADICAL changes to the way we live.
electric cars and vegetarian tuesdays isn’t gonna save our bacon.
labour will still be beholden to the status quo and lobbyists.
fair enough labour/green govt will help some of those that need it most.
labour, green, and 2,3,4 mana mps will be even better for the disadvantaged.
cheers for your input. hopefully the feathers arent too ruffled.
Also ‘investing’ your vote is something a neoliberal day trader would think of.
Have u by chance, had something pop into your social media accounts? Because I heard that’s how trump won.
data mining social media & sending individualised fear messages to voters. Ie Hillary Clinton thinks black men r predators to Black voters to make them not vote.
hi save, cheers for yr responses.
kinda hard to have a nuanced conversation, via text only, hours between responses.
believe it or not the standard is my social media.
no facebook, if you are on facebook you are not the customer you are the product.
no instantgram or twitter.
ts, rnz and stuff for the odd sports story/result is the limit cyber wise.
much rather engage with people in the flesh.
i am aware of trumps team use of targetted facebook posts, brilliant and dastardly use of a tool.
i think at the heart of this is i resent the implication that i must vote with the crowd.
mana last time round resonated with me.
Labour might think “oh gee, we’d better try nationalising everything as a policy because nobody is voting for us now”, but you know there will be loads of advice to “just go a little bit lmore like national to capture the middle ground”.
As investments go, that one’s pretty high risk. You might waste money on sports betting, but it’s not really an “investment”.
And I genuinely think that at least a labgrn government will improve the lives of thousands of people, even if it won’t bring about the revolution. I for one support the idea of less homeless people, but in a “give them homes and support” way, not a “move them out of my sight” way.
I think those three would be: Left, Right, Not Capitalist
Going Left or Right while maintaining capitalism maintains all the problems of the status quo. Although, going Left is more likely to lead to the removal of capitalism.
Just wondering what others think of the idea of foreign (mostly US) people campaigning for Labour? Would kiwis respond positively to someone flown in from another country telling them how to vote? I don’t think it’s a very good idea.
Not a good idea. People want a break from globalism esp those not doing so well.
Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of activists heading to Aussie, UK, and US as volunteers in their elections. Plus quite a few who have acted as observers in elections all around the world. I have also seen small numbers of overseas volunteers coming here.
It is a way to transfer information about different electoral systems and the way that campaigns and elections are run – for better or for worse.
For instance, explaining the nuances of MMP campaigns to overseas volunteers has been a private amusement for quite a while. Always nice when you can see the light of understanding in their eyes.
Update: I see that Anne said much the same thing further down.
What you refer to as globalism, is basically globalisation by and for the wealthy and corporates. They have their wealthy international think tanks, Bildeberg groups and other networks.
The best way to combat this internationalisation of the power of the elites, is to work collaboratively with other less powerful individuals and groups across countries. Pulling up the draw bridge, and isolating the less well off in individual countries, will be no defense against the international reach of the powerful and wealthy elites.
This scheme has been operating for some 20 plus years and political parties of all persuasions do it. Kiwis have gone to America, to Aussie, to England. Americans have gone to England, to Aussie and now to NZ. Aussies have gone to… and on it goes.
It’s an excellent way for young people of like mind to meet their counterparts in other countries and gain experience along the way.
What a closed mind you and other detractors must have.
One could argue Labour were being closed minded for failing to consider the negative reaction some would have to their use of foreign volunteers.
TC
It’s hard to try and move forward when having to drag a concrete Noah’s Ark from your left leg full of survival animals who can’t think anything different than what they’ve always had without squawking in fright.
I don’t have a problem with it being a resource, I just think that Labour needs to get our young people politically motivated as a priority.
While overseas volunteer supporters of like minded parties may look forward to coming over and having the experience. It is not necessarily true that the policies of similar positioned parties are the same. They have a lot of trust that the campaign they are working on follows their values until they get here. They are also unaware of any of the political happenings in the last three years for NZ, where US and UK politics can be easily followed on this side of the world.
A non-partisan encouragement of young people, presenting the overriding issues and looking for comprehensive solutions would be a great vehicle to get this started. If Labour and the Greens were involved, they would have to place trust in NZers that once they are informed, they would no longer accept trite assurances from Ministers and media that everything is hunky-dory. But the pay-off would most likely benefit those parties involved, and the left side of NZ politics as a whole. When people work together successfully, they are more inclined to view the wider community as their responsibility and with care.
I don’t have a problem with it being a resource, I just think that Labour needs to get our young people politically motivated as a priority.
Which is exactly what has been happening under the radar for some time Molly. I have noticed the increasing number of young people who have joined the Labour Party in recent years. It has almost seemed like a revival of the Norman Kirk years when many young people – including me – were motivated to join Labour.
A few weeks ago I attended a public meeting in Glenfield, Auckland which had been called to discuss the local housing crisis. There were several guest speakers including Phil Twyford. I was surprised to see there were an equal number of young people present as there were older people.
Oh and for the detractors, many of those young people present were not members of the Labour Party, but who chose to attend because they were interested to hear what Phil Twford had to tell them.
“Which is exactly what has been happening under the radar for some time Molly. I have noticed the increasing number of young people who have joined the Labour Party in recent years. It has almost seemed like a revival of the Norman Kirk years when many young people – including me – were motivated to join Labour.”
Thanks Anne. Always interested to hear from someone who knows the history and current position of Labour, as opposed to those who view it from an outside perspective.
A couple of questions, for clarity rather than inquisition:
1. Why is it under the radar? Is that a resources issue, a failure to see future value, or an intended choice?
2. There is a difference between motivating the young to get involved in politics – and getting the young involved in party politics.
I’m thinking that the resurgence in youth politics in Scotland and the UK, has been instigated by the Scottish referendum (and all the non-partisan grassroots community meetings held in support and against) and the Brexit referendum.
I would love to see a true initiative to get the youth electorate voting – regardless of party.
This would require the parties on the left to work together and would require them to have a lot of trust in the electorate, but would pay dividends on election day to the benefit of the left opposition.
Not only does it show how like minded parties can work together for the benefit of the public, it shows how valuable political engagement and knowledge can be. Once awakened, that skill and judgement will be deployed over the course of their voting lives. Political commentators and politicians will be working with a voting public that has the skills to more keenly judge media reports and obfuscations.
I was hoping the internship was something along these lines, but it doesn’t appear to have been in it’s current form.
Because it is fundamentally about people going somewhere to learn how others political systems operate by getting involved in them. It isn’t about making continuous press releases or a big deal about it.
The media will have known about these kinds of programmes for a long time. They really aren’t news – well at least not until National’s spinners like Hooten and Farrar need a diversionary story and someone is found to provide kernel of it.
The question was more about how to make it known to the youth in NZ, so they can intern, rather than the media for commentary. (In particular, youth not currently aligned with the Labour party).
As for the internship initiative, given the quality and depth of the reporting, it seems the typical “sound and fury, signifying nothing” distraction.
Hi Molly. I wasn’t being critical of your comment @ 9.2.2
Just wanted to let you know Labour are doing what they can to get the youth to take part in politics. And of course the Greens are doing like-wise. I also believe the young are coming to recognise their futures don’t look too bright under the current regime. They have every reason to worry about their ability to ever have a home of their own, and of course Climate Change [rightly] hangs heavy on their minds. It wouldn’t surprise me if they are starting to look seriously at wanting a change of regime in NZ.
“What a closed mind you and other detractors must have.”
Wow- what a nasty response to a question imagining how kiwis might respond to doorknocking by American interns.
If that’s an example of how a Labour Party Aucklander replies to a genuine question, glad I’m a Southern Greenie.
[lprent: What a delicate wee lazy flower you must be. Read the policy – especially that about robust debate.
Learn not to make simpleminded presumptions about others nor to try to use a typical troll ‘victim’ act. Because I really don’t like lazy fuckwits like you who try to impose your obnoxious rules on this site. That is my and the moderator’s job. We don’t pass it out to opinionated idiots like you. If I see you try it again, I will amend your behaviour with a sudden permanent ban for violating the rules of this site.
This is your warning. ]
Highlighting that it’s been going on for 20+ years and has never had an issue is nasty?
Or was it that you got your closed mind pointed out that hurt?
There are benefits to such exchanges as has been pointed out.
Sorry, warning taken on board. I really wasn’t meaning to impose any rules and, yeah, being a bit sensitive about the closed mind bit. Haven’t been commenting for a while, need to toughen up.
I’ve been involved with overseas volunteers on local revegetation projects, they’ve been great. All I had heard about re the ones this week was about them campaigning/door knocking for Labour and I wondered how that would work out. Now I know more about this type of thing thanks to the other comments.
I’ve noticed a lot of interest in our political culture from some of the Americans I interact with at the gallery. They are intrigued that we have a much more constructive political conversation than they are used to. Several have asked about internships. From where I’m seeing it, it’s not surprising that this got overwhelmed with interest. Tis’ a bugga being popular…
This item on NBC sort of touches on it and explains a lot of how we are place du jour in America right now
http://www.nbcnews.com/megyn-kelly/video/the-americans-are-coming-the-obsession-with-new-zealand-970813507783
It wasn’t the best idea. Yet, it seems Labour gave this little consideration.
In fact, they didn’t even clear the legality of it, which should have been one of the first things to do. Moreover, they are carrying on with it while it is still unclear.
This won’t inspire voter confidence in their ability to run the country.
They may do. Depends upon the Kiwi and their understanding of the way similar parties cooperate across the globe.
I’m not a fan – in principle parties should cultivate a local activist or volunteer base.
It may not be illegal but it’s going to cost a couple of points. Looks to me like some middle echelons wanted an entry to the lucrative US political job market.
Corokia
That’s a very good point.
POLL: Does the Labour Party look like a government-in-waiting?
http://www.radiolive.co.nz/home/newshub/2017/06/poll–does-the-labour-party-look-like-a-government-in-waiting-.html
Currently 66% say yes. Heh.
Garner and that other odious prick held a poll on the AM show this morning asking if the Labour migrant scandal was of more concern than the Barclay affair That odious bit of shit was using terminology like slave ships slave labour etc and Garner in his usual style was reading out the most blatant rightwing crap people supposedly was writing in. with the usual discussions that Labour was not beyond redemption if they change their leader etc etc ad nauseam
That odious prick was most upset when at the last time I saw it more people were concerned about the Barclay affair than Labours. Also it was delightful to see Ardern put hysterical Benefit well and truly in her place.
Has anyone seen the whole morning programme and what was the result of the biased poll they had. because I think people are beginning to wake up the shit by the Garners, Gowers Hoskins and Johnny come lately odious Mark whatever his surname is.
It is Mark Richarsoaaaaaaaaaggggggghhhhhhhhhh
When I looked earlier it was something like 51% said Barclay/English was worse. Which is pretty good given the bias it was presented with.
did you see how Ardern had garner eating out of her hand and saying that labour had acting in the right way as opposed to the nats spending a year lying and such.
here that you nat scum the truth will set you free
If it wasn’t for this botched intern scheme the support for Labour could have possibly been higher.
If it wasn’t for lefties running round bashing Labour it could possibly have been higher.
+100%
I haven’t not bothered reading about this labour intern issue, sounds more to me like a msm distraction to drum up, now that national are on the rocks with Barclay etc
Why bother biting?
There’s a need to push back a bit because the dirty politics on this is strong enough to undermine the left.
If it wasn’t for Labour messing up, there be no bashing from the left. They bring it upon themselves.
Moreover, if we don’t hold them to account, we can’t expect them to improve.
One hopes more isn’t revealed or develops.
No-one brings bashing upon themselves. Bashing is different from holding to account.
“If it wasn’t for Labour messing up, there be no bashing from the left.”
Obviously. But we’re all humans here and all of us make mistakes. I’m far more interested in how we handle those mistakes than in everyone having to be perfect and never make any. As far as I can tell Little fronted up well on this and Labour are doing the work to sort out the actual problem not just the perceived political one.
It’s time to change the government. Your own incessantly negative approach appears to work against that.
“No-one brings bashing upon themselves”.
Perhaps not willingly, but evidently, they do.
“I’m far more interested in how we handle those mistakes”
Indeed, it’s the putting right that counts. Many mess up, not many put it right.
However, in this instance the putting right looks as if it may unravel. I’m concerned Labour are starting to dig a larger hole.
As highlighted, sorting out the legality should be a priority. The media will have a field day with Labour continuing on if it turns out to be illegal. Therefore, this could potentially get far worse.
There is even paperwork bringing their excuse (it was over subscribed) into question.
Labour have been round long enough to know how the game is played, yet they aren’t playing too well, hence we’ve got to keep their feet to the fire.
Thanks weka @10.2.1 So true.
It doesn’t looked botched.
The media coverage was light on background, balance, presented as a “gotcha” and picked up a few willing commentators ready to be outraged.
Count yourself among them.
“It doesn’t looked botched.”
Rubbish. They don’t even know if it’s legal, yet they are carrying on regardless.
Lowering the bar and making excuses won’t encourage them to up their game.
If we want Labour to move left and improve, we are going to have to hold their feet to the fire.
That’s a pretty ugly metaphor, but useful to know that you think people asked to be damaged and that damaging people is warranted. Including natural allies.
I didn’t say people ask to be damage. However, of course people will get flak when they mess up.
Would you rather we lower the bar and allow them to get away with it?
“Would you rather we lower the bar and allow them to get away with it?”
You’re really not listening to what I am saying. Critique good, bash bad.
Can you provide an example of where you believe I’ve bashed them.
“They don’t even know if it’s legal,”
That my friend is being promoted by the media because what their delightful obnoxious character Toddy did was CRIMINAL
Say it enough times and it will become Labour does it too
And as Foxy pointed out on twitter, “When you are running the same line as Matthew Hooton you need to check yourself.”
No. That is coming from Labour. See link below.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/06/labour-investigating-whether-scheme-broke-visa-laws.html
It has been raised by government ministers. Of course Labour is now going to do due diligence..
But it’d be interesting if National are willing to extend this kind of scrutiny to all volunteers who are housed on a Marae. I’m sure that the Maori Party will want a say in that. Or Lions and Rotary who also have widespread international volunteer program. Or churches. Or…. whatever – you may understand the point.
Not to mention kiwis going offshore to do things like VSA, or the volunteers that DOC uses.
“Of course Labour is now going to do due diligence..”
Having a political party associated to an illegal act (not that it has yet been established) isn’t a good look, therefore this should have been cleared up from the get go.
To The Chairman @ 12.52 pm
No that is wrong and you are quoting The Hub of all places as a reliable source, you must be joking
Garner kept trying to put words into Kirton’s mouth and kept repeating “does that mean you don’t’ know if you have broken the law yet is that what you are saying”, to which Kirton replied “Oh look I don’t actually but that doesn’t mean anything really and I am focussing on the welfare of these volunteers.” which was more or less repeated a little later by Arderne “I wouldn’t know enough about the explicit rules around someone who’s here on a short-term voluntary basis. I wouldn’t have thought so… we’ve got to be absolutely sure,”
So it is NOT coming from Labour.
If someone said my car had flat tyres I would check to see if they needed inflating but that doesn’t mean I would be admitting that I have been driving around with flat tyres. As I can see the same dirty politics coming into play with this election with all the shit being bounded around about slave ships and sweat shops by labour I am pleased they are checking the law.
Lets be honest it’s amateur hour on steroids.
A government in waiting I don’t think so,
Honest, yes, let’s be. The Barclay debacle was the height of professionalism. A Government in freefall, BM.
I haven’t really followed it that closely, beltway stuff.
The issue with the Labour “interns” though, disgraceful, hypocritical, maybe even illegal, heads definitely need to roll.
Did you know that proven liar Prime Minister John key left and Bill English took over and has been caught lying too only he is a bit more yaap so he’s no good at it. That makes the last two gnat leaders caught lying. Breathe it in bm these are the last of the good days for you old bean.
Mate, I really don’t care who wins the next election.
If labour manages to scrape together a coalition and gains power nothing is really going to change, it’s going to be business as usual.
The only change will be English retiring and Collins taking the reins.
I haven’t really followed it that closely, beltway stuff.
The issue with the Labour “interns” though…
Oh, how we laughed. The PM lying about what he knew of a crime and his involvement in helping covering it up? Beltway stuff, nothing of interest there. A couple of disgruntled Labour interns, though? Disgusting! Heads must roll!
Lol yeah you don’t care all right – after key scurried away many die-hard gnat lovers have felt the same. I feel ya…
@ Halfcrown
When asked if Labour has broken any immigration laws, Kirton replied he’s still getting to the bottom of it. Therefore, clearly they’re unsure.
Moreover, the fact he didn’t know, hence wasn’t able to refute it, leaves the thought (it may be illegal) hanging in peoples minds.
This is something they should have cleared up right from the get go.
But here’s another problem, Kirton believes whether it’s legal doesn’t mean anything. However it does. This will look far worse if it turns out to be illegal, yet Kirton can’t see it.
It will be back in the headlines if it is.
And while that would explain why they are carrying on, it’s disappointing they can’t see the potential storm they’re sailing into if it turns out to be illegal.
“Count yourself among them.”
+1
Indeed, and on past performances I reckon our friend has an intent to foment discord.
Here is another poll for you weka…Roy Morgan
https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7259-roy-morgan-new-zealand-voting-intention-june-2017-201706230945
It has Labour @ 25.5% down by 3% from last month. But some good news for the greens they are steady on 14% 🙂
The latest RNZ story to come out on the MSM labelled “Intern Scandal”.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/333625/labour-party-programme-got-out-of-control
Someone I know intimated something along these lines two weeks ago.
[posted in another thread, but seems pertinent and was offtopic in the other thread so deleted it]
For an engineer in the political machine, McCarten seems to be a bit shit with paperwork. Although it could also be supervision – a few people involved and the person doing the recruiting didn’t tell the colleagues or McCarten how many people were coming.
Actually, I wonder if they just didn’t expect the usual rush of applications at the last minute? Every year I am part of the organising committee for an event, and every year we start shitting ourselves that we’ve overcatered and nobody will show up, and it’s always in the last week/ten days that a solid 80% of attendees register. Fucks my blood pressure up and no mistake. But failing to have the guts to tell people “no, time’s up, we’ll put you on a list of alternates if you want” could have gotten them into this position.
Yes. There does seem to have been a bit of the… left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing. It also sounds like more people took up the offer than they had prepared for, but heaven forbid… nobody committed any crimes, and it’s something everybody has experienced when organising an event or a family reunion. There’s always a hitch of some sort which rears its ugly head at the last minute.
It most certainly didn’t warrant the attention or the vitriol that was heaped on Labour by the MSM over the past 24 hours. They behaved like a pack of howling, rabid dogs. I hope they have sought medical assistance for their hysterical nonsense.
True, that.
On the plus side, the Labour thing looks like a bit of a flash in the pan, whereas the deBarclay is a long and steady burner. He’s hanging around like a persistent pimple, and we’ll see if a search warrant comes by this time.
The latest on getting rid of ISIS out of Mosul:
https://southfront.org/map-update-iraqi-security-forces-storming-last-isis-bastion-in-mosul/
And which one is more likely:
1. The Iraqi government and US military have a plan to rebuild built infrastructure, the Mosque, schools and hospitals and housing, to start to make Mosul a liveable place again.
2. Iran just waits for the post-victory near-anomie, uses proxies to gain a stronger hold with the Iraqi government, carves the area up informally with the Kurds, and Mosul becomes a shell of a place.
I sure know what I’d like to see.
Given that the U.s.a has just sold $120 Billion of weapons to the Saudis …. and that they seem to be a military industrial society that needs to export these weapons of democracy to stay afloat.
And the fact they help fund Isis … and act as its air-force at crucial moments in Syria.
Then I would suggest it would be the u,s,a ( and Nato ), who continue the destructive conflicts in the middle east ….. that they started with illegal wars/invasions, launched under false pretenses.
What do you think Iran would be like today, if the u.s.a and Brits had not attacked and overthrown their democracy way back in 1953 Ad? ….
Mossadegh was a good man…. and the west has treated the Iranian people with malevolence ever since they overthrew their democratically elected leader.
Whats your excuse ?.
Go ahead and defend Iran. Because you clearly can’t see I’m not defending either Iran or the USA.
Always amusing to see another moist leftie look for the last European regime it can find to assign the ills of the world upon. It was them colonialists who instigated the comprehensively fundamentalist, misogynist, fanatical , murderous and corrupt 1979 Revolution? And the lack of any reform since?
Have a nice armchair-general time running your alternative history.
Meantime, first coalition to come up with a post-war plan wins.
Weak As Ad.
Why did the 1979 revolution happen …… 1953 coup.
What do you think Iran would be like today, if the u.s.a and Brits had not attacked and overthrown their democracy way back in 1953 Ad? ….
Mossadegh was a good man…. and the west has treated the Iranian people with malevolence ever since they overthrew their democratically elected leader.
What you complain about is known as “blow-back”
What do you think Iran would be like today, if the u.s.a and Brits had not attacked and overthrown their democracy way back in 1953 Ad? ….
You tell me what it would be like. It’s your story.
See if that’s fruitful to the impending fall of Mosul and any plan thereafter.
Well we can know for certain that the `1979 revolution would not have happened if Iran was allowed to continue as a peaceful secular democracy.
We know that the Shah imposed upon the Iranians was a murderous thieving thug.
Ayatollah Khomeini was the fanatical blow back that removed the unpopular Shah.
The average Iranian is obviously far worse off thanks to the real … not alternative ….. history behind the present.
No 1953 coup ,,, no 1979 Ayatollah
And basically evidence since Yugoslavia onward s points to the fact.
That from the west.
The plan Is war ….
For profit …. to the few.
The fate of Mosul ….. going on its history since the u.s.a turned Iraq into one huge war crime ….. is that it will see more shells and bombing and death squads than building.
Look to Fallujah
There is no fate.
An equally valid alternative, if the Iraqi government lets them, and if Iran is supportive, is to look to Kurdish Erbil:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_Kurdistan
“The Kurdistan region of Iraq enjoys more stability, economic development, and political pluralism than the rest of the country. And public opinion under the Kurdistan Regional Government demands rule-of-law-based governance. But power is concentrated in the hands of the ruling parties and families, who perpetuate a nondemocratic, sultanistic system. These dynamics could foster instability in Kurdistan and its neighborhood, but could also provide a rare window of opportunity for democratization.”
Stranger things have happened.
Well with the Billions of weapons being pumped into the middle east I think the destruction rate ( 3.5 million refugees Iraq ) will continue.
Who are we bombing ?” 3mins 43
P.s I thought Saddam, another c.i.a installed thug, should have been hung when he used Sarin nerve gas on the Iranians with coordination and coordinates from the usa …
Muammar Gaddafi on the other hand with his bloodless coup …… demonstrated socialism working ….. by the largest improvements of living standards for the people of Libya …., in the shortest period of time …. in any country anywhere in the world ….. in the 20th century.
Nato will be able to take credit for the quickest reversal …..
then it was all down hill – mass arrests and detention, torture, disappearances, televised executions, the assassination of expat opponents abroad, nuclear ambitions, war with his neighbours, the financing of ETA in Spain, the IRA and the Italian Red Brigades, as well as groups in Japan, Turkey, Thailand and the Philippines……
You sound like your reeling of the actions of the cia/u.s.a in south america or Iraq or Vietnam Joe90 ….. or to quote Nelson Mandela …….“If you look at those matters, you will come to the conclusion that the attitude of the United States of America is a threat to world peace. If there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the USA. They don’t care for human beings.”
I on the other hand was talking about a man using the resources of his country ( instead of BP getting it ), ……. and lowering infant mortality from over 100 deaths per thousand live births down to approx 14
Who granted equal Human rights to women in 1972 ….. something the fundamentalist terrorists Hated …… like the British sponsored “Manchester Boys” …. and other religious extremists used by the west.
He vastly improved housing from most living in slums ….. and declared housing a human right.
He vastly improved access to and quality of medical care … free
He was ridding the country of illiteracy and had full enrollments of children into schools
University education was free …… and of course women could attend.
He took Libya from one of the most impoverished countrys in the world …….. and before being Mob murdered had Libya with the highest standard of living in Africa and a life expectancy comparable to Europe.
No other country in the world improved the standard of living for its citizens by such an amount in such a short time ……. through Socialism.
Nato will bear responsibility for the quickest decline
The most famous terrorist he supported was one Nelson Mandela ….. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37301.htm
He supported the Palestinians which infuriated the Israelis
I tend to think that the hard facts and statistics regarding health, education…..water and housing projects. The improvements in living standards are there for anyone to find on the internet.
Speaks more to me of the man than tony Blair , or Cameron type hyperbole…… the types who give safe harbors to ‘Manchester Boys’.
You can see Cameron in action in the video I linked to above.
Such huge bullshitters
EF Schumacher on small economics. Too bad 40 years on we turned our backs on this stuff and doubled down on waste, consumption and greed. It looks like we’re going to learn the hard way.
Was thinking that John key has haijacked the ‘third way’ for the national party that politicians like tony blair did for Labour Party in th UK. It goes too far and the leaders turn into arguably criminal liars and their obsession with networking & likeability drag their counties into war, debt & division.
For the national party voters, that hanker after the ‘old values’ of the national party before they became asset selling, migration touting, arrogant careerists that don’t give a crap about their constituents and spend their days drinking & lunching & day trading & doing real estate deals like hotels & conference centres, nz first is a good alternative. It’s the national party of old! Hope winston does a killing in all the Natz stronghold provinces!
if labour & greens pick up the missing million as well, then the the public can kick the ‘third way’ Natz to the curb – hopefully in a landslide to send that message home!
This is probably a fairly good cross section of Clutha Southland, they’re not happy
http://www.scene.co.nz/the-south-today/?video=5478401942001
Quite possible that the “missing million” won’t so much be the left’s to pick up, but National’s to loose this election.
Hope that makes National nervous. I wonder how many of those National voters saying they won’t vote National are talking about the party vote or the seat vote.
From my personal acquaintances who vote nat, and a very small sample, split between not voting, see who the new candidate is, Mark Patterson (NZF candidate) / National pv, NZF / NZF.
Prior to toddles’ departure (Monday, Tue morning) you could take out the new candidate option. Patterson was getting a lot of interest and maybe that triggered the end game.
So English’s involvement and behaviour isn’t changing the party vote?
Don’t think Bill’s coming out of this exactly smelling of roses. More and more people are getting sick of the lies, and the liars winning.
True, but I suspect that many of those Nat voters will hold their noses and party vote Nat anyway. Swing ones are another matter I guess.
My comment about the missing million. It could affect National just like it got Labour in 2008. And for exactly the same reason, arrogance and moved too far into opposition territory to try and hold onto the centre voters.
The “faithful” say bugger ya, and stay at home
that’s a good point.
I think NZF is getting some traction in the provinces, won’t get any help from NZ’s Tory media though.
Tory Government’s benefit cap is unlawful and causes ‘real misery for no good purpose’, High Court rules
#notsurprised
If we could take our government to court over their benefit policies we’d probably get the same ruling.
Also, to those who think an Upper House works, this must have got past the UKs House of Lords.
Latest YouGov poll
Corbyn now rated as best PM for first time
………………… June 5-7 ………… June 21-22
Corbyn ………… 32 …………………… 35 …… + 3
May …………….. 43 …………………… 34 ……. – 9
The first time YouGov have a Labour leader ahead a Tory leader on the best PM question since the summer of 2007.(although 35% still a long way from wildly popular)
More telling contrast = In first YouGov poll after calling the General Election (18-19 April) … May was leading Corbyn by 54%-15% on best PM
… So May down 20 points … Corbyn up 20
You gotta smile at the world we live in.
Herald online suggesting Prince Harry is in trouble: ” Stripping off in Vegas is one thing, but speaking the unvarnished truth is quite another.”
And on this side of the world Bill English is in trouble for telling unvarnished lies.
I’m hoping the next Queen will change the UK national anthem from God Save the Queen to My Milkshake Brings All The Boys To The Yard.
The Arab vision for fighting terrorism
We are being lied to to justify invasion into other countries.
Heh.
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/06/our-score-so-far-republicans-89-democrats-1/
Anyone got anything similar for our local scene? I know the strike rate with ACT is high enough that trouble with the law feels like a near prerequisite to serving in Parliament, but I’ve got no feel for how the balance looks for other parties.
Standard “gotcha” column inches entitled “Labour Gives Up Search For Missing Million”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11881038
Sigh.
Bryce Edwards stirring it around again. He is from Christchurch and seems all shook up with the earthquakes and that, and hasn’t settled and found stability in his political discourse so up bubbles a lot of liquefaction. Which faction it is differs from week to week.
Regardless what “we” might think or like or dislike about this Student Internship Calamity Recruitment Campaign Drive ….the Hack LSM & Hoots are going to keep on kicking this story all the way to the election.
Its a fuck up in anyone’s book & the fault lies with all involved who’ve forgotten the golden rule, dont piss your workers off! And also remember; the first rule is the same as the 2nd & the 3rd, you dont talk about …
So, a collective “Fuck this Fuck’n mess!” Time to shore up the dyke because the latest RM Polls out & that is just going to compound this almighty fuck up.
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7259-roy-morgan-new-zealand-voting-intention-june-2017-201706230945
We need to “grow some” donate enrol and vote. Leave the hair shirt at home.
Heard Nick Smith on the wireless saying the new nelson branch of the young Nat’s is thriving, dang are there only six members = 5 white males, 1 white female?
Heh. In case you are around, there’s a post going up tomorrow about the Greens running a de-seat Smith campaign in Nelson.
To busy with rugby and yatching sorry, like to see something on labors 25p. Though
feel free to submit a Guest Post 😈