Open mike 23/08/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 23rd, 2015 - 69 comments
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69 comments on “Open mike 23/08/2015 ”

  1. Gael 1

    Just received this on my facebook page… NZ ranks 3rd in the highest rates of child poverty in the western world… how Appalling… is this true???

    https://berniesanders.com/issues/income-and-wealth-inequality/?source=facebook08222015&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=facebook08222015

    Maybe if Mr Sanders doesn’t win the US Primary, it would be nice if he might immigrate to NZ and lead the Labour Party, we need a gentleman like this, I watched his speech in Senate opposing TPP, he spoke for at least 45 mins only barely referrring to his notes… currently our guys have to have notes to ask 3 questions…. I miss Sir David Lange I really do.

    • Morrissey 1.1

      Let’s hope Bernie Sanders is a lot sharper than poor old David Lange was. Remember that it was Lange, an economic illiterate, who let Douglas, Prebble, De Cleene and their ideological masters like Roger Kerr run riot in 1984.

      I doubt that Bernie Sanders would go about wrecking the education system like Lange did either.

      • Chooky 1.1.1

        +100…Lange sure did wreck and de professionalise the education system!…”Tomorrow’s Schools’ …was cost cutting, ignorance and arrogance

        You would not put parents in charge of the legal system or the medical system…why put them in charge of schools and education?

        • Adele 1.1.1.1

          Kiaora

          Lange was a good man. He was a man of and for the people. Why are you blaming him for how other people used and abused his goodness.

          • Morrissey 1.1.1.1.1

            Lange was a good man.

            He was. But that is not enough to run a country, sadly.

            He was a man of and for the people.

            He certainly was conflicted when he saw the effects of his government’s actions on working people. So he was a better person by far than the likes of Moore, Douglas, Prebble and De Cleene, who actually ran the country or, more accurately, ran down the country for six years.

            For a good man, he didn’t show much empathy for teachers as his ideologically driven “reforms”—clearly the product of the fevered brains of the Business Round Table rather than Lange himself—were imposed over serious protests from those in the education sector. In fact, he publicly expressed his contempt for them on at least one occasion.

            Why are you blaming him for how other people used and abused his goodness.

            He was the prime minister. He allowed himself to be manipulated and used by the Douglas-Moore-Prebble faction.

            • Adele 1.1.1.1.1.1

              Teenaa koe, Morrisey

              The Prime Minister is not the government. Not even Key has been credited with this much power by lefties such as yourself.

              Where was the rest of Labour? At a perpetual smoko?

              He was a good man let down by his party.

              • Morrissey

                Not even Key has been credited with this much power by lefties such as yourself.

                Key is on board with National’s agenda of flogging off our assets, attacking public institutions and destroying dissenting journalists. Unlike Lange vis a vis Douglas, Moore and Prebble, he is not unaware of, or uninterested in, what the likes of Bill English and Steven Joyce are doing.

                Where was the rest of Labour? At a perpetual smoko?

                Yes. They were organizing their boroughs to be nuclear-free, and left Douglas and his cronies to take care of the boring stuff. Like Lange, the rest of us—except for a few like Bruce Jesson and Jane Kelsey—had little or no idea what they were up to.

                He was a good man let down by his party.

                No, he was a good man who allowed a small gang of ideologically fanatical theorists to seize control of his party.

    • Foreigne waka 1.2

      Agree, agree, agree. It is sad that the left in NZ is as bad as pure politicking is the only game in town. No humanities here I am afraid.

  2. The Chairman 2

    The art deco buses that were a financial disaster for Napier City Council have proved a great success for their new owner

    The council bought the two converted American school buses for $837,000 in 2011 then spent a further $300,000 repairing numerous faults and getting them shipped from California.

    The council then incurred a further $323,000 in operating losses.

    When sold last year, bids of around just $25,000 for each bus were accepted

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/small-business/71272308/councils-disastrous-art-deco-buses-are-deco-duds-no-more

    • Kevin 2.1

      The biggest problem was the NCC was running the buses on an almost identical route run by the HBRC who control the commuter bus network. The deco buses were charging $15 a ride where the commuter buses were around $3.50. No-brainer really.

  3. Penny Bright 3

    This is a REALLY big deal, and, in my opinion, these gutsy and persistent members of the Mangawhai Residents and Ratepayers’ Association (MRRA) deserve the full support of every decent New Zealander who supports the ‘Rule of Law’ equally applying to Councils / territorial authorities.

    What has happened to members of the MRRA is an absolute disgrace to democracy and proves that New Zealand’s ‘perceived’ status as ‘the second least corrupt country in the world’ is a massive crock of the steaming proverbial.

    I for one, will be at the NZ Court of Appeal in support of these fellow New Zealand CITIZENS – not SLAVES.
    ————————————————————————————————-
    Democracy on the Line

    The Mangawhai Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association in Northland has been challenging the Kaipara District Council ( run since 2013 by a government-appointed commission ) through a Judicial Review in the High Court over illegal borrowing and illegal rates

    The issues affect every ratepayer in New Zealand because they centre around a council’s ability to set rates to fund illegal activities.

    The High Court effectively says they can, and we are asking the Court of Appeal to reconsider that question.

    But Democracy is also on trial here, because Parliament trampled on the community’s civil rights.

    The German-American Philosopher Hannah Arendt famously said “Nobody has the right to obey bad orders”

    In our context that means “Nobody should uncomplainingly pay illegal taxes”

    The people of Mangawhai are law-abiding decent and mostly elderly.

    We will pay our rates the instant they are lawful.

    Before that can happen there has to be a full independent investigation to ascertain who caused the loss of over $57,000,000.

    Without that, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

    If we fold, we consign every ratepayer in the country to tyranny at the hands of their councils.

    If you can, please come and hear the arguments. 10:00am Tuesday 25/08/2015,

    in Wellington at the Court of Appeal Molesworth St. Courtroom 2.

    – or in Auckland at Level 11 280 Queen St (opposite Smith & Caughey) where we have a dedicated video link

    – and again on Wednesday the 26th of August 2015.

    Approved by Mangawhai Ratepayers and Residents Association.
    Mob: 02108180162 – e-mail: mangawhairatepayers@gmail.com
    http://www.mrrainc.weebly.com

    For more background on our case , go to http://www.kaiparaconcerns.co.nz/

    ==============================================

    Penny Bright

    • Chooky 3.1

      +100 Go Penny!

    • Blue Horsehoe 3.2

      These folks need all the support they can get

      The implications of this are wide reaching, so it is expected the establishment will use every level of the corrupted frameworks at its disposal

      All at tax payers expense of course

      To the good people of the MRRA and their supporters – Give it heaps

  4. Gangnam Style 4

    Guy Williams – Key “Protesters don’t know what they’re talking about because they don’t know what’s in the TPPA.” Protesters “THAT’S WHAT WE’RE PROTESTING”

    https://insightnz.wordpress.com/2015/08/22/thats-literally-why-theyre-protesting-guy-williams-reminds-pm-why-kiwis-are-angry-over-tpp-video/

  5. Morrissey 5

    John Pilger advises a shoddy Kim Hill: “Read. Just read.”
    Face to Face, Television One, Thursday 20 March 2003

    Later this morning Wallace Chapman is going to interview John Pilger. Let’s hope Chapman’s done a bit more prep. than one of his colleagues did a decade ago, otherwise we could be subjected to the unedifying sounds of someone being keelhauled—metaphorically of course.

    Intellectually and morally superior journalists like Glenn Greenwald always humiliate lazy and poorly informed chatterers like Bill Maher, Stephen Sackur and Kirsty Wark. This is why the likes of Greenwald are kept off the screens as much as possible.

    In 2003, another of the world’s top journalists, John Pilger, in Sydney, was interviewed by a poorly prepared Kim Hill (in Wellington). Now we all know that Kim Hill is a smart, well read woman. But she’s sometimes a little lazy, and doesn’t always do her due diligence. That’s fine in those cases when she’s far smarter than the person she’s interviewing, as she usually is.

    Unfortunately, however, shoddy thinking is not going to work when you try to confront someone like John Pilger….

    Face to Face, Television One, Thursday 20 March 2003

    Pilger was critical from the beginning, correcting Hill’s lead-in statement and saying he had to “deconstruct” her questions….

    KIM HILL: All this time, then, the United Nations and weapons inspectors have been some kind of puppets of the US.
    JOHN PILGER: Are you saying that?
    KIM HILL: I am asking you whether that is what you are implying?
    JOHN PILGER: That’s a leading question, I wouldn’t …

    KIM HILL: How would you describe the activities of the United Nations up until this point?
    JOHN PILGER: Which area of the United Nations? It’s a very big organisation.

    In the end, the interview dissolved into the journalists talking and shouting over the top of each other.

    JOHN PILGER: You waste my time because you have not prepared for this interview, as any journalist does, and I’ve done many interviews. The one thing is to prepare for them and this interview, frankly, is a disgrace.
    KIM HILL: What preparation would you have cared for, Mr Pilger?
    JOHN PILGER: To read. Read. It takes time.
    KIM HILL: It’s a pity you wasted a lot of your time tonight, Mr Pilger. I was looking forward to …
    JOHN PILGER: No, I haven’t. I’m quite pleased with my answers. I hope you broadcast them as I’ve given them.
    KIM HILL: We broadcast you exactly as you are. It’s been interesting to speak with you.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3251418

    • Morrissey 5.1

      And sure enough, Chapman has put his foot in it. At 9:48 a.m. he said something really careless and an irritated Pilger pulled him up for it.

      But Chapman had the grace to admit he’s not really up to speed on the situation, and he let Pilger clarify for him. A stark contrast to what happened twelve and a half years ago, when poor old Kim Hill foolishly tried to match wits with him.

      STOP PRESS!

      Incredibly, Chapman continues to put his foot in it. He’s just stated that Jeremy Corbyn is far to the left of the mainstream Labour Party. Pilger politely, but devastatingly, corrected him.

      POINT TO PONDER:
      Why do radio interviewers like Chapman not do their homework?

      • Vicky32 5.1.1

        Oh dear. I missed this because I was out, but from the sounds, it was a good thing to miss. I have become very disillusioned with the aptly-initialed W.C.

        • Morrissey 5.1.1.1

          Actually Vicky, or friend Wallace did a pretty good job—far better than Kim Hill’s foolish performance twelve and a half years ago. When a clearly irritated Pilger pounced on him for lazily recycling the lies against Assange, he accepted it in good grace.

        • weston 5.1.1.2

          what an incredibly cheap shot vicky perhaps yr initials should be sb….i thought the whole show was excellent and didnt wallace have to ask the questions that are on so many misinformed minds anyway ?

    • Chooky 5.2

      Great interview with John Pilger – Julian Assange this morning, on Wallace Chapman’s ‘Sunday Morning’ Radio New Zealand!

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday

      “The internationally renowned investigative journalist and filmmaker discusses WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his bid for his own freedom – and for freedom of information. John Pilger also gives us his take on Jeremy Corbyn’s bid for leadership of the UK Labour Party”.

      Also worth listening to is ‘Media Watch’ on bias in NZ journalism…eg. Mike Hoskings

      ( sound links yet to come up)

      (@ Morrissey…I thought it a pretty fair and good interview …interviewers can not be experts or perfect on ALL subjects…nor can they be perfect interviewers….As long as they tackle the BIG ISSUES with courage …and engage and stand corrected …that is all that matters!….and Pilger is notoriously tetchy)

      • Morrissey 5.2.1

        A couple of embarrassing slips by a well-intentioned but poorly prepared Chapman. Still, it’s better than nothing—which is the amount of time John Pilger will receive on our media for the rest of this year.

        By comparison, this fellow is on virtually non-stop….

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2MQUcwNvLY

      • Bearded Git 5.2.2

        @chooky +100 I thought Wallace did a good job.

      • Morrissey 5.2.3

        (@ Morrissey…I thought it a pretty fair and good interview …interviewers can not be experts or perfect on ALL subjects…nor can they be perfect interviewers….As long as they tackle the BIG ISSUES with courage …and engage and stand corrected …that is all that matters!

        Fair comment, Chooky. I agree that it was a pretty fair interview. However, I was annoyed—as Pilger clearly was—to hear Chapman recycling the brutal, discredited smears against Assange.

        ….and Pilger is notoriously tetchy)

        No, he is not tetchy. He simply does not suffer fools—as anyone who watched the Kim Hill interview will acknowledge. And Wallace Chapman, nice guy that he is, was a fool to come not fully briefed into an interview with a rigorous thinker like Pilger.

  6. Chooky 6

    Mike “Mish” Shedlock, of ‘global economic analysis’ on China’s economic woes

    http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.co.nz/

    and on America’s economic woes…as interviewed on the Keiser Report on

    http://www.rt.com/shows/keiser-report/312522-episode-max-keiser-797/

    http://www.rt.com/shows/keiser-report/312709-%D1%81hicago-poor-communities-bankrupt/

  7. Morrissey 7

    This jackass will endorse ANYTHING…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4gv1FpAlyc

    • maui 7.1

      And who in their right mind would use that jackass to endorse their product. Accumulating as much wealth as possible seems to be his endgame.

    • Draco T Bastard 8.2

      When quizzed days later, those with perfect scores earn a virtual award proclaiming, “I’m Peculiar” — the company’s proud phrase for overturning workplace conventions.

      Ah, the conformity of capitalism forced upon the workers.

      “Conflict brings about innovation,” he said.

      Yep, it can do. It can also bring about stagnation as new ways of thinking and looking at things get shouted down. Cooperation can actually bring more because even the smallest voice will be heard.

      After reading the NYTimes piece it’s obvious that it’s hard out competition with the message of kill, kill, kill.

  8. Blue Horsehoe 9

    CDC – No Link Between Vaccine and Infant Deaths

    http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/sids.html

    From 2 to 4 months old, babies begin their primary course of vaccinations. This is also the peak age for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The timing of these two events has led some people to believe they might be related. However, studies have concluded that vaccinations are not a risk factor for SIDS

    http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/hib/fs-parents.html

    Is it safe?

    The Hib vaccine is very safe, and it is effective at preventing Hib disease. Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. Most children who get the Hib shot have no side effects.

    What are the side effects?

    The most common side effects are usually mild and last 2 or 3 days. They include the following:

    Redness, swelling, and warmth where the child got the shot
    Fever

    http://www.globalresearch.ca/centers-for-disease-controls-cdc-own-data-shows-links-between-vaccines-and-sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/5426990

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25598306

    RESULTS

    VAERS received 29,747 reports after Hib vaccines; 5179 (17%) were serious, including 896 reports of deaths. Median age was 6 months (range 0-1022 months). Sudden infant death syndrome was the stated cause of death in 384 (51%) of 749 death reports with autopsy/death certificate records. The most common nondeath serious AE categories were neurologic (80; 37%), other noninfectious (46; 22%) (comprising mainly constitutional signs and symptoms); and gastrointestinal (39; 18%) conditions. No new safety concerns were identified after clinical review of reports of AEs that exceeded the data mining statistical threshold.

    CONCLUSION

    Review of VAERS reports did not identify any new or unexpected safety concerns for Hib vaccines

    “Underreporting” is one of the main limitations of passive surveillance systems, including VAERS. The term, underreporting refers to the fact that VAERS receives reports for only a small fraction of actual adverse events. The degree of underreporting varies widely

    * USA – Most vaccinated babies on earth
    * USA – Highest rates of infant mortality in developed world

    Must be, coincidence

    • Colonial Viper 9.1

      Must be, right…

      • Blue Horsehoe 9.1.1

        http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3170075/

        CV ,can you take a read through of the above link, and see what stand out from your perspective

        Cheers

        • Colonial Viper 9.1.1.1

          roger

          • northshoredoc 9.1.1.1.1

            🙄

            • McFlock 9.1.1.1.1.1

              I dunno. It’s strangely fascinating watching paranoiacs try their hand at sciencing.

              Next they’ll discover that countries that vaccinate against polio have high polio rates, dun dun DUUUHHNN

              • Blue Horseshoe

                No doubt you’re a total fuckwit

                Use of ad homs deflection and ignoring the information in the links leaves little room for error with that call

                Interpreting lies spin and outright bullshit is nothing related to science , dickhead

                By all means keep flapping your ignorance

                • McFlock

                  Oh, I found your information most interesting, especially the way you highlighted insufficient information in order to justify your sarcastic last sentence.

                  But really, the best bit was you asking CV to see what stands out from his “perspective”. That’s like asking a Cantabrian to ref a rugby match.

                  • Blue Horseshoe

                    Wait on.

                    CDC says – HiB vaccine is safe

                    VAERS – Stats indicate CDC statement is a lie

                    National Library of Medicine – Study rationalized VAERS stats around vaccine related injury and deaths confirming the CDC lie

                    McFlock – Flings his own shit and can’t or won’t see that the CDC statement about safety of the HiB vaccine is a lie

                    Slow hand clap

                    • northshoredoc

                      The CDC statement that Hib vaccine is ‘very safe’ is quite correct as is their conclusion that no new or unexpected safety concerns have been identified.

                      That you misunderstand the data and try to raise an argument that Hib vaccination is causative in SIDS is due to your inability to understand the information.

                      One can only be thankful that you aren’t also raising false allegations and conspiracy theories about fluoridation and the twin towers.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      After the Berlin Wall fell, West Germany ordered a halt to the water fluoridation that was occurring in Wast Germany.

                    • McFlock

                      VAERS – Stats indicate CDC statement is a lie

                      Nope.

                      National Library of Medicine – Study rationalized VAERS stats around vaccine related injury and deaths confirming the CDC lie

                      Nope.

                      From the VAERS paper:

                      VAERS generally cannot assess whether a vaccine caused an AE. VAERS does not collect data on the number of individuals vaccinated; therefore, with no denominator data, it is
                      not possible to calculate incidence rates of AEs.

                      So your comment “VAERS stats around vaccine related injury and deaths ” is pretty misleading – if someone had been hit by an asteroid after vaccination, you’d call that a “vaccine related injury”? Nope.

                      You’re a fucking moron, but good on you for not letting that get in the way of your belief in your own brilliance.

              • joe90

                More so when they do their research.

          • Blue Horsehoe 9.1.1.1.2

            Thanks, CV

        • Colonial Viper 9.1.1.2

          Abstract
          The infant mortality rate (IMR) is one of the most important indicators of the socio-economic well-being and public health conditions of a country. The US childhood immunization schedule specifies 26 vaccine doses for infants aged less than 1 year—the most in the world—yet 33 nations have lower IMRs. Using linear regression, the immunization schedules of these 34 nations were examined and a correlation coefficient of r= 0.70 (p<0.0001) was found between IMRs and the number of vaccine doses routinely given to infants. Nations were also grouped into five different vaccine dose ranges: 12–14, 15–17, 18–20, 21–23, and 24–26. The mean IMRs of all nations within each group were then calculated. Linear regression analysis of unweighted mean IMRs showed a high statistically significant correlation between increasing number of vaccine doses and increasing infant mortality rates, with r=0.992 (p=0.0009). Using the Tukey-Kramer test, statistically significant differences in mean IMRs were found between nations giving 12–14 vaccine doses and those giving 21–23, and 24–26
          doses.

          A closer inspection of correlations between vaccine doses, biochemical or synergistic toxicity, and IMRs is essential.

          Quite a stunning summary.

          As I read it, the researchers suggest a very strong mathematical relationship between the countries utilising the highest numbers of vaccination doses on infants and those same countries having higher rates of infant mortality.

          One imagines that countries which can afford to mandate the most vaccination doses to their populations are the richest countries in the world where infant mortality should be lower, not higher.

          Given recent advances in understanding how individually safe chemicals can combine in effect to be toxic (i.e. synergistically toxic) in the human body, I think it can be said that the recommendation of the researchers to pursue “closer inspection” is well taken.

          • northshoredoc 9.1.1.2.1

            CV the information you’ve posted has been well and truly debunked.

            https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/vaccine-schedules-and-infant-mortality-a-false-relationship-promoted-by-the-anti-vaccine-movement/

            “The current study joins a long list of poorly planned, poorly executed, poorly analyzed studies that purport to show that vaccines cause autism, neurological diease, or even death. It is not the first, nor will it be the last. The question is: How do we respond to such studies? First off, we as skeptics have to be very careful not to become so jaded that knee-jerk hostility predominates. As unlikely as it is, there is always the possibility that there might be something worth taking seriously there. Next off, we have to be prepared to analyze these studies and explain to parents, when appropriate (which is the vast majority of the time) exactly why it is that they are bad science or why their conclusions are not supported by the data presented. Finally, we have to be prepared to provide these analyses fast. The Internet is speed. Already, if you Google the terms “infant mortality” and “vaccine,” anti-vaccine blogs gloating over Miller and Goldman’s study and the study itself appear on the very first page of search results.”

            • One Anonymous Bloke 9.1.1.2.1.1

              A lie runs the world around while truth is still strapping on its boots. An aphorism that surely predates the interwebz.

              I think people who tell the lies that kill can be prosecuted. I hope they will be.

            • Blue Horsehoe 9.1.1.2.1.2

              How much of a dishonest wanker must you be to continually use that website

              Not only that, but you actively fight to ‘debunk’ every and any study that might remotely threaten the establishments doctrine which you have been pushing on behalf, for christ knows how long

              What sort of arsehole claims to be a medical professional carrying the way you do on this blog site. I suspect there is no amount of ‘evidence’ which would sway you from the blind belief

              Fuck the deaths and injury, seems to be your position, and I imagine that Paul Offit is an idol of yours

              Here is the news for you dickhead. The world as you believe it to be is currently coming under the most intense scrutiny courtesy of your ‘colleagues’ in the USA who are fronting the ‘mandatory agenda’

              I concur with OAB, and hope that those whose lies maim and kill are prosecuted, one way or another

          • Blue Horsehoe 9.1.1.2.2

            Thanks for taking the time to read the link, CV

            No amount of diversion will prevent the crumbling wall created by the lies and bullishit, about ‘benefits’ of vaccination

            It is phenomenal to me, that the same types who put such stock in ‘scientific method’, are seemingly oblivious to the hypocrisy they peddle via their willingness to accept with little more than a shrug, the continual exposure of corruption and fraud seeping from the cesspool CDC/FDA and the networks which they ‘oversee’

            The drive towards compulsion, is going to expose the death and injury causing fraudulent entities, by putting the industry structures under the microscope like nothing previously witnessed in the history of modern medicine. This is where the ‘scientific method’ is going to be shown has having been utterly bastardized for profit

            Staggering is the juvenile attitude by some, who (must) deliberately refuse to see the gaping holes, which even the most fundamental techniques in logical thinking can drive a truck through

            I do agree with the comment from One Anonymous Bloke. People that tell lies which kill, maim and injure, should be prosecuted…

            Starting with war criminals, and swiftly followed by medical professionals who have accepted lies as knowledge, and uncritically pushed the amoral, and unethical establishments medical agenda, onto unwitting yet trusting populace

            • McFlock 9.1.1.2.2.1

              The drive towards compulsion, is going to expose the death and injury causing fraudulent entities, by putting the industry structures under the microscope like nothing previously witnessed in the history of modern medicine. This is where the ‘scientific method’ is going to be shown has having been utterly bastardized for profit

              So you’re in favour of compulsion then, as it’s the quickest way to expose teh liez…

              I do agree with the comment from One Anonymous Bloke. People that tell lies which kill, maim and injure, should be prosecuted…

              Starting with war criminals, and swiftly followed by medical professionals who have accepted lies as knowledge, and uncritically pushed the amoral, and unethical establishments medical agenda, onto unwitting yet trusting populace

              lol

              You’ve just completely slipped off Sanity Hill, haven’t you…

            • One Anonymous Bloke 9.1.1.2.2.2

              Nope, I was talking about Mr. Andrew Wakefield et al.

  9. adam 11

    This sucks.

    This is deliberately miss leading the public – well done Russell Norman on pulling the git up on his remarks.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11500982

    • Pat 11.1

      par for the course from this bunch of corrupt p***ks

      • Skinny 11.1.1

        Oh there is no confusion from Mr Leitch and his possie of Demo Creds. Caught out again ‘same confused excuse’. Bit of cannon fodder for Peters who will be looking to add Whangarei to his Northern Kingdom. His loyal Greypower command post crew in Wellsford will be keeping their eyes peeled for the fleet of Ministers limo’s racing North in a hurry.

        Subject: Mr Reti Challenged To Come Clean On TPPA

        Democrats for Social Credit Deputy Leader and Whangarei candidate Chris Leitch, has called on MP Shane Reti to “come clean or resign” over his attempt to mislead constituents on the ability of the public to have input to the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.

        Mr Leitch said he had a copy of the material Mr Reti had sent out and the claims in it were “blatantly untrue”.

        “Putting it down to “bad grammar” is like a naughty child getting his hand caught in the cookie jar, and claiming “I was just counting them”, said Mr Leitch.

        “As deputy chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee, Mr Reti should know exactly what the government is proposing to allow in the way of public input and I challenge him to make a clear, definitive, detailed, public statement”.

        The best way for him to do this would be at a public meeting where he could put his case for Whangarei voters to support the government’s stance on the TPPA, and explain the process.

        “If his statement was honestly intended, this would give him an excellent opportunity to demonstrate his sincerity to the general public”, Mr Leitch said.

        “In response, I would be keen to put the opposing point of view so the public could hear both sides of the debate, and get their questions answered”, he said.

        If he would just name the day and time, I will book a hall and arrange advertising for a public meeting.

        Failure on Mr Reti’s part to “fess up” and “front up” over his press statement would likely be seen by constituents as admission that he did indeed try to mislead them.
        Ends

  10. Plug for my long rebuttal of Karl du Fresne’s attack on Otago academics.

    http://tewharewhero.blogspot.co.nz/2015/08/the-rise-of-industry-apologists-of.html

  11. Gael 13

    May I humbly note that Hib presents like the flu, however it is a bacterial infection that if not treated or immunised against in under 4yrs age (because child can’t tell diff between viral flu and bacterial Hib) it will kill them. As an “attached” parent, maybe an answer to SIDs being high in the US as opposed to say 3rd world country may lie in the lack of contact the baby has with its mother, being that the ‘norm’ in western world is to put them in their cot and let them cry themselves to sleep aka “self soothe”…in the “3rd world” babies are attached to mum day and night… no SIDs… coincidence too maybe. Of course there are many what ifs when a baby dies, but loneliness doesnt just kill babies. But being unvaccinated will definitely up the odds of your baby failing to reach 5.. and if you havent heard a small child with whooping cough then you are very lucky. Its not a sound you ever forget. We immunised our child and strongly recommend it. Just my opinion. And 100+ for comments re Lange, I forgot those bits.

    • northshoredoc 13.1

      Hi Gael

      From memory Haemophilius influenza used to cause death in around 3% or less of those who presented with an infection.

      Before we used to vaccinate against it, it was the most common cause of meningitis in children, i can remember seeing 1-2 a week when I was training many years ago.

      SIDs is considerably lower in the US than in any 3rd world country. The data that has been shown above is defective as countries measure things such as SIDs differently.

      Importantly there are many studies and much information to show that immunising as per the schedule along with Hib immunisation lowers the risk of SIDs, indeed one of the studies that shows this to be the case was completed in NZ many years ago.

    • Blue Horsehoe 13.2

      But being unvaccinated will definitely up the odds of your baby failing to reach5 .. and if you havent heard a small child with whooping cough then you are very lucky. Its not a sound you ever forget. We immunised our child and strongly recommend it

      As a parent who has chosen to vaccinate, you HAVE TO believe that statement, because you have painted yourself into a corner through the choices you have made

      Because of the choice you made, you have no control over the long term (unknown) outcomes which could seriously impact the health of your offspring. You have no choice but to emphatically believe the decision you took, was the best one

      It is the ultimate conundrum for parents, which can leave them terribly exposed and vulnerable. Fear that vaccinating / not vaccinating will lead to their child experiencing pain, injury or death

      I note that your ‘strong recommendation’, reads like an attempt to to validate and endorse the decision which you made. Making a recommendation on such a sensitive topic, is terribly ignorant, and a herd mentality tactic

      Consequences are too serious on either side of the decision tree, to be making ‘strong recommendations’

      • northshoredoc 13.2.1

        “Consequences are too serious on either side of the decision tree, to be making ‘strong recommendations’”

        No they aren’t, all sound medical and public health authorities strongly recommend vaccination as per the schedule for all those people as long as they don’t have contraindications to vaccination.

  12. greywarshark 14

    Was it Labour who enthusiastically closed down the mental institutions? Now many people who would have had care there are in prison. Or wandering the streets taking up police time, causing problems to the people they obssess about.

    Caring for but limiting the freedom of people not in control of themselves must save money in the long run. And that was one of the reasons for deinstitutilisation, the other was to give people who would benefit from being on their own in the community that chance. But their was no place for those who needed to return to the closer environment.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/71312457/public-menace-margaret-dodds-trespassed-again-in-christchurch

    • Pat 14.1

      no must have been the Nats as it hit its straps in the early mid nineties…given some of the activities uncovered in the institutions over the years there is a case to be made for it, certainly in the majority of instances, but unfortunately the policy has never been able to implemented as intended due to chronic underfunding….what else is new. Dont worry Im sure Serco have a mental health division…they’ll do it better and cheaper…and still provide a return to their shareholders…..Tui moment.

  13. maui 15

    Could angry andy get some tips from angry jeremy corbyn? At 8:00 minutes in for about 3 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZAn7ZEvwek

    Straight talking and not taking any shit has it’s merits.

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  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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