Young is a willing enabler and shill for key and his cabal.
CT has probably produced a plan they will work to involving a lot of distraction, this worked a treat last Election. Anything celebrity/all black/sporty JK can hitch his wagon to.
Also a bad dose of miserablelitus, key symptoms I see misery in everything, and when I don’t I go looking for it , severe symptoms include obsessive googling, uncontrollable desire to cut and paste plus delusions of ones intelligence
Not sure why Granny Herald’s role as an approved outlet of the ruling classes is ever in question.
They might from time to time run a good piece or interview a good economist, but that only happens outside of election years, and it is only there for a veneer of “balance”.
That’s right CV ,it has always been that way. Just seems to be getting worse.
I see Gavin Ellis is even getting concerned about the problem with what’s going on.
There, Glazyev proposed a five-year ‘road map’ to Russia’s economic sovereignty and long-term growth. It was aimed toward building up the country’s immunity to external shocks and foreign influence, and ultimately, toward bringing Russia out of the periphery and into the core of the global economic system. Goals included raising industrial output by 30-35 percent over a five year period, creating a socially-oriented ‘knowledge economy’ via the transfer of substantial economic resources to education, health care and the social sphere, the creation of instruments aimed at increasing savings as a percent of GDP, and other initiatives, <b?including a transition to a sovereign monetary policy.
I expect character assassination of Russia by the Western MSM will step up quite markedly.
Yes, but it’s an oligarchy at odds with the US oligarchy and if they start getting massive economic boost from a sovereign monetary policy they also become a Good Example of a system that works better than the Western private credit system.
Try addressing the point of DtB’s comment rather than derailing it. All large nations are corrupt to some degree and Russia is no exception. But that is not all that Russia is about and this is actually a very interesting report.
You have to keep in mind that while Putin is no angel, in a historic context he is still by far the best leader the Russian people have had since … well ever. Hence his enduring popularity.
Well I have worked there for a short period and spent much of last Friday evening chatting with the head of our Russian office. This absolutely does not qualify me as our resident Russia expert, but it gives me just enough appreciation of what you are saying to confirm you are 100% correct.
In a nutshell it’s like this: on the surface the Russians are very buttoned down and grim. Think Leonid Brezhnev stereotype. The reason is that that their history teaches them to always be circumspect in the public domain. By contrast in private I found them to be a wonderful mix of mad party animals, scholars and artistic souls.
And while life in Russia is very tough in many respects, they are as you say a deeply civilised people almost completely misunderstood in the West.
They survived the Golden Horde and still welcome Muslims as a massively growing demographic.
They survived Napolean and Hitler and NATO, and still want to engage with Western Europe as military, economic and diplomatic partners.
They view their own government authorities as chokingly bureaucratic, and often corrupt, but give Putin far higher approval ratings than any western population gives its own political leaders.
Interestingly the West’s efforts to isolate, sanction and demonise Russia has forced that nation’s acceleration towards fully expressing its own civilisational perspective, one which is neither Tsarist nor Soviet in character.
Pretty easy to have enduring popularity when you can disappear journalists and jail dissidents.
No, my point to Draco and his comment was while it may look good on paper I have my serious doubts that Russia is in anyway better or more trustworthy than any other so I take everything with a grain of salt and hefty dose of skepticism.
Pretty easy to have enduring popularity when you can disappear journalists and jail dissidents.
No .. in fact that sort of thing generally causes much unpopularity over time. And in fact the kind of thing you refer to, while it does have an undoubted chilling effect, does not happen all that often. Certainly not remarkably more often than many other places in the world. Even NZ has it’s local and quite recent examples of govt. intimidation of journos it doesn’t like.
But the point is, while none of this is defendable, it’s not the purpose of DtB’s comment. Which is that for the first time in my adult life a major economy is officially abandoning neo-liberal policy and trying something different.
Which is that for the first time in my adult life a major economy is officially abandoning neo-liberal policy and trying something different.
And the big part of that difference is the use of sovereign money. If they do it well, and that’s a big if, then Russia will find out very rapidly that it doesn’t need foreign investment or trade and the rest of the world will also realise that. Especially all those poor countries that happen to be dependent upon foreign ‘aid’ – the ‘aid’ that more often than not subsidises private businesses in the country that the aid is coming from.
As I say, it becomes an example of a state that’s not dependent upon the present private credit system.
Which is that for the first time in my adult life a major economy is officially abandoning neo-liberal policy and trying something different.
Putin can head in this direction now because the West’s attempts to destabilise Russia by creating issues like a Ukrainian coup, trying to turn Sevastapol in Crimea into a NATO base, Olympics faux drug scandal, blocking Gazprom pipelines into Europe, degrading Russia’s nuclear deterrent by placing ABM systems close to her borders, and others.
Not to mention the US continuously attempting to use the western controlled financial, monetary and banking system against Russia.
The sum of this has ended up incrementally and effectively discrediting the formerly powerful neoliberals and Atlanticists that Putin has always had to include in his government structures including the central bank.
And so now the Kremlin can start heading in a different direction.
(As an interesting note, Russia has through all of this continued to supply US forces in Afghanistan with fuel, NASA with rocket engines, and the US military industrial complex with titanium aerospace alloys.)
You are so right Colonial, and hasn’t the western airforces adopted the Russian Ejector seat after it had a very good demonstration at the Paris Airshow in 1993 when two of their MIG 29’s collided
I remember at the time the air chiefs of the west were astounded that both pilots walked away from this mid air collision.
Also Apple incorporating the Russian GLONASS geolocation system into their iPhones alongside the traditional GPS; Samsung has done the same in its flagship Galaxy S phones.
Basically, Russia would prefer to partner most closely economically and technologically with the west rather than with China, which is the only option that is left open to Russia nowadays.
Even NZ has it’s local and quite recent examples of govt. intimidation of journos it doesn’t like.
Did you seriously write that in response to a comment about the Russian government having journalists murdered?
I think it is relevant to the original comment. If an economy is being governed by a guy who thinks the collapse of the Soviet Union was a tragedy and has journalists who expose his corruption killed, then news of great prospects for success of that economy isn’t good news for liberal society.
Psycho Milt, the US doesn’t kill its own journalists, but in the 20th and 21st century it has installed and supported plenty of regimes which did.
then news of great prospects for success of that economy isn’t good news for liberal society.
The Russian people prefer Putin’s mildy conservative traditional societal values style of politics to that of the liberal and neoliberal Atlanticists.
by a guy who thinks the collapse of the Soviet Union was a tragedy
In particular, how the Soviet Union collapsed was a tragedy, and specifically the fact that the West used it as an opportunity to maim and gut the country from the inside out.
Exactly. PM confuses the fall of the Soviet Union with the neo-liberal gutting of the country post-Gorbachev.
I personally saw the heart-breaking poverty and hardship the Russian people endured through the 90’s. And yet Russia was never a poor country, it was always rich in resource both material and cultural. It was poor because it was being looted.
In the Soviet era, while there was a lack of political freedom, almost everyone had a warm home, access to a decent education, medical care and some sort of job to go to. A decade later and this happened.
I was walking back to my apartment from the center of the city and for a slight change I decided to detour through the war memorial gardens at the end of the main road. About 200m into the park, I could see a small circular monument, with gardens and some seating around an ‘eternal flame’ in memory to all those who’d died defending Russia.
As I got closer I could see a figure huddled just out of sight, on the side of that would be normally out of sight from the road. At -10 degC there was a boy, no more than 11 or 12 huddled as best he could for some warmth from the flame. He was clearly homeless, and I stood rooted to the spot for some moments. He could so easily have been my own son, yet there was nothing I could think to do about it.
Poverty is a warm country is one thing, in a cold country it’s lethal. And all of this was entirely avoidable, Russia did not have to endure this.
Anytime someone challenges you on Russia’s fairly…errr…poor record in freedom of speech (i.e. assasinating political foes and journalists) you immediately leap to pointing the finger at the US.
Yes, the US is a poor international actor but that does not validate Russia’s own behaviour. Russia should be condemened for its actions the same as the US.
…the West used it as an opportunity to maim and gut the country from the inside out.
Of course, it was all the fault of the wicked West. No ex-Soviet citizens could possibly have had anything to do with looting the place and turning it into a Mafia state, because… well, because the West are the bad guys and that explains everything ever.
In particular, how the Soviet Union collapsed was a tragedy, and specifically the fact that the West used it as an opportunity to maim and gut the country from the inside out.
RL:
… the heart-breaking poverty and hardship the Russian people endured through the 90’s … It was poor because it was being looted.
The excellent Prof Stephen F Cohen:
A large majority of Russians, as they have regularly made clear in opinion surveys, regret the end of the Soviet Union, not because they pine for “communism” but because they lost a secure way of life.
They do not share the nearly unanimous western view that the Soviet Union’s “collapse” was “inevitable” because of inherent fatal defects.
They believe instead, and for good reason, that three “subjective” factors broke it up: the way Gorbachev carried out his political and economic reforms; a power struggle in which Yeltsin overthrew the Soviet state in order to get rid of its president, Gorbachev; and property-seizing Soviet bureaucratic elites, the nomenklatura, who were more interested in “privatising” the state’s enormous wealth in 1991 than in defending it.
Most Russians, including even the imprisoned oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, therefore still see December 1991 as a “tragedy”.
In addition, a growing number of Russian intellectuals have come to believe that something essential was lost – a historic opportunity to democratise and modernise Russia by methods more gradualist, consensual and less traumatic, and thus more fruitful and less costly, than those adopted after 1991.
Having ended the Soviet state in a way that lacked legal or popular legitimacy – in a referendum nine months before, 76% had voted to preserve the union – the Yeltsin ruling group soon became fearful of real democracy … Yeltsin’s armed overthrow of the Russian parliament soon followed.
Dissolving the union without any preparatory stages shattered a highly integrated economy and was a major cause of the collapse of production across the former Soviet territories, which fell by almost half in the 1990s. That in turn contributed to mass poverty and its attendant social pathologies, which are still, in the words of a respected Moscow economist, the “main fact” of Russian life today.
And, as a one-time Yeltsin supporter wrote later, “almost everything that happened in Russia after 1991 was determined to a significant extent by the divvying-up of the property of the former USSR”. Soviet elites took much of the state’s enormous wealth with no regard for fair procedures or public opinion. To enrich themselves, they wanted the most valuable state property distributed from above, without the participation of legislatures. They achieved that, first by themselves, through “spontaneous nomenklatura privatisation”, and after 1991, through Kremlin decrees issued by Yeltsin …
… Yeltsin abolished the Soviet Union with the backing of the nomenklatura elites – pursuing the “smell of property like a beast after prey”, as Yeltsin’s chief minister put it – and an avowedly pro-democracy wing of the intelligentsia. Traditional enemies in the pre-Gorbachev Soviet system, they colluded in 1991 largely because the intelligentsia’s radical market ideas seemed to justify nomenklatura privatisation.
But the most influential pro-Yeltsin intellectuals were neither coincidental fellow travellers nor real democrats. Since the late 1980s they had insisted that free-market economics and large-scale private property would have to be imposed on Russian society by an “iron hand” regime using “anti-democratic measures”.
Like the property-seeking elites, they saw Russia’s newly elected legislatures as an obstacle. Admirers of Chile’s Augusto Pinochet, they said of Yeltsin: “Let him be a dictator!” Not surprisingly, they cheered (along with the US government and mainstream media) when he used tanks to destroy Russia’s popularly elected parliament in 1993.
And … recent analysis from Cohen on the US MSM’s demonization of Russia:
American media on Russia today are less objective, less balanced, more conformist and scarcely less ideological than when they covered Soviet Russia during the Cold War.
The history of this degradation is also clear. It began in the early 1990s, following the end of the Soviet Union, when the US media adopted Washington’s narrative that almost everything President Boris Yeltsin did was a “transition from communism to democracy” and thus in America’s best interests.
This included his economic “shock therapy” and oligarchic looting of essential state assets, which destroyed tens of millions of Russian lives; armed destruction of a popularly elected Parliament and imposition of a “presidential” Constitution, which dealt a crippling blow to democratization and now empowers Putin; brutal war in tiny Chechnya, which gave rise to terrorists in Russia’s North Caucasus; Yeltsin rigging of his own re-election in 1996; and leaving behind, in 1999, his approval ratings in single digits, a disintegrating country laden with weapons of mass destruction.
Indeed, most American journalists still give the impression that Yeltsin was an ideal Russian leader. Since the early 2000s, the media have followed a different leader-centric narrative, also consistent with US policy, that devalues multifaceted analysis for a relentless demonization of Putin, with little regard for facts.
Russia today has serious problems and many repugnant Kremlin policies. But anyone relying on mainstream American media will not find there any of their origins or influences in Yeltsin’s Russia or in provocative US policies since the 1990s—only in the “autocrat” Putin who, however authoritarian, in reality lacks such power.
Nor is he credited with stabilizing a disintegrating nuclear-armed country, assisting US security pursuits from Afghanistan and Syria to Iran or even with granting amnesty, in December, to more than 1,000 jailed prisoners, including mothers of young children.
Cheers swordfish. I enjoy listening to the talk show segment that Cohen and John Batchelor does every week.
The other side of Cohen’s comments helps explain part of Putin’s popularity.
After just a decade and a half in power, Putin has largely economically rehabilitated Russia from the wrecked sold out shell that Yeltsin and the Oligarchs had created out of the old USSR>
The US doesnt kill its own journalists ??really ?some how i doubt that michael hastings is the first name to come to mind died in 2013 after his late model merc hit a palm tree and then burst into flame later the engine of the car was found 100meters or so down the street perhaps the mechanics at mercedes didnt bolt it down properly !! so hard to get good staff these days .
Hastings had done a story on Gen Stanley McCrystal which had led to obama accepting his resignation.
The other guy who comes to mind was that journo who discovered that drugs were being flown into the states in us military planes to fund a dirty and secret war cant remember which administration that was i think the journos name might have been garry ..webb ?….
Psycho Milt. Many Americans have died, by foul means, for questioning Corporate America. Many of them could just as easily be described as journalists rather than whistleblowers.
“The open society and its enemies.” A few of its enemies can be found commenting on blogs, attempting to create false equivalence between liberal societies and appallingly illiberal ones. It’s not pleasant to watch.
No-one is claiming Putin’s Russia conforms to our Western liberal ideals. But then again considering how rarely we actually live up to these ideals, the point is rather mute.
And yes I do understand the large difference between murdering a journalist and raiding their home/office and illegally seizing their computers. But in the context of two very different nations, with different histories and cultures … the chilling effect on journalism might not be so very different.
Frankly it doesn’t take a long or hard look to find plenty that is ugly and appalling about any of the major powers. They each tend to specialise in their own particular appalling and none of it is defendable. But at the same time I do try to avoid falling into that weirdly unhelpful binary trap of thinking this is ALL they are about.
You are a refreshing informer who breaks the pattern of incessant biased drivel that we get fed.
I think that some Germans are still wondering just how the Russians defeated them in World War 2. We didn’t – the Russians did. They defeated 80% of Hitler’s war effort, while we claim victory in fighting only 20% – slow and late.
Communist/Socialist/Capitalist hardly mattered. The Russians did it.
But, of course, only Capitalism may be seen as successful…
Put behind a pay wall, now my tax dollars are going to pay for it… Yeah right. No wait I really am paying for the shitty thing I could not watch because I won’t help Muppet Murdoch be even more of a slime ball.
There isn’t one. I can restrict linked video to sites that do maintain moderation control and that check the contents of videos, but I have never found anything similar for images. And there are a number of ways that images can be abused.
The only possible way is to sequester images while my server side runs scans on them. Then put them into our media library rather than linking to other sites. Since the vast bulk of the site’s data is already images, I’m reluctant to increase the backup footprint. Besides putting the images directly into our site is likely to cause copyright issues.
“Mr Rankin will be laying a complaint with TV One’s management over the actions of its staff. “Our team were surprised at the cowardly behaviour of the reporters. We were at risk of being seriously assaulted, or worse, and this man’s child was in extreme danger, but the reporters just fled the scene.”
Mr Rankin will be approaching TV One management today asking for a full investigation.
I found it interesting the story on Stuff and the Herald didn’t mention anything about Rankin laying a complaint over the cowardly behaviour of the TV One news crew
Wondering why Rankin believes the man was on “P” I guess it’s an excuse as to why someone is so angry. Time will tell what the real story is rather than a press release from a right wing council candidate.
Maybe the reporters backed off to get a wider camera angle?
Puckish Rogue the second link you posted came up as a 403 forbidden for me
hmm – the man with the sword wasnt attempting to attack the child (the child was back in the car presumably) – so its a bit weird to try and claim the journos have done something wrong.
Im pretty sure the advice from the police would be “dont get involved – call us”
sure the guy sounds like he was dangerous – but the rest of it all seems to be desperate profile building.
i struggle to see what a complaint to TVNZ would actually be about – journos arent keepers of law and order after all
(happy to retract once more info comes to light of course)
When interviewed about this on morning report, Brash seemed to think no one had any photos and no one had called the police. Really? Man with sword not filmed? By anyone? Brash sounded concerned for the boy, but no one called police . Really?
Thought the right wing were big on ” law and order”
Whoops, I guess Rankin did a Lochte, and got a bit carried away with his version of events, Brash tried to paint Rankin and himself as ‘victims’ turns out Brash did a runner.
TVNZ news boss John Gillespie this morning said the ONE News team did not feel they or Mr Rankin were in any danger from the man.
“Our team said the man was not waving the sword about nor did he appear to have any violent intent,” Mr Gillespie said in a statement.
“The sword was pointed towards the ground. The boy with the man was smiling and appeared happy. Our cameraman had finished filming by this point and was packing up his gear.
“Our team said Mr Rankin approached the man, shook hands with him and spoke to him.
“Our team were by now in their car ready to leave. Dr Brash had left. Mr Rankin got into his car and as he was driving off, rolled down his window and spoke with the team.
“Our team were the last to leave.
“Our team never felt in danger and nor were they concerned about the safety of anyone else.”
I read that – lots of facts, tenuous connections, and the worst possible conclusions made. It is not news that some try to get access and favours and sometimes they even succeed overtly and/or covertly.
LOL never would have thought you to be a bleeding heart hillary supporter i saw a clip of her once where she was giving a talk in a packed auditorium on …i kid you not free speech …when a guy stands up wearing a tee shirt with something apparrently provocative on it an turns his back to her in order to display it whereupon he is immediately jumped on by two goons who manhandle him very roughly out of the room. Meanwhile hillary doesnt even hesitate for a nanno secend on how its so important to have democratic rights etc etc The other yuk thing was the totally absorbed almost fixated attention of the audience almost noone even turned around when the “protester”was dragged out .They reminded me of a bunch of sheep or christians at a gathering of the flock .Ithought what a fucking cold bitch no way shed get my vote .
But no obviously a right wing attack meme trp /sarc
[lprent: You appear to confuse “free speech” with your “right” to be a arrogant offensive fuckwit. Hosts at any venue, both public or private, make the rules about behaviour, just as they do here. “Free speech” doesn’t mean that you or any other gormless idiotic wanker gets the right to crap all over our site, nor like the protagonist in your story – to wave your diseased mind around like a demented stage 3 syphilitic patient. But obviously that is what you think you can and should be able to do.
Well around here you cannot. On this site you obey our rules as a guest. If you don’t want to then you can take your stupidity elsewhere and whine there like any other tormented puppy after being disciplined for weeing on the carpet. If you look hard enough around the net, I am sure that you can find somewhere that will tolerate adult children with spoilt tantrum issues.
So I’m giving you 2 weeks freedom from the need to comment here while you read our policies about the behaviour of guests on our site and/or look for another site to be a fuckwit on. Based on your profound ignorance of civilised behaviour, I suspect you will need that kind of time to look up and understand some of the concepts in the policy. Like “guest”, “responsibility”, “respect for hosts”, and what real “sarcasm” looks like.
And incidentially, I hope you liked me exercising my “free speech” on your pissant behaviour. ]
A Sulphurous Blast from the Past:
Seven minutes that disgusted New Zealand
This disgraceful, foul-mouthed, unintelligent spray doesn’t get any better, even after thirteen years. At about the two-minute mark in his ignorant and hateful rant, Paul Holmes opines that “the greatest perk, do-nothing job in the world is at the U.N.”
In fact, of course, as these bigots invariably do, he was talking about himself….
Seems I’m not the only one who thinks that Larry lost his job for criticizing the media establishment. Obama took it well, it just seems all the white people did not think it was funny.
School-age students will be able to enrol in an accredited online learning provider instead of attending school, under new Government legislation.
The radical change will see any registered school, tertiary provider such as a polytechnic or an approved body corporate be able to apply to be a “community of online learning” (COOL).
Any student of compulsory schooling age will be able to enrol in a COOL – and that provider will determine whether students will need to physically attend for all or some of the school day.
It sounds like something from “In the Thick of It”
Edmund Burke set out in an address to the electors of Bristol in 1774: “Your representative owes you not his industry only but his judgement; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”
I’m especially partial to Mr Burke’s notion that parliament is a deliberative assembly of one nation, with one interest, that of the whole; where, not local purposes, not local prejudices, ought to guide, but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole.
Parliament is not a congress of ambassadors from different
and hostile interests; which interests each must maintain,
as an agent and advocate, against other agents and
advocates; but parliament is a deliberative assembly of one
nation, with one interest, that of the whole; where, not local
purposes, not local prejudices, ought to guide, but the
general good, resulting from the general reason of the
whole. You choose a member indeed; but when you have
chosen him, he is not member of Bristol, but he is a member
of parliament. If the local constituent should have an
interest, or should form an hasty opinion, evidently opposite
to the real good of the rest of the community, the
member for that place ought to be as far, as any other,
from any endeavour to give it effect. I beg pardon for
saying so much on this subject. I have been unwillingly
drawn into it; but I shall ever use a respectful frankness
of communication with you. Your faithful friend, your devoted
servant, I shall be to the end of my life: a flatterer
you do not wish for.
It’s not perfect, what with all the different networks of corporate connection, but it does require that environmental, social, and corporate governance issues be part of the fiduciary calculation (i.e. “maximised profits” include the long term good as well as short term mercenary motivations).
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Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
Holding On To The Present:The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
Stuck In The Middle With You:As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
Buzz from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example. This shows National down ...
It Takes A Train To Cry:Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
Chris Trotter writes – New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy.Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8. The universe was ...
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
Peter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Jeremiah Manele has been elected Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, polling 31 votes to 18 over rival candidate and former opposition leader Mathew Wale with one abstention. The final result of the election by secret ballot was announced by the Governor-General, Sir David Vunagi, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Priestley Habru, PhD candidate, public diplomacy, University of Adelaide Former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected the next prime minister of Solomon Islands, defeating the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, in a vote in parliament. The result is a mixed bag for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shaun Eaves, Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Jamey Stutz, CC BY-SA How often do mountains collapse, volcanoes erupt or ice sheets melt? For Earth scientists, these are important questions as we try ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Flood, Professor of Sociology, Queensland University of Technology Shutterstock Most young adult men in Australia reject traditional ideas of masculinity that endorse aggression, stoicism and homophobia. Nonetheless, the ongoing influence of those ideas continues to harm men and the people ...
The NZQA proposal released to staff today would involve a net loss of 35 roles. There are 66 roles being disestablished with 13 of those currently vacant, and 31 new roles proposed, said Fleur Fitzsimons Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga ...
Alex Casey talks to Loren Taylor, the writer, director and star of new film The Moon is Upside Down, about assembling her dream ensemble cast, toilet paper pads and turning literal dreams into reality. There’s a moment in The Moon is Upside Down where frazzled anaesthetist Briar (Loren Taylor) gets ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cassy Dittman, Senior Lecturer/Head of Course (Undergraduate Psychology), Research Fellow, Manna Institute, CQUniversity Australia With winter sports swinging into action, adults around the country have volunteered or been volunteered by others (humorously known as being “volun-told”) to coach junior sports teams. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karleen Gribble, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University richardernestyap/Shutterstock Parents are often advised to burp their babies after feeding them. Some people think burping after feeding is important to reduce or prevent discomfort crying, or to ...
Workers at a major ASB contact centre in Auckland have voted to take strike action and withdraw their labour following disappointing pay negotiations with the employer and an "offer" to workers that would leave them worse off than the previous year. ...
As the government tries to get the country back on track with a school phone ban, Tara Ward has an idea for where they should turn their attention to next.New Zealand students returned to school on Monday morning, but their cellphones did not. The government’s new phone ban began ...
The Labour Party is demanding Peters be stood down, saying "he's embarrassed the country" with a "totally unacceptable" attack on a prominent AUKUS critic. ...
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance, whose members were victims of a China-backed cyber attack, is discussing forming a standing committee to deal with foreign influence. ...
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305 000 in poverty.
People living in cars, containers and garages.
Over 4000 people poisoned by polluted water.
Yet, Audrey Young New Zealand Herald’s political editor, finds this more important to talk about.
Not their sports editor.
Not their entertainment editor.
Their political editor.
‘John Key: Don’t jump to conclusions about bugging device found in All Blacks’ hotel.’
(without mentioning the new spy bill in parliament)
The media sucks.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11698962
Young is a willing enabler and shill for key and his cabal.
CT has probably produced a plan they will work to involving a lot of distraction, this worked a treat last Election. Anything celebrity/all black/sporty JK can hitch his wagon to.
Why bother with granny herald.
Seriously when last week it was all about John Keys ties – this is a paper that is so out of touch Whale Oil looks a better read.
Why bother with granny herald.
Media derangement Syndrome. Paul’s got it bad and is not expected to recover.
Also a bad dose of miserablelitus, key symptoms I see misery in everything, and when I don’t I go looking for it , severe symptoms include obsessive googling, uncontrollable desire to cut and paste plus delusions of ones intelligence
@Adam +1 – yep don’t click on Granny – you are enabling them.
Not sure why Granny Herald’s role as an approved outlet of the ruling classes is ever in question.
They might from time to time run a good piece or interview a good economist, but that only happens outside of election years, and it is only there for a veneer of “balance”.
That’s right CV ,it has always been that way. Just seems to be getting worse.
I see Gavin Ellis is even getting concerned about the problem with what’s going on.
Putin: Nyet to Neo-liberals, Da to National Development
I expect character assassination of Russia by the Western MSM will step up quite markedly.
Russia might as well be an oligarchy at this stage so I won’t hold my breath.
Yes, but it’s an oligarchy at odds with the US oligarchy and if they start getting massive economic boost from a sovereign monetary policy they also become a Good Example of a system that works better than the Western private credit system.
I’m as suspicious of Russia as I am the US. They are both corrupt dictatorial plutocracies.
Try addressing the point of DtB’s comment rather than derailing it. All large nations are corrupt to some degree and Russia is no exception. But that is not all that Russia is about and this is actually a very interesting report.
You have to keep in mind that while Putin is no angel, in a historic context he is still by far the best leader the Russian people have had since … well ever. Hence his enduring popularity.
I think Russia has been so demonised and vilified over so many generations that we have absolutely no bloody idea what it is about..
the mystery wrapping the riddle tied up in an enigma
one of the most civilised and advanced nations on the planet
we have no idea
Well I have worked there for a short period and spent much of last Friday evening chatting with the head of our Russian office. This absolutely does not qualify me as our resident Russia expert, but it gives me just enough appreciation of what you are saying to confirm you are 100% correct.
In a nutshell it’s like this: on the surface the Russians are very buttoned down and grim. Think Leonid Brezhnev stereotype. The reason is that that their history teaches them to always be circumspect in the public domain. By contrast in private I found them to be a wonderful mix of mad party animals, scholars and artistic souls.
And while life in Russia is very tough in many respects, they are as you say a deeply civilised people almost completely misunderstood in the West.
They survived the Golden Horde and still welcome Muslims as a massively growing demographic.
They survived Napolean and Hitler and NATO, and still want to engage with Western Europe as military, economic and diplomatic partners.
They view their own government authorities as chokingly bureaucratic, and often corrupt, but give Putin far higher approval ratings than any western population gives its own political leaders.
Interestingly the West’s efforts to isolate, sanction and demonise Russia has forced that nation’s acceleration towards fully expressing its own civilisational perspective, one which is neither Tsarist nor Soviet in character.
Pretty easy to have enduring popularity when you can disappear journalists and jail dissidents.
No, my point to Draco and his comment was while it may look good on paper I have my serious doubts that Russia is in anyway better or more trustworthy than any other so I take everything with a grain of salt and hefty dose of skepticism.
Pretty easy to have enduring popularity when you can disappear journalists and jail dissidents.
No .. in fact that sort of thing generally causes much unpopularity over time. And in fact the kind of thing you refer to, while it does have an undoubted chilling effect, does not happen all that often. Certainly not remarkably more often than many other places in the world. Even NZ has it’s local and quite recent examples of govt. intimidation of journos it doesn’t like.
But the point is, while none of this is defendable, it’s not the purpose of DtB’s comment. Which is that for the first time in my adult life a major economy is officially abandoning neo-liberal policy and trying something different.
And that is news.
And the big part of that difference is the use of sovereign money. If they do it well, and that’s a big if, then Russia will find out very rapidly that it doesn’t need foreign investment or trade and the rest of the world will also realise that. Especially all those poor countries that happen to be dependent upon foreign ‘aid’ – the ‘aid’ that more often than not subsidises private businesses in the country that the aid is coming from.
As I say, it becomes an example of a state that’s not dependent upon the present private credit system.
Your points are well taken
Putin can head in this direction now because the West’s attempts to destabilise Russia by creating issues like a Ukrainian coup, trying to turn Sevastapol in Crimea into a NATO base, Olympics faux drug scandal, blocking Gazprom pipelines into Europe, degrading Russia’s nuclear deterrent by placing ABM systems close to her borders, and others.
Not to mention the US continuously attempting to use the western controlled financial, monetary and banking system against Russia.
The sum of this has ended up incrementally and effectively discrediting the formerly powerful neoliberals and Atlanticists that Putin has always had to include in his government structures including the central bank.
And so now the Kremlin can start heading in a different direction.
(As an interesting note, Russia has through all of this continued to supply US forces in Afghanistan with fuel, NASA with rocket engines, and the US military industrial complex with titanium aerospace alloys.)
Thanks … interesting points.
You are so right Colonial, and hasn’t the western airforces adopted the Russian Ejector seat after it had a very good demonstration at the Paris Airshow in 1993 when two of their MIG 29’s collided
I remember at the time the air chiefs of the west were astounded that both pilots walked away from this mid air collision.
Also Apple incorporating the Russian GLONASS geolocation system into their iPhones alongside the traditional GPS; Samsung has done the same in its flagship Galaxy S phones.
Basically, Russia would prefer to partner most closely economically and technologically with the west rather than with China, which is the only option that is left open to Russia nowadays.
Even NZ has it’s local and quite recent examples of govt. intimidation of journos it doesn’t like.
Did you seriously write that in response to a comment about the Russian government having journalists murdered?
I think it is relevant to the original comment. If an economy is being governed by a guy who thinks the collapse of the Soviet Union was a tragedy and has journalists who expose his corruption killed, then news of great prospects for success of that economy isn’t good news for liberal society.
Psycho Milt, the US doesn’t kill its own journalists, but in the 20th and 21st century it has installed and supported plenty of regimes which did.
The Russian people prefer Putin’s mildy conservative traditional societal values style of politics to that of the liberal and neoliberal Atlanticists.
In particular, how the Soviet Union collapsed was a tragedy, and specifically the fact that the West used it as an opportunity to maim and gut the country from the inside out.
Exactly. PM confuses the fall of the Soviet Union with the neo-liberal gutting of the country post-Gorbachev.
I personally saw the heart-breaking poverty and hardship the Russian people endured through the 90’s. And yet Russia was never a poor country, it was always rich in resource both material and cultural. It was poor because it was being looted.
In the Soviet era, while there was a lack of political freedom, almost everyone had a warm home, access to a decent education, medical care and some sort of job to go to. A decade later and this happened.
I was walking back to my apartment from the center of the city and for a slight change I decided to detour through the war memorial gardens at the end of the main road. About 200m into the park, I could see a small circular monument, with gardens and some seating around an ‘eternal flame’ in memory to all those who’d died defending Russia.
As I got closer I could see a figure huddled just out of sight, on the side of that would be normally out of sight from the road. At -10 degC there was a boy, no more than 11 or 12 huddled as best he could for some warmth from the flame. He was clearly homeless, and I stood rooted to the spot for some moments. He could so easily have been my own son, yet there was nothing I could think to do about it.
Poverty is a warm country is one thing, in a cold country it’s lethal. And all of this was entirely avoidable, Russia did not have to endure this.
“But America does it too” is not a valid argument.
Why is providing information on context and common international behaviour not valid?
Anytime someone challenges you on Russia’s fairly…errr…poor record in freedom of speech (i.e. assasinating political foes and journalists) you immediately leap to pointing the finger at the US.
Yes, the US is a poor international actor but that does not validate Russia’s own behaviour. Russia should be condemened for its actions the same as the US.
There’s a really old fashioned idea about proclaiming righteous indignation and condemnation about another nation.
It’s that your own nation has the ethical and moral standing to do it from.
…the West used it as an opportunity to maim and gut the country from the inside out.
Of course, it was all the fault of the wicked West. No ex-Soviet citizens could possibly have had anything to do with looting the place and turning it into a Mafia state, because… well, because the West are the bad guys and that explains everything ever.
CV:
RL:
The excellent Prof Stephen F Cohen:
And … recent analysis from Cohen on the US MSM’s demonization of Russia:
Cheers swordfish. I enjoy listening to the talk show segment that Cohen and John Batchelor does every week.
The other side of Cohen’s comments helps explain part of Putin’s popularity.
After just a decade and a half in power, Putin has largely economically rehabilitated Russia from the wrecked sold out shell that Yeltsin and the Oligarchs had created out of the old USSR>
The US doesnt kill its own journalists ??really ?some how i doubt that michael hastings is the first name to come to mind died in 2013 after his late model merc hit a palm tree and then burst into flame later the engine of the car was found 100meters or so down the street perhaps the mechanics at mercedes didnt bolt it down properly !! so hard to get good staff these days .
Hastings had done a story on Gen Stanley McCrystal which had led to obama accepting his resignation.
The other guy who comes to mind was that journo who discovered that drugs were being flown into the states in us military planes to fund a dirty and secret war cant remember which administration that was i think the journos name might have been garry ..webb ?….
anyone else remember that story ?
The US also imprisoned and interrogated an innocent Al Jazeera journalist in Guantanamo Bay for many years, if that counts.
Psycho Milt. Many Americans have died, by foul means, for questioning Corporate America. Many of them could just as easily be described as journalists rather than whistleblowers.
Just look at how the First Nations are treated today. As well as homeless veterans.
“The open society and its enemies.” A few of its enemies can be found commenting on blogs, attempting to create false equivalence between liberal societies and appallingly illiberal ones. It’s not pleasant to watch.
No-one is claiming Putin’s Russia conforms to our Western liberal ideals. But then again considering how rarely we actually live up to these ideals, the point is rather mute.
And yes I do understand the large difference between murdering a journalist and raiding their home/office and illegally seizing their computers. But in the context of two very different nations, with different histories and cultures … the chilling effect on journalism might not be so very different.
Frankly it doesn’t take a long or hard look to find plenty that is ugly and appalling about any of the major powers. They each tend to specialise in their own particular appalling and none of it is defendable. But at the same time I do try to avoid falling into that weirdly unhelpful binary trap of thinking this is ALL they are about.
Thanks RedLogix
You are a refreshing informer who breaks the pattern of incessant biased drivel that we get fed.
I think that some Germans are still wondering just how the Russians defeated them in World War 2. We didn’t – the Russians did. They defeated 80% of Hitler’s war effort, while we claim victory in fighting only 20% – slow and late.
Communist/Socialist/Capitalist hardly mattered. The Russians did it.
But, of course, only Capitalism may be seen as successful…
Put behind a pay wall, now my tax dollars are going to pay for it… Yeah right. No wait I really am paying for the shitty thing I could not watch because I won’t help Muppet Murdoch be even more of a slime ball.
Great cartoon from Mr Evans
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/08/23/malcolm-evans-the-last-medal/
Meanwhile in the alternative universe occupied by the British Conservative party…
https://twitter.com/HeatherWheeler/status/767756321219379201
PS – what is the code to post an image directly to this site?
There isn’t one. I can restrict linked video to sites that do maintain moderation control and that check the contents of videos, but I have never found anything similar for images. And there are a number of ways that images can be abused.
The only possible way is to sequester images while my server side runs scans on them. Then put them into our media library rather than linking to other sites. Since the vast bulk of the site’s data is already images, I’m reluctant to increase the backup footprint. Besides putting the images directly into our site is likely to cause copyright issues.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1608/S00252/david-rankin-statement-alleging-sword-attack.htm
Former National Party leader and Council Candidate hold off “P” sword attacker in West Auckland as TV One news crew flees.
David Rankin and Don Brash have:
http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8392e9004b296f1fd4ebf6bf1c1e5485.jpg
And as for the media:
“Mr Rankin will be laying a complaint with TV One’s management over the actions of its staff. “Our team were surprised at the cowardly behaviour of the reporters. We were at risk of being seriously assaulted, or worse, and this man’s child was in extreme danger, but the reporters just fled the scene.”
Mr Rankin will be approaching TV One management today asking for a full investigation.
Desperate stuff. And no, I don’t mean the man with the sword.
I found it interesting the story on Stuff and the Herald didn’t mention anything about Rankin laying a complaint over the cowardly behaviour of the TV One news crew
Wondering why Rankin believes the man was on “P” I guess it’s an excuse as to why someone is so angry. Time will tell what the real story is rather than a press release from a right wing council candidate.
Maybe the reporters backed off to get a wider camera angle?
Puckish Rogue the second link you posted came up as a 403 forbidden for me
I wouldn’t worry about it, it was just an image of some big, brass balls
hmm – the man with the sword wasnt attempting to attack the child (the child was back in the car presumably) – so its a bit weird to try and claim the journos have done something wrong.
Im pretty sure the advice from the police would be “dont get involved – call us”
sure the guy sounds like he was dangerous – but the rest of it all seems to be desperate profile building.
i struggle to see what a complaint to TVNZ would actually be about – journos arent keepers of law and order after all
(happy to retract once more info comes to light of course)
To take on the media in this instance and to call them out as they did you’d assume that Brash and Rankin were on some pretty sure footing to do so
I mean I know if I was contemplating being a politician the last thing I’d do is take a dump on the media but that’s just me of course
Since when did the msm become security personnel for candidates.
The sense of entitiement is hilarious and misguided as expected.
Harden up son your not an overpaid manager anymore, a choice you made.
When interviewed about this on morning report, Brash seemed to think no one had any photos and no one had called the police. Really? Man with sword not filmed? By anyone? Brash sounded concerned for the boy, but no one called police . Really?
Thought the right wing were big on ” law and order”
I suspect Brash and Rankin were slightly indisposed with guy with the sword, maybe the one news journos could have called?
Whoops, I guess Rankin did a Lochte, and got a bit carried away with his version of events, Brash tried to paint Rankin and himself as ‘victims’ turns out Brash did a runner.
TVNZ news boss John Gillespie this morning said the ONE News team did not feel they or Mr Rankin were in any danger from the man.
“Our team said the man was not waving the sword about nor did he appear to have any violent intent,” Mr Gillespie said in a statement.
“The sword was pointed towards the ground. The boy with the man was smiling and appeared happy. Our cameraman had finished filming by this point and was packing up his gear.
“Our team said Mr Rankin approached the man, shook hands with him and spoke to him.
“Our team were by now in their car ready to leave. Dr Brash had left. Mr Rankin got into his car and as he was driving off, rolled down his window and spoke with the team.
“Our team were the last to leave.
“Our team never felt in danger and nor were they concerned about the safety of anyone else.”
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/live-stream-one-news-tonight-q01253
Hillary Clinton bought?
’15k new Hillary emails discovered as evidence of Clinton Foundation pay-to-play scheme grows’
https://www.rt.com/usa/356782-clinton-emails-bahrain-prince/
I read that – lots of facts, tenuous connections, and the worst possible conclusions made. It is not news that some try to get access and favours and sometimes they even succeed overtly and/or covertly.
How is it not news that a US Sec State accepted millions in foreign donations while presiding over decisions affecting those same foreign donors?
Or is it just the norm now and not newsworthy.
Could just be that only a few are fooled by right wing attack memes. Particularly memes that aren’t actually true and don’t stand up to scrutiny.
LOL never would have thought you to be a bleeding heart hillary supporter i saw a clip of her once where she was giving a talk in a packed auditorium on …i kid you not free speech …when a guy stands up wearing a tee shirt with something apparrently provocative on it an turns his back to her in order to display it whereupon he is immediately jumped on by two goons who manhandle him very roughly out of the room. Meanwhile hillary doesnt even hesitate for a nanno secend on how its so important to have democratic rights etc etc The other yuk thing was the totally absorbed almost fixated attention of the audience almost noone even turned around when the “protester”was dragged out .They reminded me of a bunch of sheep or christians at a gathering of the flock .Ithought what a fucking cold bitch no way shed get my vote .
But no obviously a right wing attack meme trp /sarc
[lprent: You appear to confuse “free speech” with your “right” to be a arrogant offensive fuckwit. Hosts at any venue, both public or private, make the rules about behaviour, just as they do here. “Free speech” doesn’t mean that you or any other gormless idiotic wanker gets the right to crap all over our site, nor like the protagonist in your story – to wave your diseased mind around like a demented stage 3 syphilitic patient. But obviously that is what you think you can and should be able to do.
Well around here you cannot. On this site you obey our rules as a guest. If you don’t want to then you can take your stupidity elsewhere and whine there like any other tormented puppy after being disciplined for weeing on the carpet. If you look hard enough around the net, I am sure that you can find somewhere that will tolerate adult children with spoilt tantrum issues.
So I’m giving you 2 weeks freedom from the need to comment here while you read our policies about the behaviour of guests on our site and/or look for another site to be a fuckwit on. Based on your profound ignorance of civilised behaviour, I suspect you will need that kind of time to look up and understand some of the concepts in the policy. Like “guest”, “responsibility”, “respect for hosts”, and what real “sarcasm” looks like.
And incidentially, I hope you liked me exercising my “free speech” on your pissant behaviour. ]
A Sulphurous Blast from the Past:
Seven minutes that disgusted New Zealand
This disgraceful, foul-mouthed, unintelligent spray doesn’t get any better, even after thirteen years. At about the two-minute mark in his ignorant and hateful rant, Paul Holmes opines that “the greatest perk, do-nothing job in the world is at the U.N.”
In fact, of course, as these bigots invariably do, he was talking about himself….
Seems I’m not the only one who thinks that Larry lost his job for criticizing the media establishment. Obama took it well, it just seems all the white people did not think it was funny.
Unlikely, Colbert roasted Bush Jr a lot worse. Difference is Colbert was/is very popular and funny. Wilmore was cutting but just not very funny.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11699382
Govt has officially gone mad:
School-age students will be able to enrol in an accredited online learning provider instead of attending school, under new Government legislation.
The radical change will see any registered school, tertiary provider such as a polytechnic or an approved body corporate be able to apply to be a “community of online learning” (COOL).
Any student of compulsory schooling age will be able to enrol in a COOL – and that provider will determine whether students will need to physically attend for all or some of the school day.
It sounds like something from “In the Thick of It”
Someone in the Ministry has been drinking the ACT-supplied COOL-AID.
Peeni Henare has made some interesting comments about the claim by Kīngi Tūheitia that Labour had ruled out working with the Māori Party.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/83462254/maori-kings-claims-andrew-little-wont-work-with-maori-party-wrong-labour
Edmund Burke set out in an address to the electors of Bristol in 1774: “Your representative owes you not his industry only but his judgement; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2016/08/why-it-duty-labour-party-try-stop-brexit
I’m especially partial to Mr Burke’s notion that parliament is a deliberative assembly of one nation, with one interest, that of the whole; where, not local purposes, not local prejudices, ought to guide, but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole.
http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch13s7.html
Just on ethical investments for retirement funds, apparently investment managers can sign up to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment.
It’s not perfect, what with all the different networks of corporate connection, but it does require that environmental, social, and corporate governance issues be part of the fiduciary calculation (i.e. “maximised profits” include the long term good as well as short term mercenary motivations).