Mentioned yesterday, the NON- story deputy Leader, King v Ardern got traction in MSM purely to distract from Key’s flacid flagpole, what will they conjure up next? Be prepared, it will be even more ridiculous….I can’t wait
They already have. Their most noxious female minister, Paula Bennett is on the benny bashing trail again. This time it’s state house tenants. That should be good C/T fodder for the Tory media. Let’s give the bludgers a miserable Xmas… it’s all they deserve.
I hear people saying they won’t vote National (any more) because of her, so let’s hope she keeps it up. She is all that is National, in fact all those dreadful female National Ministers are from the same “mould”!
Declining water quality and increasing emissions.
We have too many cows.
‘But there has been a decline in water quality and a 42 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2013.
It also found damage to land from more intensive dairy farming was a significant problem.
Prime Minister John Key said farmers needed to continue to work on reducing their environmental footprint.
“They are doing that – you are seeing them fencing off all of their waterways and by 2017 that will be compulsory, you are seeing dramatic changes in the way they treat effluent playing out so there is clearly more work to be done.”‘
“It’s just incredible to me. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
That’s what Jessica Blunden, a climate scientist with the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told the New York Times in an interview following the agency’s release on Wednesday of new figures showing that last month was the hottest September since records began and offered further confirmation that 2015 will ultimately be the hottest year experienced in modern human history.” http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/10/22/never-seen-anything-2015-set-be-hottest-year-record
Article shows graphs of monthly temperatures of last few years
shows list of Billion dollar weather disasters around the world for this year SO FAR.
Thanks Paul. Watched all of the first three. Like all big big problems it is not only hard to get our heads around but even harder to figure out what we little unimportant people can do about it. Government will not act on long term solutions because it would upset the business of market forces.
Deforestation. Dairying. Fossil fuels. Ugh!
Government will not act on long term solutions because it would upset the business of market forces.
It’s not that it would upset market forces but that a few people wouldn’t be able to get rich from doing the same thing that they’ve always done. They’d have to actually spend money on developing the industry.
It’s a pity because the points that it raises about livestock being a major problem is a serious concern and we need to address it but telling lies and misrepresenting other peoples actual position detracts from that message. It leaves people asking Well, if they lied about that then what else did they lie about? rather than them taking on the message and working to produce solutions.
Yep. And it’s a real shame to see the promotion it’s getting by people who are unwilling to look at the film critically. This is the problem with starting from a place of dogmatic ideology, it skews one’s ability to assess things.
1. “TPP sets time limit on corporate suits against states”
The Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact limits the period for foreign companies to file damages lawsuits against host states over sudden regulatory changes to 3½ years, it was learned Wednesday.
The limit, included in a TPP provision on investor-state dispute settlement, is designed to prevent abuse of litigation by multinational businesses.
The provision also states that member governments will not be forced to change regulations even if they lose lawsuits from foreign businesses.”
*The last sentence means that countries can retain their sovereignty- but they might have to pay dearly for it!
2. Connolly To Press WH For Early 2016 TPP Vote; Fears GOP Defections
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) said Wednesday (Oct. 21) that he plans to drive home the message to the Obama administration that it must bring a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) implementing bill to a congressional vote within the first two or three months of 2016 or risk delaying the vote until the lame-duck session after the November elections. http://insidetrade.com/
The political tradeoffs have been done and the text has now been sent to Tokyo to undergo the ‘legal scrubbing’ process. I guess the Japan Times were given the info.
TPPA . “As we expected there are very few trade benefits, while the deal gives corporates and foreign investors a lot of power to run roughshod over our democracy.”
But it hasn’t been signed, and the fight continues!
14 November is another Nationwide Day of Action against the TPPA!”
Kerikeri – 2:30pm at Kerikeri Library
Auckland – 1:00pm at Myers Park
Hamilton – 1:00pm by Cock and Bull Te Rapa
Tauranga – 11:00am at Red Square
Rotorua – 1:00pm, location TBC
Gisborne – 1:00pm, location TBC
Palmerston North – 1:00pm, location TBC
Wellington – 1pm at Midland Park
Christchurch – 1pm, location TBC
More locations to come http://itsourfuture.org.nz/campaigns/its-not-over-14-november-nationwide-day-of-action/
“The provision also states that member governments will not be forced to change regulations even if they lose lawsuits from foreign businesses.”
Yes. Devil in the detail.
Take-home message: Russians much better at getting away with war crimes than Americans.
Mind you, the Syrian “government” is no slouch:
Physicians for Human Rights said it had documented 313 attacks on medical facilities and the deaths of 679 medical personnel in Syria since protests against the regime of Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011 until the end of August 2015. “Syrian government forces have been responsible for more than 90% of these attacks,” the organisation said.
What a complete shambles, very depressing we can only imagine how bad it must be for those living there while we continuing to bleat about our lot back in NZ.
Is that the measure we set for ourselves Doc? As long as we are not Syria or India we should shut up and question nothing? I know how lucky I am to be here in NZ Doc, but I also know a number for whom each day is a struggle in NZ.
Nothing more irritating than the old “you should be more grateful, at least you’re not living in India/Syria/Afghanistan/ add-any-impoverished- war-torn country- here”.
A stock standard line for the RWer. Not only does it insult the citizens of that country named, it suggests a person is incapable of standing up to attempt to get their own needs met AND have compassion for others who are suffering in different circumstances from themselves.
A classic example of dichotomous thinking. The logic behind this kind of thinking is “I struggle week to week, I am depressed and unwell and can’t get help but I should just STFU because there are people in other countries worse off than me.”
Northshore Doc: It’s possible for a person to consider both their own needs, their country’s needs and the needs of others in other countries while understanding that they differ greatly and all suffering is relative.
+1 Rosie
I shall use your “suffering isn’t a contest” next time I hear someone bleating on about how it is so much worse in other countries. Those of us who are concerned about the poor and disadvantaged in NZ are also the ones who are concerned about injustice and poverty elsewhere in the world.
There’s no need to be nasty and I don’t know what you are saying “diddums” too. I don’t know what part of my comment would provoke a “diddums”. Can you please explain?
You know, sometimes, for someone in the health profession you have some strange ideas about compassion. I hope you don’t tell your patients who are unwell, and struggling to cope with their financial situations “don’t worry, it could be worse, you could be a Syrian refugee”.
Kia kaha Rosie. You are one of the few “must read” contributors on the Standard for me.
[lprent: For me as well. However Dr Mengele is actually keeping within the policy bounds for OpenMike. His comment(s) express his opinion even if they are pointed abuse. ]
It’s quite funny, doc’s last comment. I think he spends more time on TS than I do. I don’t know when he spend time with his patients.
(Glad I don’t have someone like him for a Doctor. We both went into a mini period of mourning after last years election defeat, during a consult. He knows what harm this govt has done. He see’s it in his surgery)
Take-home message: Russians much better at getting away with war crimes than Americans. Mind you, the Syrian “government” is no slouch:
Very good point. I’ve seen a few reports on tv and in online news articles that Russia and/or Syrian forces have bombed hospitals of late. But they don’t get anything like the days of tv and newspaper reports of follow up interviews, demands for explanations & apologies, calls for independent investigations that the US airforce’s attack on Kunduz did. Curious really, you’d think the Western press would be all over these situations.
It’s still a situation where Russia and Assad have the initiative and are controlling events there though. The West still has a problem determining how much support they can safely give the “moderate” opposition fighters, because there really aren’t too many “moderates” there from what I can see
Although all the analysts I’ve read say that win or lose Assad has no future, the sad reality is nobody yet has been able to describe any realistic form of stable unitary government that might succeed him. And ISIS has firmly embedded itself into the communities of the areas it controls. Driving them out must necessarily involve yet more masses of refugees and civilian casualties.
Assad’s Regime and Putin’s Russia don’t much pretend to be better than they are. Evil bastards doing evil things in the pursuit of power doesn’t have far to go as a story. However, with the hypocrisy of the US claiming to be all for; democracy and human rights, then bombing hospitals and weddings, that story just has more legs for a journalist.
[edit] Also the rendition of US captives to Assad’s Syria last decade for the purposes of torture just adds to the hypocrisy.
Very good point. I’ve seen a few reports on tv and in online news articles that Russia and/or Syrian forces have bombed hospitals of late. But they don’t get anything like the days of tv and newspaper reports of follow up interviews, demands for explanations & apologies, calls for independent investigations that the US airforce’s attack on Kunduz did.
Firstly, Russia has declared that it will not airstrike civilian targets like mosques and hospitals, *even if they are being used as military bases or staging points by Islamists*.
Secondly, the reason that western media has not been “all over” the reports of such attacks is that most of them won’t stand up to scrutiny.
Thirdly, the United States and its allies have funded and equipped a destructive, multi-year proxy war against Assad, completely against international norms and international law.
The West still has a problem determining how much support they can safely give the “moderate” opposition fighters, because there really aren’t too many “moderates” there from what I can see
Well the US has changed its strategy from “training and equipping” fighters in Syria to simply equipping them – via blind parachute drops of munitions and hoping they don’t fall into the wrong hands. Ridiculous.
Firstly, Russia has declared that it will not airstrike civilian targets like mosques and hospitals, *even if they are being used as military bases or staging points by Islamists*.
Secondly, the reason that western media has not been “all over” the reports of such attacks is that most of them won’t stand up to scrutiny.Hard to say
For starters: how exactly does a small volunteer group of medics can tell whether it was an American, French, UK or Russian airstrike which hit a hospital. Especially as Russian planes are staying above 5000m altitude during missions in order to avoid MANPAD fire from infantry.
Secondly this statement from their press release:
“Bashar al-Assad’s forces have been relentlessly attacking Syria’s health care system for the past four years and the Russian government is now following in their footsteps,” said Widney Brown, PHR’s director of programs. –
These are weasel words. Assad and his father *built* Syria’s public health system. The US and its allies Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar have been fuelling a massive war against Assad.
By the way I have no doubt that Assad’s forces have shelled medical facilities previously – just as I have no doubt that the Islamists have done so. After all, entire towns in Syria have been levelled to roughly 1m high.
Assad doesn’t have any fighter-bombers. The only bombs his forces have been able to drop have been barrel bombs, dropped from helicopters. If bombs are hitting these hospitals, they’ve come from bombers. And at times when the Russians have confirmed they were conducting air operations in those locations.
So describe to me again how medical doctor volunteers for PHR managed to conclusively decide – and then definitively state- that the airstrikes were Russian, but not US, French, or UK?
Or is it just as you say – the Russians have started bombing, so these bombs must have been Russian?
To cut to the chase – PHR might very well be an NGO funded by the US Gov. I have not seen any other group corroborate their claims about multiple hospitals being hit by Russian forces.
How do they know the strikes were not by US, French or UK aircraft? Because they’re hitting areas where and when the Western coalition’s aircraft are not operating. How do we know they’re not operating there? Because the Russians would be telling everybody if they were.
The Russians only operate a few SU-35s in Syria; the bulk of their attack force are much older SU-24 and Su-25s.
How do we know they’re not operating there? Because the Russians would be telling everybody if they were.
?
I’m surprised that you think you know what info the Russians would release about US airstrikes and what they wouldn’t, but OK.
By the way the Russians have brought high tech surveillance and recon gear to Syria (via Foreign Policy journal). I agree that if hospitals were hit by the Russians, it would have been a fully deliberate and conscious choice.
I’m surprised you think the Russians would keep quiet about seeing Western Alliance aircraft in the vicinity of where they were operating, and then not mention it when they were being accused of bombing hospitals. But then, there you go. I suppose if everything is a devious US plot that would be a logical conclusion.
(Looks like there were four SU-30SM’s sent to Syria, not SU-35’s. They do look a bit alike.)
you’ll notice that Russia doesn’t bother to respond directly to most of the noise in the western MSM.
Re: “devious US plot”
the US has confirmed CIA backed anti-Assad fighters in the field, and wilkileaks has produced US diplomatic cables detailing how best to destabilise Syria.
Yes, sure, it most certainly does count in your favour in the situation we’re discussing if those diplomatic cables suggest that to destabilise Syria the US and/or allied aircraft should bomb hospitals at the exact same time and location as Russian aircraft are carrying out ground attacks.
Basically, PHR claims to know for certain that all those hospitals were definitely hit by Russian airstrikes, and not by any US, UK, or French planes. In fact they don’t even mention the possibility.
I have a very simple question – where did an organisation of volunteer medics on the ground get that information from?
How can you tell a “good” airstrike from a “bad” airstrike?
From the War Nerd:
Now for the next accusation, that the Russian strikes are brutal.
Well, yeah, they are. That’s the general idea. I don’t mean to be flippant here, but air strikes only look neat when you stay up there and watch from the pilot’s angle…
As a rule, you can tell when the media approve of air strikes by the angle. If it’s all nice clean pilot’s-view of distant explosions, it’s a good strike. If they show you funerals, weeping relatives, blasted apartments, it’s a bad strike. So you can tell, just from the headline—“This Is What the Russian Air Strikes in Syria Look Like from the Ground”—that it’s a bad strike…When the strike is done by our own airforce, you still don’t see them unless you go to foreign or marginal leftist sites. But boy do they start popping up when it’s the Russians playing their air-to-ground video games.
There are a total of 29 photographs here, and three-quarters of them are of the pity-inspiring variety. First photo, a ruined neighborhood; second, column of smoke; third, weeping old woman; fourth, civilian car covered with rubble; fifth, horrible scythe-shaped cluster munitions; sixth, a wounded civilian being carried to hospital…
It’s not that there’s anything false about these images. They’re a pretty good montage of the horror of an air strike…Russians are bombing more or less the way all the other foreign air forces in Syria are bombing.
Check out this PHR press release on the Kunduz MSF incident where US forces assaulted the hospital for over half an hour.
1) Count how many times PHR rhetorically attacks the US Government or US military for the incident by name. (None).
2) Note how the last 1/3 of the PHR press release on the Kunduz MSF incident in AFGHANISTAN somehow manages to turn into an attack on the SYRIAN Government.
Read it. The fact it came out too soon, bought the original US line about “collateral damage” and was never followed up by another one specifically condemning the yanks once the US admitted it was them, and that they’d attacked the hospital for an hour, doesn’t mean they are wrong about the Russians and Syrian forces attacking Syrian hospitals.
The US and Western alliance in Syria has been completely stymied which is hardly surprising as they have no idea what they’re doing there or all the forces in play. But Assad and the Russians are going to kill thousands taking back control of people who don’t want to be under his control. The place has become a hell-hole with no discernible satisfactory outcome likely.
Edit: Putin’s bottom line is that the Western Alliance must stop supporting the opposition forces attacking Assad’s forces before Russia will join them in joint attacks on ISIL forces. He is so far most in control of the situation there, apart from the Kurds in the North.
Yes, the Russians and the Syrian Army are going to kill a lot of people in the next few weeks. It will be very unpleasant.
Worth remembering that perhaps 2/3 of the people who have fled the fighting in Syria have fled to Assad-controlled areas.
My view is that Russia/Assad are trying to build a viable coastal Alawite/minorities sector of Syria and that they will leave the inland areas to ISIL/Al Nusra.
Read it. The fact it came out too soon, bought the original US line about “collateral damage” and was never followed up by another one specifically condemning the yanks once the US admitted it was them
The line in that press release which fingered it as BS was where PHR called on “all parties” in the conflict to show restraint. When the incident could only have been a US airstrike, deliberate or accidental.
And the last 1/3 of a press release on Afghanistan pivoting to become an attack on the Syrian Government.
I will go with the War Nerd’s conclusions around this – only Russia currently has an air campaign which makes any strategic sense. The US/coalition air campaign doesn’t have strategic cohesion which is why it has accomplished so little against ISIL in the last year plus.
btw I suspect Putin will not be counting on the West and its allies to stop supporting anti-Assad fighters, and will instead just burn them out, sector by sector, including with heavy weapons such as illegal cluster munitions.
Worth remembering that perhaps 2/3 of the people who have fled the fighting in Syria have fled to Assad-controlled areas.
Yes, I read that somewhere too a few days ago, but only in one article, and I haven’t been able to find it again. I found it a bit hard to believe to be honest. I’m not saying it’s wrong but I’ve not had much success in finding any source that shows where all the reported 11 million internally displaced refugees have gone.
I agree with your btw. I think Vlad the Lad is just twisting the knife there for a bit of fun. He knows he’s on stronger ground than they are.
Firstly, Russia has declared that it will not airstrike civilian targets like mosques and hospitals, *even if they are being used as military bases or staging points by Islamists*.
The country that declared it didn’t have any troops in the Crimea or in Ukraine also declares it doesn’t destroy hospitals, despite having bombed four of them? Quelle surprise.
Thirdly, the United States and its allies have funded and equipped a destructive, multi-year proxy war against Assad, completely against international norms and international law.
Your tinfoil hat is very fetching, but isn’t really relevant to the fact Assad and Putin have been bombing hospitals and other medical facilities.
To see the tinfoil hat, try seeing the American Revolution as “France funded and equipped a destructive, multi-year proxy war against George III” – there’s a way in which you could kind of see the conflict that way, but only if you have a very bizarrely misplaced sense of what’s significant.
So now you are arguing that Putin is adept in the art of deception.
Which makes Russia’s declaration “that it will not airstrike civilian targets like mosques and hospitals, *even if they are being used as military bases or staging points by Islamists*” at best unreliable.
It’s something they threw out for gullible little putinestas to regurgitate because if Fox News is bad, RT must be true. The hegemonic enemy of my hegemonic enemy must be the benevolent liberator of the oppressed…
McFlock, only one country in the world has “hegemonic” aspirations. Its the one with over 800 military bases (or almost double that number depending on how you categorise a ‘military base’) in over 50 countries.
only one country in the world has “hegemonic” aspirations
lol
So now I’m not sure whether you’re really that naive, or that you’re simply scurrying away from the two contradictory positions you’ve established.
Your first counter to the proposition”Russians [are] much better at getting away with war crimes than Americans” was that Russia has declared that it will not airstrike civilian targets like mosques and hospitals, yet a few comments later you are praising Putin’s willingness to deceive in order to further his (absolutely non-hegemonic /sarc) geopolitical interests as being akin to something out of Sun Tzu.
Neither Russia nor China have global imperial intentions.
Then why is China making aircraft carriers? Don’t need those for home waters defense. Why does Russia want to keep its port in the med? Doesn’t need that for home defense.
We both know I’m referring to the Russian soldiers operating without identifying badges who were involved in the annexation – although, I’m sure that for you they didn’t exist because the Russian government has said they didn’t.
Here is some reading for Hekia Parata and David Seymour.
“CHARTER SCHOOL BLACK HOLE: SPECIAL INVESTIGATION
REVEALS HUGE GAPS IN PUBLIC INFO ON TAXPAYER MONEY SPENT”
A REPORTERS’ GUIDE by the Center for Media and Democracy
“:The study attributes this lack of accountability “to the way the charter industry has been built by proponents, favoring ‘flexibility’ over rules.”
“That flexibility has allowed an epidemic of fraud, waste, and mismanagement that would not be tolerated in public schools,” CMD states, noting that charters “are often policed—if they are really policed at all—by charter proponents, both within government agencies and within private entities tasked with oversight.”
How many more times will the National Govt follow flawed policy from overseas even when the evidence of the failure of that policy is readily available! Why do National wilfully ignore any evidence that contradicts their chosen plan?
Is it stupidity or deceitfulness …or both?
Parata and Seymour are well aware of this as that’s why this policy exists and it’s pinned to the national subsidary ACT’s donkeys tail for spin and distancing purposes.
More enrichment of a select few at taxpayers expense and deliberately excluded from the OIA.
They’re not ingoring the evidence they’re relying on it.
Why do National wilfully ignore any evidence that contradicts their chosen plan?
Does it contradict their plan? Seems to me that it’s working as National would want it to as it transfers huge amounts of public money into private profit. They don’t seem to care if we get any services from that expenditure.
The end of an era.
The Tories yesterday voted to reduce the voting powers Scottish MPs in Westminster.
Since 1707, when Great Britain was formed from the Union of England and Scotland, every MP had an equal vote. Yesterday that ended. This will accelerate the campaign for full Scottish Independence.
“Labour’s Gerald Kaufman, the longest-serving member of the house, declared “a day of shame for the House of Commons”. He decried the debate as “one of the nastiest, most unpleasant I have attended in 45 years”, prompted by “a government with no respect for the House.”
Fantastic thanks Northsider. I’ll take a look when I get a chance this arvo. The Scots political blog Bella Caledonia might have some good commentary on this too, in a few days time:
The cynical bit in the whole thing is that if there is a Labour or Labour/ SNP government in Westminster, then said government may well be unable to pass legislation for England and Wales. ie, the Tory opposition in England and Wales might have the numbers to defeat any legislation that falls within the scope of EVEL. Any Labour or SNP/Labour government would essentially need a majority in excess of 59 (the number of Scottish seats).
It is what a number of Tory grandees want. Tim Bell, Thatcher’s AdMan, said as much in an interview during the recent election count. They see Northrn Ireland under joint governance with the Republic and Scotland no longer a source of oil income. Rather than wait for the constitutional reshape that will happen when NI and Scotland finally go, these Tories want to own all the levers of the constitutional process and shape the stand-alone England (including the county called Wales) into a Tory Valhalla.
The SNP knows this and will play it to their advantage. Many of those who voted to stay in the UK in the Independence Referendum will see this as a betrayal of the “Vow” made to them by Cameron and Brown, the Tories and Labour.
WHICH ‘developers, company directors, property valuers and lawyers’ are allegedly involved in this ‘large scale Auckland mortgage fraud’ being currently investigated by the SFO?
_______________________________________________________
‘Large scale’ Auckland mortgage fraud
Thursday, 22 October 2015
The New Zealand Herald
The Serious Fraud Office says Auckland’s property market and the scale of commercial developments is a ‘key environmental risk’.
The Serious Fraud Office is investigating large-scale mortgage fraud in the Auckland property market involving developers, company directors, property valuers and lawyers.
“Auckland’s property market and the scale of impending commercial developments represent a key environmental risk,” the SFO said in its 2015 annual report released this week.
“We have invested significant resources into investigating a large-scale mortgage fraud involving highly organised teams of property developers, shell company directors, property valuers and lawyers.”
The SFO, which aims to reduce the impact of serious financial crime on both the economy and the public, said the investigation is ongoing and declined further comment.
______________________________________________
Penny Bright
The Taranaki Daily News reported on Keys visit to New Plymouth yesterday. Having a close involvement in the oil & gas industry I was surprised by the contradictory quotes by our PM. My understanding is that there will be no off-shore “prospecting” activity around NZ this summer and very little land based “prospecting” activity.
I called the journalist at the newspaper and enquired as to what he believed the PM was referring to when he spoke about “prospecting” activity and how busy the industry would be. Surprise, surprise he couldn’t tell me, although he wrote the story!
Take a look for yourself and decide if our PM is simply full of it!
The issuing of exploration licences and the time-frame involved to utilise the licence is under review. Explorers – new or established – will not be coming here this summer. Yet Key had this to say yesterday;
” This summer is expected to be the biggest season in prospecting we’ve seen around NZ”.
Hmmm. Yeah, I dunno now. All I can find in that herald report is a one liner that says “New permits will be announced in December.” I thought maybe they’d be all set up to go on receipt of a licence but doesn’t sound right.
So, don’t know. Seems an odd thing to do to promise a busy summer of exploration if it’s not happening. PM’s a known fibber. But then, who knows what he said. The reporter doesn’t exactly sound like a bright spark either.
The reporter told me he had it all on tape, hence the quotation marks in his story. I suggested he call PEPANZ the industries lobby group – similar to Federated Farmers I would imagine – to clarify the PM’s comments.
He promised that he would along with enquiries to the PM’s office.
Once again a classic example of shoddy journalism.
The Prime Minister said it so it must be right.
I’ve been accused of being PC often enough when objecting to the more offensive utterences of others (retard, gay, slut, nigger etc). A lot depends on context, but it does seem to come down to basic courtesy, and recognising that others are as human as yourself. This Guardian article is a good examination of that term, though I feel that it is more; defense of privilege, and habit, rather than fear that lies at the heart for most.
if the antithesis of some dreaded oversensitivity is spewing vile, hateful and venomous rhetoric about people who are leading movements both big and small to strengthen and enhance all of humanity, then, at a bare minimum, we are going to need a little more sensitivity.
But there is the fear of “political correctness”, and then there is the reality of what’s considered politically acceptable. It is not politically correct to recognize and honor the lives of undocumented immigrants and their children in this day and age…
It is not politically correct to object to the gender pay gap…
It is not politically correct to highlight the fact that black and brown people are violently profiled, discriminated against and underrepresented in government and industry…
It is not politically correct to ensure that transgender people are the arbiters of their own experience, and believe that they should be deferred to on matters of their safety and livelihood…
We are more interesting and nuanced as a culture and a society when we both recognize and value our variances and seek to include rather than exclude.
Right now, that feels a little politically incorrect to say.
Gordon Campbell writes about the retrograde nature of the TPP wrt copyright.
” At a time when the US courts are making a case for the defence of “fair use” and “transformative” use” and are loudly re-stating the over-riding “public good” arguments for a limited copyright term, the US entertainment industry moguls – and their political cronies – are headed in the opposite direction, and are intent on maximising their commercial gains and elevating them above all other relevant issues.
The ‘free trade’ banner is being abused by these US companies to roll back the losses they’ve been suffering in court over the past decade. Regularly, the multinationals have lost even the civil actions they have taken – eg Viacom vs Youtube – over alleged copyright infringement.”
……
“Genius, as the writer Lewis Hyde once said, needs to “tinker in a collective shop”. In the misleading name of ‘free’ trade, the TPP is trying to shut that shop down to new entrants. ” http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1510/S00047/gordon-campbell-on-copyright-the-authors-guild-case-tpp.htm
TPP is NOT a free trade agreement! March on 14 November!
And more of Jo Moir’s anti-Labour mischief-making, repeating her baseless allegation that Andrew Little “snubbed” Ardern in reappointing Annette King as deputy.
Good read and ideas around organising, but I fear that unless industry agreements are reached – something along the lines of the old award bargaining system – the union movement will continue to chase it’s tail.
If my comment has been deliberately removed I’m amazed and amused. Clearly only certain types of agitation are acceptable (I will go away and read the about policy too).
The head post is not about the process but about the failure of the public to accept the PM’s enthusiasm to change the flag.
I simply pointed out that Labour had the same view that we should review the options. There is no difference except a fierce determination that no such nation(al) building should happen under Key.
[lprent: It was deliberately removed to OpenMike. We permit diversions. But when you are commenting on a post, then comment on the topic of the post. This one also moved to OpenMike becasue it appears to be all about your habit of self pleasuring while writing. That is the last time I will exert myself to educate a idiot troll. ]
Divisive characters tend to have that effect on people (Thirty percent of the electorate is not a consensus.) Your argument ignores other far more substantive concerns.
Will Jesse Mulligan give this monster the treatment he deserves?
Or will he let him dominate and chortle complicitly, as Paul Holmes did ten years ago?
in 2005, the massively over-rated British and Irish Lions coach Clive Woodward appointed Tony Blair’s disgraced hitman Alistair Campbell as manager of the team. At the team’s first training session, in Albany, Paul Holmes dared to ask him about his role in the death of Dr David Kelly. Campbell contemptuously brushed him off.
Now Campbell is back on our radar. This intriguing little notice appeared on the Radio NZ website recently….
COMING UP ON JESSE MULLIGAN, 1–4PM
3:10 pm Tuesday 27 October:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Alistair Campbell
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Strategy, leadership and teamship. This is the Holy Trinity of winning according to Alistair Campbell who helped Tony Blair win three terms as British Prime Minister as his press secretary His position gave him access to winning business leaders, athletes, artists and politicians. His new book, Winners: And How They Succeed examines the qualities of everyone from Richard Branson and Sir Clive Woodward to Bill Gates and the Queen to identify what it takes to win.
Trougher group spending up large on taxpayer as their sense of entitlement.
Key warns of excessive hotel bills coming up for MPs to be able to get to RWC.
Mmmmm we’re currently travelling around S.E. England and using Booking.com for our accommodation needs and securing Wonderful double rooms breakfast included for around $200 per night. Car hire is very reasonable so staying in the Home Counties increases accommodation choices.
How did these people manage to secure tickets in the first place anyway?
Prick never ‘packed down’ in his life. Making up for it with a feast of ‘packing off’ now.
What a piece of shit. This is Marie Antoinette stuff ! Mind you…..he’s a good man……giving us ‘fair warning’. Yeah Yeah Yeah…..Trev’ from the Herald knows…..she’s probably there too, as per…..where there’s a Key there’s always a Trev’.
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
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 ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Two-thirds of the country think that “New Zealand’s economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. They also believe that “New Zealand needs a strong leader to take the country back from the rich and powerful”. These are just two of a handful of stunning new survey results released ...
In today’s digital world, screenshots have become an indispensable tool for communication and documentation. Whether you need to capture an important email, preserve a website page, or share an error message, screenshots allow you to quickly and easily preserve digital information. If you’re an Asus laptop user, there are several ...
A factory reset restores your Gateway laptop to its original factory settings, erasing all data, apps, and personalizations. This can be necessary to resolve software issues, remove viruses, or prepare your laptop for sale or transfer. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to factory reset your Gateway laptop: Method 1: ...
“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
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 ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 - ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
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ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
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Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
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Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
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With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
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Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
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By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
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How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
Vanity project in trouble.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11533644
Time to find a new distraction?
And Bennett responds with a. ” Look over there Filthy HNZ tenants turning down houses, why? Because the birds sing too loudly”
Fark she is a nasty piece of work, the worst kind of Politician. The pull the ladder up behind me type.
Mentioned yesterday, the NON- story deputy Leader, King v Ardern got traction in MSM purely to distract from Key’s flacid flagpole, what will they conjure up next? Be prepared, it will be even more ridiculous….I can’t wait
… what will they conjure up next?
They already have. Their most noxious female minister, Paula Bennett is on the benny bashing trail again. This time it’s state house tenants. That should be good C/T fodder for the Tory media. Let’s give the bludgers a miserable Xmas… it’s all they deserve.
God, what a truly vile woman.
I hear people saying they won’t vote National (any more) because of her, so let’s hope she keeps it up. She is all that is National, in fact all those dreadful female National Ministers are from the same “mould”!
Declining water quality and increasing emissions.
We have too many cows.
‘But there has been a decline in water quality and a 42 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2013.
It also found damage to land from more intensive dairy farming was a significant problem.
Prime Minister John Key said farmers needed to continue to work on reducing their environmental footprint.
“They are doing that – you are seeing them fencing off all of their waterways and by 2017 that will be compulsory, you are seeing dramatic changes in the way they treat effluent playing out so there is clearly more work to be done.”‘
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/287638/environment-report-depressing-opposition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV04zyfLyN4
New Zealand – beholden to Climate deniers since the 1990s.
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/hot-air-2014
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4fOcNiusRg
We must gear rid of capitalism if we want to solve cliamte change.
Naomi Klein.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpuSt_ST4_U
Naomi Klein at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5LuIAJEFUc
“It’s just incredible to me. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
That’s what Jessica Blunden, a climate scientist with the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told the New York Times in an interview following the agency’s release on Wednesday of new figures showing that last month was the hottest September since records began and offered further confirmation that 2015 will ultimately be the hottest year experienced in modern human history.”
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/10/22/never-seen-anything-2015-set-be-hottest-year-record
Article shows graphs of monthly temperatures of last few years
shows list of Billion dollar weather disasters around the world for this year SO FAR.
Thanks Paul. Watched all of the first three. Like all big big problems it is not only hard to get our heads around but even harder to figure out what we little unimportant people can do about it. Government will not act on long term solutions because it would upset the business of market forces.
Deforestation. Dairying. Fossil fuels. Ugh!
It’s not that it would upset market forces but that a few people wouldn’t be able to get rich from doing the same thing that they’ve always done. They’d have to actually spend money on developing the industry.
The problem with Cowspiracy is that it misrepresents the positions of multiple organisations.
The more I hear about this film the worse its reputation gets. It’s also apparently plays fast and loose with the facts on many levels.
edit, just seen that that Greenpeace article is written by a long term vegan. Heh.
Didn’t yourself and Philip Ure have a real humdinger of an argument over this doco? I think thats where I remember the name from……..
Indeed Rosie, although it was more a case of me making an argument and phil posting a series of ad hominems 😉
Yes, I remember his style well…………………..
I also remember being put off watching Cowspiracy. Bit of a silly name too
It’s a pity because the points that it raises about livestock being a major problem is a serious concern and we need to address it but telling lies and misrepresenting other peoples actual position detracts from that message. It leaves people asking Well, if they lied about that then what else did they lie about? rather than them taking on the message and working to produce solutions.
Yep. And it’s a real shame to see the promotion it’s getting by people who are unwilling to look at the film critically. This is the problem with starting from a place of dogmatic ideology, it skews one’s ability to assess things.
1. “TPP sets time limit on corporate suits against states”
The Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact limits the period for foreign companies to file damages lawsuits against host states over sudden regulatory changes to 3½ years, it was learned Wednesday.
The limit, included in a TPP provision on investor-state dispute settlement, is designed to prevent abuse of litigation by multinational businesses.
The provision also states that member governments will not be forced to change regulations even if they lose lawsuits from foreign businesses.”
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/10/22/business/tpp-sets-time-limit-corporate-suits-foreign-states/#.Vikjln4rLDd
*The last sentence means that countries can retain their sovereignty- but they might have to pay dearly for it!
2. Connolly To Press WH For Early 2016 TPP Vote; Fears GOP Defections
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) said Wednesday (Oct. 21) that he plans to drive home the message to the Obama administration that it must bring a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) implementing bill to a congressional vote within the first two or three months of 2016 or risk delaying the vote until the lame-duck session after the November elections. http://insidetrade.com/
Sorry, no time to read your links at this stage, who leaked it do you think?
The political tradeoffs have been done and the text has now been sent to Tokyo to undergo the ‘legal scrubbing’ process. I guess the Japan Times were given the info.
TPPA . “As we expected there are very few trade benefits, while the deal gives corporates and foreign investors a lot of power to run roughshod over our democracy.”
But it hasn’t been signed, and the fight continues!
14 November is another Nationwide Day of Action against the TPPA!”
Kerikeri – 2:30pm at Kerikeri Library
Auckland – 1:00pm at Myers Park
Hamilton – 1:00pm by Cock and Bull Te Rapa
Tauranga – 11:00am at Red Square
Rotorua – 1:00pm, location TBC
Gisborne – 1:00pm, location TBC
Palmerston North – 1:00pm, location TBC
Wellington – 1pm at Midland Park
Christchurch – 1pm, location TBC
More locations to come
http://itsourfuture.org.nz/campaigns/its-not-over-14-november-nationwide-day-of-action/
“…while the deal gives corporates and foreign investors a lot of power to run roughshod over our democracy.”
and widens the door for increased corporate and foreign investor dominance of government funded contracts.
And why not?
According to Auntie “kick the ladder” Paula, these are “a “double A rated, Government guaranteed investment product”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11533295
Contracts loaded and locked, then sue our collective arses when they fail and we try, through democracy, to put them right.
Housing. Health Care. Disability Care. Child Protection. Early Childhood Education. Work Testing. Mental Health. ACC. Prisons.
There’s a recurring theme here….
Thanks TMM for the list of protest dates, times, locations.
So if you pass stuff that comes into effect in 3 and 3/4 years they can’t sue as they have had sufficent notice?
3.5 years is a long time for a company though. They can get proceedings issued in hours. I wonder what the definition of “sudden” is going to be?
“The provision also states that member governments will not be forced to change regulations even if they lose lawsuits from foreign businesses.”
Yes. Devil in the detail.
A good read for the blog’s resident Assad/Putin enthusiasts: Four Syrian hospitals bombed since Russian air strikes began, doctors say.
Take-home message: Russians much better at getting away with war crimes than Americans.
Mind you, the Syrian “government” is no slouch:
“Russians much better at getting away with war crimes than Americans.”
History suggest that they both are pretty adept at getting away with them. It’s all a fucking mess. And still the innocent keep dying.
@PM
What a complete shambles, very depressing we can only imagine how bad it must be for those living there while we continuing to bleat about our lot back in NZ.
Is that the measure we set for ourselves Doc? As long as we are not Syria or India we should shut up and question nothing? I know how lucky I am to be here in NZ Doc, but I also know a number for whom each day is a struggle in NZ.
Nothing more irritating than the old “you should be more grateful, at least you’re not living in India/Syria/Afghanistan/ add-any-impoverished- war-torn country- here”.
A stock standard line for the RWer. Not only does it insult the citizens of that country named, it suggests a person is incapable of standing up to attempt to get their own needs met AND have compassion for others who are suffering in different circumstances from themselves.
A classic example of dichotomous thinking. The logic behind this kind of thinking is “I struggle week to week, I am depressed and unwell and can’t get help but I should just STFU because there are people in other countries worse off than me.”
Northshore Doc: It’s possible for a person to consider both their own needs, their country’s needs and the needs of others in other countries while understanding that they differ greatly and all suffering is relative.
Suffering isn’t a contest.
+1 Rosie
I shall use your “suffering isn’t a contest” next time I hear someone bleating on about how it is so much worse in other countries. Those of us who are concerned about the poor and disadvantaged in NZ are also the ones who are concerned about injustice and poverty elsewhere in the world.
I think the word I’m looking for in response to you is diddums Rosie.
Or perhaps 🙄 will suffice.
Um. What?
There’s no need to be nasty and I don’t know what you are saying “diddums” too. I don’t know what part of my comment would provoke a “diddums”. Can you please explain?
You know, sometimes, for someone in the health profession you have some strange ideas about compassion. I hope you don’t tell your patients who are unwell, and struggling to cope with their financial situations “don’t worry, it could be worse, you could be a Syrian refugee”.
No I usually tell them something like…
‘Don’t worry things could be worse you could be a dreary moaner who spends their life on political blogs.”
Are there any moderators out there?
This is beyond offensive.
Kia kaha Rosie. You are one of the few “must read” contributors on the Standard for me.
[lprent: For me as well. However Dr Mengele is actually keeping within the policy bounds for OpenMike. His comment(s) express his opinion even if they are pointed abuse. ]
spot on rosie, thank you.
Yep good comment Rosie
I appreciated it too Rosie, well done.
Thanks for your comments folks.
It’s quite funny, doc’s last comment. I think he spends more time on TS than I do. I don’t know when he spend time with his patients.
(Glad I don’t have someone like him for a Doctor. We both went into a mini period of mourning after last years election defeat, during a consult. He knows what harm this govt has done. He see’s it in his surgery)
Tracey I don’t know why you felt the need to put words in my mouth that I didn’t say ?
“I know how lucky I am to be here in NZ Doc, but I also know a number for whom each day is a struggle in NZ.”
Me too …your point ?
Take-home message: Russians much better at getting away with war crimes than Americans. Mind you, the Syrian “government” is no slouch:
Very good point. I’ve seen a few reports on tv and in online news articles that Russia and/or Syrian forces have bombed hospitals of late. But they don’t get anything like the days of tv and newspaper reports of follow up interviews, demands for explanations & apologies, calls for independent investigations that the US airforce’s attack on Kunduz did. Curious really, you’d think the Western press would be all over these situations.
It’s still a situation where Russia and Assad have the initiative and are controlling events there though. The West still has a problem determining how much support they can safely give the “moderate” opposition fighters, because there really aren’t too many “moderates” there from what I can see
Although all the analysts I’ve read say that win or lose Assad has no future, the sad reality is nobody yet has been able to describe any realistic form of stable unitary government that might succeed him. And ISIS has firmly embedded itself into the communities of the areas it controls. Driving them out must necessarily involve yet more masses of refugees and civilian casualties.
Assad’s Regime and Putin’s Russia don’t much pretend to be better than they are. Evil bastards doing evil things in the pursuit of power doesn’t have far to go as a story. However, with the hypocrisy of the US claiming to be all for; democracy and human rights, then bombing hospitals and weddings, that story just has more legs for a journalist.
[edit] Also the rendition of US captives to Assad’s Syria last decade for the purposes of torture just adds to the hypocrisy.
France, UK, USA, Russia have been running military flights and airstrikes into and out of Syria.
Only one of those countries asked for permission from the Syrian Government – Russia.
The others just decided to invade the airspace of another country…because they could.
Firstly, Russia has declared that it will not airstrike civilian targets like mosques and hospitals, *even if they are being used as military bases or staging points by Islamists*.
Secondly, the reason that western media has not been “all over” the reports of such attacks is that most of them won’t stand up to scrutiny.
Thirdly, the United States and its allies have funded and equipped a destructive, multi-year proxy war against Assad, completely against international norms and international law.
Well the US has changed its strategy from “training and equipping” fighters in Syria to simply equipping them – via blind parachute drops of munitions and hoping they don’t fall into the wrong hands. Ridiculous.
Firstly, Russia has declared that it will not airstrike civilian targets like mosques and hospitals, *even if they are being used as military bases or staging points by Islamists*.
Secondly, the reason that western media has not been “all over” the reports of such attacks is that most of them won’t stand up to scrutiny.Hard to say
I’m no fan of the US military or its commanders. But I don’t see any reason to believe the Russians aren’t hitting hospitals in the face of reports they have hit hospitals. Physicians for Human Rights doesn’t seem to be the sort of organisation likely to just be making it up:
http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/press/press-releases/russian-warplanes-strike-medical-facilities-in-syria.html
And even if the Russians are not deliberately targeting hospitals, you can bet Assad’s forces would have no qualms about doing so.
I don’t trust PHR’s statement on this.
For starters: how exactly does a small volunteer group of medics can tell whether it was an American, French, UK or Russian airstrike which hit a hospital. Especially as Russian planes are staying above 5000m altitude during missions in order to avoid MANPAD fire from infantry.
Secondly this statement from their press release:
These are weasel words. Assad and his father *built* Syria’s public health system. The US and its allies Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar have been fuelling a massive war against Assad.
By the way I have no doubt that Assad’s forces have shelled medical facilities previously – just as I have no doubt that the Islamists have done so. After all, entire towns in Syria have been levelled to roughly 1m high.
Assad doesn’t have any fighter-bombers. The only bombs his forces have been able to drop have been barrel bombs, dropped from helicopters. If bombs are hitting these hospitals, they’ve come from bombers. And at times when the Russians have confirmed they were conducting air operations in those locations.
So describe to me again how medical doctor volunteers for PHR managed to conclusively decide – and then definitively state- that the airstrikes were Russian, but not US, French, or UK?
Or is it just as you say – the Russians have started bombing, so these bombs must have been Russian?
To cut to the chase – PHR might very well be an NGO funded by the US Gov. I have not seen any other group corroborate their claims about multiple hospitals being hit by Russian forces.
This article explains how the people being bombed know that it’s Russian SU-35 fighters doing the bombing. One doctor (now resident in Germany) suggests maybe the Russians aren’t deliberately bombing hospitals but are bombing based on information from the Syrian army.
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/10/05/russians-blamed-for-attack-on-syrian-hospital.html
How do they know the strikes were not by US, French or UK aircraft? Because they’re hitting areas where and when the Western coalition’s aircraft are not operating. How do we know they’re not operating there? Because the Russians would be telling everybody if they were.
The Russians only operate a few SU-35s in Syria; the bulk of their attack force are much older SU-24 and Su-25s.
?
I’m surprised that you think you know what info the Russians would release about US airstrikes and what they wouldn’t, but OK.
By the way the Russians have brought high tech surveillance and recon gear to Syria (via Foreign Policy journal). I agree that if hospitals were hit by the Russians, it would have been a fully deliberate and conscious choice.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/10/06/spy-planes-signal-jammers-and-putins-high-tech-war-in-syria/
I’m surprised you think the Russians would keep quiet about seeing Western Alliance aircraft in the vicinity of where they were operating, and then not mention it when they were being accused of bombing hospitals. But then, there you go. I suppose if everything is a devious US plot that would be a logical conclusion.
(Looks like there were four SU-30SM’s sent to Syria, not SU-35’s. They do look a bit alike.)
you’ll notice that Russia doesn’t bother to respond directly to most of the noise in the western MSM.
Re: “devious US plot”
the US has confirmed CIA backed anti-Assad fighters in the field, and wilkileaks has produced US diplomatic cables detailing how best to destabilise Syria.
I presume that counts.
Yes, sure, it most certainly does count in your favour in the situation we’re discussing if those diplomatic cables suggest that to destabilise Syria the US and/or allied aircraft should bomb hospitals at the exact same time and location as Russian aircraft are carrying out ground attacks.
Do they do that, do you know?
I guess we’re going to keep doing this dance?
Basically, PHR claims to know for certain that all those hospitals were definitely hit by Russian airstrikes, and not by any US, UK, or French planes. In fact they don’t even mention the possibility.
I have a very simple question – where did an organisation of volunteer medics on the ground get that information from?
How can you tell a “good” airstrike from a “bad” airstrike?
From the War Nerd:
https://pando.com/2015/10/19/bombed-stupid/1a09532b73281d33b41afae34cc6d8cc1bf58b4c/
Sounds as ‘legitimate’ as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights’
That’s what I am thinking.
Check out this PHR press release on the Kunduz MSF incident where US forces assaulted the hospital for over half an hour.
1) Count how many times PHR rhetorically attacks the US Government or US military for the incident by name. (None).
2) Note how the last 1/3 of the PHR press release on the Kunduz MSF incident in AFGHANISTAN somehow manages to turn into an attack on the SYRIAN Government.
Make your own conclusions.
http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/press/press-releases/physicians-for-human-rights-condemns-attack-on-clinic-in-afghanistan.html
Read it. The fact it came out too soon, bought the original US line about “collateral damage” and was never followed up by another one specifically condemning the yanks once the US admitted it was them, and that they’d attacked the hospital for an hour, doesn’t mean they are wrong about the Russians and Syrian forces attacking Syrian hospitals.
They’re not so pro-US they don’t criticise them:
http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/issues/torture/us-torture/reports-on-torture.html
The US and Western alliance in Syria has been completely stymied which is hardly surprising as they have no idea what they’re doing there or all the forces in play. But Assad and the Russians are going to kill thousands taking back control of people who don’t want to be under his control. The place has become a hell-hole with no discernible satisfactory outcome likely.
Edit: Putin’s bottom line is that the Western Alliance must stop supporting the opposition forces attacking Assad’s forces before Russia will join them in joint attacks on ISIL forces. He is so far most in control of the situation there, apart from the Kurds in the North.
Yes, the Russians and the Syrian Army are going to kill a lot of people in the next few weeks. It will be very unpleasant.
Worth remembering that perhaps 2/3 of the people who have fled the fighting in Syria have fled to Assad-controlled areas.
My view is that Russia/Assad are trying to build a viable coastal Alawite/minorities sector of Syria and that they will leave the inland areas to ISIL/Al Nusra.
The line in that press release which fingered it as BS was where PHR called on “all parties” in the conflict to show restraint. When the incident could only have been a US airstrike, deliberate or accidental.
And the last 1/3 of a press release on Afghanistan pivoting to become an attack on the Syrian Government.
RE: your edit
I will go with the War Nerd’s conclusions around this – only Russia currently has an air campaign which makes any strategic sense. The US/coalition air campaign doesn’t have strategic cohesion which is why it has accomplished so little against ISIL in the last year plus.
btw I suspect Putin will not be counting on the West and its allies to stop supporting anti-Assad fighters, and will instead just burn them out, sector by sector, including with heavy weapons such as illegal cluster munitions.
Worth remembering that perhaps 2/3 of the people who have fled the fighting in Syria have fled to Assad-controlled areas.
Yes, I read that somewhere too a few days ago, but only in one article, and I haven’t been able to find it again. I found it a bit hard to believe to be honest. I’m not saying it’s wrong but I’ve not had much success in finding any source that shows where all the reported 11 million internally displaced refugees have gone.
I agree with your btw. I think Vlad the Lad is just twisting the knife there for a bit of fun. He knows he’s on stronger ground than they are.
A lot to Jordan, Iran, and Lebanon I think…relatively ‘few’ (though several hundred thousand) towards Europe.
Most internally displaced.
(AFAIK)
One presumes the people who have left Syria either had no choice or were mostly anti-Assad in inclination.
Firstly, Russia has declared that it will not airstrike civilian targets like mosques and hospitals, *even if they are being used as military bases or staging points by Islamists*.
The country that declared it didn’t have any troops in the Crimea or in Ukraine also declares it doesn’t destroy hospitals, despite having bombed four of them? Quelle surprise.
Thirdly, the United States and its allies have funded and equipped a destructive, multi-year proxy war against Assad, completely against international norms and international law.
Your tinfoil hat is very fetching, but isn’t really relevant to the fact Assad and Putin have been bombing hospitals and other medical facilities.
?
The Americans have made very well reported statements officially objecting to Russia hitting CIA backed forces in Syria.
To see the tinfoil hat, try seeing the American Revolution as “France funded and equipped a destructive, multi-year proxy war against George III” – there’s a way in which you could kind of see the conflict that way, but only if you have a very bizarrely misplaced sense of what’s significant.
And it remains irrelevant.
Correct – history will decide in 20, 50 or 100 years time what is significant out of this Syria issue.
?
Russia had 20,000 to 25,000 based troops in Crimea via treaty agreement with the Ukraine.
does that include the russian-speaking units who putin reckoned had been equipped by bulk shopping from army surplus stores?
Maybe Putin has been reading a copy of Sun Tzu gifted to him by Xi Jin Ping?
So now you are arguing that Putin is adept in the art of deception.
Which makes Russia’s declaration “that it will not airstrike civilian targets like mosques and hospitals, *even if they are being used as military bases or staging points by Islamists*” at best unreliable.
It’s something they threw out for gullible little putinestas to regurgitate because if Fox News is bad, RT must be true. The hegemonic enemy of my hegemonic enemy must be the benevolent liberator of the oppressed…
McFlock, only one country in the world has “hegemonic” aspirations. Its the one with over 800 military bases (or almost double that number depending on how you categorise a ‘military base’) in over 50 countries.
lol
So now I’m not sure whether you’re really that naive, or that you’re simply scurrying away from the two contradictory positions you’ve established.
Your first counter to the proposition”Russians [are] much better at getting away with war crimes than Americans” was that Russia has declared that it will not airstrike civilian targets like mosques and hospitals, yet a few comments later you are praising Putin’s willingness to deceive in order to further his (absolutely non-hegemonic /sarc) geopolitical interests as being akin to something out of Sun Tzu.
Neither Russia nor China have global imperial intentions.
As I said, only one world power does.
It is the one with over 800 military bases in over 50 countries.
Then why is China making aircraft carriers? Don’t need those for home waters defense. Why does Russia want to keep its port in the med? Doesn’t need that for home defense.
We both know I’m referring to the Russian soldiers operating without identifying badges who were involved in the annexation – although, I’m sure that for you they didn’t exist because the Russian government has said they didn’t.
oh yeah, the ‘little green men’ were pretty real…
Here is some reading for Hekia Parata and David Seymour.
“CHARTER SCHOOL BLACK HOLE: SPECIAL INVESTIGATION
REVEALS HUGE GAPS IN PUBLIC INFO ON TAXPAYER MONEY SPENT”
A REPORTERS’ GUIDE by the Center for Media and Democracy
“:The study attributes this lack of accountability “to the way the charter industry has been built by proponents, favoring ‘flexibility’ over rules.”
“That flexibility has allowed an epidemic of fraud, waste, and mismanagement that would not be tolerated in public schools,” CMD states, noting that charters “are often policed—if they are really policed at all—by charter proponents, both within government agencies and within private entities tasked with oversight.”
In fact, that oversight is so spotty that CMD’s investigation turned up dozens of “ghost” schools, where federal grants were awarded to charters that never even opened.”
http://www.prwatch.org/files/new_charter_school_black_hole_report_oct_21_2015.pdf
How many more times will the National Govt follow flawed policy from overseas even when the evidence of the failure of that policy is readily available! Why do National wilfully ignore any evidence that contradicts their chosen plan?
Is it stupidity or deceitfulness …or both?
+1
Parata and Seymour are well aware of this as that’s why this policy exists and it’s pinned to the national subsidary ACT’s donkeys tail for spin and distancing purposes.
More enrichment of a select few at taxpayers expense and deliberately excluded from the OIA.
They’re not ingoring the evidence they’re relying on it.
Does it contradict their plan? Seems to me that it’s working as National would want it to as it transfers huge amounts of public money into private profit. They don’t seem to care if we get any services from that expenditure.
The end of an era.
The Tories yesterday voted to reduce the voting powers Scottish MPs in Westminster.
Since 1707, when Great Britain was formed from the Union of England and Scotland, every MP had an equal vote. Yesterday that ended. This will accelerate the campaign for full Scottish Independence.
“Labour’s Gerald Kaufman, the longest-serving member of the house, declared “a day of shame for the House of Commons”. He decried the debate as “one of the nastiest, most unpleasant I have attended in 45 years”, prompted by “a government with no respect for the House.”
Interesting piece of news Northsider. Do you have a link/reference for that so we can learn more about it?
The new laws are called EVEL. English Votes for English Laws.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13890833.Tories_accused_of_driving_wedge_between_England_and_Scotland_with_new_Evel_rights_for_MPs/
http://beta.scotsman.com/news/politics/english-votes-for-english-laws-evel-passed-by-westminster-1-3925025
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11948829/MPs-back-English-only-votes-as-SNP-warns-it-will-trigger-end-of-union.html
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/22/commons-passes-english-vetoes-for-english-laws-plan
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707
Fantastic thanks Northsider. I’ll take a look when I get a chance this arvo. The Scots political blog Bella Caledonia might have some good commentary on this too, in a few days time:
http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/
This is a win-win for the Tories.
If Scotland is driven out of the Union, the rest of the UK will be ruled by Tories for decades.
The cynical bit in the whole thing is that if there is a Labour or Labour/ SNP government in Westminster, then said government may well be unable to pass legislation for England and Wales. ie, the Tory opposition in England and Wales might have the numbers to defeat any legislation that falls within the scope of EVEL. Any Labour or SNP/Labour government would essentially need a majority in excess of 59 (the number of Scottish seats).
It is what a number of Tory grandees want. Tim Bell, Thatcher’s AdMan, said as much in an interview during the recent election count. They see Northrn Ireland under joint governance with the Republic and Scotland no longer a source of oil income. Rather than wait for the constitutional reshape that will happen when NI and Scotland finally go, these Tories want to own all the levers of the constitutional process and shape the stand-alone England (including the county called Wales) into a Tory Valhalla.
The SNP knows this and will play it to their advantage. Many of those who voted to stay in the UK in the Independence Referendum will see this as a betrayal of the “Vow” made to them by Cameron and Brown, the Tories and Labour.
And No Right Turn:
http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2015/10/a-tory-veto-in-uk.html
Forgotten history: if New Zealanders remembered the refugees that filled their roads in 1863 & 1933, they might empathise with today’s Syrians: http://readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2015/10/new-zealands-road-of-refugees.html
WHICH ‘developers, company directors, property valuers and lawyers’ are allegedly involved in this ‘large scale Auckland mortgage fraud’ being currently investigated by the SFO?
_______________________________________________________
‘Large scale’ Auckland mortgage fraud
Thursday, 22 October 2015
The New Zealand Herald
The Serious Fraud Office says Auckland’s property market and the scale of commercial developments is a ‘key environmental risk’.
The Serious Fraud Office is investigating large-scale mortgage fraud in the Auckland property market involving developers, company directors, property valuers and lawyers.
“Auckland’s property market and the scale of impending commercial developments represent a key environmental risk,” the SFO said in its 2015 annual report released this week.
“We have invested significant resources into investigating a large-scale mortgage fraud involving highly organised teams of property developers, shell company directors, property valuers and lawyers.”
The SFO, which aims to reduce the impact of serious financial crime on both the economy and the public, said the investigation is ongoing and declined further comment.
______________________________________________
Penny Bright
Duplicate of your post to Open Mike yesterday http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-22102015/#comment-1085517
The Taranaki Daily News reported on Keys visit to New Plymouth yesterday. Having a close involvement in the oil & gas industry I was surprised by the contradictory quotes by our PM. My understanding is that there will be no off-shore “prospecting” activity around NZ this summer and very little land based “prospecting” activity.
I called the journalist at the newspaper and enquired as to what he believed the PM was referring to when he spoke about “prospecting” activity and how busy the industry would be. Surprise, surprise he couldn’t tell me, although he wrote the story!
Take a look for yourself and decide if our PM is simply full of it!
http://WWW.Stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/73296265/no-increase-in-oil-prices-any-time-soon-says-pm
This probably matches up with this announcement:
Govt releases new areas for oil and gas exploration:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11425029
The issuing of exploration licences and the time-frame involved to utilise the licence is under review. Explorers – new or established – will not be coming here this summer. Yet Key had this to say yesterday;
” This summer is expected to be the biggest season in prospecting we’ve seen around NZ”.
Where?
Hmmm. Yeah, I dunno now. All I can find in that herald report is a one liner that says “New permits will be announced in December.” I thought maybe they’d be all set up to go on receipt of a licence but doesn’t sound right.
So, don’t know. Seems an odd thing to do to promise a busy summer of exploration if it’s not happening. PM’s a known fibber. But then, who knows what he said. The reporter doesn’t exactly sound like a bright spark either.
The reporter told me he had it all on tape, hence the quotation marks in his story. I suggested he call PEPANZ the industries lobby group – similar to Federated Farmers I would imagine – to clarify the PM’s comments.
He promised that he would along with enquiries to the PM’s office.
Once again a classic example of shoddy journalism.
The Prime Minister said it so it must be right.
At least he agreed to chase it up. Be interesting to see if he gets back to you. Did he say he would?
I’ve been accused of being PC often enough when objecting to the more offensive utterences of others (retard, gay, slut, nigger etc). A lot depends on context, but it does seem to come down to basic courtesy, and recognising that others are as human as yourself. This Guardian article is a good examination of that term, though I feel that it is more; defense of privilege, and habit, rather than fear that lies at the heart for most.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/22/fear-lies-at-the-heart-of-opposition-to-political-correctness
Gordon Campbell writes about the retrograde nature of the TPP wrt copyright.
” At a time when the US courts are making a case for the defence of “fair use” and “transformative” use” and are loudly re-stating the over-riding “public good” arguments for a limited copyright term, the US entertainment industry moguls – and their political cronies – are headed in the opposite direction, and are intent on maximising their commercial gains and elevating them above all other relevant issues.
The ‘free trade’ banner is being abused by these US companies to roll back the losses they’ve been suffering in court over the past decade. Regularly, the multinationals have lost even the civil actions they have taken – eg Viacom vs Youtube – over alleged copyright infringement.”
……
“Genius, as the writer Lewis Hyde once said, needs to “tinker in a collective shop”. In the misleading name of ‘free’ trade, the TPP is trying to shut that shop down to new entrants. ”
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1510/S00047/gordon-campbell-on-copyright-the-authors-guild-case-tpp.htm
TPP is NOT a free trade agreement! March on 14 November!
Keep up with it guys. It simple shows the left are preparing for an occupation of the opposition benches rather than preparing to act as a government.
All I’m see is a policy that was effectively the same as Labour’s re the flag being opposed now simply because it’s being promoted by National.
No wonder the flip flop meme has disappeared.
[lprent: troll from 2008 repeats comment from 2008 that doesn’t have anything to do with post. Diverted to OpenMikr. ]
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11532921
Dribble and spin from Claire Trevitt
Gawd what a load of tripe. What an odious individual Trevett is.
And more of Jo Moir’s anti-Labour mischief-making, repeating her baseless allegation that Andrew Little “snubbed” Ardern in reappointing Annette King as deputy.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/73319715/jacinda-ardern-responds-to-being-called-pretty-bloody-stupid
Modern Union Tactics
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/trade-union-bill-unite-is-finding-new-ways-to-compel-employers-to-act-a6704881.html
Good read and ideas around organising, but I fear that unless industry agreements are reached – something along the lines of the old award bargaining system – the union movement will continue to chase it’s tail.
Jacinda Ardern: Breaking Silence. Jacinda responds to Hooton’s recent criticism.
interesting.
Especially the point about the main problem being commentator-led discussion.
Well, that puts a much different perspective on Hooton’s snide attack piece, doesn’t it.
As long as Hooten thinks he’s clever…..
If my comment has been deliberately removed I’m amazed and amused. Clearly only certain types of agitation are acceptable (I will go away and read the about policy too).
The head post is not about the process but about the failure of the public to accept the PM’s enthusiasm to change the flag.
I simply pointed out that Labour had the same view that we should review the options. There is no difference except a fierce determination that no such nation(al) building should happen under Key.
[lprent: It was deliberately removed to OpenMike. We permit diversions. But when you are commenting on a post, then comment on the topic of the post. This one also moved to OpenMike becasue it appears to be all about your habit of self pleasuring while writing. That is the last time I will exert myself to educate a idiot troll. ]
Divisive characters tend to have that effect on people (Thirty percent of the electorate is not a consensus.) Your argument ignores other far more substantive concerns.
“the Guardian” is that the British world for “Herald”
Designed to influence not inform.
Will Jesse Mulligan give this monster the treatment he deserves?
Or will he let him dominate and chortle complicitly, as Paul Holmes did ten years ago?
in 2005, the massively over-rated British and Irish Lions coach Clive Woodward appointed Tony Blair’s disgraced hitman Alistair Campbell as manager of the team. At the team’s first training session, in Albany, Paul Holmes dared to ask him about his role in the death of Dr David Kelly. Campbell contemptuously brushed him off.
Now Campbell is back on our radar. This intriguing little notice appeared on the Radio NZ website recently….
COMING UP ON JESSE MULLIGAN, 1–4PM
3:10 pm Tuesday 27 October:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Alistair Campbell
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Strategy, leadership and teamship. This is the Holy Trinity of winning according to Alistair Campbell who helped Tony Blair win three terms as British Prime Minister as his press secretary His position gave him access to winning business leaders, athletes, artists and politicians. His new book, Winners: And How They Succeed examines the qualities of everyone from Richard Branson and Sir Clive Woodward to Bill Gates and the Queen to identify what it takes to win.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/20151020
Key is a traitor to nz
[lprent: Why? Moved to OpenMike as being irrelevant to the topic of the post. ]
🙂
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/oct/23/tony-abbott-joins-global-speakers-circuit-as-one-of-worlds-greatest-minds
I guess JK will be there soon enough too!
In Abbott’s own wording, he is a “suppository” of knowledge.
Lol. I thought you were joking:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/13/tony-abbott-gaffe-world-stage
This is funny:
http://thesuppositoryofwisdom.com/
Trougher group spending up large on taxpayer as their sense of entitlement.
Key warns of excessive hotel bills coming up for MPs to be able to get to RWC.
Mmmmm we’re currently travelling around S.E. England and using Booking.com for our accommodation needs and securing Wonderful double rooms breakfast included for around $200 per night. Car hire is very reasonable so staying in the Home Counties increases accommodation choices.
How did these people manage to secure tickets in the first place anyway?
“Mr Key goes to London for a live wank over Richie !”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11534171
Prick never ‘packed down’ in his life. Making up for it with a feast of ‘packing off’ now.
What a piece of shit. This is Marie Antoinette stuff ! Mind you…..he’s a good man……giving us ‘fair warning’. Yeah Yeah Yeah…..Trev’ from the Herald knows…..she’s probably there too, as per…..where there’s a Key there’s always a Trev’.