A BBC Online article about the life of Israeli settlers breached editorial guidelines on accuracy, the BBC has ruled.
The article focused on two British men who had chosen to go and live in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian West Bank with their families.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) wrote to the BBC to question why it had run a feature on settlers, living on internationally recognised Palestinian land, without interviewing a single Palestinian about the impact of settlements and settlers on their lives.
Detectives reinvestigating the disappearance of Luana Deborah Laverne Williams 27 years ago have interviewed a former prison officer who claims Williams told her she was a police informant and gave sexual favours to disgraced former detective Brad Shipton.
Shipton and a second detective – who Williams allegedly claimed also had sex with her – later headed the investigation into her disappearance.
[…]
Bowen claimed Williams had suggested that crimes “such as drug dealing were minimised by certain police in Tauranga in return for sexual favours”.
[…]
The Herald understands that she gave further details, including that one of five telephone numbers Williams put forward for authorisation was checked by Wellington police and found to be a private police number.
Bowen claims Williams said the number was Shipton’s.
Shipton was interviewed by police last year as part of an “expanded” inquiry ordered by Police Commissioner Peter Marshall after complaints to the Independent Police Complaints Authority by Williams’ family and Bruce.
The other officer Bowen says Williams named was Detective Inspector Phil Seaman. Seaman and Shipton took over the inquiry into Williams’ disappearance. Police initially treated it as a missing persons inquiry, but upgraded it to a murder inquiry in 1994.
Seaman concluded Williams had committed suicide. He committed suicide in 2009 after becoming ill.
[…]
Shipton’s lawyer, Bill Nabney, did not respond in time for this article, but in August, Shipton emphatically denied knowing Williams before or during her time in prison and said the first time he became aware of her was when he was asked to investigate her disappearance.
This is about the bad ones, Lyn. The focus has to stay on the wrong-doers. The fact is that a significant minority of the police force in this country is out of control. And a lot of the “good cops” have turned a blind eye to their crimes.
Yes and it is the ‘blind eye’ of those in the force who are NOT the perpetrators of criminal acts which needs be addressed as this ‘blind eye’ is the key to the culture within Police that has figuratively and perhaps literally allowed the criminal element within to get away with murder,
This ‘blind eye’ which allowed a Wellington constable to break a ‘party-goers’ neck with a baton and escape charge or conviction simply because the ‘blind eye’ allowed all the other police lining the hall of the ‘party house’ to claim they did not see the blow struck,
My view is the Police Complaints authority must be given the means and control of prosecuting all wrong-doing Police where they are subject to complaint and where the ‘blind eye’, the culture of silence is shown to be operating the Law must be changed so as to facilitate the charging of all the officers in a group, just as criminal gangs are charged, where it is shown that some or all must have seen or known of the offending by a colleague but chose to maintain the code of silence…
Julia Hartley Moore used her time to speak on the Panel to say she knew of a lot of abusive conduct within the police, including policewomen being told to sleep with senior officers if they wanted promotion. Disturbing.
Even more disturbing was that she used the rest of her time to scold environmental protestors and enthusiastically voice approval of Nevil Breivik Gibson’s foam-flecked denunciations of them.
Yes, Morrissey, good point.
Mora’s failure to challenge Gibson when he rolled his eyes as Abel connected the Philippines to change was a shameful moment for a public broadcaster.
It was actually Finlay Macdonald. He’s as spineless and craven as Mora, unfortunately. He not only guffawed approvingly as Gibson and Hartley-Moore expressed their contempt for the protestors in Russia and New Zealand, but added his own disparaging comments.
You do realize there’s around 8500 police officers.
When it comes to doing dodgy stuff how do the police stack up against up against other occupations such as teaching?.
I’d say fairly well, with the amount of scum they have to deal with on a daily basis and the amount of temptation that would waved in their faces I’m really quite impressed with the small amount of bad behavior that goes on within our police force.
You do realize there’s around 8500 police officers. When it comes to doing dodgy stuff how do the police stack up against up against other occupations such as teaching? I’d say fairly well….
Your comment is one of the more foolish ones to be posted here in the last year. You obviously have no idea about anything.
….with the amount of scum they have to deal with on a daily basis and the amount of temptation that would waved in their faces I’m really quite impressed with the small amount of bad behavior that goes on within our police force.
Why not, you never hear anything on this site about teachers sexually and physically abusing kids yet there are regular postings about how bad the police are even though its a very small percentage
Interested in all opinions if they are supported by evidence.
My issue with your contributions here are that they are comments without back up,and when people debate the issue with you , you dodge the actual discussion.
You’re a proud Tory, so debate using real arguments, not slogans,
I think the left supporting posters on this site see the police as a tool of the right which means their influence needs to be weakened at every opportunity using whatever excuse they can no matter how weak it is
whereas
the teachers are part of the left which means a blind eye can be turned to whatever abuses the teachers and teacher unions commit while agreeing with and reinforcing whatever notion the teachers unions come up with
Abuses by one profession is regularly discussed and its members vilified while abuses by another profession are not mentioned and its members supported
I try to link to an article when making an affirmative statement, as I did with my comment about Fran O’Sullivan.
I don’t see you doing this. Be honest Chris, you’re here to make mischief, not to debate.
you do “hear anything on this site about teachers [priests, coaches and health ‘professionals’] sexually and physically abusing” children, ackshully. ‘chris’
@BM 2.3
Or ‘occupations’ such as company directors and CEOs if you want to talk dodgy behaviour. The difference with the blue bellies is that they are sworn operatives and meant to set higher standards for the community. So even one bent copper should be of some concern and dealt with by the IPCA and sent on for standard court attention as the rest of us would be.
Police assaulting, harassing, raping, and helping themselves to the odd line of seized coke goes on largely unbothered by sanction due to the three monkeys or “blind eye” culture as bad12 said.
Cops are part of the state forces and as such are able to use lethal force as well as physical restraint, arrest, incarceration and intimidation against citizens.
So damn right there needs to be some of them locked up and very close scrutiny kept on the rest. They still obscure or fudge their ID numbers fer crissakes (e.g. by a group of officers wearing the same number) for the sole purpose of being unaccountable. And something to think about–a lot of their work could be done by unsworn civilians with training. Gruesome car crashes and lost trampers could all be dealt with by your average towie or pig hunter if paid accordingly.
Why they swear an oath like the defence forces is that they are needed to enforce the ruling class political will and protect private property which as many who have been burgled would realise does not necessarily include your private house or flat. No it means corporate property and strategic government sites.
Gruesome car crashes and lost trampers could all be dealt with by your average towie or pig hunter if paid accordingly.
Well if you looked a little closer you would see that both functions are the responsibility of specialist police officers whose primary task is to coordinate outside resources, eg your towies and volunteer searchers.
However both jobs also entail the high probability of dead bodies; which is always a police matter.
is that they are needed to enforce the ruling class political will and protect private property which as many who have been burgled would realise does not necessarily include your private house or flat.
Largely a matter of priorities. Double the number of police and yes the burg of your flat will get more attention.
In fact while your particular break-in doesn’t get much attention, it is the pattern of similar ones in an area, and the statistical analysis of them, plus the usual plod work with fences, informants and second-hand dealers that invariably catches up with your crim.
While it seems that a lot of crime goes unsolved, a cop once explained to me that in the long-run they actually finish up convicting close to 100% of career criminals one way or another.
And that heap of files in the Masterton Police Station would likely have mouldered a lot less if there had been four or five officers assigned to it rather than one … who kept of being dragged off to other more ‘urgent’ matters.
Still should we not be careful what we ask for here? Could we double or triple the number of police and thus vacuum clean society free from all it’s ills….
imo, and experience, much offending by The Criminal Kind is less overt, and more sophisticated now than previously in NZ; Omerta has become more established, such a small village, and the ‘net. Otherwise, despite the heralding of ‘this’ drug-bust and ‘that’ sexual offending, would there be so many tinnie houses remaining un-touched, and I’m talking for more than eight years, that I am aware of; managed often by people with very responsible employment or community roles. The analysis by the Left, generally, is that the Offences Stats are being massaged (and that’s not all, lol) while the MSM and pathetic programmes like Police 10-7 fuel the stereo-typing of the ‘typical’ offender. Every time there is a relatively minor drug operation success locally, the freakin’ editor makes it Front Page News (aarrrgh!).
Just reflecting, I have been privileged, or damned, to engage intimately with people right across the s-e-o spectrum, and it is far from Black, White, or Blue. (hence why I do not trust the po-po).
Just reflecting, I have been privileged, or damned, to engage intimately with people right across the s-e-o spectrum, and it is far from Black, White, or Blue.
No quibble. I’m just a little wary of reflexive cop-bashing when they are really just a part of us … Good, Bad or Ugly.
When it comes to doing dodgy stuff how do the police stack up against up against other occupations such as teaching?.
I’d say fairly well, with the amount of scum they have to deal with on a daily basis and the amount of temptation that would waved in their faces I’m really quite impressed with the small amount of bad behavior that goes on within our police force.
Why do you say fairly well? Got any basis for a comparison apart from your own experience? Do you think that there are the same numbers of teachers raping or blackmailing/forcing students into having sex with them and we just don’t know about it?
“the amount of temptation that would waved in their faces”
What, like some of the NZ citizens they deal with having vaginas and such?
Yep or penises or both if they’re that way inclined.
Heaps of hard arse female crims that would offer up the goods if they thought there was a chance they may get off being dragged in front of the courts.
Right, so when a cop looks at another human being who has a vagina or a penis or both, they can’t help themselves? How on earth do men who aren’t cops cope?
“Heaps of hard arse female crims that would offer up the goods if they thought there was a chance they may get off being dragged in front of the courts.”
Not sure what that has to do with this conversation. Are you saying that because some women are ok with trading favours, that all women should be? Or are you saying that because some women are ok with trading favours, that the police are confused and can no longer tell the difference between choice and force? Doesn’t that render them incompetent to do the job they’re employed to do?
I’ve come across plenty of cases of cops letting it be known that, if the “goods were offered up” they’d be willing takers. Pretty much falls into the category of coercion. I’ve known one or two cases where female crims had sex willingly with detectives, but they were informants anyway. I can’t speak for the people you know, Bloody Moron.
Oh ffs BM and chris73, only a tiny percentage of the population pull armed robberies.
The vast majority of people just do their banking and shopping without ever pulling a sawn-off, but it’s no surprise that a few of us do when you consider the enormous temptation of all that free money.
But hey, it’s only a handful of people really so no big deal. Well done all the non armos I say.
Fascinating fight for NACT party nomination in Kaikoura. Incumbent Colin King is a nice enough guy but seen to be ineffectual on local issues. He does what Head office says. Missing in action on issues such as the local hospital worries. Sat with Aaron Gilmore at the back of the back benches.
At least one challenger: Stuart Smith with a reputation as a mover and shaker in the wine industry. Supported by a group of Marlborough businessmen who want a higher Marlborough profile in Parliament.
National membership numbers have soared. The traditional Nactoids are getting the blue-rinse brigade out in force.
Wednesday night is decision time I understand. The role of Head office will be interesting.
I feel a bit sorry for Colin. His influence seems to be largely confined to his lovely family. He looks a bit startled when faced with the wider Electorate problems. Whenever he puts in a newspaper column usually about what his family is doing I say nice chap, but a pity National are not interested in using resources in a very safe seat.
How the Left is less numerate at MMP than the Right
Yeah that’s what I’ve been saying. But no, let’s not change a thing and play straight into National’s game plan instead.
The problem in Epsom was that the Labour Party (and many Labour voters) simply lacked the numeracy-nous to shut-out Act. (The Green Party equally lacked such nous in 2005; hence Keith Locke’s near-naked stroll through Newmarket.)
Why would anyone vote for a non-contestant (meaning anyone destined to come third or lower) when they could use their vote to actually influence the result?
Because some (many) people don’t see this as a zero-sum game. This line of reasoning only works if you treat voters as too dumb to know what’s good for them. Green electorate-seat voters in Ohariu knew damn well that their chances of not having Dunne as their MP would be maximised by voting for Chauvel. Labour electorate-seat voters in Epsom knew damn well their chances of throwing out Act would be maximised by voting Goldsmith.
There’s an argument to be made, certainly, that running Parker in Epsom was stupid because it seemed to send a signal that Labour view the seat as winnable. But everything else is just political nerds having a whinge that not everyone votes along purely utilitarian lines (and implying that it’s because they’re ignorant).
And the GP voters in the Waitakere electorate vote? How would we know how many left voters are voting knowledgeably and how many are voting relatively cluelessly?
The only way to stop the shear stupidity of the present electoral voting system is to make it a preferential vote. Have people vote for the top three choices minimum and we’ll actually get their most preferred candidate.
We won’t have to screw our democracy up by giving the political parties the power to choose who’s going to win by making deals.
”On another planet with you”, fact usually just as strange as fiction sees both Fran O,Sullivan and John Armstrong voicing their approval for David Cunliffe’s assertion that the Government must pay the Court ordered compensation to the Pike River miners families,
This follows on from an editorial earlier in the week where the editor of the NZ National Party NZ Herald also gave Cunliffe it’s backing on this issue,
O’Sullivan goes so far as to tell Slippery the Prime minister that He must change His stance on the payment of the compensation befor the next election,(or suffer???),
Armstrong i get the distinct feeling was laboring under ‘orders’ from on high when He produced His piece which while supporting Cunliffes stance was full of the snide abuse we have come to expect and disrespect this particular producer of ‘advertorials’ for the National Party to cause to come into print,
It took David Cunliffe a while to get around to saying the a Government He leads would pay this Court ordered compensation which now proves to have support for those high and low in the great scheme of things,
i would go further tho and simply tax the share-market $1 for every $100 of shares either bought or sold and create a fund to provide for any such future payments,(preferrably called the Pike River Memorial Fund with transactions recorded as such each time a dollar was paid just to remind the directors and shareholders of their ongoing ‘responsibilities’)…
The beginnings of a financial transaction tax. Make it 5c on every $100 transacted, and have it apply to every NZD credit card, money transfer, foreign exchange and EFTPOS transactions over a NZD$250 level.
It should help tamp down market speculation on the NZD as well.
Don’t find i have any disagreement with that proposal, there would need be a mechanism to detect multiple payments under the thresh-hold by the one entity in any given period attempting to rort the system is my only codicil…
Brazil had a transaction tax on everything. It was originally imposed to help pay for the health system, although it’s debatable how it was actually spent. I never noticed that I was paying it, unlike income tax and student loan interest.
Being the director of at least 3 companies, do you use tax minimization?
Are you paying your fair share, Mr CV?
After you outed yourself, I jumped onto the companies register and had a look, you’re certainly involved in a diverse range of businesses.
The thing I don’t understand is why you’re wasting your time with Labour, National seems like a much better fit?
They’d love to have a candidate with all your skills and experience also you’d help add a bit of diversity to the National line up, you’d be a shoe in for selection.
I actually was really impressed with the mans skills and what he’s involved in, I was actually under the impression that he spent his day bludging off his rich in laws.
CV would have to be one of the most business savy guys within the labour party,.
PS: I should have put a smiley face at the end of the second line, to demonstrate that I was joking.
The critical thing for an economy IMO is for money to circulate through communities and SMEs (which is the business sector I am involved with). The velocity of money concept. And for SMEs to see reasonable profits in order to encourage grass roots investment in local businesses.
I see Labour as the party which understands this. National on the other hand, despite its reputation as the party for business, is really the party for big (corporate) business. We’re in a situation now (both in NZ and globally) where corporate businesses and their profits are protected by governments to the detriment of not just ordinary workers and citizens (who in theory governments are supposed to be serving), but SME’s and SME owners.
For instance – as an SME owner, higher broadband costs (due to subsidising Chorus) and higher power prices (due to electricity market privatisation and lack of a buying scheme like NZ Power) are highly damaging to the bottom line. Not to mention things like bank fees and small business loan costs from banks.
In summary – corporates don’t just thieve from communities and ordinary consumers but charging more and delivering less – they are thieving from SMEs as well.
Having said that, there are major problems with how Labour is perceived in the SME sector, and National is still the preferred party of many business owners for good reason.
Not the I’m involved in the National party, but I do agree they’re more geared up for big business.
The reason being is probably because most of the mps careers have being involved in big business, it’s what they know, not a lot of National mps come from SME sector.
Someone with your skills and experience would do well in the National party and could really make a difference for small business owners.
Something to think about?
I’m just heading outside to weed the garden(fun times) so if you reply It may be a while before you get a response.
I have been previously approached about standing for National, which I found a fascinating occurrence. Sadly I had to politely decline further discussions 😈
The boundary expansion is a challenge but I’ve got a high level of confidence in David Clark vis a vis the North electorate of Dunedin. He’s already been active and visible up that way.
Problem for you though CV is that you’re not a teacher,social worker or unionist. That fairly much rules you out.
Also you’ve a Man, so you’re really up against it, honestly I’d say the chances of you getting picked are up there with Trevor Mallard being made deputy leader.
BM it’s interesting how you think that National helps SME’s. National’s overall approach results in a dividing society with very disparate situations (it’s ok, you lot probably don’t fully appreciate that this is the outcome of you MO atm. It will come.).
Most all business does better when everyone is closer together in terms of economic situation, not further apart.
As such, left wing policies result in better outcomes for sme’s.
Someone with your skills and experience would do well in the National party and could really make a difference for small business owners.
No he wouldn’t as all those people from the big corporate world would expect him to kiss their arse (authoritarian mindset) and CV doesn’t seem like the arse kissing type.
Ultimately the only difference I ever observed was in their internal quality of leadership.
Plus the public sector organisation effectively passed it’s productivity gains back onto all it’s customers (ie tax and rate payers) while the private corporate gains were pretty much all captured by it’s shareholders.
I found the complete opposite. Split my working career between govt. and private and found govt frustratingly festooned with petty rules, paucity of innovation and bureaucratic nightmares.
It could mean less taxes, but a shift on how they’re paid. A well designed one would be unavoidable, unlike income or capital gains taxes, or even GST, which can be evaded by spending overseas. I don’t expect Tories to like the idea. You guys prefer taxing paper boys and girls, or beneficiaries who make an extra $20 a week. You actually love more taxes, as long as you don’t pay them.
Fran O’Sullivan is starting to criticise this appalling government.
Here are some key quotes from her article in the Herald today.
Govt must pay for Pike tragedy
“A failure to do so invites the observation that the Key Government was prepared to take the limelight during the harrowing and symbolic mass mourning that has taken place on the coast and that Key and his Cabinet, having politically elevated the disaster to a national tragedy, prefer to stay absent from the fray and refuse to take a moral stance when political leadership is required.
“Their failure to do so has of course given Cunliffe an opening and enabled him to paint Key’s Government as a heartless lot. ”
“Rod Emmerson’s brilliant cartoon (Key Lorde-ing it up) in yesterday’s Herald underscored that in contrast to Pike River, the Government has given a $30 million subsidy to the Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter.”
“Not surprisingly, the Labour leader’s tactics are raising eyebrows in corporate circles, particularly among directors who are starting to feel they will have to factor in an element of political risk (on top of the blindingly complex commercial risks that now exist) if there is a change of government after next year’s election.”
But the real issue for Key and his Government is how its stance plays out in the political arena.
“But the Pike River disaster shocked New Zealanders to their core. It exposed unbelievable negligence by the Labour Department and the Pike River company. It was especially shocking as this negligence was on a scale that might be expected in a Third World country, not New Zealand.
Cunliffe is right: The Government should fill the breach and pay the $3.41 million to the families.”
When Tories like O’Sullivan speak, do Key and his crony government listen?
The Key government is rather caught out. They are adamant that the Government should not pay out to the families. If they changed that position then it is because David Cunliffe forced him to. (Can’t have that!) If Key does not change his stance he will be constantly reminded about the contrast of $30million for Rio Tinto but nothing for the families. (Miserable buggers!)
Well played that man Cunliffe.
It is suggested in The Grip of Death (a book about monetary reform) that both Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln were both assassinated on behalf of the bankers, who were concerned that both presidents were trying to control the money supply.
This week referendum papers start arriving in voters mailboxes.
While many think the outcome is foregone conclusion and some, such as our inept Prime Minister believe that the outcome is well known it is vitally important to still tick “NO” on the referendum.
Ticking NO sends a message to not just the government, but to the people and the media that despite not campaigning on Asset Sales, contrary to popular opinion, making a hash of the offerings and spending more than expected on selling even just 49% of our assets to the 1%, New Zealanders are against asset sales.
With over 70% in recent polls voicing their opposition to asset sales, a subsequent corresponding turnout in the postal vote will have serious ramifications.
Unfortunately, if local body turnout is any indicator, it is highly probable that fewer than 30% will return their ballots.
Should the NO vote be around 20% of that, the media will trumpet it as indicative of an overwhelming indicator of support for the assets being sold off.
So what can we do?
1) Talk to your colleagues and encourage them to vote to “send a message”
2) Get your neighbours to vote to “send a message”
3) Your local networks in sport, community or volunteer groups – vote to “send a message”
In perspective, the first year of loss income earnings could have covered the costs (in a single year) of;
– Pike River Compensation (3.4M)
– Adult Education Classes (23M)
– Feed the Kids Bill (100M)
– Paying Parliamentary Cleaners a living wage (25M)
– Paying out 100% land value for Red Zoned residents – up from the 50% offered (around 15M)
That’s a total of $166.4M, with $82.6M remaining.
Remember, nearly 20M of those figures are one off costs.
For the sake of ideology and feathering the nests of the few, dividends of $249M each year would have covered key issues that this government refuses to acknowledge as issues in getting New Zealand back on the road to becoming a society of participation, and creating a fair society.
Voting NO in this referendum sends a clear message to the government that they are treading dangerous ground.
If even a 50% turnout can be achieved with a 45% response rate of NO – with 50% of voter turnout sending a message that asset sales are not to be ignored, will leave the media playing a dangerous game if they try to frame it as an “us against them” viewpoint, which really when you think about it, is the entire point.
But let them try because if you try to turn “us” against “them” WE will win everytime.
Xox
Good post James. Puts things into a different frame. How many mates has John Key got to vote in this referendum? Re. Police accountability. I have had my eyes open to police abuse etc and now see them as in Need of serious independent oversight if we are not to find ourselves in a grim police state. I was pulled over the other day, for no reason but to check my warrant and seat belt. If you own an old car, are a young male, or brown, you will be pulled over all the time. Oh and if your female….! This is bullying harassment and intimidation, and must cease, after a public apology from the chief of police. Haha
Passable. Interesting study in political economy for the tweeny set. Looking forward to Ender’s now, although I think it won’t beat the writing by Orson Scott Card.
I’ve read a large portion of his collected writings and would have to say that most of it is terrible writing that doesn’t benefit from the rosy-tinted glasses that Ender’s Game engenders.
The moment I realized that all his writing is from the libertarian Mormon fantasy mindset (didn’t investigate his beliefs prior to my initial foray in to his work), it spoils every story because you have a good idea of what any developments will be. Give me a good Heinlein any day.
Ender’s Game is probably his best and, yeah, his libertarian/religion psyche comes through really strong. In fact, when you get down to it, that can be said of a lot of fantasy/fiction. You really do see a lot of authoritarian societies with free-markets with the rich as the good guys.
I’m still choosing not to read SF, although Bank’s culture novels are calling…”they keep calling me” and Fantasy, got an eye-full of that looking for James Tiptree Jr. at the library this week. *sigh*
I’ve basically come up with a “know the author, know the story” philosophy regarding my sci-fi/fantasy reading. I will make myself knowledgeable about the author before starting on the first book and then if it hasn’t surprised me in the least by the end of it I will proceed to not read the rest of their works because if they aren’t able to step outside of their own bounds, how can I expect them to transport me out of mine?
@weka – I get the importance of what the Bechdel Test is there to point out but, for myself, a lot of the sci-fi I tend to read is of the short story variety because I am there for the interesting ideas, not for geek/nerd writers to prove how poorly they sometimes understand simple social interaction
And, in all honesty, I cannot think of many novels that I have read that would pass the Bechdel Test because the closest I have come to standard literature tends to have been the Kurt Vonnegut’s and Joseph Heller’s of the world (Slaughterhouse 5 and Catch-22 being all-time faves).
And when I think of literature *in general*, I can’t easily think of any that would.
I don’t think that the Bechdel Test is in itself a measure of quality or even of ideological worth – Dr Strangelove could easily be appropriated as a feminist text precisely because of its depiction of hypermasculinity leading to disaster.
However, I do think that the test is something that every creative artist should keep in mind now. If you are going to exclude women, as women with their own subjectivity and intersubjectivity, one must ask why, because that’s not how the real world works. Even satire has to keep up with the times – especially satire, actually.
As for Orson Scott Card, while one might try to separate his weirdly extreme homophobia “outside” of his fiction (and more than a few have speculated about self-loathing and repression…), um, well, fuck it, that’s just trying too hard. SF is meant to be speculative, but speculation along the lines of “lets suppose that, you know, just as an incidental detail that no-one ever mentions but is implicitly ever-present that there were no people were ever, you know… in the shower… um… well, lets’ not…”
Well, that sort of undermines the real ethos of SF, which I always thought was to honestly confront real issues or real possibilities, not reel out silly fantasies about midichloridians and colourful space battles.
What I absolutely hate about a lot of SF is that it presents a universe of indulgence without permanent and complex consequences – even the later Ender sequels avoid that.
Card’s a thoroughly disgusting individual, but at least a competent writer. Those of his books I’ve read, I’ve borrowed, or bought second hand, in order that he sees no actual money from them. Donaldson, on the other hand, was the first writer I recall having read whose work invoked the Eight Deadly Words, it was so utterly boring.
+ Darwin Award. PVC is a pretty high toxicity plastic and iirc is an endocrine disruptor with serious implications for human fertility.
The stupidity, on so many levels, of importing plastic housing from China make my brain hurt. Technically we don’t have a shortage of houses in NZ (pretty sure the number of unoccupied houses is in excess of people needing a home). What we have is an economy being run for profit rather than the good of the people.
You say ‘serious implications for human fertility’ like they’re bad things. Considering that this planet is already grossly overpopulated, and that sea level rise has been locked in for at least the next couple of generations (with consequent loss of coastal land), I’d consider infertility one of today’s least pressing problems.
I completely agree (although I doubt the effect on fertility will be large enough, soon enough to be of any benefit). It was more a passing comment that humans should be given the Darwin Award as a species.
Unfortunately endocrine disruptors don’t just affect homo sapiens 🙁
“It acts without action, does without doing, finds
flavour in what is flavourless,
Can make the small great and the few many,
Requites injuries with good deeds,
Deals with the hard while it is still easy,
With the great while it is still small.
In the governance of [nation] everything difficult
must be dealt with while it is still easy,
Everything great must be dealt with while it is still small.”
As DoC have their flag-pole cut, Possums rise on the ‘mast’.
I listened to Geoffrey Palmer’s interview on Kim Hill this morning with growing astonishment. The pompous git spent his whole time bemoaning the state of our democracy without once seeming to realise the reforms he championed are more than anything else responsible for it. He seems to completely lack empathy or connection, he analyses the past as if he had nothing to do with it. He is one seriously off the planet guy, so crazy he is almost sane.
And to top it off, when David Lange – the only one in the entire asylum that was the fourth Labour government to retain his moral compass or sanity – stood up to the crazies like Douglas, Prebble and Palmer and canned even more radical reforms like the flat tax, Palmer criticises Lange for not following correct procedure:
“…Prime Minister David Lange was the main culprit. He canned the newly elected government’s notorious economic package of December 1987, a dramatic lurch to the Right based on a flat income tax and sweeping privatisation.
Lange’s unilateral decision was something “that you can’t do”, Sir Geoffrey says. “And that’s why it all fell apart…”
What the fuck? Geoffrey Palmer is the guy at Isandlawana who wouldn’t hand out the ammo unless the soldier had the right requistion order. What is wrong with him?
Palmer has a very ordered legal mind. He is a detail person who wants all the forms signed in the right place. He certainly would have been the stores clerk denying munitions, or the officer commanding Ghurka enlisted men to leave their defensive line in the Officer’s Club in Singapore. It always seemed to me that he was incapable of seeing the big picture. He always reminded me of Frasier in Cheers, running around with a pair of scissors to prove he was a dangerous rebel. A fucking weirdo is as good as any description I’ve ever seen of him.
I’m glad you had the fortitude to keep listening. I had to give up. I’d always thought of Palmer as quite a reasonable sort of fella – things like expiration on legislation etc.
Today he showed me just what an out of touch pompous git he actually is.
Decrying Lange for example for calling for a cup of tea on the basis that people were really beginning to hurt. Palmer thought Lange should have carried on.
You’e correct Sanctuary – one pompous git
He was in this ‘phase’ when I saw him at the Westpac Stadium in Christchurch with Patti Smith. Only international artists I have seen of note, yet sufficient for me: Too many people at concerts like Sabbath and AC/DC. I’d love to meet Johnette Napolitano though! .
No I hadn’t, ‘swinging gate’ comes from the tao. Amazing serendipity (or not 😉 ) though. Wotta day, and ‘straight’ as dray too. Wonders never cease 😀 Thanx fender, ‘request’ me some time.
yes, the Dylan set was muddled by the acoustics of the venue. Tom Petty, say no more!
or,
“It didn’t feel like Sunday
Didn’t feel like June
When he met his silent partner in that lonely corner room
That overlooked the marquee (Moon) 😉
Of the Plaza all-adult
And he was not lookin’ for romance – just someone he could trust.
And it wasn’t no way to carry on
It wasn’t no way to live
But he could put up with it for a little while
He was workin’ on Something Big
Sympathise with the Petty experience Naturesong, but as he states in Chronicles volume 1
“I’d been on an eighteen month tour with Tom Petty. It would be my last. I had no connection to any kind of inspiration. Whatever was there to begin with had all vanished and shrunk. Tom was at the top of his game and I was at the bottom of mine. I couldn’t overcome the odds. Everything was smashed. My own songs had become strangers to me, I didn’t have the skill to touch their raw nerves, couldn’t penetrate the surfaces. It wasn’t my moment of history anymore. There was a hollow singing in my heart and I couldn’t wait to retire and fold the tent. One more big payday with Petty and that would be it for me. I was what they called over the hill. If I wasn’t careful I could end up ranting and raving in shouting matches with the wall. The mirror had swung around and I could see the future- an old actor fumbling in garbage cans outside the theatre of past triumphs.
I had written and recorded so many songs, but it wasn’t like I was playing many of them. I think I was only up to the task of about twenty or so. The rest were too cryptic, too darkly driven, and I was no longer capable of doing anything radically creative with them. It was like carrying a package of heavy rotting meat. I couldn’t understand where they came from. The glow was gone and the match had burned right to the end. I was going through the motions. Try as I might, the engines wouldn’t start.”
But beginning with his 1997 album Time Out of Mind he has released 5 great albums that prove an “over the hill” artist can certainly experience a renaissance when the creative juices start flowing again.
“Love is the ghost haunting your head
Love is the killer you thought was your friend
Love is the leech, sucking you up
Love is a vampire, drunk on your blood
Love is the beast that will tear out your heart
Hungrily lick it and
Painfully pick it apart
Former believers, they beg for release
As Love looking down on them
Smiles and picks his teeth
Hearteningly, in my ongoing daily dealings with cops what I hear is unbridled contempt for cops who abuse their role for personal advanatge of whatever description. In my not limited experience the broad cop mindset, which is unsurprisingly distinct in numerous aspects, does not extend to tolerance or rationalisation of corrupt acts.
I well recall a sergeant rightly identified as a hardarse with whom I’ve had long term dealings, vocally disgusted when a senior cop on trial in the High Court turned up at trial in police uniform. In this sergeant’s view the guy on trial was smearing his personal shit all over the uniform and the police generally by turning up uniformed. His view didn’t change when the guy was acquitted of rape. In other words he didn’t accept the acquittal as the end of it. There are many cops like that.
Sorry folks. Just realised that my comment above should be placed with those at 2 above. Got interrupted by the water tank running dry. $275 for 13,000 litres just delivered by tanker. Lucky I had the readies.
If I hadn’t, and going by their usual rants, I guess I’d be a ready target for Piss73 and Bowel Motion and SS-lands denouncing me as hopeless feral underclass who deserved it all for his bad choices.
Ah……….such Masters Of The Looniverse those hatefilled carping old pricks !
Well I assumed you must have been drunk to post this:
North 31.1.1
22 November 2013 at 11:01 pm
You’re a nutter Piss73. Give the missus a serious seeing to when she got home late with the Maccers dinner and no dipping sauce didya ? You being too bone idle or unartful to peel some spuds while ya waited, as you related yesterday or the day before ? Walked home for that matter while you drove to and from work in the Grandly asprayshinul Vitara angling at the stylish Maori Land Bruiser VX, as you also related yesterday or the day before ?
Ake ake ake……obviously don’t know or care to know about the zoo of Judge Judy’s current colleagues but certainly there are many former colleagues in Auckland who always saw her as a self promoting baggage and a not too gifted one at that.
Well X73, you’re eager to hand it out, but you get all huffy and indignant when you get a taste of your own medicine and you still haven’t got the point of that. Keep showing how thick you are… but beware that that’s all you’re doing.
Another word of advice: if you’re going to cling to your dignity, then first you must show some, but don’t confuse it with pomposity.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference, being held at The Hilton Sydney, from Tuesday 26 – Thursday 28 November 2013.
Below are the details of your registration; please check the information carefully, including your name and address details. If any of your details require changes, please notify ICE Australia via email at apsaccreg@iceaustralia.com as soon as possible. Alternatively you can amend your details online by entering your access key TIJCZXVYH into the Attendee Login on the Conference Registration page. This facility will be available until Tuesday, 29 October 2013, at which time all changes must be sent to the Registration Manager at apsaccreg@iceaustralia.com
Please find your tax invoice attached as a PDF file to this email. If you are part of a bulk registration your invoice will be sent to the first person registered.
Name: Ms Penny Bright
Position: ‘Anti-Corruption /anti-Privatisation Whistle-Blower’
Organisation: Public Watchdog
Country: NEW ZEALAND
Please find important conference information, in addition to a summary of your registration, below.
Venue
The Hilton Sydney
488 George Street, Sydney
NSW, 2000
____________________________________________________________________________
who campaigned against ‘corrupt corporate control’ of the Auckland region, I look forward to discussing with international anti-corruption EXPERTS, the following ACTION PLAN against ‘white collar’ crime, corruption and corporate welfare
I’m sure there will be a lot of interest in the recent complaint made by Lisa Prager and myself to the NZ Serious Fraud Office (SFO), against Auckland Mayor Len Brown and Sky City (Auckland) for alleged bribery and corruption:
It is my intention to raise the question of how New Zealand can continually maintain the status of being the ‘least corrupt country in the world’ (together with Denmark and Finland, according to Transparency International’s 2012 ‘Corruption Perception Index’
I’m sure a number of anti-corruption experts, and hopefully significant Australian media, will be interested in the fact that the NZ International Convention Centre Act 2013, was effectively railroaded through the NZ Parliament, without ‘due diligence’ against the increased risk of money-laundering being carried out by the supposedly ‘lead agency’ – OFCANZ (organised and Financial Crime Agency of NZ), the NZ Prime Minister John Key, Minister of Economic Development Steven Joyce, Auckland Council, or Auckland Central Police.
So – there may be some interest in the fact that the NZ Auditor-General, Lyn Provost, has confirmed that she will consider my request for an investigation into the failure of OFCANZ to carry out ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the NZ International Convention Centre Act 2013 ( or as prefer to call it – the ‘Sky City money-laundering’) Act:
As during the Auckland Mayoral campaign, I will explain why I am making a stand in defence of the public’s right to ‘open, transparent and democratically-accountable local government, which cannot be ignored – ie my refusal to pay rates, until ‘the books’ are open and the public are given the ‘devilish detail’, which shows EXACTLY where rates monies are being spent on consultants and private contractors.
You see, gutless anonymous ‘Manolo’ and ‘Big Bruv’, unlike your bleating sheepish selves, I’m an active and effective ‘anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’, who actually ‘gets things done’?
PS: For those who kindly made donations to help get me over the ditch and registered at this 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference – THANKS!
In the end, my sister loaned me $1500 in order to make sure I could get there.
I’d REALLY appreciate not being left in the financial poo here folks – so if you haven’t yet made a donation to help out, you still can:
KIWIBANK PM Bright 38 9010 0725719 00
That’s 150 people donating $10
75 people donating $20
I support a few ’causes’, being interviewed for board-membership of a disability trust next week, and can always do with some cash! 😀 (All donations Gr8fully invested). 😎
Not a UN Agenda 21 supporter by any chance are you ‘Ad’?
I’m not.
So ‘Ad’ – you’re not opposed to corruption, ‘white collar’ crime or ‘corporate welfare’?
I am.
You’ll be disappointed to know that a number of people DO support the (voluntary, self-funded) work I do and what I stand for – otherwise I wouldn’t have got nearly 12,000 votes and polled 4th in the Auckland Mayoral election, and wouldn’t be flying out to Sydney tomorrow morning?
12,000 wasted votes from yet another futile and wasted campaign. You are in fact harder right than Rodney Hide; you rebel against nothing of note, stand for nothing, and seek to destroy everything you touch.
Apart from your little foray into the forgotten Aotea Square Occupy movement. Here’s what you need to do Penny: go occupy a job.
“12,000 wasted votes from yet another futile and wasted campaign. You are in fact harder right than Rodney Hide; you rebel against nothing of note, stand for nothing, and seek to destroy everything you touch.
Apart from your little foray into the forgotten Aotea Square Occupy movement. Here’s what you need to do Penny: go occupy a job.”
______________________________________________________________________
Gosh ‘Ad’ – can you show me some EVIDENCE where Rodney Hide has campaigned against the ‘corrupt corporate control’ of the Auckland region?
Can you show me some EVIDENCE ‘Ad’ – where Rodney Hide has exposed who is really running Auckland – http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz membership – as I did in my 150 word Auckland Mayoral candidate statement which went out to 1.4 million Auckland voters?
(Maybe you’re just a little bit inexperienced politically ‘Ad’ , and simply don’t know what the terms ‘left’ and ‘right’ are supposed to stand for?
Although since the neo-liberal ‘Rogernomic$’ reforms were introduced by the 1984 – 1987 ‘Labour Government’, ‘left’ vs ‘right’ is arguably no longer really very politically meaningful ?
Personally, I prefer to look at the fundamental political divide as ‘corporate minority’ vs ‘public majority’? (1% vs the 99% – sort of thing 🙂
My ‘little foray into the forgotten Aotea Square Occupy movement’, as a Named Respondent and an Appellant in my own name, working together with pro-bono lawyer for Occupy Auckland Ron Mansfield, resulted in a significant win against corporate-controlled Auckland Council.
That this obviously upsets people such as yourself, gives me considerable satisfaction.
(Meant of course, in a caring way 😉
FYI – Occupy Auckland, to date, has been the only organisation to ever endorse the ‘principle’ of such an ‘ACTION PLAN’.
I look forward to as many people/ organisations / political parties / as possible, endorsing, advocating for such an ACTION PLAN, or as many parts of it as possible.
‘Where the people lead – the politicians will follow’ ?
PS: ‘Ad’ – do you support UN Agenda 21?
Given your rather semi-hysterical response, it seems to me that you probably do?
So sorry my budget for ‘intervention’ is currently being used to try and leverage the ‘Hairdo’ outta that electorate,
Plus i coughed a decent wad of used 20’s into G, Mac’s efforts at giving Banks a spanking, $320 a week with flatmates and a freehold house,(tell us more), sounds like you should have been able to save up to fund your own holiday, oops i mean conference across the ditch…
“Just need another 149 folks to do what you’re going to – and all will be well!”
And what will the donations bring? What outcomes will be achieved? Will you be open and honest with your donations? What will the donations be spent on?
PS: For those who kindly made donations to help get me over the ditch and registered at this 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference – THANKS!
In the end, my sister loaned me $1500 in order to make sure I could get there.
I’d REALLY appreciate not being left in the financial poo here folks – so if you haven’t yet made a donation to help out, you still can:
KIWIBANK PM Bright 38 9010 0725719 00
That’s 150 people donating $10
75 people donating $20
Not a big ask?
Have a GREAT day!
Cheers
Penny Bright
PS: I would not have been able to draw up this ACTION PLAN against ‘white collar’ crime, corruption and ‘corporate welfare’, had I not attended the 2009 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference, and 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference – listened to and questioned the speakers, collected and read the material, then applied what I learned to New Zealand.
It’s little wonder so many sociopaths end up in positions of power: power attracts the ruthless unencumbered by empathy. No wonder the phrase ‘pathology of power’ resonates: The Federal Reserve and the Pathology of Power (November 18, 2010).
There is an ontological darkness in centralized power, and it flows from the disconnect between authority, responsibility and consequence. A leader with vast centralized powers–a president, an emperor, a dictator–has the authority to send young citizens into combat in distant lands, but he does not carry an equal responsibility to ensure their lives are not lost in the vain glories of Empire. The consequences of his decisions do not fall on him; he is far from the combat and the loosed dogs of war. His concern is the domestic political squabbles of the Elites who support his centralized power.
All centralized power carries the same pathology: those with the authority are never exposed to the consequences of their authority, nor do they have any responsibility for the consequences. The president who launches an unwinnable war that chews up the nation’s youth and treasure leaves office to fund-raise for his self-glorification, i.e. a presidential library.
The CEO whose strategies fail to revive the corporation and indeed send it to the brink of insolvency leaves with a “golden parachute” worth tens of millions of dollars.
I have just been listening to Stephen Sackur BBC Hard Talk. What an interrupting, opinionated yob. He interrupts, states something as a question then interrupts the explanation. He’s been with the BBC since 1986 apparently. Your time is up Sackur, sacking time. Time to move on to… the USA perhaps. They have quite a thing for clipped British accents.
“I also know Allan Titford. I’ve met him twice for long chats in the company of his new partner and small son. They struck me as a loving couple and there was certainly nothing in his partner’s behaviour to suggest that she was a victim of abuse.
In view of the fraud being perpetrated by the state over the Treaty, and in view of the numerous instances of police corruption that litter recent New Zealand history, I’m going to give Allan the benefit of the doubt until I’ve seen the evidence presented against him.
If he is guilty of these crimes, then he deserves everything that’s coming to him.
But I’m not going to see an innocent man rot in prison and a lovely little boy grow up without his dad if that evidence is as flimsy as I suspect it is.
I am certainly not going to accept that he is guilty of decades of sexual slavedriving based on the televised tearjerking of an ex-wife with a vested interest in his conviction.
Let us see the evidence. Already the 24 year sentence is evidence of a judge who rates Allan as deserving of a longer sentence than all but a few murderers.
Why?”
That’s John Ansell, architect of National’s 2005 election campaign, under Don “Iwi/Kiwi” Brash. They must be proud.
some of these attitudes are quite mainstream. Wonder what went wrong with their socialization to limit their brain development. Not much better than ill-bred animals trapped in a cage.
The blog comments are on the left of the page link.
Ansell’s is (currently) the 4th one down. But all the comments are worth reading, to see what these people are like – and bearing in mind that their group includes the likes of Muriel Newman (ex-ACT MP) and others who pop up as pundits in the mainstream media.
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I don't knowHow to say what's got to be saidI don't know if it's black or whiteThere's others see it redI don't get the answers rightI'll leave that to youIs this love out of fashionOr is it the time of yearAre these words distraction?To the words you want to hearSongwriters: ...
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Data released by Statistics New Zealand today showed a significant slowdown in the economy over the past six months, with GDP falling by 1% in September, and 1.1% in June said CTU Economist Craig Renney. “The data shows that the size of the economy in GDP terms is now smaller ...
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bob HensonIn this aerial view, fingers of meltwater flow from the melting Isunnguata Sermia glacier descending from the Greenland Ice Sheet on July 11, 2024, near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. According to the Programme for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE), the ...
In August, I wrote an article about David Seymour1 with a video of his testimony, to warn that there were grave dangers to his Ministry of Regulation:David Seymour's Ministry of Slush Hides Far Greater RisksWhy Seymour's exorbitant waste of taxpayers' money could be the least of concernThe money for Seymour ...
Willis is expected to have to reveal the bitter fiscal fruits of her austerity strategy in the HYEFU later today. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/TheKakaMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, December 17 in The Kākā’s Dawn Chorus podcast ...
On Friday the government announced it would double the number of toll roads in New Zealand as well as make a few other changes to how toll roads are used in the country. The real issue though is not that tolling is being used but the suggestion it will make ...
The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...
This whooping cough story from south Auckland is a good example of the coalition government’s approach to social need – spend money on urging people to get vaccinated but only after you’ve cut the funding to where they could get vaccinated. This has been the case all year with public ...
And if there is a GodI know he likes to rockHe likes his loud guitarsHis spiders from MarsAnd if there is a GodI know he's watching meHe likes what he seesBut there's trouble on the breezeSongwriter: William Patrick Corgan Read more ...
Here’s a quick round up of today’s political news:1. MORE FOOD BANKS, CHARITIES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICES SET TO CLOSE OR SCALE BACK AROUND THE COUNTRY AS GOVT CUTS FUNDINGSome of Auckland's largest foodbanks are warning they may need to close or significantly reduce food parcels after ...
Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...
This is a guest post by Tim Adriaansen, a community, climate, and accessibility advocate.I won’t shut up about climate breakdown, and whenever possible I try to shift the focus of a climate conversation towards solutions. But you’ll almost never hear me give more than a passing nod to ...
A grassroots backlash has forced a backdown from Brown, but he is still eyeing up plenty of tolls for other new roads. And the pressure is on Willis to ramp up the Government’s austerity strategy. Photo: Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that matter in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
Hi all,I'm pretty overwhelmed by all your messages and emails today; thank you so very much.As much as my newsletter this morning was about money, and we all need to earn money, it was mostly about world domination if I'm honest. 😉I really hate what’s happening to our country, and ...
A listing of 23 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, December 8, 2024 thru Sat, December 14, 2024. Listing by Category Like last week's summary this one contains the list of articles twice: based on categories and based on ...
I started writing this morning about Hobson’s Pledge, examining the claims they and their supporters make, basically ripping into them. But I kept getting notifications coming through, and not good ones.Each time I looked up, there was another un-subscription message, and I felt a bit sicker at the thought of ...
Once, long before there was Harry and Meghan and Dodi and all those episodes of The Crown, they came to spend some time with us, Charles and Diana. Was there anyone in the world more glamorous than the Princess of Wales?Dazzled as everyone was by their company, the leader of ...
The collective right have a problem.The entire foundation for their world view is antiscientific. Their preferred economic strategies have been disproven. Their whole neoliberal model faces accusations of corporate corruption and worsening inequality. Climate change not only definitely exists, its rapid progression demands an immediate and expensive response in order ...
Just ten days ago, South Korea's president attempted a self-coup, declaring martial law and attempting to have opposition MPs murdered or arrested in an effort to seize unconstrained power. The attempt was rapidly defeated by the national assembly voting it down and the people flooding the streets to defend democracy. ...
Hi,“What I love about New Zealanders is that sometimes you use these expressions that as Americans we have no idea what those things mean!"I am watching a 30-something year old American ramble on about how different New Zealanders are to Americans. It’s his podcast, and this man is doing a ...
What Chris Penk has granted holocaust-denier and equal-opportunity-bigot Candace Owens is not “freedom of speech”. It’s not even really freedom of movement, though that technically is the right she has been granted. What he has given her is permission to perform. Freedom of SpeechIn New Zealand, the right to freedom ...
All those tears on your cheeksJust like deja vu flow nowWhen grandmother speaksSo tell me a story (I'll tell you a story)Spell it out, I can't hear (What do you want to hear?)Why you wear black in the morning?Why there's smoke in the air? Songwriter: Greg Johnson.Mōrena all ☀️Something a ...
National has only been in power for a year, but everywhere you look, its choices are taking New Zealand a long way backwards. In no particular order, here are the National Government's Top 50 Greatest Misses of its first year in power. ...
The Government is quietly undertaking consultation on the dangerous Regulatory Standards Bill over the Christmas period to avoid too much attention. ...
The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...
The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...
After years of advocacy, the Green Party is very happy to hear the Government has listened to our collective voices and announced the closure of the greyhound racing industry, by 1 August 2026. ...
In response to a new report from ERO, the Government has acknowledged the urgent need for consistency across the curriculum for Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) in schools. ...
The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...
Thank you for the invitation to speak with you tonight on behalf of the political party I belong to - which is New Zealand First. As we have heard before this evening the Kinleith Mill is proposing to reduce operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing “lossmaking paper production”. They say that they are currently consulting on the plan to permanently shut ...
Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says Health New Zealand will move swiftly to support dozens of internationally-trained doctors already in New Zealand on their journey to employment here, after a tripling of sought-after examination places. “The Medical Council has delivered great news for hardworking overseas doctors who want to contribute ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced four appointments to New Zealand’s intelligence oversight functions. The Honourable Robert Dobson KC has been appointed Chief Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants, and the Honourable Brendan Brown KC has been appointed as a Commissioner of Intelligence Warrants. The appointments of Hon Robert Dobson and Hon ...
Improvements in the average time it takes to process survey and title applications means housing developments can progress more quickly, Minister for Land Information Chris Penk says. “The government is resolutely focused on improving the building and construction pipeline,” Mr Penk says. “Applications to issue titles and subdivide land are ...
The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...
The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...
People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds, has announced a new appointment to the board of Education New Zealand (ENZ). Dr Erik Lithander has been appointed as a new member of the ENZ board for a three-year term until 30 January 2028. “I would like to welcome Dr Erik Lithander to the ...
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...
Two more criminal gangs will be subject to the raft of laws passed by the Coalition Government that give Police more powers to disrupt gang activity, and the intimidation they impose in our communities, Police Minister Mark Mitchell says. Following an Order passed by Cabinet, from 3 February 2025 the ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Justice Christian Whata as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Whata’s appointment as a Judge of the Court of Appeal will take effect on 1 August 2025 and fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Hon Justice David Goddard on ...
The latest economic figures highlight the importance of the steps the Government has taken to restore respect for taxpayers’ money and drive economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Data released today by Stats NZ shows Gross Domestic Product fell 1 per cent in the September quarter. “Treasury and most ...
Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Minister of Education David Seymour today announced legislation changes to strengthen freedom of speech obligations on universities. “Freedom of speech is fundamental to the concept of academic freedom and there is concern that universities seem to be taking a more risk-averse ...
Police Minister, Mark Mitchell, and Internal Affairs Minister, Brooke van Velden, today launched a further Public Safety Network cellular service that alongside last year’s Cellular Roaming roll-out, puts globally-leading cellular communications capability into the hands of our emergency responders. The Public Safety Network’s new Cellular Priority service means Police, Wellington ...
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge has officially reopened today, providing a critical link for Northlanders and offering much-needed relief ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“The Mangamuka Gorge is a vital route for Northland, carrying around 1,300 vehicles per day and connecting the Far ...
The Government has welcomed decisions by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Ashburton District Council confirming funding to boost resilience in the Canterbury region, with construction on a second Ashburton Bridge expected to begin in 2026, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering a second Ashburton Bridge to improve resilience and ...
The Government is backing the response into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Otago, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says. “Cabinet has approved new funding of $20 million to enable MPI to meet unbudgeted ongoing expenses associated with the H7N6 response including rigorous scientific testing of samples at the enhanced PC3 ...
Legislation that will repeal all advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays has passed through first reading in Parliament today, Media Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “As a growing share of audiences get their news and entertainment from streaming services, these restrictions have become increasingly redundant. New Zealand on ...
Today the House agreed to Brendan Horsley being appointed Inspector-General of Defence, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Mr Horsley’s experience will be invaluable in overseeing the establishment of the new office and its support networks. “He is currently Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, having held that role since June 2020. ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government has agreed to the final regulations for the levy on insurance contracts that will fund Fire and Emergency New Zealand from July 2026. “Earlier this year the Government agreed to a 2.2 percent increase to the rate of levy. Fire ...
The Government is delivering regulatory relief for New Zealand businesses through changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act. “The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Amendment Bill, which was introduced today, is the second Bill – the other being the Statutes Amendment Bill - that ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed further progress on the Hawke’s Bay Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS), with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board approving funding for the detailed design of Stage 1, paving the way for main works construction to begin in late 2025.“The Government is moving at ...
The Government today released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced. “Planting trees on Crown-owned land will drive economic growth by creating more forestry jobs in our regions, providing more wood ...
Court timeliness, access to justice, and improving the quality of existing regulation are the focus of a series of law changes introduced to Parliament today by Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee. The three Bills in the Regulatory Systems (Justice) Amendment Bill package each improve a different part of the ...
A total of 41 appointments and reappointments have been made to the 12 community trusts around New Zealand that serve their regions, Associate Finance Minister Shane Jones says. “These trusts, and the communities they serve from the Far North to the deep south, will benefit from the rich experience, knowledge, ...
The Government has confirmed how it will provide redress to survivors who were tortured at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (the Lake Alice Unit). “The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Lake Alice Unit between 1972 and ...
It has been a busy, productive year in the House as the coalition Government works hard to get New Zealand back on track, Leader of the House Chris Bishop says. “This Government promised to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and reduce the cost of living. Our record this ...
“Accelerated silicosis is an emerging occupational disease caused by unsafe work such as engineered stone benchtops. I am running a standalone consultation on engineered stone to understand what the industry is currently doing to manage the risks, and whether further regulatory intervention is needed,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister ...
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia – if it’s good for the people, get on with it. Enhanced reporting on the public sector’s delivery of Treaty settlement commitments will help improve outcomes for Māori and all New Zealanders, Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka says. Compiled together for the ...
Mr Roger Holmes Miller and Ms Tarita Hutchinson have been appointed to the Charities Registration Board, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston says. “I would like to welcome the new members joining the Charities Registration Board. “The appointment of Ms Hutchinson and Mr Miller will strengthen the Board’s capacity ...
More building consent and code compliance applications are being processed within the statutory timeframe since the Government required councils to submit quarterly data, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “In the midst of a housing shortage we need to look at every step of the build process for efficiencies ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey is proud to announce the first three recipients of the Government’s $10 million Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund which will enable more Kiwis faster access to mental health and addiction support. “This fund is part of the Government’s commitment to investing in ...
New Zealand is providing Vanuatu assistance following yesterday's devastating earthquake, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. "Vanuatu is a member of our Pacific family and we are supporting it in this time of acute need," Mr Peters says. "Our thoughts are with the people of Vanuatu, and we will be ...
The Government welcomes the Commerce Commission’s plan to reduce card fees for Kiwis by an estimated $260 million a year, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.“The Government is relentlessly focused on reducing the cost of living, so Kiwis can keep more of their hard-earned income and live a ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour has welcomed the Early Childhood Education (ECE) regulatory review report, the first major report from the Ministry for Regulation. The report makes 15 recommendations to modernise and simplify regulations across ECE so services can get on with what they do best – providing safe, high-quality care ...
The Government‘s Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to create a new regulatory regime that will enable firms to construct offshore wind generation has passed its first reading in Parliament, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says.“New Zealand currently does not have a regulatory regime for offshore renewable energy as the previous government failed ...
Legislation to enable new water service delivery models that will drive critical investment in infrastructure has passed its first reading in Parliament, marking a significant step towards the delivery of Local Water Done Well, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly say.“Councils and voters ...
New Zealand is one step closer to reaping the benefits of gene technology with the passing of the first reading of the Gene Technology Bill, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins says. "This legislation will end New Zealand's near 30-year ban on gene technology outside the lab and is ...
ByKoroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor New Zealand’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) says impending bad weather for Port Vila is now the most significant post-quake hazard. A tropical low in the Coral Sea is expected to move into Vanuatu waters, bringing heavy rainfall. Authorities have issued warnings to people ...
Cosmic CatastropheThe year draws to a close.King Luxon has grown tired of the long eveningsListening to the dreary squabbling of his Triumvirate.He strolls up to the top floor of the PalaceTo consult with his Astronomer Royal.The Royal Telescope scans the skies,And King Luxon stares up into the heavensFrom the terrestrial ...
Spinoff editor Mad Chapman and books editor Claire Mabey debate Carl Shuker’s new novel about… an editor. Claire: Hello Mad, you just finished The Royal Free – overall impressions? Mad: Hi Claire, I literally just put the book down and I would have to say my immediate impression is ...
Christmas and its buildup are often lonely, hard and full of unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to make it to Jesus’s birthday and find the little bit of joy we all deserve. Have you found this year relentless? Has the latest Apple update “fucked up your life”? Have you lost two ...
Despite overwhelming public and corporate support, the government has stalled progress on a modern day slavery law. That puts us behind other countries – and makes Christmas a time of tragedy rather than joy, argues Shanti Mathias. Picture the scene on Christmas Day. Everyone replete with nice things to eat, ...
Asia Pacific Report “It looks like Hiroshima. It looks like Germany at the end of World War Two,” says an Israeli-American historian and professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University about the horrifying reality of Gaza. Professor Omer Bartov, has described Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza as an ...
The New Zealand government coalition is tweaking university regulations to curb what it says is an increasingly “risk-averse approach” to free speech. The proposed changes will set clear expectations on how universities should approach freedom of speech issues. Each university will then have to adopt a “freedom of speech statement” ...
Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. – COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone New York prosecutors have charged Luigi Mangione with “murder as an act of terrorism” in his alleged shooting of health insurance CEO Brian Thompson earlier this month. This news comes out at the same time as ...
Pacific Media Watch The union for Australian journalists has welcomed the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years. Combined with the announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to ...
MONDAY“Merry Xmas, and praise the Lord,” said Sheriff Luxon, and smiled for the camera. There was a flash of smoke when the shutter pressed down on the magnesium powder. The sheriff had arranged for a photographer from the Dodge Gazette to attend a ceremony where he handed out food parcels to ...
It’s a little under two months since the White Ferns shocked the cricketing world, deservedly taking home the T20 World Cup. Since then the trophy has had a tour around the country, five of the squad have played in the WBBL in Australia while most others have returned to domestic ...
Comment: If we say the word ‘dementia’, many will picture an older person struggling to remember the names of their loved ones, maybe a grandparent living out their final years in an aged care facility. Dementia can also occur in people younger than 65, but it can take time before ...
Piracy is a reality of modern life – but copyright law has struggled to play catch-up for as long as the entertainment industry has existed. As far back as 1988, the House of Lords criticised copyright law’s conflict with the reality of human behaviour in the context of burning cassette ...
As he makes a surprise return to Shortland Street, actor Craig Parker takes us through his life in television. Craig Parker has been a fixture on television in Aotearoa for nearly four decades. He had starring roles in iconic local series like Gloss, Mercy Peak and Diplomatic Immunity, featured in ...
The Ōtautahi musician shares the 10 tracks he loves to spin, including the folk classic that cured him of a ‘case of the give-ups’. When singer-songwriter Adam McGrath returns to Kumeu’s Auckland Folk Festival from January 24-27, he’s not planning on simply idling his way through – he wants the late ...
Alex Casey spends an afternoon on the job with River, the rescue dog on a mission to spread joy to Ōtautahi rest homes.Almost everyone says it is never enough time. But River the rescue dog, a jet black huntaway border collie cross, has to keep a tight pace to ...
Asia Pacific Report Fiji activists have recreated the nativity scene at a solidarity for Palestine gathering in Fiji’s capital Suva just days before Christmas. The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Fijians for Palestine Solidarity Network recreated the scene at the FWCC compound — a baby Jesus figurine lies amidst the ...
By 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver and 1News reporters A number of Kiwis have been successfully evacuated from Vanuatu after a devastating earthquake shook the Pacific island nation earlier this week. The death toll was still unclear, though at least 14 people were killed according to an earlier statement from ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Scully, Professor in Modern History, University of New England Bunker.Image courtesy of Michael Leunig, CC BY-NC-SA Michael Leunig – who died in the early hours of Thursday December 19, surrounded by “his children, loved ones, and sunflowers” – was the ...
The House - On Parliament's last day of the year, there was the rare occurrence of a personal (conscience) vote on selling booze over the Easter weekend. While it didn't have the numbers to pass, it was a chance to get a rare glimpse of the fact ...
A new poem by Holly Fletcher. bejeweled log i was dreaming about wasps / wee darlings that followed me / ducking under objects / that i was fated to pickup / my fingers seeking / and meeting with tiny proboscis’s / but instead / i wake up / roll sideways ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne Versta/Shutterstock Australians are exposed to some of the highest levels of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the world. While we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Terry, Professor of Business Regulation, University of Sydney Michael von Aichberger/Shutterstock Even if you’ve no idea how the business model underpinning franchises works, there’s a good chance you’ve spent money at one. Franchising is essentially a strategy for cloning ...
If something big is going to happen in Ferndale, it’s going to happen at Christmas. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If there’s one episode of Shortland Street you should watch each year, it’s the annual Christmas cliffhanger. The final episode of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William A. Stoltz, Lecturer and expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University US President-elect Donald Trump has named most of the members of his proposed cabinet. However, he’s yet to reveal key appointees to America’s powerful cyber warfare and intelligence institutions. ...
Announcing the top 10 books of the the year at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber, $37) The phenomenal Irish writer is the unsurprising chart topper for 2024 with her fourth novel that, much like her first ...
BBC upholds complaint about settler article
A BBC Online article about the life of Israeli settlers breached editorial guidelines on accuracy, the BBC has ruled.
The article focused on two British men who had chosen to go and live in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian West Bank with their families.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) wrote to the BBC to question why it had run a feature on settlers, living on internationally recognised Palestinian land, without interviewing a single Palestinian about the impact of settlements and settlers on their lives.
http://www.palestinecampaign.org/settlerarticle/
So, the police telling even more, worser work stories:
Story on on Stuff: Cop Meyer using his uniform & rank to coerce women sexually.
Story 2 on NZ Herald: the return of Brad Shipton.
Sickening! Feel for the good cops but this has to be addressed.
This is about the bad ones, Lyn. The focus has to stay on the wrong-doers. The fact is that a significant minority of the police force in this country is out of control. And a lot of the “good cops” have turned a blind eye to their crimes.
Yes and it is the ‘blind eye’ of those in the force who are NOT the perpetrators of criminal acts which needs be addressed as this ‘blind eye’ is the key to the culture within Police that has figuratively and perhaps literally allowed the criminal element within to get away with murder,
This ‘blind eye’ which allowed a Wellington constable to break a ‘party-goers’ neck with a baton and escape charge or conviction simply because the ‘blind eye’ allowed all the other police lining the hall of the ‘party house’ to claim they did not see the blow struck,
My view is the Police Complaints authority must be given the means and control of prosecuting all wrong-doing Police where they are subject to complaint and where the ‘blind eye’, the culture of silence is shown to be operating the Law must be changed so as to facilitate the charging of all the officers in a group, just as criminal gangs are charged, where it is shown that some or all must have seen or known of the offending by a colleague but chose to maintain the code of silence…
+ 1
Julia Hartley Moore used her time to speak on the Panel to say she knew of a lot of abusive conduct within the police, including policewomen being told to sleep with senior officers if they wanted promotion. Disturbing.
Even more disturbing was that she used the rest of her time to scold environmental protestors and enthusiastically voice approval of Nevil Breivik Gibson’s foam-flecked denunciations of them.
Yes, Morrissey, good point.
Mora’s failure to challenge Gibson when he rolled his eyes as Abel connected the Philippines to change was a shameful moment for a public broadcaster.
It was actually Finlay Macdonald. He’s as spineless and craven as Mora, unfortunately. He not only guffawed approvingly as Gibson and Hartley-Moore expressed their contempt for the protestors in Russia and New Zealand, but added his own disparaging comments.
You do realize there’s around 8500 police officers.
When it comes to doing dodgy stuff how do the police stack up against up against other occupations such as teaching?.
I’d say fairly well, with the amount of scum they have to deal with on a daily basis and the amount of temptation that would waved in their faces I’m really quite impressed with the small amount of bad behavior that goes on within our police force.
Well done, the people in blue.
You do realize there’s around 8500 police officers. When it comes to doing dodgy stuff how do the police stack up against up against other occupations such as teaching? I’d say fairly well….
Your comment is one of the more foolish ones to be posted here in the last year. You obviously have no idea about anything.
….with the amount of scum they have to deal with on a daily basis and the amount of temptation that would waved in their faces I’m really quite impressed with the small amount of bad behavior that goes on within our police force.
You are obviously blind and deaf.
Lol,That’s pretty rich coming from you.
The amount of diarrhea that pours from your key board is quite unbelievable.
Morrissey highlights some of the issues with a corrupt mainstream corporate media.
You simply shill for the elite.
Your comment is one of the more foolish ones to be posted here in the last year. You obviously have no idea about anything.
– ok so why is it foolish?
You are obviously blind and deaf.
– Rather then insult why not explain
Good to hear you lecturing others, Chris.
You always turn up on this site to reason using evidence, don’t you?
Why not, you never hear anything on this site about teachers sexually and physically abusing kids yet there are regular postings about how bad the police are even though its a very small percentage
Turning a blind eye to anything is not good
Interested in all opinions if they are supported by evidence.
My issue with your contributions here are that they are comments without back up,and when people debate the issue with you , you dodge the actual discussion.
You’re a proud Tory, so debate using real arguments, not slogans,
Fine
I think the left supporting posters on this site see the police as a tool of the right which means their influence needs to be weakened at every opportunity using whatever excuse they can no matter how weak it is
whereas
the teachers are part of the left which means a blind eye can be turned to whatever abuses the teachers and teacher unions commit while agreeing with and reinforcing whatever notion the teachers unions come up with
Abuses by one profession is regularly discussed and its members vilified while abuses by another profession are not mentioned and its members supported
Discuss
Could you provide some links to provide evidence that “posters on this site see the police as a tool of the right.”?
You need to stop making vacuous, unsubstantiated arguments.
Of course the good ol’ “links or its not true” argument…it can’t possibly be true unless theres a link to it somewhere
You spout off your opinions I spout off mine, yours are no less valid then mine (and vice versa)
Can you provide evidence that a similar abuse of the system that the police get away with happens in teaching?
^this
The thing about teachers is that usually they are charged at around the time complaints are made.
This doesn’t seem to happen so often with the police complaints in the media.
Police – “shoe-shine boys (and girls) for the capitalist classes”; nannies for the Baby Boomers. ok, that’s a little hyperbolic…yet… 😀
I try to link to an article when making an affirmative statement, as I did with my comment about Fran O’Sullivan.
I don’t see you doing this. Be honest Chris, you’re here to make mischief, not to debate.
you do “hear anything on this site about teachers [priests, coaches and health ‘professionals’] sexually and physically abusing” children, ackshully. ‘chris’
Morrissey, BM is trying a diversion onto teachers and away from the police.
@BM 2.3
Or ‘occupations’ such as company directors and CEOs if you want to talk dodgy behaviour. The difference with the blue bellies is that they are sworn operatives and meant to set higher standards for the community. So even one bent copper should be of some concern and dealt with by the IPCA and sent on for standard court attention as the rest of us would be.
Police assaulting, harassing, raping, and helping themselves to the odd line of seized coke goes on largely unbothered by sanction due to the three monkeys or “blind eye” culture as bad12 said.
Cops are part of the state forces and as such are able to use lethal force as well as physical restraint, arrest, incarceration and intimidation against citizens.
So damn right there needs to be some of them locked up and very close scrutiny kept on the rest. They still obscure or fudge their ID numbers fer crissakes (e.g. by a group of officers wearing the same number) for the sole purpose of being unaccountable. And something to think about–a lot of their work could be done by unsworn civilians with training. Gruesome car crashes and lost trampers could all be dealt with by your average towie or pig hunter if paid accordingly.
Why they swear an oath like the defence forces is that they are needed to enforce the ruling class political will and protect private property which as many who have been burgled would realise does not necessarily include your private house or flat. No it means corporate property and strategic government sites.
Gruesome car crashes and lost trampers could all be dealt with by your average towie or pig hunter if paid accordingly.
Well if you looked a little closer you would see that both functions are the responsibility of specialist police officers whose primary task is to coordinate outside resources, eg your towies and volunteer searchers.
However both jobs also entail the high probability of dead bodies; which is always a police matter.
is that they are needed to enforce the ruling class political will and protect private property which as many who have been burgled would realise does not necessarily include your private house or flat.
Largely a matter of priorities. Double the number of police and yes the burg of your flat will get more attention.
In fact while your particular break-in doesn’t get much attention, it is the pattern of similar ones in an area, and the statistical analysis of them, plus the usual plod work with fences, informants and second-hand dealers that invariably catches up with your crim.
While it seems that a lot of crime goes unsolved, a cop once explained to me that in the long-run they actually finish up convicting close to 100% of career criminals one way or another.
can be a lot of casualties fall by the way-side on that “Long Run” of ‘priorities’ Red, imo.
See serial abusers, Wairarapa children for examples.
And that heap of files in the Masterton Police Station would likely have mouldered a lot less if there had been four or five officers assigned to it rather than one … who kept of being dragged off to other more ‘urgent’ matters.
Still should we not be careful what we ask for here? Could we double or triple the number of police and thus vacuum clean society free from all it’s ills….
imo, and experience, much offending by The Criminal Kind is less overt, and more sophisticated now than previously in NZ; Omerta has become more established, such a small village, and the ‘net. Otherwise, despite the heralding of ‘this’ drug-bust and ‘that’ sexual offending, would there be so many tinnie houses remaining un-touched, and I’m talking for more than eight years, that I am aware of; managed often by people with very responsible employment or community roles. The analysis by the Left, generally, is that the Offences Stats are being massaged (and that’s not all, lol) while the MSM and pathetic programmes like Police 10-7 fuel the stereo-typing of the ‘typical’ offender. Every time there is a relatively minor drug operation success locally, the freakin’ editor makes it Front Page News (aarrrgh!).
Just reflecting, I have been privileged, or damned, to engage intimately with people right across the s-e-o spectrum, and it is far from Black, White, or Blue. (hence why I do not trust the po-po).
Just reflecting, I have been privileged, or damned, to engage intimately with people right across the s-e-o spectrum, and it is far from Black, White, or Blue.
No quibble. I’m just a little wary of reflexive cop-bashing when they are really just a part of us … Good, Bad or Ugly.
No quibble – archaic 😉
When it comes to doing dodgy stuff how do the police stack up against up against other occupations such as teaching?.
I’d say fairly well, with the amount of scum they have to deal with on a daily basis and the amount of temptation that would waved in their faces I’m really quite impressed with the small amount of bad behavior that goes on within our police force.
Why do you say fairly well? Got any basis for a comparison apart from your own experience? Do you think that there are the same numbers of teachers raping or blackmailing/forcing students into having sex with them and we just don’t know about it?
“the amount of temptation that would waved in their faces”
What, like some of the NZ citizens they deal with having vaginas and such?
Yep or penises or both if they’re that way inclined.
Heaps of hard arse female crims that would offer up the goods if they thought there was a chance they may get off being dragged in front of the courts.
That says a bit more about the company you keep than it does about the police.
Right, so when a cop looks at another human being who has a vagina or a penis or both, they can’t help themselves? How on earth do men who aren’t cops cope?
“Heaps of hard arse female crims that would offer up the goods if they thought there was a chance they may get off being dragged in front of the courts.”
Not sure what that has to do with this conversation. Are you saying that because some women are ok with trading favours, that all women should be? Or are you saying that because some women are ok with trading favours, that the police are confused and can no longer tell the difference between choice and force? Doesn’t that render them incompetent to do the job they’re employed to do?
I’ve come across plenty of cases of cops letting it be known that, if the “goods were offered up” they’d be willing takers. Pretty much falls into the category of coercion. I’ve known one or two cases where female crims had sex willingly with detectives, but they were informants anyway. I can’t speak for the people you know, Bloody Moron.
Oh ffs BM and chris73, only a tiny percentage of the population pull armed robberies.
The vast majority of people just do their banking and shopping without ever pulling a sawn-off, but it’s no surprise that a few of us do when you consider the enormous temptation of all that free money.
But hey, it’s only a handful of people really so no big deal. Well done all the non armos I say.
there is more than a few filth
Fascinating fight for NACT party nomination in Kaikoura. Incumbent Colin King is a nice enough guy but seen to be ineffectual on local issues. He does what Head office says. Missing in action on issues such as the local hospital worries. Sat with Aaron Gilmore at the back of the back benches.
At least one challenger: Stuart Smith with a reputation as a mover and shaker in the wine industry. Supported by a group of Marlborough businessmen who want a higher Marlborough profile in Parliament.
National membership numbers have soared. The traditional Nactoids are getting the blue-rinse brigade out in force.
Wednesday night is decision time I understand. The role of Head office will be interesting.
I feel a bit sorry for Colin. His influence seems to be largely confined to his lovely family. He looks a bit startled when faced with the wider Electorate problems. Whenever he puts in a newspaper column usually about what his family is doing I say nice chap, but a pity National are not interested in using resources in a very safe seat.
Referendum done and in the post.
Mines in the same place next time i leave the house, a NO vote of course…
How the Left is less numerate at MMP than the Right
Yeah that’s what I’ve been saying. But no, let’s not change a thing and play straight into National’s game plan instead.
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/11/22/dont-moan-about-mmp-disqualification-rules/
Sigh.
Why would anyone vote for a non-contestant (meaning anyone destined to come third or lower) when they could use their vote to actually influence the result?
Because some (many) people don’t see this as a zero-sum game. This line of reasoning only works if you treat voters as too dumb to know what’s good for them. Green electorate-seat voters in Ohariu knew damn well that their chances of not having Dunne as their MP would be maximised by voting for Chauvel. Labour electorate-seat voters in Epsom knew damn well their chances of throwing out Act would be maximised by voting Goldsmith.
There’s an argument to be made, certainly, that running Parker in Epsom was stupid because it seemed to send a signal that Labour view the seat as winnable. But everything else is just political nerds having a whinge that not everyone votes along purely utilitarian lines (and implying that it’s because they’re ignorant).
And the GP voters in the Waitakere electorate vote? How would we know how many left voters are voting knowledgeably and how many are voting relatively cluelessly?
The only way to stop the shear stupidity of the present electoral voting system is to make it a preferential vote. Have people vote for the top three choices minimum and we’ll actually get their most preferred candidate.
We won’t have to screw our democracy up by giving the political parties the power to choose who’s going to win by making deals.
”On another planet with you”, fact usually just as strange as fiction sees both Fran O,Sullivan and John Armstrong voicing their approval for David Cunliffe’s assertion that the Government must pay the Court ordered compensation to the Pike River miners families,
This follows on from an editorial earlier in the week where the editor of the NZ National Party NZ Herald also gave Cunliffe it’s backing on this issue,
O’Sullivan goes so far as to tell Slippery the Prime minister that He must change His stance on the payment of the compensation befor the next election,(or suffer???),
Armstrong i get the distinct feeling was laboring under ‘orders’ from on high when He produced His piece which while supporting Cunliffes stance was full of the snide abuse we have come to expect and disrespect this particular producer of ‘advertorials’ for the National Party to cause to come into print,
It took David Cunliffe a while to get around to saying the a Government He leads would pay this Court ordered compensation which now proves to have support for those high and low in the great scheme of things,
i would go further tho and simply tax the share-market $1 for every $100 of shares either bought or sold and create a fund to provide for any such future payments,(preferrably called the Pike River Memorial Fund with transactions recorded as such each time a dollar was paid just to remind the directors and shareholders of their ongoing ‘responsibilities’)…
The beginnings of a financial transaction tax. Make it 5c on every $100 transacted, and have it apply to every NZD credit card, money transfer, foreign exchange and EFTPOS transactions over a NZD$250 level.
It should help tamp down market speculation on the NZD as well.
Don’t find i have any disagreement with that proposal, there would need be a mechanism to detect multiple payments under the thresh-hold by the one entity in any given period attempting to rort the system is my only codicil…
Brazil had a transaction tax on everything. It was originally imposed to help pay for the health system, although it’s debatable how it was actually spent. I never noticed that I was paying it, unlike income tax and student loan interest.
Gee theres a surprise, more taxes
Taxes are a critical mechanism to drive the correct behaviours in society and to focus the private sector on specific sectors and activities.
Being the director of at least 3 companies, do you use tax minimization?
Are you paying your fair share, Mr CV?
After you outed yourself, I jumped onto the companies register and had a look, you’re certainly involved in a diverse range of businesses.
The thing I don’t understand is why you’re wasting your time with Labour, National seems like a much better fit?
They’d love to have a candidate with all your skills and experience also you’d help add a bit of diversity to the National line up, you’d be a shoe in for selection.
“Outed” himself?
No BM, it’s you who has just outed yourself as a creepy panty-sniffer like the Slater child.
As if we didn’t know.
Panty sniffer?
I actually was really impressed with the mans skills and what he’s involved in, I was actually under the impression that he spent his day bludging off his rich in laws.
CV would have to be one of the most business savy guys within the labour party,.
PS: I should have put a smiley face at the end of the second line, to demonstrate that I was joking.
Have you checked out my skid-marks BM? (better get in that garden before it rains btw).
Why, are they like a modern art masterpiece?, I’m not really that big on contemporary art so I’ll pass this time.
Probably more felixs thing, though.
Impressionism, or a Cubist then…although, likely a Classicist 😀 (definitely not Renaissance).
Just shows, BM, that you know fuck all about the Labour Party, or the National Party, or business of any sort.
Hardly surprising when all your info comes direct from the fetid worm Slater.
The critical thing for an economy IMO is for money to circulate through communities and SMEs (which is the business sector I am involved with). The velocity of money concept. And for SMEs to see reasonable profits in order to encourage grass roots investment in local businesses.
I see Labour as the party which understands this. National on the other hand, despite its reputation as the party for business, is really the party for big (corporate) business. We’re in a situation now (both in NZ and globally) where corporate businesses and their profits are protected by governments to the detriment of not just ordinary workers and citizens (who in theory governments are supposed to be serving), but SME’s and SME owners.
For instance – as an SME owner, higher broadband costs (due to subsidising Chorus) and higher power prices (due to electricity market privatisation and lack of a buying scheme like NZ Power) are highly damaging to the bottom line. Not to mention things like bank fees and small business loan costs from banks.
In summary – corporates don’t just thieve from communities and ordinary consumers but charging more and delivering less – they are thieving from SMEs as well.
Having said that, there are major problems with how Labour is perceived in the SME sector, and National is still the preferred party of many business owners for good reason.
edit – hi felix
Interesting.
Not the I’m involved in the National party, but I do agree they’re more geared up for big business.
The reason being is probably because most of the mps careers have being involved in big business, it’s what they know, not a lot of National mps come from SME sector.
Someone with your skills and experience would do well in the National party and could really make a difference for small business owners.
Something to think about?
I’m just heading outside to weed the garden(fun times) so if you reply It may be a while before you get a response.
I have been previously approached about standing for National, which I found a fascinating occurrence. Sadly I had to politely decline further discussions 😈
Still, could be a way to get Dunedin North 😉
Is sedition still a charge on the books?! 😀
No. It got removed abruptly after the police last used it.
Btw, as many of you would know, Dunedin North may not necessarily continue to be a safe Labour seat that it once was.
The boundary expansion is a challenge but I’ve got a high level of confidence in David Clark vis a vis the North electorate of Dunedin. He’s already been active and visible up that way.
Problem for you though CV is that you’re not a teacher,social worker or unionist. That fairly much rules you out.
Also you’ve a Man, so you’re really up against it, honestly I’d say the chances of you getting picked are up there with Trevor Mallard being made deputy leader.
Hmmm. Quick jot on the calculator, I figure a maximum of 24-25 males in the Labour caucus next year even if it’s a strong result for Labour.
Why sadly?
It would have been impolite to decline gleefully 😛
BM it’s interesting how you think that National helps SME’s. National’s overall approach results in a dividing society with very disparate situations (it’s ok, you lot probably don’t fully appreciate that this is the outcome of you MO atm. It will come.).
Most all business does better when everyone is closer together in terms of economic situation, not further apart.
As such, left wing policies result in better outcomes for sme’s.
No he wouldn’t as all those people from the big corporate world would expect him to kiss their arse (authoritarian mindset) and CV doesn’t seem like the arse kissing type.
Indeed. Having said that, I’ve also done my share of work for a number of big corporates, both NZ ones and trans-national corporates.
Yeah, so have I which is why I know that privatisation and big corporates aren’t any better and are often worse than a government department.
Yep.
Same here… worked extensively in both sectors.
Ultimately the only difference I ever observed was in their internal quality of leadership.
Plus the public sector organisation effectively passed it’s productivity gains back onto all it’s customers (ie tax and rate payers) while the private corporate gains were pretty much all captured by it’s shareholders.
I found the complete opposite. Split my working career between govt. and private and found govt frustratingly festooned with petty rules, paucity of innovation and bureaucratic nightmares.
Yeah, thank god we have a Government who won’t raise GST. Oh, wait …
Petrol taxes, company rego fees,…
See what I mean, Chris.
You just pop up with little barbs and insults.
Make an actual argument for less taxes, with evidence.
Gee, there’s a surprise, a RWNJ complaining about having to pay the full cost of things.
gee there’s a surprise..
..chris 73 proffering yet another simplistic one-liner…
..(it must be a day ending in a ‘y’..)
..do you have rolling amnesia..?
..who was it who raised gst after promising not to..?
..remind us again..
..so..taxes on poorest ..good..
..taxes on share-traders..bad…
..eh..?
..and i wd like to propose another user-pays tax..
..it’s the rightwingers-oxygen-users tax..
..i call it the ‘rot’ tax..or if you prefer..the ‘rout’-tax..
..you like..?
..you pay at the start of each day..
..eh..?
..it’s a kind of a sin-tax..
..for being greedy/uncaring rightwing/randite-arseholes..
..eh..?
..should we call it the rand-tax..?
..or the ayn-tax..?
..phillip ure..
The Tories only have slogans.
It could mean less taxes, but a shift on how they’re paid. A well designed one would be unavoidable, unlike income or capital gains taxes, or even GST, which can be evaded by spending overseas. I don’t expect Tories to like the idea. You guys prefer taxing paper boys and girls, or beneficiaries who make an extra $20 a week. You actually love more taxes, as long as you don’t pay them.
Fran O’Sullivan is starting to criticise this appalling government.
Here are some key quotes from her article in the Herald today.
Govt must pay for Pike tragedy
“A failure to do so invites the observation that the Key Government was prepared to take the limelight during the harrowing and symbolic mass mourning that has taken place on the coast and that Key and his Cabinet, having politically elevated the disaster to a national tragedy, prefer to stay absent from the fray and refuse to take a moral stance when political leadership is required.
“Their failure to do so has of course given Cunliffe an opening and enabled him to paint Key’s Government as a heartless lot. ”
“Rod Emmerson’s brilliant cartoon (Key Lorde-ing it up) in yesterday’s Herald underscored that in contrast to Pike River, the Government has given a $30 million subsidy to the Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter.”
“Not surprisingly, the Labour leader’s tactics are raising eyebrows in corporate circles, particularly among directors who are starting to feel they will have to factor in an element of political risk (on top of the blindingly complex commercial risks that now exist) if there is a change of government after next year’s election.”
But the real issue for Key and his Government is how its stance plays out in the political arena.
“But the Pike River disaster shocked New Zealanders to their core. It exposed unbelievable negligence by the Labour Department and the Pike River company. It was especially shocking as this negligence was on a scale that might be expected in a Third World country, not New Zealand.
Cunliffe is right: The Government should fill the breach and pay the $3.41 million to the families.”
When Tories like O’Sullivan speak, do Key and his crony government listen?
The Key government is rather caught out. They are adamant that the Government should not pay out to the families. If they changed that position then it is because David Cunliffe forced him to. (Can’t have that!) If Key does not change his stance he will be constantly reminded about the contrast of $30million for Rio Tinto but nothing for the families. (Miserable buggers!)
Well played that man Cunliffe.
Kennedy, shot from behind in the head yet his head shunts backwards.
Trust the government? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Trust the mainstream media like the Herald? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Trust the official version? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Trust Key when it comes to his ties to the US government? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Trust Key when it comes to spying? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Trust any of them?
not on your nellie, and anyone who does is an outright fool worthy of only ridicule.
I agree
Yes, BM, Lee Harvey Oswald killed on his own.
You’ve got to be crazy to believe that.
Do you ever question the government’s story?
From November 2014, every word.
classic.
best to question every government.
can’t wait until November 2014 – can practice on a noo set ….. been a few years now.
I know Oswald didn’t kill Kennedy.
I’d go with the theory has was topped by the Israelis because he was trying to stop Israels Nuclear program.
i like the mob-hit theory..
..pappy kennedy promised the mob that if they got out the vote for his boy in the closely-fought/tight election..
..that a kennedy presidency would go easy on the mafia.mob..would leave them to get on with their business..
..the mob duly delivered on the day..kennedy just scraped in..
..and then ongoing war was declared on the mafia..
..with robert kennedy setting up/heading a special task-force targeting all aspects of the mob business model..
..my understanding of the world is that you don’t do that to people like that..
..they tend to kill you…if you do that sort of thing to them..
..eh..?
..those political facts/realities of that election are what lend me to the mob-hit theory..
..but oswald acting alone..?..
..yeah right..!
..phillip ure..
It is suggested in The Grip of Death (a book about monetary reform) that both Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln were both assassinated on behalf of the bankers, who were concerned that both presidents were trying to control the money supply.
f.y.i…
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jfk-ten-unanswered-questions-about-the-assassination-of-john-f-kennedy-50-years-on-8955533.html
phillip ure..
This week referendum papers start arriving in voters mailboxes.
While many think the outcome is foregone conclusion and some, such as our inept Prime Minister believe that the outcome is well known it is vitally important to still tick “NO” on the referendum.
Ticking NO sends a message to not just the government, but to the people and the media that despite not campaigning on Asset Sales, contrary to popular opinion, making a hash of the offerings and spending more than expected on selling even just 49% of our assets to the 1%, New Zealanders are against asset sales.
With over 70% in recent polls voicing their opposition to asset sales, a subsequent corresponding turnout in the postal vote will have serious ramifications.
Unfortunately, if local body turnout is any indicator, it is highly probable that fewer than 30% will return their ballots.
Should the NO vote be around 20% of that, the media will trumpet it as indicative of an overwhelming indicator of support for the assets being sold off.
So what can we do?
1) Talk to your colleagues and encourage them to vote to “send a message”
2) Get your neighbours to vote to “send a message”
3) Your local networks in sport, community or volunteer groups – vote to “send a message”
What is the message we want to send?
That our assets were built by our grandparents and parents for all New Zealanders.
Selling off these assets will mean a higher cost of living for everyone.
The Government has lost $249million in income each year.
In perspective, the first year of loss income earnings could have covered the costs (in a single year) of;
– Pike River Compensation (3.4M)
– Adult Education Classes (23M)
– Feed the Kids Bill (100M)
– Paying Parliamentary Cleaners a living wage (25M)
– Paying out 100% land value for Red Zoned residents – up from the 50% offered (around 15M)
That’s a total of $166.4M, with $82.6M remaining.
Remember, nearly 20M of those figures are one off costs.
For the sake of ideology and feathering the nests of the few, dividends of $249M each year would have covered key issues that this government refuses to acknowledge as issues in getting New Zealand back on the road to becoming a society of participation, and creating a fair society.
Voting NO in this referendum sends a clear message to the government that they are treading dangerous ground.
If even a 50% turnout can be achieved with a 45% response rate of NO – with 50% of voter turnout sending a message that asset sales are not to be ignored, will leave the media playing a dangerous game if they try to frame it as an “us against them” viewpoint, which really when you think about it, is the entire point.
But let them try because if you try to turn “us” against “them” WE will win everytime.
Yuuuuss! Well said said James Thrace.
Since it’s the day after the anniversary of President Kennedy’s death, make sure you take 2 hours out and view Oliver Stone’s “JFK”.
Not for the conspiracy theories, but for the kind of leadership that we should expect and aspire to.
Xox
Good post James. Puts things into a different frame. How many mates has John Key got to vote in this referendum? Re. Police accountability. I have had my eyes open to police abuse etc and now see them as in Need of serious independent oversight if we are not to find ourselves in a grim police state. I was pulled over the other day, for no reason but to check my warrant and seat belt. If you own an old car, are a young male, or brown, you will be pulled over all the time. Oh and if your female….! This is bullying harassment and intimidation, and must cease, after a public apology from the chief of police. Haha
A Brighter Future? Plastic ‘Houses’ to Alleviate Housing Shortage
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11161508
fossil fuel melt down
Fake Plastic Trees ; How was the second ‘games’? – No pulling the Lego now. 🙂
Passable. Interesting study in political economy for the tweeny set. Looking forward to Ender’s now, although I think it won’t beat the writing by Orson Scott Card.
recommended reading for the USMC: Card, however, a Mormon opposes ‘Buggers’ (homosexuality) and same-sex marriage.
Aye, Card is a fantastic writer.
Read every single book of his a while ago (just before my Stephen R. Donaldson phase I think).
Some of his personal views though, particularly around homosexuality, are pretty abhorrent.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_Scott_Card
Last time I described Card it was: Fantastic stories, boring style.
Thats fair.
I’ve read a large portion of his collected writings and would have to say that most of it is terrible writing that doesn’t benefit from the rosy-tinted glasses that Ender’s Game engenders.
The moment I realized that all his writing is from the libertarian Mormon fantasy mindset (didn’t investigate his beliefs prior to my initial foray in to his work), it spoils every story because you have a good idea of what any developments will be. Give me a good Heinlein any day.
Asimov will always be top of the list for me.
He was the one that challenged me to think about ethics and technology.
Reading the Foundation series as a teenager changed the way I think about society.
Carl Sagan
Ender’s Game is probably his best and, yeah, his libertarian/religion psyche comes through really strong. In fact, when you get down to it, that can be said of a lot of fantasy/fiction. You really do see a lot of authoritarian societies with free-markets with the rich as the good guys.
I’m still choosing not to read SF, although Bank’s culture novels are calling…”they keep calling me” and Fantasy, got an eye-full of that looking for James Tiptree Jr. at the library this week. *sigh*
I’ve basically come up with a “know the author, know the story” philosophy regarding my sci-fi/fantasy reading. I will make myself knowledgeable about the author before starting on the first book and then if it hasn’t surprised me in the least by the end of it I will proceed to not read the rest of their works because if they aren’t able to step outside of their own bounds, how can I expect them to transport me out of mine?
William Gibson is right up there for me 😛
ae, Gibson.seminal
Out of curiosity, how many of the above mentioned authors’ novels pass the Bechdel Test?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test
Probably none.
Thinking about it, I’d say even a lot of the books I’ve read that have been written by women don’t.
Try Jane Austen, George Eliot, Margaret Atwood… 😀
@weka – I get the importance of what the Bechdel Test is there to point out but, for myself, a lot of the sci-fi I tend to read is of the short story variety because I am there for the interesting ideas, not for geek/nerd writers to prove how poorly they sometimes understand simple social interaction
And, in all honesty, I cannot think of many novels that I have read that would pass the Bechdel Test because the closest I have come to standard literature tends to have been the Kurt Vonnegut’s and Joseph Heller’s of the world (Slaughterhouse 5 and Catch-22 being all-time faves).
And when I think of literature *in general*, I can’t easily think of any that would.
I don’t think that the Bechdel Test is in itself a measure of quality or even of ideological worth – Dr Strangelove could easily be appropriated as a feminist text precisely because of its depiction of hypermasculinity leading to disaster.
However, I do think that the test is something that every creative artist should keep in mind now. If you are going to exclude women, as women with their own subjectivity and intersubjectivity, one must ask why, because that’s not how the real world works. Even satire has to keep up with the times – especially satire, actually.
As for Orson Scott Card, while one might try to separate his weirdly extreme homophobia “outside” of his fiction (and more than a few have speculated about self-loathing and repression…), um, well, fuck it, that’s just trying too hard. SF is meant to be speculative, but speculation along the lines of “lets suppose that, you know, just as an incidental detail that no-one ever mentions but is implicitly ever-present that there were no people were ever, you know… in the shower… um… well, lets’ not…”
Well, that sort of undermines the real ethos of SF, which I always thought was to honestly confront real issues or real possibilities, not reel out silly fantasies about midichloridians and colourful space battles.
What I absolutely hate about a lot of SF is that it presents a universe of indulgence without permanent and complex consequences – even the later Ender sequels avoid that.
OK, rant over until the next cup of coffee.
Card’s a thoroughly disgusting individual, but at least a competent writer. Those of his books I’ve read, I’ve borrowed, or bought second hand, in order that he sees no actual money from them. Donaldson, on the other hand, was the first writer I recall having read whose work invoked the Eight Deadly Words, it was so utterly boring.
Velveteen Baby!
Yep, that’s another piece of modern society that will have to have reduced use and strict recycling.
“fossil fuel melt down”
+ Darwin Award. PVC is a pretty high toxicity plastic and iirc is an endocrine disruptor with serious implications for human fertility.
The stupidity, on so many levels, of importing plastic housing from China make my brain hurt. Technically we don’t have a shortage of houses in NZ (pretty sure the number of unoccupied houses is in excess of people needing a home). What we have is an economy being run for profit rather than the good of the people.
And that is why we have poverty. With greed and selfishness as the guiding principles it’s all we can get and it needs to change.
You say ‘serious implications for human fertility’ like they’re bad things. Considering that this planet is already grossly overpopulated, and that sea level rise has been locked in for at least the next couple of generations (with consequent loss of coastal land), I’d consider infertility one of today’s least pressing problems.
I completely agree (although I doubt the effect on fertility will be large enough, soon enough to be of any benefit). It was more a passing comment that humans should be given the Darwin Award as a species.
Unfortunately endocrine disruptors don’t just affect homo sapiens 🙁
“It acts without action, does without doing, finds
flavour in what is flavourless,
Can make the small great and the few many,
Requites injuries with good deeds,
Deals with the hard while it is still easy,
With the great while it is still small.
In the governance of [nation] everything difficult
must be dealt with while it is still easy,
Everything great must be dealt with while it is still small.”
As DoC have their flag-pole cut, Possums rise on the ‘mast’.
Cosmic Toaster :
note bene : Warsaw UN Climate talks unpact.
I listened to Geoffrey Palmer’s interview on Kim Hill this morning with growing astonishment. The pompous git spent his whole time bemoaning the state of our democracy without once seeming to realise the reforms he championed are more than anything else responsible for it. He seems to completely lack empathy or connection, he analyses the past as if he had nothing to do with it. He is one seriously off the planet guy, so crazy he is almost sane.
And to top it off, when David Lange – the only one in the entire asylum that was the fourth Labour government to retain his moral compass or sanity – stood up to the crazies like Douglas, Prebble and Palmer and canned even more radical reforms like the flat tax, Palmer criticises Lange for not following correct procedure:
“…Prime Minister David Lange was the main culprit. He canned the newly elected government’s notorious economic package of December 1987, a dramatic lurch to the Right based on a flat income tax and sweeping privatisation.
Lange’s unilateral decision was something “that you can’t do”, Sir Geoffrey says. “And that’s why it all fell apart…”
What the fuck? Geoffrey Palmer is the guy at Isandlawana who wouldn’t hand out the ammo unless the soldier had the right requistion order. What is wrong with him?
Palmer is a fucking wierdo.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9433705/The-Reluctant-Prime-Minister
Palmer has a very ordered legal mind. He is a detail person who wants all the forms signed in the right place. He certainly would have been the stores clerk denying munitions, or the officer commanding Ghurka enlisted men to leave their defensive line in the Officer’s Club in Singapore. It always seemed to me that he was incapable of seeing the big picture. He always reminded me of Frasier in Cheers, running around with a pair of scissors to prove he was a dangerous rebel. A fucking weirdo is as good as any description I’ve ever seen of him.
I’m glad you had the fortitude to keep listening. I had to give up. I’d always thought of Palmer as quite a reasonable sort of fella – things like expiration on legislation etc.
Today he showed me just what an out of touch pompous git he actually is.
Decrying Lange for example for calling for a cup of tea on the basis that people were really beginning to hurt. Palmer thought Lange should have carried on.
You’e correct Sanctuary – one pompous git
its all just a dream babe a vacuum a scheme babe that sucks you into feeling like this.
“…I can see that your head has been twisted and fed with worthless foam from the mouth…”
“…I used to care but – things have changed ….”
“It’s not dark yet, but it’s gettin’ There ” ; …[ Try ] to get to ‘heaven’ before they close the door…
+1 love it
….don’t even hear the murmur of a prayer..
“I’m 20 miles outa town in cold irons bound “
He was in this ‘phase’ when I saw him at the Westpac Stadium in Christchurch with Patti Smith. Only international artists I have seen of note, yet sufficient for me: Too many people at concerts like Sabbath and AC/DC. I’d love to meet Johnette Napolitano though! .
Have you seen this , he’s been making ‘gates’ recently.
Johnette Napolitano….even her name is wonderful.
No I hadn’t, ‘swinging gate’ comes from the tao. Amazing serendipity (or not 😉 ) though. Wotta day, and ‘straight’ as dray too. Wonders never cease 😀 Thanx fender, ‘request’ me some time.
Meh, I saw him with Tom Petty.
Petty was awesome, Dylan, not so much.
I’d give my eye teeth to see Patti Smith though.
yes, the Dylan set was muddled by the acoustics of the venue. Tom Petty, say no more!
or,
“It didn’t feel like Sunday
Didn’t feel like June
When he met his silent partner in that lonely corner room
That overlooked the marquee (Moon) 😉
Of the Plaza all-adult
And he was not lookin’ for romance – just someone he could trust.
And it wasn’t no way to carry on
It wasn’t no way to live
But he could put up with it for a little while
He was workin’ on Something Big
Sympathise with the Petty experience Naturesong, but as he states in Chronicles volume 1
“I’d been on an eighteen month tour with Tom Petty. It would be my last. I had no connection to any kind of inspiration. Whatever was there to begin with had all vanished and shrunk. Tom was at the top of his game and I was at the bottom of mine. I couldn’t overcome the odds. Everything was smashed. My own songs had become strangers to me, I didn’t have the skill to touch their raw nerves, couldn’t penetrate the surfaces. It wasn’t my moment of history anymore. There was a hollow singing in my heart and I couldn’t wait to retire and fold the tent. One more big payday with Petty and that would be it for me. I was what they called over the hill. If I wasn’t careful I could end up ranting and raving in shouting matches with the wall. The mirror had swung around and I could see the future- an old actor fumbling in garbage cans outside the theatre of past triumphs.
I had written and recorded so many songs, but it wasn’t like I was playing many of them. I think I was only up to the task of about twenty or so. The rest were too cryptic, too darkly driven, and I was no longer capable of doing anything radically creative with them. It was like carrying a package of heavy rotting meat. I couldn’t understand where they came from. The glow was gone and the match had burned right to the end. I was going through the motions. Try as I might, the engines wouldn’t start.”
But beginning with his 1997 album Time Out of Mind he has released 5 great albums that prove an “over the hill” artist can certainly experience a renaissance when the creative juices start flowing again.
“Love is the ghost haunting your head
Love is the killer you thought was your friend
Love is the leech, sucking you up
Love is a vampire, drunk on your blood
Love is the beast that will tear out your heart
Hungrily lick it and
Painfully pick it apart
Former believers, they beg for release
As Love looking down on them
Smiles and picks his teeth
(She knows all the secrets you don’t want to tell)
😎
+1 😎
but, but….Love can be fuel that gives you your drive…
Love can be air to keep you alive… 😉
I’m Left, a gape 😀 at the discerning drafting gate.
Hearteningly, in my ongoing daily dealings with cops what I hear is unbridled contempt for cops who abuse their role for personal advanatge of whatever description. In my not limited experience the broad cop mindset, which is unsurprisingly distinct in numerous aspects, does not extend to tolerance or rationalisation of corrupt acts.
I well recall a sergeant rightly identified as a hardarse with whom I’ve had long term dealings, vocally disgusted when a senior cop on trial in the High Court turned up at trial in police uniform. In this sergeant’s view the guy on trial was smearing his personal shit all over the uniform and the police generally by turning up uniformed. His view didn’t change when the guy was acquitted of rape. In other words he didn’t accept the acquittal as the end of it. There are many cops like that.
Sorry folks. Just realised that my comment above should be placed with those at 2 above. Got interrupted by the water tank running dry. $275 for 13,000 litres just delivered by tanker. Lucky I had the readies.
If I hadn’t, and going by their usual rants, I guess I’d be a ready target for Piss73 and Bowel Motion and SS-lands denouncing me as hopeless feral underclass who deserved it all for his bad choices.
Ah……….such Masters Of The Looniverse those hatefilled carping old pricks !
Shit, that’s expensive water, we usually pay $150 for 11000 litres.
Well I’m glad to see you’re up, hows the hang-over going?
Piss-Up73 kind of you to ask.
Well I assumed you must have been drunk to post this:
North 31.1.1
22 November 2013 at 11:01 pm
You’re a nutter Piss73. Give the missus a serious seeing to when she got home late with the Maccers dinner and no dipping sauce didya ? You being too bone idle or unartful to peel some spuds while ya waited, as you related yesterday or the day before ? Walked home for that matter while you drove to and from work in the Grandly asprayshinul Vitara angling at the stylish Maori Land Bruiser VX, as you also related yesterday or the day before ?
Ake ake ake……obviously don’t know or care to know about the zoo of Judge Judy’s current colleagues but certainly there are many former colleagues in Auckland who always saw her as a self promoting baggage and a not too gifted one at that.
Well X73, you’re eager to hand it out, but you get all huffy and indignant when you get a taste of your own medicine and you still haven’t got the point of that. Keep showing how thick you are… but beware that that’s all you’re doing.
Another word of advice: if you’re going to cling to your dignity, then first you must show some, but don’t confuse it with pomposity.
encouraging North
FYI – this comment was ‘awaiting moderation’ on Kiwiblog – so it must be HOT? 😉
“She never will, big bruv. Miss Dim is a corrupt individual, always ready to rip people off.
A blight, a parasite, a leech on society’s back.”
yawn…….
Any other Kiwibloggers registered and attending the Australian Public sector Anti-Corruption Conference?
____________________________________________________________________________
APSACC ID Number: 1094
…….
Dear Penny,
We look forward to welcoming you to the Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference, being held at The Hilton Sydney, from Tuesday 26 – Thursday 28 November 2013.
Below are the details of your registration; please check the information carefully, including your name and address details. If any of your details require changes, please notify ICE Australia via email at apsaccreg@iceaustralia.com as soon as possible. Alternatively you can amend your details online by entering your access key TIJCZXVYH into the Attendee Login on the Conference Registration page. This facility will be available until Tuesday, 29 October 2013, at which time all changes must be sent to the Registration Manager at apsaccreg@iceaustralia.com
Please find your tax invoice attached as a PDF file to this email. If you are part of a bulk registration your invoice will be sent to the first person registered.
Name: Ms Penny Bright
Position: ‘Anti-Corruption /anti-Privatisation Whistle-Blower’
Organisation: Public Watchdog
Country: NEW ZEALAND
Please find important conference information, in addition to a summary of your registration, below.
Venue
The Hilton Sydney
488 George Street, Sydney
NSW, 2000
____________________________________________________________________________
As the 4th highest polling Auckland Mayoral candidate, with 11,723 votes
http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/HowCouncilWorks/Elections/Documents/mayorfinalresults2013.pdf
who campaigned against ‘corrupt corporate control’ of the Auckland region, I look forward to discussing with international anti-corruption EXPERTS, the following ACTION PLAN against ‘white collar’ crime, corruption and corporate welfare
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ANTI-CORRUPTION-WHITE-COLLAR-CRIME-CORPORATE-WELFARE-ACTION-PLAN-Ak-Mayoral-campaign-19-July-2013-2.pdf
I’m sure there will be a lot of interest in the recent complaint made by Lisa Prager and myself to the NZ Serious Fraud Office (SFO), against Auckland Mayor Len Brown and Sky City (Auckland) for alleged bribery and corruption:
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/open-letter-request-for-nz-serious-fraud-office-to-conduct-an-urgent-inquiry-into-alleged-bribery-and-corruption-involving-auckland-mayor-len-brown-and-sky-city-auckland/
It is my intention to raise the question of how New Zealand can continually maintain the status of being the ‘least corrupt country in the world’ (together with Denmark and Finland, according to Transparency International’s 2012 ‘Corruption Perception Index’
http://www.transparency.org/cpi2012/results ) when we haven’t even ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption?
UNCAC in a nutshell – U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre
http://www.u4.no/…/uncac…united-nations-convention-against-corruption…/3…
Countries that have signed, but not yet ratified UNCAC: Barbados, Bhutan, Czech Republic, Germany, Guinea, Japan, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and….
I’m sure a number of anti-corruption experts, and hopefully significant Australian media, will be interested in the fact that the NZ International Convention Centre Act 2013, was effectively railroaded through the NZ Parliament, without ‘due diligence’ against the increased risk of money-laundering being carried out by the supposedly ‘lead agency’ – OFCANZ (organised and Financial Crime Agency of NZ), the NZ Prime Minister John Key, Minister of Economic Development Steven Joyce, Auckland Council, or Auckland Central Police.
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SKY-CITY-OFCANZ-OIA-REPLY-NO-DUE-DLIGENCE-RE-MONEY-LAUNDERING-bright-penny-06-c211711-2-sent-reply.pdf
So – there may be some interest in the fact that the NZ Auditor-General, Lyn Provost, has confirmed that she will consider my request for an investigation into the failure of OFCANZ to carry out ‘due diligence’ on the increased risk of money-laundering arising from the NZ International Convention Centre Act 2013 ( or as prefer to call it – the ‘Sky City money-laundering’) Act:
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/nz-auditor-general-lyn-provost-will-consider-my-request-to-conduct-an-urgent-investigation-into-ofcanz/
As during the Auckland Mayoral campaign, I will explain why I am making a stand in defence of the public’s right to ‘open, transparent and democratically-accountable local government, which cannot be ignored – ie my refusal to pay rates, until ‘the books’ are open and the public are given the ‘devilish detail’, which shows EXACTLY where rates monies are being spent on consultants and private contractors.
You see, gutless anonymous ‘Manolo’ and ‘Big Bruv’, unlike your bleating sheepish selves, I’m an active and effective ‘anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’, who actually ‘gets things done’?
(Meant of course in a caring way 🙂
You have a GREAT day!
Kind regards,
‘Her Warship’
________________________________________________________________________
PS: For those who kindly made donations to help get me over the ditch and registered at this 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference – THANKS!
In the end, my sister loaned me $1500 in order to make sure I could get there.
I’d REALLY appreciate not being left in the financial poo here folks – so if you haven’t yet made a donation to help out, you still can:
KIWIBANK PM Bright 38 9010 0725719 00
That’s 150 people donating $10
75 people donating $20
Not a big ask?
Have a GREAT day!
Cheers
Penny Bright
Why should people give you cash? You don’t support public transport, urban density, the Auckland Plan, or indeed anything at all.
I support a few ’causes’, being interviewed for board-membership of a disability trust next week, and can always do with some cash! 😀 (All donations Gr8fully invested). 😎
Not a UN Agenda 21 supporter by any chance are you ‘Ad’?
I’m not.
So ‘Ad’ – you’re not opposed to corruption, ‘white collar’ crime or ‘corporate welfare’?
I am.
You’ll be disappointed to know that a number of people DO support the (voluntary, self-funded) work I do and what I stand for – otherwise I wouldn’t have got nearly 12,000 votes and polled 4th in the Auckland Mayoral election, and wouldn’t be flying out to Sydney tomorrow morning?
Never mind.
You have a lovely day.
(I am 🙂
Cheers!
Penny Bright
12,000 wasted votes from yet another futile and wasted campaign. You are in fact harder right than Rodney Hide; you rebel against nothing of note, stand for nothing, and seek to destroy everything you touch.
Apart from your little foray into the forgotten Aotea Square Occupy movement. Here’s what you need to do Penny: go occupy a job.
I’m ‘friends’ with Penny, yet, that is funny! 😀 (unless you are implying I get a beard-cut too…)
Haircut at least
not much there now, and it’s getting greyer by the year.
What is a ‘real job’ in these times… “…now it’s time for you and me…”
“12,000 wasted votes from yet another futile and wasted campaign. You are in fact harder right than Rodney Hide; you rebel against nothing of note, stand for nothing, and seek to destroy everything you touch.
Apart from your little foray into the forgotten Aotea Square Occupy movement. Here’s what you need to do Penny: go occupy a job.”
______________________________________________________________________
Gosh ‘Ad’ – can you show me some EVIDENCE where Rodney Hide has campaigned against the ‘corrupt corporate control’ of the Auckland region?
I did.
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
Can you show me some EVIDENCE ‘Ad’ – where Rodney Hide has exposed who is really running Auckland – http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz membership – as I did in my 150 word Auckland Mayoral candidate statement which went out to 1.4 million Auckland voters?
(Maybe you’re just a little bit inexperienced politically ‘Ad’ , and simply don’t know what the terms ‘left’ and ‘right’ are supposed to stand for?
Although since the neo-liberal ‘Rogernomic$’ reforms were introduced by the 1984 – 1987 ‘Labour Government’, ‘left’ vs ‘right’ is arguably no longer really very politically meaningful ?
Personally, I prefer to look at the fundamental political divide as ‘corporate minority’ vs ‘public majority’? (1% vs the 99% – sort of thing 🙂
My ‘little foray into the forgotten Aotea Square Occupy movement’, as a Named Respondent and an Appellant in my own name, working together with pro-bono lawyer for Occupy Auckland Ron Mansfield, resulted in a significant win against corporate-controlled Auckland Council.
http://www.occupyaucklandvsaucklandcouncilappeal.org.nz/?p=113
The following High Court documents, help expose how corporate-controlled Auckland Council is a ‘Supercity’ for the 1%.
http://www.occupyaucklandvsaucklandcouncilappeal.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/OCCUPY-AUCKLAND-APPEAL-APPLICATION-BY-APPELLANT-BRIGHT-TO-ADDUCE-NEW-EVIDENCE-pdf.pdf
Actually ‘Ad’ – I’m REALLY busy as a full-time, self-funded ‘anti-corruption / anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’.
This is what I stand for:
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ANTI-CORRUPTION-WHITE-COLLAR-CRIME-CORPORATE-WELFARE-ACTION-PLAN-Ak-Mayoral-campaign-19-July-2013-2.pdf
That this obviously upsets people such as yourself, gives me considerable satisfaction.
(Meant of course, in a caring way 😉
FYI – Occupy Auckland, to date, has been the only organisation to ever endorse the ‘principle’ of such an ‘ACTION PLAN’.
I look forward to as many people/ organisations / political parties / as possible, endorsing, advocating for such an ACTION PLAN, or as many parts of it as possible.
‘Where the people lead – the politicians will follow’ ?
PS: ‘Ad’ – do you support UN Agenda 21?
Given your rather semi-hysterical response, it seems to me that you probably do?
I don’t.
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
Really Penny, really?
Stumping for donations on The Standard for your own ends?
Jesus…
In about a year another general election will be held.
The next election is winnable for Labour and the Greens.
My top five issues to be addressed are:
Affordable housing.
Money for research and development.
Job creation.
Food in schools.
A Hikoi to show the importance of voting.
Anything on here you support ‘Tree top’ ?
To help ‘clip the wings’ of the corporate 1%?
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ANTI-CORRUPTION-WHITE-COLLAR-CRIME-CORPORATE-WELFARE-ACTION-PLAN-Ak-Mayoral-campaign-19-July-2013-2.pdf
Help yourself – that goes for anybody /everybody …
It’s a framework for GENUINE ‘transparency’ – a word that you’re seeing a lot of now.
(Like the “f” and “c” words – “FRAUD” and “CORRUPTION” ?)
Cheers!
Penny Bright
I support you Penny. I have just redone my budget for next week to donate $10.
Thank you ‘Treetop’.
Getting an income of just $320 per week myself (freehold house + flatmates) – I know how money is tight for a lot of us.
That’s why I’m asking folks to help ‘spread the load’ (as it were 🙂
Just need another 149 folks to do what you’re going to – and all will be well!
MUCH appreciated.
Cheers!
‘Her Warship 😉
Don’t stop the good fight. Someone has to do it and that someone is you and you need to be, and feel supported.
Certainly easier to make that $320 stretch when you refuse to pay rates.
Now now shes making a stand don’t you know
So sorry my budget for ‘intervention’ is currently being used to try and leverage the ‘Hairdo’ outta that electorate,
Plus i coughed a decent wad of used 20’s into G, Mac’s efforts at giving Banks a spanking, $320 a week with flatmates and a freehold house,(tell us more), sounds like you should have been able to save up to fund your own holiday, oops i mean conference across the ditch…
“Just need another 149 folks to do what you’re going to – and all will be well!”
And what will the donations bring? What outcomes will be achieved? Will you be open and honest with your donations? What will the donations be spent on?
So you would rather sit on your hands and do nothing.
errr…. did you miss this bit ‘The Contrarian’?
PS: For those who kindly made donations to help get me over the ditch and registered at this 2013 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference – THANKS!
In the end, my sister loaned me $1500 in order to make sure I could get there.
I’d REALLY appreciate not being left in the financial poo here folks – so if you haven’t yet made a donation to help out, you still can:
KIWIBANK PM Bright 38 9010 0725719 00
That’s 150 people donating $10
75 people donating $20
Not a big ask?
Have a GREAT day!
Cheers
Penny Bright
PS: I would not have been able to draw up this ACTION PLAN against ‘white collar’ crime, corruption and ‘corporate welfare’, had I not attended the 2009 Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference, and 2010 Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference – listened to and questioned the speakers, collected and read the material, then applied what I learned to New Zealand.
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ANTI-CORRUPTION-WHITE-COLLAR-CRIME-CORPORATE-WELFARE-ACTION-PLAN-Ak-Mayoral-campaign-19-July-2013-2.pdf
Got a considered opinion on how better to help ‘clip the wings’ of the corporate 1%
‘The Contrarian’ or ‘Ad’?
When you’re ready ……
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
corruption never sleeps
Zerohedge: The Dark Heart of Centralised Power
I would recommend Hardt and Negri to you
Both Empire and Multitude. Empire is the best.
Southern glaciers retreating at 160m per year, some 5m a day!
In the Philippines, 4M people remain homeless following typhoon.
-Te Newz
I have just been listening to Stephen Sackur BBC Hard Talk. What an interrupting, opinionated yob. He interrupts, states something as a question then interrupts the explanation. He’s been with the BBC since 1986 apparently. Your time is up Sackur, sacking time. Time to move on to… the USA perhaps. They have quite a thing for clipped British accents.
Watch Sackur’s interview with John Key to get another perspective.
I think he’s a good interviewer, generally.
John Ansell has now added his comment to the Allan Titford story:
http://www.elocal.co.nz
“I also know Allan Titford. I’ve met him twice for long chats in the company of his new partner and small son. They struck me as a loving couple and there was certainly nothing in his partner’s behaviour to suggest that she was a victim of abuse.
In view of the fraud being perpetrated by the state over the Treaty, and in view of the numerous instances of police corruption that litter recent New Zealand history, I’m going to give Allan the benefit of the doubt until I’ve seen the evidence presented against him.
If he is guilty of these crimes, then he deserves everything that’s coming to him.
But I’m not going to see an innocent man rot in prison and a lovely little boy grow up without his dad if that evidence is as flimsy as I suspect it is.
I am certainly not going to accept that he is guilty of decades of sexual slavedriving based on the televised tearjerking of an ex-wife with a vested interest in his conviction.
Let us see the evidence. Already the 24 year sentence is evidence of a judge who rates Allan as deserving of a longer sentence than all but a few murderers.
Why?”
That’s John Ansell, architect of National’s 2005 election campaign, under Don “Iwi/Kiwi” Brash. They must be proud.
“If he is guilty….”
WTF!?
it’s a tragedy he lives in the same hemisphere as us!
I don’t think it’s worth engaging with these people, they are utterly immune to reason.
But it is important to know that they are out there, and not just on the wild fringe.
some of these attitudes are quite mainstream. Wonder what went wrong with their socialization to limit their brain development. Not much better than ill-bred animals trapped in a cage.
That elocal link doesn’t go to the text quoted, nor is the text turning up in a site search. Have they taken it down? Can’t find it on google either.
The blog comments are on the left of the page link.
Ansell’s is (currently) the 4th one down. But all the comments are worth reading, to see what these people are like – and bearing in mind that their group includes the likes of Muriel Newman (ex-ACT MP) and others who pop up as pundits in the mainstream media.
does it leave ya’ gobsmacked? 😀
I see my reply didn’t make it through. So clear to see where the site managers are coming from.
I expect Ansell doesn’t believe the arson evidence either. Or the using a document with intent to defraud evidence, or the perjury evidence.
Delusional person has delusions?
It’s a comment attached to one of the ongoing series of “Gangsta’s Stole My Land”
inflammatory drivelarticles.What a narrow scary world these people project.
Improved the search results fixing that damn date problem and putting in a few minor appearance enhancements.
I could do with a trim 😉