Key acknowledged that Trump campaigned against TPP but added: “The United States isn’t an island. It can’t just sit there and say it isn’t going to trade with the rest of the world so at some point they are going to have to give some consideration to that but naturally we are a bit disappointed.”
Actually, they can. They certainly have the resources and capabilities to keep their living standards high without trade.
Of course, without trade their rich people won’t get any richer. In fact, they’ll probably become very poor quite rapidly.
There will be trade. It’s just there won’t be a leader of the free world to bomb the fuck out of poor farming communities who don’t trade in US dollars
Real nice of the government to let quake stricken people use up their own retirement savings. This is transferring hardship from the present to the future.
I’m not sure this government even gets what Kiwisaver is about.
They understand exactly what KS is about. Even better when folks use their own rather than any govt assistance so you can promise more vapour tax trimming.
Wasn’t that another broken election promise that they wouldn’t touch it yet have several times making it less attractive to the punter and better for the ticket clipping fund managers and govt.
And then asking people to support charities so the government doesn’t have to pay.
Of course the simple way is to make corporations and the rich pay more tax, but it’s better, isn’t it Mr Key, to put the begging bowls out and rely on the generosity of the poor?
The rich need that money for their 15th property. larger boat, extension on the luxury beach house, third international holiday, school fees for King’s……
Yep – I thought that was on the nose, too. This bloddy govt will do anything it can to stop it having to help ordinary people in times of crisis ……. just shitty.
I do hope those ordinary people will wake up in time for the election – but these disasters are displacing so many people, disrupting so many of their lives, that they might not even be able to vote – if they don’t have a permanent address.
Has the Electoral Commission said anything about that, yet ?
Yep – I thought that was on the nose, too. This bloddy govt will do anything it can to stop it having to help ordinary people in times of crisis ……. just shitty.
Oh, they’re doing more than that with this move. They’re undercutting peoples retirement funds meaning that some people will have to keep working longer.
Killing trees to enhance the view and the $$$ – yuck.
“Thames-Coromandel District Council has reported a spike in native trees being vandalised and destroyed recently, including pohutukawa.
TCDC parks and reserves manager Derek Thompson believes people were poisoning the trees for better beach views from their holiday homes, and called it “selfish and disappointing”.
He believed the poisoning would only increase during the warmer months.”
About 30 odd years ago, Takapuna Beach (North Shore, Auckland) had a magnificent beach frontage lined with huge spreading pohutukawa. In the intervening years, non-notified resource consent has been given time after time to the rich dudes who have bought up the beachside properties, and those magnificent pohutukawas have dwindled down to a few skinny limbs per tree, and even entire trees have disappeared. Oh, and some of the trees were “accidentally damaged” during property re-build and were “too dangerous” to retain.
The selfish wealthy have no idea what they’re doing to the environment.
Yeah, but your standards are quite low James. Do people really enjoy being in the environment of big box stores and subdivisions like botany. They aren’t made for people to be outside, they’re made for you to be in your car as much as possible. Someone described our new subdivisions as a fenced in herd of grazing turtles. We could do far far better if we actually tried.
Our hero the unitary plan! Helping the rich do whatever the fuck they like as long as they pay some hefty fees to private planners and ‘environmental lawyers’ to produce 70 page reports that bury the effects. The council love giving out ratepayers money to private environmental lawyers to steal the harbour and take away people’s amenity and the council love to control all the separate COO’s to say all the same things in environmental court so it looks like they all agree.
Hey there were a lot of cheerleaders for the unitary plan – the fake news is alive and well in NZ. Environmental degradation and the average homeowners rights are gonna get a lot worse.
Still waiting to see the ‘affordable’ housing to spring up with the SHA and Unitary plan that were pushed through.
Trees hold the ground together against erosion. With sea level rise, the poisoners will be at high risk for losing land … and their neighbours will too.
Nats probably think that erosion doesn’t need to be a “thing” anymore because if one 7.8M quake can lift the seabed by 6+ metre in places, then no need to worry about erosion.
Just sit tight and wait for a few more quakes to keep lifting the seabed. Erosion problem sorted.
Such is the perspicacity of thought in those quarters.
Thanks James! Great to see into the mind of a Nat supporter. (sarc). So we need not worry about erosion because at the end of the day an earthquake could lift the seabed and correct it! What logic!
Actually James is correct. However he has a problem with his time scales. There is a pretty good probability that the current human species would be naturally extinct before geological uplift fixes the erosion.
Yes bring back the good old days when you’d drive SH1 and see dozens of men brastfeeding shovels on the side of the road. Those were real jobs, with dignity.
Ever noticed how many vehicles and workers are required to mow a strip of road verge now (have seen 10 men and five vehicles supporting one ride-on mower operator on the Johnsonville to Porirua stretch of SH1). Instead of paying to keep notional ‘shovel leaning’ labourers off the UB, the taxpayers/ratepayers are charged over the odds for private sector workers to lean on steering wheels. Guess who takes the cream off the contracts – isn’t likely to be the workers.
So you’re saying seize private assets without compensation? What would be the appropriate response if after a nationalisation was announced Fulton Hogan et al destroyed all their equipment, leaving nothing to seize?
Come on Richard, argue that for Maori, I’m sure they would appreciate you standing up for the good fight. No wait you in Aussie right. Stand up for our aboriginal brothers and sister, and work out what they should get for all the private assets that were taken from them without compensation.
Agree, better training and promotes a long term investment in what is good for New Zealand. Instead of maximum private profit and zero investment in the temporary and insecure staff from the local labour company.
I am putting this link up because I was listening to it without watching and I was amazed how much simon bridges sounds like john key – same smashing up of words and syntax and timing imo. He is obviously going all the way with these mimicry skills.
The thing is about investing, is you can repeat buzz words, but unless you have a proven track record implementing professional strategy, and make money, you will end up very untalented in very important positions.
I had to teach myself. I came from a fatherless background which forced me to learn in double quick time. I also experienced a life before the mother of all budgets so replicating my success has moved on like opening and closing doors and passing ships
yeah saw that – amazing how both likers and dislikers see trump as a hit1er type
““Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!”
That’s how Richard B. Spencer saluted more than 200 attendees on Saturday, gathered at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., for the annual conference of the National Policy Institute, which describes itself as “an independent organization dedicated to the heritage, identity, and future of people of European descent in the United States, and around the world.”
Spencer has popularized the term “alt-right” to describe the movement he leads. Spencer has said his dream is “a new society, an ethno-state that would be a gathering point for all Europeans,” and has called for “peaceful ethnic cleansing.””
well yes we gave the biggest MORAN trump (as did you minimoran) itself massive exposure as all his misogynist, racist hit1erish tendencies emerged during the campaign – don’t thank us we did it out of fairness cos that is the left.
The left fancies itself as being fair, but with regards to Trump that’s nothing but a conceit.
Millions of Trump voters decided that they had enough of left wing bullyshaming and intimidation, and decided to keep their preferred choice of candidate to themselves.
“Millions of Trump voters decided that they had enough of left wing bullyshaming and intimidation, and decided to keep their preferred choice of candidate to themselves.”
methodology, assumptions and all of the rest contributed to the trump election – one thing that didn’t is a nobody from dunners. You are yesterdays news nobby.
When did a the left become a lumpen grouping? There is no left as a homogeneous group. Least of all on this site, so it’s getting tiresome bro. Especially when it the same line trolls use!
And some of us critise trump for the 1%er he is, carries on being, and always has been. I know your under some delusion he is not, but then again you don’t want to admit his alt-right connection either. Nor the fact his appointments so far, have been very much in favour of the corporate elects.
We are talking about the country that produced capitalism. Taking capitalism out of the White House would be like Hollywood trying to make a movie whit out white people.
Said another way, you couldn’t make a movie in North Korea with out a glorious leader uniting country against hordes of white salesmen.
On the other hand we are seeing a dangerous move to unwind what ever hard work was left over from Martin Luther Kings days, if we are to have any shot at halting total fascist I think Bernie Sanders Has to win in 2020
Trump is a 0.1%’er thanks. Just like Hillary Clinton.
It’s the American system. It’s the only way you can win the White House. No one earning $100K per year has a chance.
I know your under some delusion he is not, but then again you don’t want to admit his alt-right connection (1) either. Nor the fact his appointments so far, have been very much in favour of the corporate elects. (2)
1) Trump isn’t “alt-right”. He is the new radical working class focussed centre. And it is going to gut the Democratic Party.
2) Trump doesn’t owe a single thing to the corporates, the corporate media or to Wall St. Reince Priebus is not a corporate lackey. Bannon is former Goldman Sachs but as far as I can tell he despises his old Wall St/Investment banking set. Ben Carson who is likely to be the new HHS head is a neurosurgeon. Lt Gen Flynn is a career military intelligence guy as NSA. Probable SecDef Marine Corp Gen Mattis is a career military leader. SecState could be Giuliani or Romney. Both are entrepreneurs with their own successful businesses.
Further Trump is implementing rules which say that no executive in his Administration will be able to work as a corporate lobbyist for 5 years after leaving his White House, or EVER work lobbying for a foreign govt.
When have I said h.r.c was not? You know it’s the lies, that hurt.
Just one, Lt Gen Flynn thinks Islam is a cancer, I know he spins it to say Islamism, but he thinks Islam is a cancer. If that not the voice of the 1% then someone hand me a cottontail.
Do I need to remind you that the nazi party put socialist into their title to be the ” new radical working class focussed centre” Following the example of the Italian fascists.
Good to see you have not given up your fawning over the 1% Richard. But lets go through your juvenile response line by line shall we.
How can a religion be a cancer, unless you are some sort of unreconstructed Marxist still in the throws of “opium of the people” argument.
“A death cult”, you what, never heard of the Sufi revival, nor I’m guessing the 5 pillars.
“A blight on the civilised world” OK now just don’t use any maths which uses the symbols 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, ok as you seem to think your better than that. Actually I could go on for hours what scientific contributions Muslims have given the world. But I’ll leave it at one more , Richard don’t bother going to a hospital ever again, as it was a pesky idea from Islam.
“a barbaric misogynistic relic” So the right to own property, get an education, and rights in relation to children. Rights for widows. Yeah we have slowly adopted those ides in the west, took a while though.
“Dark Ages”, That term just sums you up there Richard.
You could say exactly the same about Christians – leaving aside the vast majority of them who aren’t in killing and maiming for their religious beliefs. Just like you could with Muslims like the guy who sits next to me in prayer everyday – right opposite the fundie christian that does in the same way. We respect each other right to be wrong. Ity makes for interesting discussions.
Of course I’d be hard put to say the same about the misogynist bigots known as the type of “liberals” who take a set of economic principles and make it a religous experience. Where were they when compassion and intelligence were being handed out. People who really couldn’t understand the word ethics because they think it means that they can’t screw others without consequence in the way that they prefer.
You appear to be one of those semi-intelligent animals.. Buts that’s ok. We understand you are evil and fuck yourself up the belly button each day (to get back at your mother) like all good conservatives whilst praying to Mammon to release your from your torment. Provided you don’t preach to us, we can tolerate you being a fuckwit…
That is a very good manifesto, but in our current political climate it has two chances of getting off the ground…. fat chance or no chance.
I would love to see it get some traction . But how?
Thanks Paul, very interesting, much better than I was expecting – especially the rise of the careerist and the cartel mentality.
“Since the first MMP election 20 years ago, not a single new party has broken into Parliament. From New Zealand First to the Maori Party every group was either already in Parliament, or created by a party-hopping MP”
Good article, I think he may have hit on one of the main reasons for Labour’s recent poor showing at the elections too:
“All political parties focus more these days on the easier answers of posing as bicultural, more politically correct, or culturally sensitive. This usually has minimal impact on improving life for those in poverty and hardship, but makes the coterie of liberal politicians feel superior.
There is a place for this cultural approach – highlighting sexism, racism, or transphobia – but an overwhelming focus on this can lead to a larger disconnect between politicians and the public. An anti-establishment movement would not simply mimic the parliamentary parties’ increasingly metropolitan, socially agenda. Instead, the primary focus would be on material wellbeing, economics and class politics.”
Ministry of Health publicly admits the P testing of Housing NZ properties is wrong. Someone has been making money. Many of us knew it was a bogus scam, this better not get swept under the carpet by media. Thanks Labour for your attention to this matter.
Personally, I wouldn’t put civil defence in to the armed defence forces as a primary goal. I’d ramp up civil defence and get better coordination between the two going.
I’d ramp up our defence forces so that they’re capable of actually defending us. That $20 billion over the next 10+ years is chump change. I’d be ramping it up to around $5 billion per year – most of which would be R&D. As I don’t believe weapons of war should give a profit that would be all government department spending.
Partially back your comments on a much stronger and better resourced NZDF but we have no need to do our own weapons research. Just license weapons and munitions manufacture here in NZ.
No, we really actually need to do our own research. It’s what develops our economy.
Much of what’s developed for military use crosses into civilian use as well. Manufacturing techniques are an essential area of research as well as looking into better resource extraction and processing.
And then there’s the simple fact that, as far as military tech goes, we should not be dependent upon other nations. Being so dependent decreases both our ability to defend ourselves and our resilience economically and socially.
In terms of pure weapons research into high tech weapons NZ is an advanced first world economy which has already developed what is effectively a lightweight ICBM in the rocket labs satellite launch project. We could, if the funding was available, probably develop our own high tech missiles and precision guided munitions in a matter of several years. Such armament development though should only be undertaken if we identify a potential direct military threat to us within a decade. Otherwise, to develop such an industry would require we export the weapons to pay for them and I do not ever want NZ to become that sort of country.
When I say direct threat to us I mean exactly that – someone who is hostile to our freedoms, and/or attempts unwelcome interventions in our internal affairs and/or violates our sovereignty and is a credible invasion threat. Which means, realistically, a future aggressive China in the absence of us having an alliance with a probably fascist United States – I can’t imagine any other situation that would lead us to end our US alliance.
This is still a long way away, although both China and the United States seemed determined to push us along the road to becoming a well armed ocean fortress.
This is still a long way away, although both China and the United States seemed determined to push us along the road to becoming a well armed ocean fortress.
Well John Key said he wanted NZ to become the Switzerland of the Pacific, perhaps he meant neutrality and armed to the teeth?
Such armament development though should only be undertaken if we identify a potential direct military threat to us within a decade.
Wrong. Such weapons development is needed at all times.
We may be peaceful – not everyone else is and they could attack at any time.
Otherwise, to develop such an industry would require we export the weapons to pay for them and I do not ever want NZ to become that sort of country.
Nope. Paid for through taxation and possible sales of civilian tech that has been developed through/from the military research.
Weapons of war should never have a profit motive to them.
Which means, realistically, a future aggressive China in the absence of us having an alliance with a probably fascist United States – I can’t imagine any other situation that would lead us to end our US alliance.
Things change and, despite the wars of the last century, humanity still hasn’t learned that war is nothing more than a waste.
This is still a long way away, although both China and the United States seemed determined to push us along the road to becoming a well armed ocean fortress.
And it’s still better to prepare now than finding ourselves being invaded and not being prepared at all which is where your logic will inevitably lead us.
And a lot of those profits come from what are, essentially, massive subsidies. Just think what the government could do without all those profits sucking out the money that they have available for things like healthcare.
Profits are an additional expense that’s simply not needed.
Quite apart from the risk of being electrocuted whenever you walk down the street in Dunedin, the Delta maintenance scandal has highlighted some failings of management culture. PR is seen as the solution to public perception problems, rather than actually fixing what is wrong in reality :
yet another staff member has come forward to slam management at Delta, which is tasked with maintaining Aurora’s network, saying staff were sick of the company’s “spin” downplaying the extent of the issues with the network.
An Aurora spokesman said the $15,926.35 spent on consultants in the second half of October went towards legal firm Chapman Tripp and public relations company SenateSHJ, which specialises in “crisis communication”…
Staff “knew damn well” the network was unsafe and in a badly damaged state and hearing the company say otherwise made them “furious”.
He was so concerned about the safety of the network and the risk of downed lines – as happened in Tainui last week – he was considering taking out an advertisement in the Otago Daily Times telling people how to avoid being electrocuted.
The short exchange on October 21 came only days after former Delta worker Richard Healey went public with his concerns, setting off a chain of events which culminated in multiple investigations and an accelerated plan to replace ageing poles…
”Give me a call if you need to talk it through or if you want info on the crisis PR people I have come to know very well.”…
34% of staff thought senior management were honest and straightforward in their dealings with staff. (Which is 19 percentage points below average)
That DCC holding company seems to be shielding Aurora from the worst of public backlash. It should get out of the way, and allow the Dunedin democratic leaders to give the full force of public pressure to bear on them.
The DCC has been milking its lines company cash cow for decades to pay for the stadium and other such cash-holes. It didn’t start under the current mayor, but with the incentives to look the other way hasn’t stopped either. As for the likelihood of Aurora’s CEO getting out of the way of an investigation that might end badly for Delta’s CEO:
Aurora Energy chief executive Grady Cameron was told to keep his head up and ”not get too stressed” as accusations mounted over rotten power poles… ”I rejected the claim that shareholder [Dunedin City Council] demands were impacting safety outcomes.”
Delta, which manages Aurora’s network and which Mr Cameron is also chief executive of…
But but this is a community owned business that is almost by definition good and pure and the model all businesses should emulate, not an evil corporate just bent on fleecing consumers. How can this be?
Why should my rates fund a power network that is much more efficiently run almost everywhere else since the introduction of electricity on a user pays model? Would ratepayers have to fund the 50k it would take to connect my distant country house?
It should be wholly nationalised therefore funded by tax. Except it wouldn’t cost taxpayers because the cost of power would be set according to the cost of production and the millions in profits currently going to the rich is simply transferred into much lower electricity charges. That’s what should bloody well happen.
Because you claim of efficiency is based on religious catechism and is not testable in reality.
Because for every jumped-up sociopath living in an isolated country mansion, there are thousands of normal people struggling to pay power bills that are set to provide a return to shareholders rather than simply deliver electricity.
It’s very testable. You can see it in nz. The overall cost of Power today is similar to the nationalised 70s yet reliability is up overall. Maybe not the neoliberal nightmare you think.
In Japan, women are finally finding that it is easier to deal with digital men on smartphone programmes than real ones. They email you on your birthday, set up chats at night, and wonder of wonders they remember every name and every anniversary and every friend you have and make sure they are all connected in as well.
It’s a fairly intensive article that delves deep into the world of women choosing apps that focus on their romantic needs and ideals – and also the clubs that really focus on those needs as well:
I can’t yet figure if this is a useful resistance against a kind of patriarchy, or against loneliness in general. Do not bother calling it porn – it’s far too nuanced for that smear. From the market share indicated, it sure ain’t unique to Japan, and growing quickly in the US.
Guaranteed it’s going to put Tinder in its place good and smart once it hits our shores.
An interesting article about how different electricity markets in the US deal with distributed generation and storage. A bit of a contrast to New Zealand’s situation, where the retailers do whatever they feel like.
Thanks Andre. Back here of course Lines Companies are looking to penalise home units like solar energy, rather than investigate cooperative units as described in your link.
And spare a thought for those unfortunate enough to fully insulate their house and install many other energy savers. You will be penalised! How dare you reduce your usage . Go on leave your windows open. Have 20 minute showers on 25 litre a minute shower heads. And so on. Companies must pay the Shareholders!
The USA is at least a decade behind nz on this. I’m not sure why you think this is in any way special.
Aggregation is a long established part of Nz’s energy market. Plenty do it on the load side. I suspect few do it on the home solar/wind supply side because there’s no reliable supply, volumes are tiny and so no money in it.
How can it be that the Union and workers can sign an agreement in good faith, while the third party, the employer, can sit there knowing full well that the agreement is meaningless.
Great (sarc.) to see that for every 10,500 cheap migrant worker visas bought in to pick fruit, 500 unemployed Kiwis will be trained to do the work….
source Granny Herald
“The cap on foreigners who can work seasonally in horticulture and viticulture will increase from 9500 to 10,500 for the 2016/17 season.
Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse said the horticulture and viticulture industries had estimated they needed an additional 2500 workers for the upcoming season.
“The increase of 1000 recognised seasonal employer (RSE) workers shows the Government is committed to enabling the industry to continue to grow and maximise export returns, while ensuring jobs aren’t being taken from New Zealanders.”
He said the increase was agreed to on the understanding the industry “continues to maximise opportunities for New Zealanders, particularly in regions with relatively high unemployment”.
Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said about 500 beneficiaries were taking part in a seasonal work scheme, and further initiatives were being developed.”
“The concrete company contracted to undertake the sealing of the Pike River mine shaft has pulled out of the job.
Allied Concrete decided not to supply the concrete required to seal the mine at the request of families of the victims, who are fighting to get a mines rescue team into the drift to find any evidence and bodies.”
Good on Allied. we need to encourage this kind of ethical behaviour. lets all send Allied a short email congratulating them and saying next time you need concrete youll use them.
Good on Allied. we need to encourage this kind of ethical behaviour. lets all send Allied a short email congratulating them and saying next time you need concrete youll use them. the CEO is scott.odonnel@hwr.co.nz .. all underscored.
Good on Allied. we need to encourage this kind of ethical behaviour. lets all send Allied a short email congratulating them and saying next time you need concrete youll use them. the CEO is scott.odonnel@hwr.co.nz .. all underscored.
I see that we are already being softened up for the mass importation of labourers from overseas due to not having the expertise in NZ for the fixing of SH1 from Picton southward.
If only this short sighted government had put in place proper training and apprenticeship programs after the Christchurch earthquakes to enable young New Zealanders to develop much needed roading and engineering skills, we probably wouldn’t be in this position.
Why can’t the MSM put 2 + 2 together and ask these critical questions?
Ooops!
Just 55,000 votes could swing the election – and where else would you hack a voting system with a few votes for your best mate in those swing states using online voting!
The time lines for appeals finishes in the next few days. Will the Democrats lift a finger?
Maybe the Clinton campaign shouldn’t have taken all those voters for granted. They never even bothered to turn up in Wisconsin during the entire campaign.
I have to laugh because before the election, it was the Clinton camp accusing the Trump camp of being reluctant to accept election results. Democratic Party hypocrisy at its best.
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
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With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 28, 2024 thru Sat, May 4, 2024. Story of the week "It’s straight out of Big Tobacco’s playbook. In fact, research by John Cook and his colleagues ...
Yesterday I received come lovely feedback following my Star Wars themed newsletter. A few people mentioned they’d enjoyed reading the personal part at the beginning.I often begin newsletters with some memories, or general thoughts, before commencing the main topic. This hopefully sets the mood and provides some context in which ...
April 30 was going to be the day we’d be calling Mum from London to wish her a happy birthday. Then it became the day we would be going to St. Paul's at Evensong to remember her. The aim of the cathedral builders was to find a way to make their ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – Can’t remember the last book by a Kiwi author you read? Think the NZ government should spend less on the arts in favor of helping the homeless? If so, as far as Newsroom is concerned, you probably deserve to be called a cultural ignoramus ...
Eric Crampton writes – Grudges are bad. Better to move on. But it can be fun to keep a couple of really trivial ones, so you’re not tempted to have other ones. For example, because of the rootkit fiasco of 2005, no Sony products in our household. ...
A new report warns an estimated third of the adult population have unmet need for health care.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāHere’s the six key things I learned about Aotaroa’s political economy this week around housing, climate and poverty:Politics - Three opinion polls confirmed support for PM Christopher Luxon ...
Today is May the fourth. Which was just a regular day when my mother took me to see the newly released Star Wars at the Odeon in Rotorua. The queue was right around the corner. Some years later this day became known as Star Wars Day, the date being a ...
Buzz from the Beehive Much more media attention is being paid to something Winston Peters said about former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr than to a speech he delivered to the New Zealand China Council. One word is missing from the speech: AUKUS. But AUKUS loomed large in his considerations ...
Is the economy in another long stagnation? If so, why?This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be ...
The annual list of who's been bribing our politicians is out, and journalists will no doubt be poring over it to find the juiciest and dirtiest bribes. The government's fast-track invite list is likely to be a particular focus, and we already know of one company on the list which ...
In the weeks after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Southern Israel I wrote about the possible 2nd, 3rd and even 4th order effects of the conflict. These included new fronts being opened in the West Bank (with Hamas), Golan … Continue reading → ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is one of the oldest truisms that there is never a good time for MPs to get a pay rise. This week’s announcement of pay raises of around 2.8% backdated to last October could hardly have come at a worse time, with the ...
David Farrar writes – Newshub reports: Newshub can reveal a fresh allegation of intimidation against Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Genter is subject to a disciplinary process for aggressively waving a book in the face of National Minister Matt Doocey in the House – but it’s not the first time ...
The Treasury has published a paper today on the global productivity slowdown and how it is playing out in New Zealand: The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections. The Treasury Paper examines recent trends in productivity and the potential drivers of the slowdown. Productivity for the whole economy ...
Winston Peters’ comments about former Australian foreign minister look set to be an ongoing headache for both him and Luxon. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guests on Gaza and ...
These puppet strings don't pull themselvesYou're thinking thoughts from someone elseHow much time do you think you have?Are you prepared for what comes next?The debating chamber can be a trying place for an opposition MP. What with the person in charge, the speaker, typically being an MP from the governing ...
The land around Lyme Regis, where Meryl Streep once stood, in a hood, on the Cobb, is falling into the sea.MerylThe land around Lyme Regis, around the Cobb that made it rich, has always been falling slowly but surely into the sea. Read more ...
Buzz from the Beehive Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters was bound to win headlines when he set out his thinking about AUKUS in his speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. The headlines became bigger when – during an interview on RNZ’s Morning Report today – he criticised ...
The Post reports on how the government is refusing to release its advice on its corrupt Muldoonist fast-track law, instead using the "soon to be publicly available" refusal ground to hide it until after select committee submissions on the bill have closed. Fast-track Minister Chris Bishop's excuse? “It's not ...
As pressure on it grows, the livestock industry’s approach to the transition to Net Zero is increasingly being compared to that of fossil fuel interests. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: Here’s the top five news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above ...
The New Zealand Herald reports – Stats NZ has offered a voluntary redundancy scheme to all of its workers as a way to give staff some control over their “future” amidst widespread job losses in the public sector. In an update to staff this morning, seen by the Herald, Statistics New Zealand ...
On Werewolf/Scoop, I usually do two long form political columns a week. From now on, there will be an extra column each week about music and movies. But first, some late-breaking political events:The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: TVNZ says it is dealing with about 50 formal complaints over its coverage of the latest 1News-Verian political poll, with some viewers – as well as the Prime Minister and a former senior Labour MP – critical of the tone of the 6pm report. ...
Muriel Newman writes – When Meridian Energy was seeking resource consents for a West Coast hydro dam proposal in 2010, local Maori “strenuously” objected, claiming their mana was inextricably linked to ‘their’ river and could be damaged. After receiving a financial payment from the company, however, the Ngai Tahu ...
Alwyn Poole writes – “An SEP,’ he said, ‘is something that we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem. That’s what SEP means. Somebody Else’s Problem. The brain just edits it out, it’s like a ...
Our trust in our political institutions is fast eroding, according to a Maxim Institute discussion paper, Shaky Foundations: Why our democracy needs trust. The paper – released today – raises concerns about declining trust in New Zealand’s political institutions and democratic processes, and the role that the overuse of Parliamentary urgency ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debbie Passey, Digital Health Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Algorithms have become integral to our lives. From social media apps to Netflix, algorithms learn your preferences and prioritise the content you are shown. Google Maps and artificial intelligence are nothing without ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Josephine Barbaro, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, Psychologist, La Trobe University Unsplash We’ve come a long way in terms of understanding that everyone thinks, interacts and experiences the world differently. In the past, autistic people, people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder ...
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s deputy opposition leader James Nomane has accused the government of “reckless economic management” that has forced devaluation to manage loan repayments in foreign currency and placate the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Prime Minister James Marape “must stop lying to the people of Papua New Guinea”, ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to ...
RNZ News As Israel presses ahead with strikes in Rafah and seizing the Rafah crossing from Egypt, aid agencies are sounding the alarm of a “catastrophic humanitarian situation”. Rafah was “significant” because it was the only part in Gaza that had not been terribly damaged by the conflict, United Nations ...
With funding set to be scrapped for the Hamilton-Auckland commuter train, Te Huia enthusiast Georgie Dansey argues for it to be thrown a lifeline. It’s 5.45am and the chain of my crappy old bike falls off slugging up the one hill in Hamilton. I contemplate yeeting the bike into the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland We feel ecological grief when we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally. We all see ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto A shift to hybrid and remote work continues to affect worker presence in Toronto’s downtown.(Shutterstock) Downtown Toronto, the core of Canada’s largest city, continues to reel from the lingering ...
Responding to an Auditor-General's report slamming failures in the administration of the 2023 General Election, Taxpayers’ Union Policy and Public Affairs Manager, James Ross, said: ...
Productivity apps now make up a big chunk of the software market. But do they work? And why do they all have AI integrations?Despite being firmly on the record as a physical planner fan, I sometimes dream of something better than my pretty diary and its scrawled, ugly, interior ...
The Taxpayers’ Union says the Beehive need to lead by example, following reports of more than $50,000 spent upgrading video conferencing equipment and furniture in the Prime Minister’s office. Taxpayers’ Union Campaign Manager, Connor Molloy, ...
An objective list of the 50 most powerful people in New Zealand, as judged by the Spinoff Editorial Board. It’s power list season, baby, and we want in on the action. Sure, there’s the rich list and the powerful “c-suite” list and the young people with power (hmmm) but here, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the names of deceased people, and describes ongoing colonial violence towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. First Nations people in Australia ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Macquarie University Netflix Baby Reindeer’s phenomenal success has much to do with its writer and lead, Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in a tender semi-autobiographical account of sexual abuse, harassment and stalking. Gadd’s story has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Collins, Laureate Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Newcastle KarolinaGrabowska/Pexels If you didn’t have food allergies as a child, is it possible to develop them as an adult? The short answer is yes. But the reasons why are much ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Moon, Professor of History, Auckland University of Technology Ans Westra, self-portrait, c. 1963. National Library ref AWM-0705-F They try but invariably fail – those writers who believe they are capable of encapsulating in prose or verse the essence of ...
Stewart Sowman-Lund looks at the growing concern around the world in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. What’s all this? When Covid-19 arrived on our shores in early 2020, some argued we were too slow, or crucially, ill-prepared for a pandemic. So ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Franco Montalto, Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and Director, Sustainable Water Resource Engineering Laboratory, Drexel University Water runs into a storm drain in a Los Angeles alley on Aug. 19, 2023, during Tropical Storm Hilary.Citizen of the Planet/Universal Images ...
The inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones has turned up a new witness who says he saw two teenagers and a small child in a high vis vest in the area where the boy’s body was found the day he died. Lachie’s body was discovered face up ...
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Poor wee Audrey and her hero John are upset the TPP is dead in the water.
Diddums.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11752970
Actually, they can. They certainly have the resources and capabilities to keep their living standards high without trade.
Of course, without trade their rich people won’t get any richer. In fact, they’ll probably become very poor quite rapidly.
There will be trade. It’s just there won’t be a leader of the free world to bomb the fuck out of poor farming communities who don’t trade in US dollars
Real nice of the government to let quake stricken people use up their own retirement savings. This is transferring hardship from the present to the future.
I’m not sure this government even gets what Kiwisaver is about.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/government-announces-kiwisaver-quake-withdrawal-scheme-2016112221
They understand exactly what KS is about. Even better when folks use their own rather than any govt assistance so you can promise more vapour tax trimming.
Wasn’t that another broken election promise that they wouldn’t touch it yet have several times making it less attractive to the punter and better for the ticket clipping fund managers and govt.
Yep, no wonder Mary Holm loves the idea of people using Kiwisaver as an emergency fund. More invoice opportunities for her.
Making victims pay.
And then asking people to support charities so the government doesn’t have to pay.
Of course the simple way is to make corporations and the rich pay more tax, but it’s better, isn’t it Mr Key, to put the begging bowls out and rely on the generosity of the poor?
The rich need that money for their 15th property. larger boat, extension on the luxury beach house, third international holiday, school fees for King’s……
As db says, we can’t afford the rich.
Yep – I thought that was on the nose, too. This bloddy govt will do anything it can to stop it having to help ordinary people in times of crisis ……. just shitty.
I do hope those ordinary people will wake up in time for the election – but these disasters are displacing so many people, disrupting so many of their lives, that they might not even be able to vote – if they don’t have a permanent address.
Has the Electoral Commission said anything about that, yet ?
Oh, they’re doing more than that with this move. They’re undercutting peoples retirement funds meaning that some people will have to keep working longer.
No surprises about the Nasty Nats and this latest cruel attack on innocent bystanders.
Its always the same when they are in government and yet kiwis must be masochists because they keep voting for the same abuse every three years.
They are a business party and act accordingly and have never had most New Zealanders welfare and long term security as a priority.
It makes John Key and his compassionate conservative (brighter future) routine just that much more absurd.
Good point raised there Jenny (2.3). Well said. Hope opposition parties jump pn this one and keep it alive.
They can try Mary but the media monster wont let them.
Killing trees to enhance the view and the $$$ – yuck.
“Thames-Coromandel District Council has reported a spike in native trees being vandalised and destroyed recently, including pohutukawa.
TCDC parks and reserves manager Derek Thompson believes people were poisoning the trees for better beach views from their holiday homes, and called it “selfish and disappointing”.
He believed the poisoning would only increase during the warmer months.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/86679898/surge-in-trees-poisoned-and-damaged-in-coromandel
30 years of neoliberalism’s poison and you get that mentLity from some Randist cult members.
About 30 odd years ago, Takapuna Beach (North Shore, Auckland) had a magnificent beach frontage lined with huge spreading pohutukawa. In the intervening years, non-notified resource consent has been given time after time to the rich dudes who have bought up the beachside properties, and those magnificent pohutukawas have dwindled down to a few skinny limbs per tree, and even entire trees have disappeared. Oh, and some of the trees were “accidentally damaged” during property re-build and were “too dangerous” to retain.
The selfish wealthy have no idea what they’re doing to the environment.
If they were granted resource consents then it’s perfectly legal for them to do the work on their own property.
As they were non- notified then it means that others were not impacted (of if they were it was less than minor).
So what’s the issue – places change – everywhere. Pokeneo used to be countryside – now it’s housing.
Don’t be a hater just because its takapuna beach front.
Yeah, but your standards are quite low James. Do people really enjoy being in the environment of big box stores and subdivisions like botany. They aren’t made for people to be outside, they’re made for you to be in your car as much as possible. Someone described our new subdivisions as a fenced in herd of grazing turtles. We could do far far better if we actually tried.
Our hero the unitary plan! Helping the rich do whatever the fuck they like as long as they pay some hefty fees to private planners and ‘environmental lawyers’ to produce 70 page reports that bury the effects. The council love giving out ratepayers money to private environmental lawyers to steal the harbour and take away people’s amenity and the council love to control all the separate COO’s to say all the same things in environmental court so it looks like they all agree.
Hey there were a lot of cheerleaders for the unitary plan – the fake news is alive and well in NZ. Environmental degradation and the average homeowners rights are gonna get a lot worse.
Still waiting to see the ‘affordable’ housing to spring up with the SHA and Unitary plan that were pushed through.
Trees hold the ground together against erosion. With sea level rise, the poisoners will be at high risk for losing land … and their neighbours will too.
+1
Not in the unitary plan mpledger. Trees have near zero protection. Erosion is not an issue under the Natz.
Nats probably think that erosion doesn’t need to be a “thing” anymore because if one 7.8M quake can lift the seabed by 6+ metre in places, then no need to worry about erosion.
Just sit tight and wait for a few more quakes to keep lifting the seabed. Erosion problem sorted.
Such is the perspicacity of thought in those quarters.
Thanks James! Great to see into the mind of a Nat supporter. (sarc). So we need not worry about erosion because at the end of the day an earthquake could lift the seabed and correct it! What logic!
Actually James is correct. However he has a problem with his time scales. There is a pretty good probability that the current human species would be naturally extinct before geological uplift fixes the erosion.
I probably should have appended the /sarc tag to my comment in hindsight.
How ever sharing concerns trump research degrees
If that’s the case, the “poisoners” will get their just desserts then, won’t they?
Just because it was legal doesn’t mean to say that it was right.
Destroying the environment is a serious issue.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/86696197/chris-trotter-bring-back-the-ministry-of-works
Makes sense to me , jobs and no profit margin required.
And it would be fairly easy to do. Just buy Downer,Fulton Hogan, Fletchers, etc.
Nah – nationalise them. The parasites have already done well out of the taxpayers – probably without paying much in tax themselves.
I agree with this, Labour and the Greens should announce this as one of their shared key policies
Yes bring back the good old days when you’d drive SH1 and see dozens of men brastfeeding shovels on the side of the road. Those were real jobs, with dignity.
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/312/563/05d.jpg
It’s so much better today when we have armies of consultants nourishing chairs with their gin-scented farts.
Ever noticed how many vehicles and workers are required to mow a strip of road verge now (have seen 10 men and five vehicles supporting one ride-on mower operator on the Johnsonville to Porirua stretch of SH1). Instead of paying to keep notional ‘shovel leaning’ labourers off the UB, the taxpayers/ratepayers are charged over the odds for private sector workers to lean on steering wheels. Guess who takes the cream off the contracts – isn’t likely to be the workers.
^ +1 PR. Love to see Labour coming out and saying that.
So you’re saying seize private assets without compensation? What would be the appropriate response if after a nationalisation was announced Fulton Hogan et al destroyed all their equipment, leaving nothing to seize?
Come on Richard, argue that for Maori, I’m sure they would appreciate you standing up for the good fight. No wait you in Aussie right. Stand up for our aboriginal brothers and sister, and work out what they should get for all the private assets that were taken from them without compensation.
Agree, better training and promotes a long term investment in what is good for New Zealand. Instead of maximum private profit and zero investment in the temporary and insecure staff from the local labour company.
I am putting this link up because I was listening to it without watching and I was amazed how much simon bridges sounds like john key – same smashing up of words and syntax and timing imo. He is obviously going all the way with these mimicry skills.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11753009
meanwhile kia kaha to all those affected by the quakes
Yes you are right mm. It also appears that Bellamys has been ‘agreeing’ with him too!
There’s no need for personal attacks on a persons weight.
Bollocks. It is the duty of every citizen to stand up and shout, “Enough is enough!” thereby decrying the forces of decadence and self-indulgence.
The thing is about investing, is you can repeat buzz words, but unless you have a proven track record implementing professional strategy, and make money, you will end up very untalented in very important positions.
Sounds good – I wish I could do that!
I had to teach myself. I came from a fatherless background which forced me to learn in double quick time. I also experienced a life before the mother of all budgets so replicating my success has moved on like opening and closing doors and passing ships
“He is obviously going all the way with these mimicry skills.”
Him, Key and Coleman….virtually indistinguishable. Bridges does a better job of mangling Maori though.
yep, Kaikōura was particularly shocking – it is not that hard…
It could very well be that he had recently undergone some dental procedure.
I have sounded like that with the residue of xylocaine and a socket packed with cotton wool impeding enunciation.
Extrapolating….their teeth may well be as rotten as their politics.
Exactly marty, especially as Simon Bridges has Maori heritage on his father’s side. https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj-rKPY6b3QAhXDp5QKHS7oAQIQFggZMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSimon_Bridges&usg=AFQjCNE7jBea99WQS9Z9QpE2tXmUhe8d-g&sig2=bGQtd5BaukqeKx87xvbcbg&bvm=bv.139782543,d.dGo
Agree. He sounds like a 10 yr old trying hard to make it in the annual speech competition.
Nah, more sixteen year old.
https://www.facebook.com/sydneymorningherald/videos/10154906262231264/
Colonial Vipers fellow travellers and fast new friends introduce themselves to the world.
yeah saw that – amazing how both likers and dislikers see trump as a hit1er type
““Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!”
That’s how Richard B. Spencer saluted more than 200 attendees on Saturday, gathered at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., for the annual conference of the National Policy Institute, which describes itself as “an independent organization dedicated to the heritage, identity, and future of people of European descent in the United States, and around the world.”
Spencer has popularized the term “alt-right” to describe the movement he leads. Spencer has said his dream is “a new society, an ethno-state that would be a gathering point for all Europeans,” and has called for “peaceful ethnic cleansing.””
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/11/richard-spencer-speech-npi/508379/?utm_source=atlfbcomment
also good to have alt-right out too.
I suppose “peaceful” in this context means that the dead are very quiet.
Awesome how lefty media are giving groups like this and the KKK and David Duke prime time exposure.
MOrans.
well yes we gave the biggest MORAN trump (as did you minimoran) itself massive exposure as all his misogynist, racist hit1erish tendencies emerged during the campaign – don’t thank us we did it out of fairness cos that is the left.
The left fancies itself as being fair, but with regards to Trump that’s nothing but a conceit.
Millions of Trump voters decided that they had enough of left wing bullyshaming and intimidation, and decided to keep their preferred choice of candidate to themselves.
So y’all got a nice election surprise.
“Millions of Trump voters decided that they had enough of left wing bullyshaming and intimidation, and decided to keep their preferred choice of candidate to themselves.”
methodology, assumptions and all of the rest contributed to the trump election – one thing that didn’t is a nobody from dunners. You are yesterdays news nobby.
No idea what you are on about, but I think it’s more bullyshaming, at a guess.
When did a the left become a lumpen grouping? There is no left as a homogeneous group. Least of all on this site, so it’s getting tiresome bro. Especially when it the same line trolls use!
And some of us critise trump for the 1%er he is, carries on being, and always has been. I know your under some delusion he is not, but then again you don’t want to admit his alt-right connection either. Nor the fact his appointments so far, have been very much in favour of the corporate elects.
We are talking about the country that produced capitalism. Taking capitalism out of the White House would be like Hollywood trying to make a movie whit out white people.
Said another way, you couldn’t make a movie in North Korea with out a glorious leader uniting country against hordes of white salesmen.
On the other hand we are seeing a dangerous move to unwind what ever hard work was left over from Martin Luther Kings days, if we are to have any shot at halting total fascist I think Bernie Sanders Has to win in 2020
Bernie Sanders is too old to run again.
Ride or die bro, ride or die
Very true dat
Trump is a 0.1%’er thanks. Just like Hillary Clinton.
It’s the American system. It’s the only way you can win the White House. No one earning $100K per year has a chance.
1) Trump isn’t “alt-right”. He is the new radical working class focussed centre. And it is going to gut the Democratic Party.
2) Trump doesn’t owe a single thing to the corporates, the corporate media or to Wall St. Reince Priebus is not a corporate lackey. Bannon is former Goldman Sachs but as far as I can tell he despises his old Wall St/Investment banking set. Ben Carson who is likely to be the new HHS head is a neurosurgeon. Lt Gen Flynn is a career military intelligence guy as NSA. Probable SecDef Marine Corp Gen Mattis is a career military leader. SecState could be Giuliani or Romney. Both are entrepreneurs with their own successful businesses.
Further Trump is implementing rules which say that no executive in his Administration will be able to work as a corporate lobbyist for 5 years after leaving his White House, or EVER work lobbying for a foreign govt.
That’s totally paradigm changing.
When have I said h.r.c was not? You know it’s the lies, that hurt.
Just one, Lt Gen Flynn thinks Islam is a cancer, I know he spins it to say Islamism, but he thinks Islam is a cancer. If that not the voice of the 1% then someone hand me a cottontail.
Do I need to remind you that the nazi party put socialist into their title to be the ” new radical working class focussed centre” Following the example of the Italian fascists.
Flynn is right – Islam is a cancer, a death cult, a blight on the civilised world, a barbaric misogynistic relic from the Dark Ages
Good to see you have not given up your fawning over the 1% Richard. But lets go through your juvenile response line by line shall we.
How can a religion be a cancer, unless you are some sort of unreconstructed Marxist still in the throws of “opium of the people” argument.
“A death cult”, you what, never heard of the Sufi revival, nor I’m guessing the 5 pillars.
“A blight on the civilised world” OK now just don’t use any maths which uses the symbols 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, ok as you seem to think your better than that. Actually I could go on for hours what scientific contributions Muslims have given the world. But I’ll leave it at one more , Richard don’t bother going to a hospital ever again, as it was a pesky idea from Islam.
“a barbaric misogynistic relic” So the right to own property, get an education, and rights in relation to children. Rights for widows. Yeah we have slowly adopted those ides in the west, took a while though.
“Dark Ages”, That term just sums you up there Richard.
You could say exactly the same about Christians – leaving aside the vast majority of them who aren’t in killing and maiming for their religious beliefs. Just like you could with Muslims like the guy who sits next to me in prayer everyday – right opposite the fundie christian that does in the same way. We respect each other right to be wrong. Ity makes for interesting discussions.
Of course I’d be hard put to say the same about the misogynist bigots known as the type of “liberals” who take a set of economic principles and make it a religous experience. Where were they when compassion and intelligence were being handed out. People who really couldn’t understand the word ethics because they think it means that they can’t screw others without consequence in the way that they prefer.
You appear to be one of those semi-intelligent animals.. Buts that’s ok. We understand you are evil and fuck yourself up the belly button each day (to get back at your mother) like all good conservatives whilst praying to Mammon to release your from your torment. Provided you don’t preach to us, we can tolerate you being a fuckwit…
Political science lecturer and commentator Bryce Edwards has put forward a 10-point manifesto for change in New Zealand.
Its content is worth a thread on this site.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11749955
That is a very good manifesto, but in our current political climate it has two chances of getting off the ground…. fat chance or no chance.
I would love to see it get some traction . But how?
Yes. 10 out of 10 for Bryce’s Manifesto. If only…
Thanks Paul, very interesting, much better than I was expecting – especially the rise of the careerist and the cartel mentality.
“Since the first MMP election 20 years ago, not a single new party has broken into Parliament. From New Zealand First to the Maori Party every group was either already in Parliament, or created by a party-hopping MP”
Good article, I think he may have hit on one of the main reasons for Labour’s recent poor showing at the elections too:
“All political parties focus more these days on the easier answers of posing as bicultural, more politically correct, or culturally sensitive. This usually has minimal impact on improving life for those in poverty and hardship, but makes the coterie of liberal politicians feel superior.
There is a place for this cultural approach – highlighting sexism, racism, or transphobia – but an overwhelming focus on this can lead to a larger disconnect between politicians and the public. An anti-establishment movement would not simply mimic the parliamentary parties’ increasingly metropolitan, socially agenda. Instead, the primary focus would be on material wellbeing, economics and class politics.”
Ministry of Health publicly admits the P testing of Housing NZ properties is wrong. Someone has been making money. Many of us knew it was a bogus scam, this better not get swept under the carpet by media. Thanks Labour for your attention to this matter.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/86233216/phil-twyford-housing-new-zealand-breaking-bad
Found this on the FYI website – the left and right hand do not know what they’re doing at all.
https://fyi.org.nz/request/4859/response/15916/attach/html/3/Letter%2025%20November%202016%20Alec%20The%20Lawyer.pdf.html
O.O thanks for the link James will have a good read later, much appreciated.
Rudman highlights how woefully under-prepared for an increase in disaster threats this government is.
What had just two operational NH90s assisting last week – this is an effort praised by Ad on this very forum, remember.
It’s worrying that six years after Christchurch, reference to natural disasters in defence planning had to be added at the last minute.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11752831
Personally, I wouldn’t put civil defence in to the armed defence forces as a primary goal. I’d ramp up civil defence and get better coordination between the two going.
I’d ramp up our defence forces so that they’re capable of actually defending us. That $20 billion over the next 10+ years is chump change. I’d be ramping it up to around $5 billion per year – most of which would be R&D. As I don’t believe weapons of war should give a profit that would be all government department spending.
Partially back your comments on a much stronger and better resourced NZDF but we have no need to do our own weapons research. Just license weapons and munitions manufacture here in NZ.
No, we really actually need to do our own research. It’s what develops our economy.
Much of what’s developed for military use crosses into civilian use as well. Manufacturing techniques are an essential area of research as well as looking into better resource extraction and processing.
And then there’s the simple fact that, as far as military tech goes, we should not be dependent upon other nations. Being so dependent decreases both our ability to defend ourselves and our resilience economically and socially.
In terms of pure weapons research into high tech weapons NZ is an advanced first world economy which has already developed what is effectively a lightweight ICBM in the rocket labs satellite launch project. We could, if the funding was available, probably develop our own high tech missiles and precision guided munitions in a matter of several years. Such armament development though should only be undertaken if we identify a potential direct military threat to us within a decade. Otherwise, to develop such an industry would require we export the weapons to pay for them and I do not ever want NZ to become that sort of country.
When I say direct threat to us I mean exactly that – someone who is hostile to our freedoms, and/or attempts unwelcome interventions in our internal affairs and/or violates our sovereignty and is a credible invasion threat. Which means, realistically, a future aggressive China in the absence of us having an alliance with a probably fascist United States – I can’t imagine any other situation that would lead us to end our US alliance.
This is still a long way away, although both China and the United States seemed determined to push us along the road to becoming a well armed ocean fortress.
Well John Key said he wanted NZ to become the Switzerland of the Pacific, perhaps he meant neutrality and armed to the teeth?
IMO, that is actually where we should be.
Wrong. Such weapons development is needed at all times.
We may be peaceful – not everyone else is and they could attack at any time.
Nope. Paid for through taxation and possible sales of civilian tech that has been developed through/from the military research.
Weapons of war should never have a profit motive to them.
Things change and, despite the wars of the last century, humanity still hasn’t learned that war is nothing more than a waste.
And it’s still better to prepare now than finding ourselves being invaded and not being prepared at all which is where your logic will inevitably lead us.
Why not? All the largest and most successful arms exporters and manufacturers in the world run on the profit motive.
That doesn’t make it right.
And a lot of those profits come from what are, essentially, massive subsidies. Just think what the government could do without all those profits sucking out the money that they have available for things like healthcare.
Profits are an additional expense that’s simply not needed.
Quite apart from the risk of being electrocuted whenever you walk down the street in Dunedin, the Delta maintenance scandal has highlighted some failings of management culture. PR is seen as the solution to public perception problems, rather than actually fixing what is wrong in reality :
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/16000-spent-consultants
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/deltaaurora-good-hands-advisers
That DCC holding company seems to be shielding Aurora from the worst of public backlash. It should get out of the way, and allow the Dunedin democratic leaders to give the full force of public pressure to bear on them.
The DCC has been milking its lines company cash cow for decades to pay for the stadium and other such cash-holes. It didn’t start under the current mayor, but with the incentives to look the other way hasn’t stopped either. As for the likelihood of Aurora’s CEO getting out of the way of an investigation that might end badly for Delta’s CEO:
But but this is a community owned business that is almost by definition good and pure and the model all businesses should emulate, not an evil corporate just bent on fleecing consumers. How can this be?
Because as a natural monopoly it shouldn’t be a “business” at all, but a council department funded by rates.
Why should my rates fund a power network that is much more efficiently run almost everywhere else since the introduction of electricity on a user pays model? Would ratepayers have to fund the 50k it would take to connect my distant country house?
It should be wholly nationalised therefore funded by tax. Except it wouldn’t cost taxpayers because the cost of power would be set according to the cost of production and the millions in profits currently going to the rich is simply transferred into much lower electricity charges. That’s what should bloody well happen.
Because you claim of efficiency is based on religious catechism and is not testable in reality.
Because for every jumped-up sociopath living in an isolated country mansion, there are thousands of normal people struggling to pay power bills that are set to provide a return to shareholders rather than simply deliver electricity.
It’s very testable. You can see it in nz. The overall cost of Power today is similar to the nationalised 70s yet reliability is up overall. Maybe not the neoliberal nightmare you think.
Okay I will bite.
Give me a link to show that is so.
What was the kwhr price in the 70s
Average price of power was about 20ckwh and is about the same today http://tinyurl.com/h3w8swr
Figure ten was very interesting, thanks.
So, the average price for domestic electricity in 1974 wasn’t 1.141c/kwh and didn’t rise to 15.545c/kwh in 2003.
To be fair, Joe, those are nominal prices – inflation-adjusted it went from 9c to 15c
Justify that assertion against the median wage, thanks.
Except now retail customers pay through the nose, to subsidise discounts to large corporate users.
Another tax swap if you like.
And power prices are double what they were, in real terms, before the Bradford “reforms”/privatisation.
Yeah, no doubt the cost of producing it is the same, that’s about it. There’s the neo-liberal nightmare.
In Japan, women are finally finding that it is easier to deal with digital men on smartphone programmes than real ones. They email you on your birthday, set up chats at night, and wonder of wonders they remember every name and every anniversary and every friend you have and make sure they are all connected in as well.
It’s a fairly intensive article that delves deep into the world of women choosing apps that focus on their romantic needs and ideals – and also the clubs that really focus on those needs as well:
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/21/asia/romance-gaming-japan/index.html
I can’t yet figure if this is a useful resistance against a kind of patriarchy, or against loneliness in general. Do not bother calling it porn – it’s far too nuanced for that smear. From the market share indicated, it sure ain’t unique to Japan, and growing quickly in the US.
Guaranteed it’s going to put Tinder in its place good and smart once it hits our shores.
Population structure in Japan is collapsing nice and fast.
Looks like a pretty good model for the rest of the world to follow.
http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/japan-population-pyramid
An interesting article about how different electricity markets in the US deal with distributed generation and storage. A bit of a contrast to New Zealand’s situation, where the retailers do whatever they feel like.
http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/11/22/13703348/ferc-distributed-energy-wholesale-power-markets
Thanks Andre. Back here of course Lines Companies are looking to penalise home units like solar energy, rather than investigate cooperative units as described in your link.
We all know companies have a higher level of need that people ianmac.
I mean, think of the profit loss from solar.
Think of the Shareholders!!
And spare a thought for those unfortunate enough to fully insulate their house and install many other energy savers. You will be penalised! How dare you reduce your usage . Go on leave your windows open. Have 20 minute showers on 25 litre a minute shower heads. And so on. Companies must pay the Shareholders!
The USA is at least a decade behind nz on this. I’m not sure why you think this is in any way special.
Aggregation is a long established part of Nz’s energy market. Plenty do it on the load side. I suspect few do it on the home solar/wind supply side because there’s no reliable supply, volumes are tiny and so no money in it.
testing
Pumpkin Patch….http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/316612/pumpkin-patch-staff-to-miss-out-on-redundancy-pay
How can it be that the Union and workers can sign an agreement in good faith, while the third party, the employer, can sit there knowing full well that the agreement is meaningless.
Where is Labour in all this??
OH, THAT’S RIGHT…http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/83656652/Chris-Trotter-Do-unions-have-a-place-in-the-future-of-work
Great (sarc.) to see that for every 10,500 cheap migrant worker visas bought in to pick fruit, 500 unemployed Kiwis will be trained to do the work….
source Granny Herald
“The cap on foreigners who can work seasonally in horticulture and viticulture will increase from 9500 to 10,500 for the 2016/17 season.
Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse said the horticulture and viticulture industries had estimated they needed an additional 2500 workers for the upcoming season.
“The increase of 1000 recognised seasonal employer (RSE) workers shows the Government is committed to enabling the industry to continue to grow and maximise export returns, while ensuring jobs aren’t being taken from New Zealanders.”
He said the increase was agreed to on the understanding the industry “continues to maximise opportunities for New Zealanders, particularly in regions with relatively high unemployment”.
Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said about 500 beneficiaries were taking part in a seasonal work scheme, and further initiatives were being developed.”
Good news for families and justice!
“The concrete company contracted to undertake the sealing of the Pike River mine shaft has pulled out of the job.
Allied Concrete decided not to supply the concrete required to seal the mine at the request of families of the victims, who are fighting to get a mines rescue team into the drift to find any evidence and bodies.”
good
That’s a relief. Thank you Allied Concrete.
Morality in a private company? I’m shocked. People before Profit?
Quick review of their website indicates they’re 100% kiwi owned company? If this is correct, well done Allied.
Yes by one nz’s richest men/ families – the Richardsons.
If there’s one part of NZ you don’t want to take on, its probably the coast. Good news.
Great News, Hopefully this will buy some time for Nigel Hampton’s application for review of “WorkSafe” closure plans…
Just sent a thank you to Allied CEO Brent Esler
http://alliedconcrete.co.nz/contact-us/our-team
What a relief. Thank you Allied Concrete for showing such decency.
*I made a similar comment on few hours ago, on a different computer than the one I normally use, and it disappeared into the ether.
Good on Allied. we need to encourage this kind of ethical behaviour. lets all send Allied a short email congratulating them and saying next time you need concrete youll use them.
Good on Allied. we need to encourage this kind of ethical behaviour. lets all send Allied a short email congratulating them and saying next time you need concrete youll use them. the CEO is scott.odonnel@hwr.co.nz .. all underscored.
Good on Allied. we need to encourage this kind of ethical behaviour. lets all send Allied a short email congratulating them and saying next time you need concrete youll use them. the CEO is scott.odonnel@hwr.co.nz .. all underscored.
I see that we are already being softened up for the mass importation of labourers from overseas due to not having the expertise in NZ for the fixing of SH1 from Picton southward.
If only this short sighted government had put in place proper training and apprenticeship programs after the Christchurch earthquakes to enable young New Zealanders to develop much needed roading and engineering skills, we probably wouldn’t be in this position.
Why can’t the MSM put 2 + 2 together and ask these critical questions?
National: Short changing NZ since 1990.
Build a wall and keep these low wage immigrants out.
Ooops!
Just 55,000 votes could swing the election – and where else would you hack a voting system with a few votes for your best mate in those swing states using online voting!
Seems unlikely.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/11/22/claims_of_vote_manipulation_in_swing_states_could_prompt_recount_or_be_totally.html
The latest vote counts I’ve seen have Trump ahead by 68k in PA, 27k in WI, and 11k in MI. So over 100k votes ahead in those three states.
This fleshes out a little bit more why it’s unlikely.
http://www.vox.com/2016/11/22/13721426/election-hacked-stolen-trump-russia
Well at least 102 Academics are concerned enough with the voting discrepancies to sign an Open Letter to Congress and Jill Stein is also considering seeking a recount
thats around 110,000 votes – so 55,000 of those votes going the other way…
The time lines for appeals finishes in the next few days. Will the Democrats lift a finger?
Maybe the Clinton campaign shouldn’t have taken all those voters for granted. They never even bothered to turn up in Wisconsin during the entire campaign.
I have to laugh because before the election, it was the Clinton camp accusing the Trump camp of being reluctant to accept election results. Democratic Party hypocrisy at its best.