News reports appearing for some months past since January 2018 , have indicated thinking of the US trade with rest of the world , more so with China. A news report which appeared on 20 January , 2018 , had said : -“ It seems that the US erred in supporting China’s entry into the WTO on terms that have proven to be ineffective in securing China’s embrace of an open , market-oriented trade regime”. Later , on 24 February , 2018 , news reports from the US had also said : “ While ties have improved but China is killing US on trade”. These perceptions in the US these days has culminated into announcement of Donald Trump on 22 March , 2018 , imposing tariff on about US 50 billion dollars in Chinese imports to retaliate against the alleged theft of American intellectual property.
These happenings on the eve and during mid- March 2018 , look to be corresponding to one of predictions of this Vedic astrology writer on 11 October 2017 in article – “ Astrological probable alerts for the United States in 2018” – published last year in monthly Webzine of Wisdom Magazine from US at wisdom-magazine.com/Article.aspx/4647/ on 1 December 2017. The related text in the said article reads as :- “ Near mid- March to 30 April 2018. US economy looks to be presenting a happy picture while some kind of hidden or behind the scene areas of substantial concern may remain. PAST ERRORS OR SLIPS ARE LIKELY TO IMPACT TRADING OR COMMERCIAL ASPECTS IN SOME WAY”.
Thus , it can be said that the alert prediction of this writer substantially prior on 11 October , 2017 , has been confirmed precisely and closely accurate during beginning of 2018 , more so 22 March , 2018.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Sarkozy receives money from Libya and its corruption. Nats receive money from Chinese interests , ex National MPs have ties and postings to Chinese interests and we are the least corrupt nation on earth.
Howzat work?
Because the corruption index is a self indicating survey. Essentially is seems to be based on how people ‘feel’ their corruption levels are. Clearly our MSM never reports a thing because the royals, car crashes and kitten stories are more important news, so most people are not even aware what is going on.
Because behind Chinese business is Chinese government.
In case it needs spelling out, having ties to a foreign government while in power is considered corruption in most countries.
Yes I agree with having business ties with a foreign government while in power is a little shady to put it lightly but Draco said “after” politics, not while in politics
From whence came the business ties such that on finishing as an MP, someone goes straight to work for a Chinese company?
What about Collins the minister for Oravida?
A Chinese spy National MP?
You actually wilfully have to shut your eyes and block your ears not to see an issue.
I’m not talking about the Chinese government. You said ex-MP’s should have jobs like “Teachers, police, rest home workers, builders, restaraunt workers, fruit pickers, dairy farm workers.” so I am asking you if Russell Norman’s post at Greenpeace was acceptable to you given what you stated.
My word you are hard work, I’m going to give the benefit if the doubt that it’s not intentional:
I’m fine with Russel Norman joining Greenpeace thanks for asking.
Brownlee was a woodwork teacher. Now he’s the ‘architect’ of Chch. Maybe we would all have been better off, if he had stuck to teaching woodwork and why there is a shortage.
In his yoof, i suspect brownlee mught have smoked a few too many of those dovetail joints, and given himself a permanent case of the munchies.
You’re lucky you never had to catch one of those aircraft we used to call ‘pencil planes’ with him.
Brownlee has always needed some serious rebalanxing
voluntary fire fighters, we have a shortage of them especially in places where we also have rampant housing insecurity.
voluntary ambulance driver, we have a shortage of them, again especially in places where we also have rampant housing insecurity.
cafe managers, i hear we have such a shortage that we must import them from elsewhere.
fruit picker, also a severe shortage here according to the businesses.
Surely there are more then enough jobs out there in our Rock Star Economy.
Oh, that was a myth you say? Just like the housing crisis is a myth? Just like the wading in a river is a myth?
Maybe they should try to file for an unemployment benefit? 🙂
I agree in some circumstances but not all.
John Key went to ANZ but then again he spent his entire life outside of politics as a banker so not surprising he went back into it. Russell Norman went to Greenpeace but he has a track record of being very involved in Environmental Issues so again not surprising.
There is a difference between “leaving politics and picking up where you left off” and “becoming a lobbyist” which can be very shady indeed.
What are MP’s supposed to do when they leave? Never work again? Stay in politics for life?
John Key went to ANZ but then again he spent his entire life outside of politics as a banker so not surprising he went back into it.
You do know that hes was a member of the board of the NY Reserve right? And that’s more of a political position than an expert position?
There is a difference between “leaving politics and picking up where you left off” and “becoming a lobbyist” which can be very shady indeed.
Depends upon where you left off and where you went back. If both have connection to politics then we can honestly say that it’s just going back to what they were doing?
What are MP’s supposed to do when they leave? Never work again? Stay in politics for life?
Many do stay in politics for life. Many could go into a public service role like Russel Norman.
What we don’t want is them going into high paid, high power private sector roles that are pretty much designed around their political careers.
EDIT: BTW, is there really two JohnSelways or do you just keep changing email addresses?
Sure but there is a difference between “going into the private sector” and “becoming a lobbyist” (for example).
I mean – Key spent most of life as a banker and left politics when he was quite young so became a banker again. Norman is heavily involved in environmental issues so went to Greenpeace. They gotta do something and generally end up doing what they did before becoming MP’s
What are MP’s supposed to do when they leave politics? Never work again? Stay MP’s for life?
We need to print some just to repair our rotting infrastructure now as we cant afford to borrow any more from overseas at 8% plus from a communist country anyway.
Else we will become another Greece that is owned by EU oligarchs now.
I think all private money in politics is a bad idea. From right and the left.
Just look at cluster-fucks like Citizens United in the States or, actually, just the states in general. You can pretty much buy your own congressman and write the laws for them
What do you think about Parliamentary Services funding an Auckland office for Labour (headed up by Matt McCarten), when that was most likely used for campaigning? Private contributions are made to most, if not all parties in NZ. Long may that be the case.
In the event that Simon Lusk is telling the truth, and National MPs are ‘trading on their time as MPs to build a lucrative business career’, it makes sense to at least limit their criminal behaviour to corruption rather than full-blown treason.
Do you have any actual evidence for that, or are you suddenly a convert of Lusk? Mind you, Clark is alleged to have traded her time as PM for a lucrative job with the UN.
In the event that Simon Lusk is telling the truth, and National MPs are ‘trading on their time as MPs to build a lucrative business career’, it makes sense to at least limit their criminal behaviour to corruption rather than full-blown treason.
Just to see if you can actually stay on topic, Ad Nauseam.
Using your time as an MP to cultivate business links is one thing (I.e – becoming an MP with the sole purpose of landing a highly paid private sector job) but leaving politics and taking a job because it’s in your area of expertise is another (I.e Russell Norman or John Key).
The former is pretty shady, the latter is just being a private citizen again
Well there seems to be a hoo ha over the Russian links in the USA and their President. Nope not following that one, we have enough issues in NZ but most people just ignore them. Not sure an ex Chinese (or Russian) agent would be welcome in the Republican Party like they are in the National party where the MSM says ‘kittens anyone’?
They can’t vote. That’s How we have a say. If they can’t vote, they have no say. If people are stupid enough to be influenced by their money, then they get the government they deserve-of either stripe.
I know you will deny that but it does and we need to stop that influence. And it’s not the voters who are influenced but the politicians – and that is corruption.
In other words, foreign money in politics is corruption.
But why should a US citizen be prevented from contributing to a NZ political party any more than a NZ political party can steal from the public to fund, eg a pledge card.
Because they’re not a NZ citizen, don’t live here and don’t vote here and thus have no right to have a say in our governance.
How do you know they don’t live here? They could be a NZ resident. They may have invested in NZ. You have no idea. Even so, who cares? Why shouldn’t they be able to support a NZ based political movement simply because they aren’t citizens?
In the middle of the night in a bout of insomnia I came across two posts on yesterday’s Open Mike with three very interesting links to articles well worth reading IMO. They had attracted only one comment, so I thought I would repost them here in the hopes others might see them and check them out. I will post them separately as they cover completely different subjects.
Very interesting comparing the general wailing and gnashing of molars in Granny by Mike Hosking and Matthew Hooton and then whoosh – a wee gem by ex Nat MP for Whanganui, Chester Borrows headed ‘Politicians bailed Air N Z out – the airline can’t now complain about Shane Jones’. It’s worth a read. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12018271
Actually Draco, I was simply pointing out the fact that Mike Hosking and Matthew Hooton (both National fanbois extraordinaire) were venting forth in their Herald slots about how bad it is for Shane Jones to be as much as commenting on where Air New Zealand operates domestically and that the airline should only be beholden to its shareholders and the end of year balance sheet with no concern for regional NZ. It was a surprise to me to see Chester Borrow’s column which pretty much agreed with Shane Jones – Chester was until last year the National MP for Whanganui which made it all a bit weird. I suppose it was Granny’s way of trying to look balanced. I have flown some of the secondary routes several years ago in what I called 18 seater flying sardine tins which were OK, but not terribly comfortable – at least we could see the pilots at work!! Bit of a come down from the Boeing 737s on the main routes. It’s interesting to see that the Mayors of the towns and cities concerned are more than happy with Shane’s support. Bring back the DC3s I tells ya.
I download the podcasts from the Wings over New Zealand Forum site and I will have to say Dave Homeward has at an outstanding job interviewing some extraordinarily women and gentleman of NZ Aviation History over the years. They worth downloading and like listening to the per WW2, through the War especially the Pacific stuff as I had a great uncle up in the solly’s with 3 NZ Div and post war stuff the Ag Pilots, The Fred Ladd’s and Bryan Cox who I believe this NZ’s remaining Air Ace from WW2 who flew in the Pacific.
Reading the Richard Waugh books on West Coast Airways, pre and post war early Airlines. One of course must not forget NAC and what they did to regional NZ from post WW2 until 1978.
A blog site call 3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com is worth having a look.
My father used to own a Tiger Moth and I not only got many a flight in one but I was allowed to fly it myself once and did a few aerobatics with one of NZ’s best stunt pilots. It was great fun
What a wonderful thread this has ended up being! I am so pleased you put up the link, Jilly Bee. Fox Moths, Tiger Moths, Biplanes, Harvards – those were the days! And Spitfires – I am with you JS. Blimey and Biggles indeed!
Back to ground, I was initially surprised by Burrows, but then when I remembered his background, it did not surprise me. He has been known to do similar surprising declarations of his views before.
Sorry Draco T Bastard, your question is a very good and serious one but I have been told off by adam today for putting up two essays – again – in response to assertions by him. Kill ’em by boring them to death, says I.
And I assure you I can write an essay on the role of national airlines – more like a book. But I am also bound by certain confidentiality agreements that went with my public service employment. So, I must be an observer only on discussion on your question. (Everyone sighs a sigh of relief!)
Yep, JohnSelway, a flight in a Tiger Moth would be OK for me, though at my age I probably need a wee crane to get me in and out of the cockpit! Also I’d also love to have a ride in a Spitfire (complete with loop the loop and a victory roll). I’m of the age where the Battle of Brittain is still a moment in history for me, we have the DVD of the film in our archives which needs to be dragged out again on a rainy afternoon. I live close to the Waharoa Airfield and we see a great variety of flying machines flying overhead at times, including the odd TMs. We recently had a massive four-engine transporter military style behemoth fly overhead recently and return half an hour later having landed at Waharoa! I came to the conclusion it was a promotion flight by either an Embraer or a Lockheed Martin aircraft to replace the Hercules fleet. Absolutely no publicity about what was happening – which made it a bit scary.
I want to go on Biggles plane ”the halifax” on a trip to the Gobi dessert.
“Biggles in the Gobi” was the best of all by Captain WE Johns books I ever read at 11yrs old in 1955. An awesome story.
Biggles (a wing commander) having hit an eagle with the Halifax and shot down a MIG fighter plane during the communist war in China.
That’s on my bucket for sure.
Here is the intro to the amazing book of “action”
Biggles is able to return, after shooting down a Mig plane, just as a final battle is taking place at the caves. He is able to rescue everybody and get them away.
Book First Published on 8th October 1953 – 160 pages
This story was first published, in seventeen weekly parts, as BIGGLES IN THE GOBI in The Eagle Volume 4, issue 17 to Volume 4 issue 33, dated 31st July 1953 to 20th November 1953
Biggles is asked by Air Commodore Raymond to travel to the middle of Asia to rescue some missionaries from Communist China. Taking Algy, Ginger and Bertie with him, plus a Chinese man by the name of Feng-tao (who speaks virtually no English), Biggles flies in an unmarked Halifax from Pakistan to the Gobi desert.
I think I’d have to go P51D – same engine sound, bubble cockpit, looks like a greyhound. The early spits’ noses were too stubby for my taste 🙂
As for passenger aircraft, is there such a thing as a quiet plane for passengers? The turboprobs especially give me a damned headache. In fact, the discomfort of air travel is one of the two things that mean I have absolutely no desire to travel – dealing with customs and immigration is the other. Especially the yanks.
I have to travel. I hate flying but travel is something the recuperates my soul.
Airports fuck me off to no end. There’s always some asshole in the queue whose luggage is too heavy. Then they hold everyone up while they open the suitcase and rearrange everything. I want to scream – “it doesn’t matter how you repack it, fuck-face, it still has the same mass!”
For me it’s the security screening with people **** assing around or some muppet guard trying explain to me Air Security btw that’s not a dig at the NZ Airport Security officers, but the Australian airports as the Kiwi ones don’t muck about.
On the Base was once station at, had a Mustang that dragged out every now and then for the flying days at the museum. It was bloody hard trying to a range brief with that cut laps around the Airfield. It was bad enough when the P40 powered Merlin pop in for a flying day or any other WW2 fighter and I must say that P40 sounds far better than Alison powered one.
If you ever return to NZ EKF then you must drop down here to Thames – birth place of Sir Keith Park “Defender of London”. A mate of mine (ex war bird pilot and wingman to Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Hayr) down the road still has his PPL – I had lost mine when I had a grumbling appendix for 2 years and by the time I had recovered life had moved on. But to cut to the chase – we went to see the Mossie up at Ardmore being rebuilt and flown again for the first time – I have a video of the flight . Awesome. They are rebuilding two more at the moment – and they will stay in the country. There is a spit and mustang in the hanger there as well.
A cousin of mine reckons he holds the record for the fastest flight from Ohakea to Wigram in a Harvard. Took off from Ohakea, and found a standing wave over the Ruahina’s , Tararua’s and Kaikora’s and effectively dove the whole way. 🙂 Have been in one of those myself flying out of Hood Airfield at Masterton. The altimeter went to 10,000 ft in about 1 minute! and that was in a Cessna 150.
There was or still going on a low level tactical Flying Ex involving C130’s from the RNZAF, RAAF and USAF Special Operations Forces so wouldn’t be surprise if it was them dropping into Waharoa Airfield.
I once had the money to fly Concorde after mate bet me to it, but I ended up buying a house instead as knew at the time they still very low hrs on them and they going stop in a hurry until….
So the bucket list now is a flight in a Lac in Canada, a spit or Me 109 over the white cliffs of Dover, landing on Glacier in NZ and flying around the Alps/ Hasst and Southland area.
If I do move back to NZ is to find the two aircraft crash site one in upper Buller/ Seddonville areas and one in the Golden Bay.
“Never fly straight and level in a combat zone for more than 30s or else you will get shot down understand!!!
As Skipper from Rabbit SQN is trying to teach a young sprog the art of finding the Hun in the sun.
Pretty much every flight is subsidised by another flight in some way. That’s how aviation works. It’s highly unlikely that the person in the seat next to you paid the same as you did.
What changed here is that New Zealand’s domestic route structure has changed. Previously, from the NAC days, the domestic routes were to serve the domestic market and economy, so had a shared Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch focus. Now the domestic routes are to serve the international routes, taking punters to and from the international hub in Auckland.
The first of Ovid’s links in that post goes to this Stuff article by the PM, Jacinda Ardern on her surprise move to personally accept the Greenpeace petition a few days ago, and her position on climate change and fossil fuel transition planning:
Our focus right now is putting in place a plan to achieve this. That will involve everyone. Industry, communities, scientists, unions and the Government all need to work together. All of our futures are at stake on this issue.
After years of dictatorial leadership it’s refreshing to see JA’s cooperative approach.
I find it fascinating that when framed as cooperation because
All of our futures are at stake on this issue.
it seems to be generally well received and welcomed although with the usual trepidation; after all, it is about change and the unknown.
On the other hand, when it is framed in terms of a delicate balance of economic, environmental, and social issues because they are all integrated into a inseparable whole, because everything (and everyone!) is connected, then it is panned as radical, out of touch, or (much) worse …
Often, it is not even the framing but the source, the messenger, i.e. the one who speaks.
Merit is not enough; persuasion (not ‘spin’) is an art that requires skills and mastery, in addition to compassion, emotional intelligence, and super-human listening, to name a few.
Well a co-operative approach yes. But to see fast change as essentially negative based on the 1980’s experience – not so much.
There was fast change under the Savage government & under Whitlam in Australia – good out comes. Where there is a reasonable consensus (don’t sign TTTP!) moving fast will give more time to settle down and less time for wealthy opposition.
I am praying very hard Jacinda holds to her word and saves us here to shut down the massive 6% annual increased truck use increase of using truck freight everywhere.
When we already now know how rail can carry the freight from 5 to eight times less fuel used to move the same freight by rail rather than road, and rail only emits only a fraction of climate change emissions.
And one more further to 3 and 4 above, Ovid’s post yesterday also provided this link to a very interesting website on transition planning in a different context – a transition towns movement. This is fascinating and well worth some time having a look!
An unreconstructed advocate of regime change after repeated failures in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, Bolton favors a lower threshold for the use of military force than prevailed under most Republican presidents prior to George W. Bush. He would like a more confrontational posture toward Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, following up Bush-era talk of the “Axis of Evil” with warnings about a “Moscow-Tehran-Damascus-Hezbollah axis.”
[…]
We are once again seeing a GOP-controlled Washington growing government and billowing red ink and a foreign policy fed by threat inflation, whereby tough talk belies a lack of confidence in America’s ability to dominate weak foes without shooting first and asking questions later.
Now John Bolton is getting that old band Axis of Evil back together.
John Bolton: "I have said for over ten years that the declared policy of the United States of America should be the overthrow of the Mullah's regime in Tehran."Daily reminder that Bolton got us into war in Iraq. And he's proud of it. pic.twitter.com/h7xIA0ijrz— #MarchForOurLives (@KaniJJackson) March 23, 2018
John Bolton Op-Ed NYT 2015 re need to attack Iran:"Only military action like Israel’s 1981 attack on Saddam Hussein’s Osirak reactor in Iraq or its 2007 destruction of a Syrian reactor, designed and built by North Korea, can accomplish what is required." https://t.co/NouShzUx5o— Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) March 23, 2018
John Bolton, WSJ, Op-Ed Feb 2018: "The Legal Case for Striking North Korea First" https://t.co/ClIGiSMyJL— Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) March 23, 2018
“One way to avoid preemptive military force is to bring the regime down — frankly it’s something that China should help us with,” Bolton said on Fox News March 11. In the same segment, he recalled a joke he’s fond of telling: “How can you tell when the North Koreans are lying? When their lips are moving.”
My bold.
Bolton downplayed the significance of his past public statements in an interview with Fox News shortly after the appointment was announced, saying he would defer to the president’s judgment.
Year Right! Why was he hired?
Because he’s a Fox contributor – and Faux News is all that the chump listens too. The Doomsday clock just move a little closer to midnight.
* Yesterday Trump hired Bolton, who wants both war with Iran and pre-emptive nuke strikes
* Pentagon now says the US can use nukes in response to major cyberattacks— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) March 23, 2018
On Friday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced the indictment of nine Iranians for conspiring to hack and defraud American universities and businesses on behalf of the Iranian government. Rosenstein vowed harsh repercussions for the Iranian hackers, including their extradition to the United States and imprisonment if convicted.
[…]
Bolton is an apocalyptic appointment, one who endangers not only Iran but the entire world. Bolton’s bloodlust, bad temper, and blind faith in military solutions previously rendered him unhireable, but for Trump, whose most maniacal instincts will be validated, he is a gift—a like-minded sadist who, unlike Trump, knows how to effectively navigate bureaucracy.
I’m on the same wave length as Audrey Young this week. Shane Jones has succeeded in getting NZ First back up to 5%. He’s now on track to be the ‘heir apparent’ should Winston choose to step down and the end of this term.
It’s interesting seeing the tone of postings in TS and TDB, NZ first may be taking the mantle of preferred leftist party as we see time and again the greens are self absorbed idiots.
I’m not a fan of Shane jones – at all, but he succeeded where labour failed miserably in speaking for the public against corporate interest. Now the fisheries Shane.
Loved her reference to Jones as a combine harvester:
Jones is like a political combine harvester. Let loose on a controversy, he wanders all over the paddock reaping and threshing but usually producing something that is valuable.
BUT re Jones as heir apparent – sorry, nah. He has indicated on a number of occasions that he is not interested. I think he has found his niche in his role as Champion of the Regions, and would hate the constraints that being Leader of a Party brings.
I have been watching NZF closely for years and IMO the heir apparent was chosen a couple of years ago and has been groomed over that period – Fletcher Tabuteau.
Despite his young age (44/5?) he has been involved with NZF since its beginning when he was quite young, and as well as now being Deputy Leader, he is also Under Study to both Peters and Jones as Parliamentary Under Secretary for both Foreign Affairs and Regional Development. Those roles could have been split over two MPs but weren’t.
Interesting and timely given I’ve just been assisting with the TOTAL reconditioning of an actual combine harvester (every bearing on the thing, plus its very sucky motor with new barrels and eings)
I’m bloody sure a Shane is capable of adaptation/repurpose/rearrangement as any political expediency kicks in.
Now is the time for the Green Party, the only party of principle in our parliament, as far as I can see, to stand up for New Zealand.
They disagree with CPTTA and will not vote for it. But that is simply not good enough. With National’s backing the so-called free trade treaty will pass.
But (relying on reports) climate change is not mentioned once in the entire 5000 page document! And the ISDS provisions still allow overseas corporations to sue NZ government if any climate change legislation gets in the way of their profits.
If this is indeed so, it is not enough for the Green to vote against CPTTA. That will achieve nothing, except ensure their right to say ‘I told you so!’ sometime in the future.
No, they must DEMAND a climate change assessment of the CPTTA and threaten to withdraw Confidence and Supply if this doesn’t happen.
The ‘troughers’ in Labour and NZ First will be appalled by the prospect of another election and a possible National victory (as so would I) but it is great leverage.
The Greens, a party of principle, MUST act in the interests of all the people in this country.
Labour and NZF have already said they are supporting the CPTPPA. In government keeping ones word is supposed to mean something. People and other nations rely on it.
So there is nothing the Greens can do (other than terminating the government) that can stop NZ ratifying the CPTPPA. And if they did terminate the government a new National/Act government would be the likely outcome
Against the wishes of the majority of voters the braindead Gnats have locked us into a remarkably bad deal – at the same time reducing faith in the democratic process – a win for the forces of infamy!
“All too late.” – what’s in it for Wayne, I wonder?
Would keeping one’s word extend to pre-election ‘promises’?
If (and it’s a big IF) NZ is still a sovereign country, then the Government is free to act at anytime in the evolving ‘balanced best interests’ of all citizens. Signing the CPATPP serves the interests of very few NZers.
The EU seems to have dodged their own TTIP bullet, at least for now, but corporates, like rust, never sleep.
The agreement has been criticized and opposed by some unions, charities, NGOs and environmentalists, particularly in Europe.
The Independent describes common criticisms of TTIP as “reducing the regulatory barriers to trade for big business, things like food safety law, environmental legislation, banking regulations and the sovereign powers of individual nations”, or more critically as an “assault on European and US societies by transnational corporations”.
The Guardian noted the criticism of TTIP’s “undemocratic nature of the closed-door talks”, “influence of powerful lobbyists”, TTIP’s potential ability to “undermine the democratic authority of local government”, and described it as “the most controversial trade deal the EU has ever negotiated”.
Our note to Government today on the sixth anniversary of the washout that closed Gisborne rail.
Protecting our environment & health.
In association with other Community Groups, and all Government Agencies since 2001.
Public COMMUNITY letter; : 6th Anniversary of Gisborne rail washout 24th March 2012.
24th March 2018; – On this day the sixth anniversary of the rail washout that closed Gisborne rail link to the rest of NZ.
Dear rail stakeholders,
Please review these past considerations of NZ Rail for your re-consideration to re-open the Gisborne rail link to the rest of NZ.
We should curtail trucking as now it is harming the environment and use * General Manager of NZ Rail Trevor Haywood’s plan to use rail for “social benefit” again. 1971.
Read below, History of rail.
In 1971, the Government commissioned United States consultancy firm Wilbur Smith & Associates to look at Railways. It also recommended that road transport meet the “resource costs” incurred and social costs such as accidents, pollution and the loss of utility caused by heavy vehicles.
We must use these considerations also when restoring Gisborne’s rail freight again.
Our justification is;
As we say it is justified that rail services must resume, because Gisborne is the most isolated community of its size in NZ without a rail service; – ministers please note.
Hi Cleangreen (9) … have you by any chance contacted Shane Jones about restoring rail to your region?
As you know, Jonesy is on a roll at the moment with regional air transport, which is proving very popular. Could well be a good time to contact him and tell him your case re Gisborne rail, while he’s fired up championing regional transport.
Good for you Cleangreen for keeping this issue out there. All the best in getting a positive outcome.
I have sent 10 emails to all senior Labour NZ First and green party ministers including Shane and Winston.
Once was Tim; – is absolutely correct they have had so many emails from us they are having trouble handling them since they were jammed with thousands of emails from national at the beginning of the parliament so national have caused a “email road block” we were told by the MP’s PA’s.
But we every second day now call the parliamentary office requesting for those appropriate ministers to come to HB/Gisborne to discuss the rail issue with all our community groups now before they make final decisions here.
As we all are representative as the most affected amongst the regions without rail and roads now “gridlocked with trucks” it is ruining our narrow windy roads and makes driving very dangerous now so rail is needed seriously now more than ever.
Please heed our community call to return our gisborne rail as you did other regions as our regions are now booming and truck traffic is raising annually at a staggering 6% a year. This is unsustainable for our environment and our futures..
Remember the dire warnings about state abuse of collected meta-data.
Well, Silicon Valley’s tech billionaires have been hard at it.
Downloaded my facebook data as a ZIP fileSomehow it has my entire call history with my partner's mum pic.twitter.com/CIRUguf4vD— Dylan McKay (@dylanmckaynz) March 21, 2018
metadata about every text message I've ever received or sentspoiler: I don't use messenger for SMS pic.twitter.com/ehWXhpnrrV— Dylan McKay (@dylanmckaynz) March 21, 2018
Facebook’s mounting image problems hit a whole other orbit on Friday.
Tech icon Elon Musk appeared to delete the official Facebook pages for two of his companies, SpaceX and Tesla, Inc.
Musk’s moves come days after a whistleblower revealed that a data analysis firm tied to President Donald Trump’s campaign had harvested data off Facebook, resulting in widespread criticism and sparking government investigations.
Fuck yea!!!!
We might actually get to real, rather than virtual community where humans interact in real time. A place (oops…. I mean ‘space’) where humans interact in real time and between one another. Sometimes, like the most exotic of animal, their lives depend on it (going forward, to coin a phrase, ez a meta a fek, ekshully)
A couple of days ago I made a comment on the “Russian to Judgment” post, pointing to an article on globalresearch.ca which reported that Russian Army chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, claimed to have received reliable information that the US was planning an attack on Damascus, and which seemed to be connected to the Salisbury incident. A more recent article on voltairenet claims that this was in fact a plot concocted by the British government in collusion with Rex Tillerson, but without the knowledge of either Donald Trump or the Pentagon, and which seems to be the reason for Tillerson’s sacking.
voltairenet.org/article200232.html
The plan seems to have been for the British to fabricate a nerve gas attack on Skripal blaming it on the Russians, and then follow it up with a nerve gas attack in Ghouta, blaming that one on Assad. Gerasimov apparently contacted his American counterpart, General Dunford, with the information. From there it went to General Mattis, and then to Trump. CIA director Pompeio confirmed that the report was authentic. Tillerson was immediately recalled.
So… not only are we to believe that the Skripal attack was a false flag, but the Brits are to have been running black labs in Ghouta.
This is fatuous nonsense of the highest degree. May simply wouldn’t dare – one leaker anywhere in the chain and her government would fall and her career would end.
Russia and Assad have been dropping gas for years – if we look at other areas of British deployment they do not correlate with the use of gas. So what’s so special about Syria? Not the Brits.
“if we look at other areas of British deployment they do not correlate with the use of gas.”
Sure, but nerve gas didn’t really seem to be a thing in recent Afghanistan and Iraq wars that the Brits have been involved with. It’s has only cropped up since Syria was accused of using it on its own people and a basis to invade was formed.
May simply wouldn’t dare – one leaker anywhere in the chain and her government would fall and her career would end.”
Do you remember our very own “get some guts” moment, and how many times our public has been told bare faced lies. But she wouldn’t? You only need a couple of people at the top to form a lie and everyone else follows in behind, its not that hard.
For all that they currently have a pretty useless set of self-serving assholes in power, British democracy has greater institutional resilience than NZ – members regularly cross the floor and a frankly rotten piece of shit like Carter could never have been speaker.
You may point to Blair with some justice, but even at peak arrogance he never dabbled in chemical weapons – neither the public nor the press would have approved. He sought a mandate for the Iraq war, in large part to dilute his own culpability, but he would not have entered Iraq except as a ‘very close ally’ of George Bush.
It’s true that there is a certain amount of institutional fatigue in the armed forces at present, and some of them would quite like an option that simply made the enemy go away. May would never be so adventurous however – she’s only PM because Cameron quit, and that flakiness carries all the way through the command chain. Supposing you were a mid level organic chemist – would you travel to Ghouta to run black labs for May? You can bet she’d shaft you without a thought if things became sticky. May Breaks Bad would make a splendid sitcom, but Syria simply isn’t important enough to England to justify such extraordinary risks, even were she an espiophile like John Key.
And, one ought to limit one’s dependency on the Russian propaganda chain as a news source. It’s not produced for our benefit. RT’s days appear to be numbered, and Global Research seems set to take its place. I tolerated them when they limited their advocacy to telling the inconvenient parts of essentially truthful narratives – but now they are vehicles for barefaced lies – propaganda that only the hysterical could entertain for a moment.
Yes.
I’ve read similar. I can’t find the link atm. There is one common interest, and that the person charged with testing the so called evidence from Syria, and his involvement with nerve agent propaganda.
Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Nikki Haley et al are such a source of hilarity. Tragic as it is.
So the headlines in the WP, NYT, Grudian and independent over coming days (if not about facebook and whatever else) – celebrating peoples’ liberation and the defeat of terrorists? Or accusing Syria of crimes against humanity for guaranteeing terrorists and their families safe passage?
Well. Thinking Aleppo and so thinking the latter.
And again I’m going to point out that the so-called “Free Syrian Army” that western governments have openly backed, promoted and funded, is killing people from multiple ethnic and religious backgrounds in Rojava – Rojava where neither the Syrian government nor the Syrian Arab Army have any presence.
And as I can not reply to the lies spouted by Stuart Munroe in his reference to the alleged chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun on April 4th 2017, on the Russian to Judgement page, again I will quote the OPCW report
“The FFM’s mandate is to determine whether chemical weapons or toxic chemicals as weapons have been used in Syria; it does not include identifying who is responsible for alleged attacks. An advance team for the FFM was deployed within 24 hours of being alerted to the incident. For security reasons, the FFM was unable to visit Khan Shaykhun. The rapid deployment to a neighbouring country, however, enabled the team to attend autopsies, collect bio-medical samples from casualties and fatalities, interview witnesses and receive environmental samples. ”
The report explicitly states that FFM was unable to visit the site.
But without any challenge to the veracity of the samples, accepted them without question.
Samples supplied by ….well we aren’t told that, but considering the area was too dangerous for the OPCW mission to enter we can only deduce that they were supplied by the mercenary NATO Saudi, US funded terrorist headchoppers.
And what? You read the comment from Exkiwiforces that undermines that narrative so you decided to start the whole bullshit up somewhere that comment isn’t current? Did you think people would forget what ExKF said and give you the benefit of the doubt?
You’re suspiciously selective in which generals you believe and which ones you don’t. Lift your game.
I placed my comment here because “Russian to Judgment” was no longer on the front page. I thought no one would see my comment if I placed it on that posting.
I guess followers of this website can read our respective omments and make up their own minds. I won’t be commenting further unless I come across new information.
Besides that, my tablet’s battery needs recharging.
I hadn’t been aware of exkiwiforces comment, so thanks for the pointer.
The comment you linked to was a direct response to me pointing out that the canister containing the chemicals at Khan Sheikhoun had ruptured inwards, not outwards as happens with missiles, mortars etc.
Exkiwiforces comment doesn’t actually address that point (of how the casing of a delivered munition shows obvious signs of having being imploded – ie, punctured by an external explosive force)
Nothing in exkiwiforces comment (not the one you link to anyway) has anything to do with the narrative mikesh has linked to above.
In my opinion, ExKF’s knowledgeable comment undermines Gerasimov’s propaganda. Not to mention the various massive holes in it already identified by McFlock and Stuart Munro.
So…I get that you’ve been following whatever is being reported about what Gerasimov’s saying more closely than I have.
What has he said about the chemical delivery system at Khan Sheikhoun (which was all exkiwiforces comment was about) and how does whatever Gerasimov say about that marry up to any claims about eastern Ghouta and whatever allegations being made about expected chemical attacks there?
He didn’t say anything about the chemical delivery system at Khan Sheikhoun. What he did do though is tell stories about the UK and its allies readiness to use chemical weapons as false flag attacks.
ExKF’s said “the chemical weapon system had delay action fuse to off after the raid to off after the raid catching everyone in the open as it went off thence the small impact carter”.
Mikesh was using his truther beliefs about Khan Sheikhoun to support Gerasimov’s dubious credibility. ExKF undermined those beliefs.
Actually, Stuart was using Khan Sheikhoun to undermine Gerasimov’s claims. I attempted to refute his rebuttals relying on my own less than perfect memory. The event occurred a long time ago. However I’ve since remembered that, at the time, the Russians claimed to have bombed a warehouse which they believed contained weapons, not knowing that the weapons were in fact chemical weapons. Whatever. I don’t think that Khan Sheikhoun is particularly relevant to the present discussion.
Gerasimov’s claims have since been confirmed by CIA chief, Pompaeo, and they seem to have been the reason for Tillerson’s sacking.
You need to decide which bullshit story to tell – “A young woman associated with the rebels said that the gas was released as a result of a cock-up by the rebel forces” or “Russia bombed a warehouse”.
Gerasimov’s claims have since been confirmed by CIA chief, Pompaeo[sic].
[Citation needed]
Quote Pompeo (spelling his name correctly may help you) directly, please, and use a reputable source if you can.
The source of my information that Pompeo hasn’t said something? Are you on drugs? I don’t have any photos of your pet goat either, in case you were wondering.
No it isn’t. The non availability of a citable source doesn’t prove the truth or falsity of an alleged “fact”. However, if that “fact” is coherent with other known facts, it’s reasonable to believe it, with or without a citation.
Both of you strayed from any political exchange hours ago. How’s about you both call it a day before things degenerate any further and one or the other of you step over a line?
At the moment you’re both just filling up space with lots of nothing.
Not quite – Gerasimov’s claims are not based on evidence beyond his claim of “information”, thus they do not need to be rebutted.
If you could have produced something to substantiate his allegations you might have had a credible argument – but you asserted the presence of some female informant that you could not (or chose not to) produce.
I’ve been banned before now for not providing sources – I don’t see why you should be exempt from that requirement.
The High Court judgement was in response to a request to take more blood samples from the comatose Skripals (there’s no-one with authority to give such permission, given the Skripals certainly can’t).
The evidence presented was thus:
17….
i)
CC: Porton Down Chemical and Biological Analyst
Blood samples from Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal were analysed and the findings indicated exposure to a nerve agent or related compound. The samples
tested positive for the presence of a Novichok class nerve agent or closely related agent.
So “closely related agent” somewhat widens the possibility of where the nerve agent actually came from.
Any other conclusion from such evidence can probably be in the realms of fantasy.
These Tories do seem to have some fantastical ideas, but whether they actually would lead to them being put into practice is another matter.
This article from 2005, outlines a fantasy scenario floated as a promo for Strategic Communication Laboratories (SLC). They demonstrated how they could produce some psy-ops propaganda, and pass it off as real.
[SLC with strong Conservative Party connections, later spawned Cambridge Analytica.]
SLC’s propaganda scenario works to contain a small pox outbreak in London. SLC showed they could fabricate a fictitious scenario that would be put out to the media and online, to stop Londoners venturing outdoors.
Rather than alert the public to the smallpox threat, the company sets up a high-tech “ops center” to convince the public that an accident at a chemical plant threatens London. As the fictitious toxic cloud approaches the city, TV news outlets are provided graphic visuals charting the path of the invisible toxins. Londoners stay indoors, glued to the telly, convinced that even a short walk into the streets could be fatal.
Why anyone would bother with such an elaborate subterfuge is beyond me.
Russian Army chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, has received reliable information that the US working with the saucer people are planning an attack on Damascus, connected to the Salisbury incident. In fact the plan was concocted by the British government in collusion with Rex Tillerson, utilising the Black Helicopters to carry it out.
And if you believe that, then you probably also believe globalresearch.ca claim that the Tens of millions of protesters throughout the Arab World protesting the totalitarian regimes of Ben Ali, Mubarak and Assad were working for the CIA.
Asked why she has decided to speak out, Kaiser flares: “Why should we make excuses for these people? Why? I’m so tired of making excuses for old white men. Fucking hell.”
Brittany left CA a couple of weeks ago – I’m pretty sure I read she left due to an employment dispute. So she may have an ax to grind.
Well I suppose it’s pretty easy to identify what scares old white English and American men and motivates them to vote … loss of power and authority over how society is organised and in whose interest. Using their vote to freeze the nation back in time (nostalgic remembering) to how society was when they were young – thus heightened fear of change. Thus Brexit or Trump’s American first or we go isolationist.
Since it seems we are to be bombarded with Lavrov’s witless speculations about false flag attacks, it might pertinent to look at the modern event that popularized them for this generation.
Restricted By YouTube, Gun Enthusiasts Are Taking Their Videos To Pornhub
[…]
Starting next month, YouTube will ban videos that offer instructions on how to make firearms and accessories such as silencers and bump stocks. It will prohibit content in which firearms and accessories are sold, both directly and through other websites. Videos on how to install firearms modifications will also be barred.
[…]
InRangeTV, which has some 144,000 subscribers on its YouTube channel, has chosen to publish videos on an adult website called Pornhub, Bloomberg reported. A search on the site yields five videos currently uploaded by InRangeTV. Visitors can watch a video where hosts compare a Glock 19 and a Hudson H9, just as it appears on YouTube.
Nation this sexual harassment and bullying of Lady’s in our legal profession is unacceptable this day and age. This behaviour will stop Alot of Lady’s from entering this profession we need Lady’s in our legal professions to give that industry a more humane approach to the LAW OF THE LAND many thanks Lisa for having the courage to have this conversation on live TV3
KIA KAHA KA KITE ANO P.S It is a bad culture
Nation I’m a big fan of TED TALKs to that was a good interview on Education there is a lot of talented mokos missed by the education system at the minute.
Many thanks to all the the mokos around the World who are protesting the lack of good gun laws in America and because of this phenomenon alot of people are dieing. Kia kaha mokos Ka kite ano
Nation I totally agree with Liya opinions on the ttp11 and the unknown implications on the Internet and social media and your other people about the big Internet companies being almost God like in influence and power Ka pai Ka kite ano
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Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
News reports appearing for some months past since January 2018 , have indicated thinking of the US trade with rest of the world , more so with China. A news report which appeared on 20 January , 2018 , had said : -“ It seems that the US erred in supporting China’s entry into the WTO on terms that have proven to be ineffective in securing China’s embrace of an open , market-oriented trade regime”. Later , on 24 February , 2018 , news reports from the US had also said : “ While ties have improved but China is killing US on trade”. These perceptions in the US these days has culminated into announcement of Donald Trump on 22 March , 2018 , imposing tariff on about US 50 billion dollars in Chinese imports to retaliate against the alleged theft of American intellectual property.
These happenings on the eve and during mid- March 2018 , look to be corresponding to one of predictions of this Vedic astrology writer on 11 October 2017 in article – “ Astrological probable alerts for the United States in 2018” – published last year in monthly Webzine of Wisdom Magazine from US at wisdom-magazine.com/Article.aspx/4647/ on 1 December 2017. The related text in the said article reads as :- “ Near mid- March to 30 April 2018. US economy looks to be presenting a happy picture while some kind of hidden or behind the scene areas of substantial concern may remain. PAST ERRORS OR SLIPS ARE LIKELY TO IMPACT TRADING OR COMMERCIAL ASPECTS IN SOME WAY”.
Thus , it can be said that the alert prediction of this writer substantially prior on 11 October , 2017 , has been confirmed precisely and closely accurate during beginning of 2018 , more so 22 March , 2018.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
Sarkozy receives money from Libya and its corruption. Nats receive money from Chinese interests , ex National MPs have ties and postings to Chinese interests and we are the least corrupt nation on earth.
Howzat work?
Because the corruption index is a self indicating survey. Essentially is seems to be based on how people ‘feel’ their corruption levels are. Clearly our MSM never reports a thing because the royals, car crashes and kitten stories are more important news, so most people are not even aware what is going on.
Why do you assume all Chinese business people are corrupt?
You sound like a racist.
Actually, the implication was that the National Party were corrupt because they take foreign money.
All foreign money needs to be removed from NZ politics and that includes the cushy positions after politics.
Why can’t people take whatever job they are offered after their political career?
Because behind Chinese business is Chinese government.
In case it needs spelling out, having ties to a foreign government while in power is considered corruption in most countries.
Yes I agree with having business ties with a foreign government while in power is a little shady to put it lightly but Draco said “after” politics, not while in politics
From whence came the business ties such that on finishing as an MP, someone goes straight to work for a Chinese company?
What about Collins the minister for Oravida?
A Chinese spy National MP?
You actually wilfully have to shut your eyes and block your ears not to see an issue.
Well what jobs are ex-MP’s allowed to take then?
Teachers, police, rest home workers, builders, restaraunt workers, fruit pickers, dairy farm workers.
There is a shortage.
So Russell Norman shouldn’t have been allowed to be the Director of Greenpeace NZ?
I wasn’t aware Greenpeace had ties to the Chinese government.
Citation needed.
I’m not talking about the Chinese government. You said ex-MP’s should have jobs like “Teachers, police, rest home workers, builders, restaraunt workers, fruit pickers, dairy farm workers.” so I am asking you if Russell Norman’s post at Greenpeace was acceptable to you given what you stated.
My word you are hard work, I’m going to give the benefit if the doubt that it’s not intentional:
I’m fine with Russel Norman joining Greenpeace thanks for asking.
Given I wasn’t actually addressing you from the start I’m not surprised you are having difficulty.
I was wondering what Draco thought politicians should be doing after politics given he seems to have an issue with it
You asked me about Russel Norman. But yes off you go to shadow Draco around the internet some more, it’s been real
Will do, cheers
Brownlee was a woodwork teacher. Now he’s the ‘architect’ of Chch. Maybe we would all have been better off, if he had stuck to teaching woodwork and why there is a shortage.
In his yoof, i suspect brownlee mught have smoked a few too many of those dovetail joints, and given himself a permanent case of the munchies.
You’re lucky you never had to catch one of those aircraft we used to call ‘pencil planes’ with him.
Brownlee has always needed some serious rebalanxing
voluntary fire fighters, we have a shortage of them especially in places where we also have rampant housing insecurity.
voluntary ambulance driver, we have a shortage of them, again especially in places where we also have rampant housing insecurity.
cafe managers, i hear we have such a shortage that we must import them from elsewhere.
fruit picker, also a severe shortage here according to the businesses.
Surely there are more then enough jobs out there in our Rock Star Economy.
Oh, that was a myth you say? Just like the housing crisis is a myth? Just like the wading in a river is a myth?
Maybe they should try to file for an unemployment benefit? 🙂
“trading on their time as MPs to build a lucrative business career”
Simon Lusk.
In other words, the National Party is adept at post-hoc bribery.
The revolving door of politics to private sector look s remarkably like corruption. Best to prevent it in the first place.
I agree in some circumstances but not all.
John Key went to ANZ but then again he spent his entire life outside of politics as a banker so not surprising he went back into it. Russell Norman went to Greenpeace but he has a track record of being very involved in Environmental Issues so again not surprising.
There is a difference between “leaving politics and picking up where you left off” and “becoming a lobbyist” which can be very shady indeed.
What are MP’s supposed to do when they leave? Never work again? Stay in politics for life?
You do know that hes was a member of the board of the NY Reserve right? And that’s more of a political position than an expert position?
Depends upon where you left off and where you went back. If both have connection to politics then we can honestly say that it’s just going back to what they were doing?
Many do stay in politics for life. Many could go into a public service role like Russel Norman.
What we don’t want is them going into high paid, high power private sector roles that are pretty much designed around their political careers.
EDIT: BTW, is there really two JohnSelways or do you just keep changing email addresses?
Sure but there is a difference between “going into the private sector” and “becoming a lobbyist” (for example).
I mean – Key spent most of life as a banker and left politics when he was quite young so became a banker again. Norman is heavily involved in environmental issues so went to Greenpeace. They gotta do something and generally end up doing what they did before becoming MP’s
What are MP’s supposed to do when they leave politics? Never work again? Stay MP’s for life?
100% Draco T Bastard.
We need to print some just to repair our rotting infrastructure now as we cant afford to borrow any more from overseas at 8% plus from a communist country anyway.
Else we will become another Greece that is owned by EU oligarchs now.
I don’t want to see that happen.
“All foreign money needs to be removed from NZ politics…”
Why? Says who? Sounds like xenophobia to me.
I think all private money in politics is a bad idea. From right and the left.
Just look at cluster-fucks like Citizens United in the States or, actually, just the states in general. You can pretty much buy your own congressman and write the laws for them
What do you think about Parliamentary Services funding an Auckland office for Labour (headed up by Matt McCarten), when that was most likely used for campaigning? Private contributions are made to most, if not all parties in NZ. Long may that be the case.
Sorry – I don’t know enough about the Matt McCarten thing you speak to make a call on it.
But too much private money in politics causes way to many conflicts of interest.
In the event that Simon Lusk is telling the truth, and National MPs are ‘trading on their time as MPs to build a lucrative business career’, it makes sense to at least limit their criminal behaviour to corruption rather than full-blown treason.
Do you have any actual evidence for that, or are you suddenly a convert of Lusk? Mind you, Clark is alleged to have traded her time as PM for a lucrative job with the UN.
In the event that Simon Lusk is telling the truth, and National MPs are ‘trading on their time as MPs to build a lucrative business career’, it makes sense to at least limit their criminal behaviour to corruption rather than full-blown treason.
Just to see if you can actually stay on topic, Ad Nauseam.
So you don’t have any actual evdence.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Lusk’s statement is evidence. Whether he’s a reliable witness is open to question, but at least you’re reliably witless.
A statement of Simon Lusks opinion is not evidence. But you do believe anything. And I’m not aware of Lusk ever committing benefit fraud.
Whether he’s a reliable witness is open to question, Ad Nauseam.
It kinda depends on the situation.
Using your time as an MP to cultivate business links is one thing (I.e – becoming an MP with the sole purpose of landing a highly paid private sector job) but leaving politics and taking a job because it’s in your area of expertise is another (I.e Russell Norman or John Key).
The former is pretty shady, the latter is just being a private citizen again
It depends chiefly on the extent and nature of the conflict of interest involved.
At 2.2.1.3 Babayaga
Fair enough if our “trading partners” would not have printed their own money to buy our assets.
But did they all not print any money?
China certainly did as did japan and …………………..
Well there seems to be a hoo ha over the Russian links in the USA and their President. Nope not following that one, we have enough issues in NZ but most people just ignore them. Not sure an ex Chinese (or Russian) agent would be welcome in the Republican Party like they are in the National party where the MSM says ‘kittens anyone’?
Why?
Because they’re not NZers and how we govern ourselves is not for them to have a say in.
They can’t vote. That’s How we have a say. If they can’t vote, they have no say. If people are stupid enough to be influenced by their money, then they get the government they deserve-of either stripe.
Money has influence.
I know you will deny that but it does and we need to stop that influence. And it’s not the voters who are influenced but the politicians – and that is corruption.
In other words, foreign money in politics is corruption.
Of course money has influence. But why should a US citizen be prevented from contributing to a NZ political party any more than a NZ political party can steal from the public to fund, eg a pledge card. Or an Australian Political Party ( of the same stripe) steal from the taxpayer to fund an election campaign (https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victorians-have-a-right-to-be-outraged-at-labor-mps-misuse-of-funds-20180321-p4z5gn.html).
Because they’re not a NZ citizen, don’t live here and don’t vote here and thus have no right to have a say in our governance.
BTW: The US does ban foreign money in politics and so does pretty much every other country in the world. NZ’s one of the few doesn’t. Think the rest of the world may be on to something there?
How do you know they don’t live here? They could be a NZ resident. They may have invested in NZ. You have no idea. Even so, who cares? Why shouldn’t they be able to support a NZ based political movement simply because they aren’t citizens?
A Naki man accusing somebody else of racism.
That’s hilarious.
Why do you assume all corrupt business people are Chinese, Nastiman?
Howzat work?
100% @ Answer; – With false reporting with our “junk media” Keepcalmcarryon
In the middle of the night in a bout of insomnia I came across two posts on yesterday’s Open Mike with three very interesting links to articles well worth reading IMO. They had attracted only one comment, so I thought I would repost them here in the hopes others might see them and check them out. I will post them separately as they cover completely different subjects.
First thanks to Jilly Bee for this post and link:
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-23-03-2018/#comment-1464943
Very interesting comparing the general wailing and gnashing of molars in Granny by Mike Hosking and Matthew Hooton and then whoosh – a wee gem by ex Nat MP for Whanganui, Chester Borrows headed ‘Politicians bailed Air N Z out – the airline can’t now complain about Shane Jones’. It’s worth a read. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12018271
So, we should be subsidising people flying out of and into Whanganui?
Actually Draco, I was simply pointing out the fact that Mike Hosking and Matthew Hooton (both National fanbois extraordinaire) were venting forth in their Herald slots about how bad it is for Shane Jones to be as much as commenting on where Air New Zealand operates domestically and that the airline should only be beholden to its shareholders and the end of year balance sheet with no concern for regional NZ. It was a surprise to me to see Chester Borrow’s column which pretty much agreed with Shane Jones – Chester was until last year the National MP for Whanganui which made it all a bit weird. I suppose it was Granny’s way of trying to look balanced. I have flown some of the secondary routes several years ago in what I called 18 seater flying sardine tins which were OK, but not terribly comfortable – at least we could see the pilots at work!! Bit of a come down from the Boeing 737s on the main routes. It’s interesting to see that the Mayors of the towns and cities concerned are more than happy with Shane’s support. Bring back the DC3s I tells ya.
Come on Jilly Bee,
Where’s your sense of adventure? I say bugger the DC3’s and I say bring the back the DH 83 Fox Moths, DH 84’s, 86’s, 89’s and 90’s passenger Biplanes.
Chocks away Biggles.
Blimey Exkiwiforces, I didn’t think of those – must say though that a flight in a biplane is on my bucket list.
They are on bucket list as well.
You should have flown with Fred Ladd as my uncle did. A real character.
I download the podcasts from the Wings over New Zealand Forum site and I will have to say Dave Homeward has at an outstanding job interviewing some extraordinarily women and gentleman of NZ Aviation History over the years. They worth downloading and like listening to the per WW2, through the War especially the Pacific stuff as I had a great uncle up in the solly’s with 3 NZ Div and post war stuff the Ag Pilots, The Fred Ladd’s and Bryan Cox who I believe this NZ’s remaining Air Ace from WW2 who flew in the Pacific.
Reading the Richard Waugh books on West Coast Airways, pre and post war early Airlines. One of course must not forget NAC and what they did to regional NZ from post WW2 until 1978.
A blog site call 3rdlevelnz.blogspot.com is worth having a look.
My father used to own a Tiger Moth and I not only got many a flight in one but I was allowed to fly it myself once and did a few aerobatics with one of NZ’s best stunt pilots. It was great fun
What a wonderful thread this has ended up being! I am so pleased you put up the link, Jilly Bee. Fox Moths, Tiger Moths, Biplanes, Harvards – those were the days! And Spitfires – I am with you JS. Blimey and Biggles indeed!
Back to ground, I was initially surprised by Burrows, but then when I remembered his background, it did not surprise me. He has been known to do similar surprising declarations of his views before.
Sorry Draco T Bastard, your question is a very good and serious one but I have been told off by adam today for putting up two essays – again – in response to assertions by him. Kill ’em by boring them to death, says I.
And I assure you I can write an essay on the role of national airlines – more like a book. But I am also bound by certain confidentiality agreements that went with my public service employment. So, I must be an observer only on discussion on your question. (Everyone sighs a sigh of relief!)
Happy Saturday night – over and out.
Around 1952 for ten shillings I had a flight in a top dressing plane in Bennydale. I’m sorry, don’t know the make, but it made me love adventures.
Golly. Why yes VV.
A bloody nice thread this is turning out to be.
It’s certainly got me piqued with a dander on its brink…eh what?
I must say I so have a fondness for Tiger Moths and Harvards.
Though I wouldn’t mind flying from Wellington to Auckland in a Spitfire
Yep, JohnSelway, a flight in a Tiger Moth would be OK for me, though at my age I probably need a wee crane to get me in and out of the cockpit! Also I’d also love to have a ride in a Spitfire (complete with loop the loop and a victory roll). I’m of the age where the Battle of Brittain is still a moment in history for me, we have the DVD of the film in our archives which needs to be dragged out again on a rainy afternoon. I live close to the Waharoa Airfield and we see a great variety of flying machines flying overhead at times, including the odd TMs. We recently had a massive four-engine transporter military style behemoth fly overhead recently and return half an hour later having landed at Waharoa! I came to the conclusion it was a promotion flight by either an Embraer or a Lockheed Martin aircraft to replace the Hercules fleet. Absolutely no publicity about what was happening – which made it a bit scary.
Spitfires are my all time favourite (all because if that film too – The Battle of Britain)
I want to go on Biggles plane ”the halifax” on a trip to the Gobi dessert.
“Biggles in the Gobi” was the best of all by Captain WE Johns books I ever read at 11yrs old in 1955. An awesome story.
Biggles (a wing commander) having hit an eagle with the Halifax and shot down a MIG fighter plane during the communist war in China.
That’s on my bucket for sure.
Here is the intro to the amazing book of “action”
Biggles is able to return, after shooting down a Mig plane, just as a final battle is taking place at the caves. He is able to rescue everybody and get them away.
http://www.biggles.info/Details/46/
BIGGLES IN THE GOBI
Book First Published on 8th October 1953 – 160 pages
This story was first published, in seventeen weekly parts, as BIGGLES IN THE GOBI in The Eagle Volume 4, issue 17 to Volume 4 issue 33, dated 31st July 1953 to 20th November 1953
Biggles is asked by Air Commodore Raymond to travel to the middle of Asia to rescue some missionaries from Communist China. Taking Algy, Ginger and Bertie with him, plus a Chinese man by the name of Feng-tao (who speaks virtually no English), Biggles flies in an unmarked Halifax from Pakistan to the Gobi desert.
I think I’d have to go P51D – same engine sound, bubble cockpit, looks like a greyhound. The early spits’ noses were too stubby for my taste 🙂
As for passenger aircraft, is there such a thing as a quiet plane for passengers? The turboprobs especially give me a damned headache. In fact, the discomfort of air travel is one of the two things that mean I have absolutely no desire to travel – dealing with customs and immigration is the other. Especially the yanks.
Bring back airships, that’s what I say.
I have to travel. I hate flying but travel is something the recuperates my soul.
Airports fuck me off to no end. There’s always some asshole in the queue whose luggage is too heavy. Then they hold everyone up while they open the suitcase and rearrange everything. I want to scream – “it doesn’t matter how you repack it, fuck-face, it still has the same mass!”
I’m not good with patience…
For me it’s the security screening with people **** assing around or some muppet guard trying explain to me Air Security btw that’s not a dig at the NZ Airport Security officers, but the Australian airports as the Kiwi ones don’t muck about.
On the Base was once station at, had a Mustang that dragged out every now and then for the flying days at the museum. It was bloody hard trying to a range brief with that cut laps around the Airfield. It was bad enough when the P40 powered Merlin pop in for a flying day or any other WW2 fighter and I must say that P40 sounds far better than Alison powered one.
If you ever return to NZ EKF then you must drop down here to Thames – birth place of Sir Keith Park “Defender of London”. A mate of mine (ex war bird pilot and wingman to Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Hayr) down the road still has his PPL – I had lost mine when I had a grumbling appendix for 2 years and by the time I had recovered life had moved on. But to cut to the chase – we went to see the Mossie up at Ardmore being rebuilt and flown again for the first time – I have a video of the flight . Awesome. They are rebuilding two more at the moment – and they will stay in the country. There is a spit and mustang in the hanger there as well.
A cousin of mine reckons he holds the record for the fastest flight from Ohakea to Wigram in a Harvard. Took off from Ohakea, and found a standing wave over the Ruahina’s , Tararua’s and Kaikora’s and effectively dove the whole way. 🙂 Have been in one of those myself flying out of Hood Airfield at Masterton. The altimeter went to 10,000 ft in about 1 minute! and that was in a Cessna 150.
There was or still going on a low level tactical Flying Ex involving C130’s from the RNZAF, RAAF and USAF Special Operations Forces so wouldn’t be surprise if it was them dropping into Waharoa Airfield.
I once had the money to fly Concorde after mate bet me to it, but I ended up buying a house instead as knew at the time they still very low hrs on them and they going stop in a hurry until….
So the bucket list now is a flight in a Lac in Canada, a spit or Me 109 over the white cliffs of Dover, landing on Glacier in NZ and flying around the Alps/ Hasst and Southland area.
If I do move back to NZ is to find the two aircraft crash site one in upper Buller/ Seddonville areas and one in the Golden Bay.
“Never fly straight and level in a combat zone for more than 30s or else you will get shot down understand!!!
As Skipper from Rabbit SQN is trying to teach a young sprog the art of finding the Hun in the sun.
Or was that Sailor Malan???
Pretty much every flight is subsidised by another flight in some way. That’s how aviation works. It’s highly unlikely that the person in the seat next to you paid the same as you did.
What changed here is that New Zealand’s domestic route structure has changed. Previously, from the NAC days, the domestic routes were to serve the domestic market and economy, so had a shared Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch focus. Now the domestic routes are to serve the international routes, taking punters to and from the international hub in Auckland.
This is the downside of the amalgamation of NAC and Air New Zealand (ex TEAL) where NAC was the aggressive expanding and profitable airline and threatening Air New Zealand. NAC was also providing a comprehensive regional service to the country. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjOjN7IzYTaAhWMiLwKHaDXCB0QFgg7MAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FHistory_of_Air_New_Zealand&usg=AOvVaw1Z4NLQTCji1fCJ7P3hC0Vp
Further to add there is good book called NAC The illustrated history of New Zealand NAC 1947-1978 which talks about the charter to serve regional NZ.
As a follow-on to my comment at 3, my thanks also goes to Ovid for their post at 9 on yesterday’s OM.
https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-23-03-2018/#comment-1464828
The first of Ovid’s links in that post goes to this Stuff article by the PM, Jacinda Ardern on her surprise move to personally accept the Greenpeace petition a few days ago, and her position on climate change and fossil fuel transition planning:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/102498682/jacinda-ardern-i-lived-through-fast-economic-change-in-the-80s-we-wont-repeat-that-with-our-move-to-cleaner-energy-future
Our focus right now is putting in place a plan to achieve this. That will involve everyone. Industry, communities, scientists, unions and the Government all need to work together. All of our futures are at stake on this issue.
After years of dictatorial leadership it’s refreshing to see JA’s cooperative approach.
I find it fascinating that when framed as cooperation because
it seems to be generally well received and welcomed although with the usual trepidation; after all, it is about change and the unknown.
On the other hand, when it is framed in terms of a delicate balance of economic, environmental, and social issues because they are all integrated into a inseparable whole, because everything (and everyone!) is connected, then it is panned as radical, out of touch, or (much) worse …
Often, it is not even the framing but the source, the messenger, i.e. the one who speaks.
Merit is not enough; persuasion (not ‘spin’) is an art that requires skills and mastery, in addition to compassion, emotional intelligence, and super-human listening, to name a few.
Well a co-operative approach yes. But to see fast change as essentially negative based on the 1980’s experience – not so much.
There was fast change under the Savage government & under Whitlam in Australia – good out comes. Where there is a reasonable consensus (don’t sign TTTP!) moving fast will give more time to settle down and less time for wealthy opposition.
Thanks veutoviper,
I am praying very hard Jacinda holds to her word and saves us here to shut down the massive 6% annual increased truck use increase of using truck freight everywhere.
When we already now know how rail can carry the freight from 5 to eight times less fuel used to move the same freight by rail rather than road, and rail only emits only a fraction of climate change emissions.
http://www.kiwirail.co.nz/uploads/Publications/The%20Value%20of%20the%20Rail%20in%20New%20Zealand.pdf
And one more further to 3 and 4 above, Ovid’s post yesterday also provided this link to a very interesting website on transition planning in a different context – a transition towns movement. This is fascinating and well worth some time having a look!
https://transitionnetwork.org/
Thanks again Ovid and Jilly Bee.
Forever wars are on again.
An unreconstructed advocate of regime change after repeated failures in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, Bolton favors a lower threshold for the use of military force than prevailed under most Republican presidents prior to George W. Bush. He would like a more confrontational posture toward Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, following up Bush-era talk of the “Axis of Evil” with warnings about a “Moscow-Tehran-Damascus-Hezbollah axis.”
[…]
We are once again seeing a GOP-controlled Washington growing government and billowing red ink and a foreign policy fed by threat inflation, whereby tough talk belies a lack of confidence in America’s ability to dominate weak foes without shooting first and asking questions later.
Now John Bolton is getting that old band Axis of Evil back together.
http://theweek.com/articles/762615/john-bolton-proof-that-trump-abandoned-best-campaign-promise
Have to agree, the swamp just got the old gang back together.
Seems that John Bolton is up to his eyeballs in Cambridge Analytica as well.
https://www.publicintegrity.org/2018/03/20/21623/john-bolton-eyed-trump-post-leads-super-pac-employed-cambridge-analytica
Prick’s determined to start another war.
And I’m sure he will get along famously with the North Koreans
My bold.
Year Right! Why was he hired?
Because he’s a Fox contributor – and Faux News is all that the chump listens too.
The Doomsday clock just move a little closer to midnight.
He promised.
Hehehe
Sounds about right.
Have you read this Joe?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/neil-young-sounds-off-on-trump-he-has-no-balls?ref=home
This is bad news all round.
Sarah Kendzior on Bolton’s pretext.
On Friday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced the indictment of nine Iranians for conspiring to hack and defraud American universities and businesses on behalf of the Iranian government. Rosenstein vowed harsh repercussions for the Iranian hackers, including their extradition to the United States and imprisonment if convicted.
[…]
Bolton is an apocalyptic appointment, one who endangers not only Iran but the entire world. Bolton’s bloodlust, bad temper, and blind faith in military solutions previously rendered him unhireable, but for Trump, whose most maniacal instincts will be validated, he is a gift—a like-minded sadist who, unlike Trump, knows how to effectively navigate bureaucracy.
https://www.fastcompany.com/40549085/will-the-indictment-of-iranian-hackers-prove-the-pretext-for-john-boltons-war
Until Bolton contradicts Trump on some trivial matter and the narcissist sacks him, that is.
Yeah. He has quite a record!
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-white-house-staffing/
No doubt there’s a book open on how many Scaramuccis Bolton lasts.
Scaramucci
noun
scar-mōo-cheé
A unit of time, approximately 9.5-10 days.
I go through a pack of papertowels every Scaramucci.
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Scaramucci
I’m on the same wave length as Audrey Young this week. Shane Jones has succeeded in getting NZ First back up to 5%. He’s now on track to be the ‘heir apparent’ should Winston choose to step down and the end of this term.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12018819
It’s interesting seeing the tone of postings in TS and TDB, NZ first may be taking the mantle of preferred leftist party as we see time and again the greens are self absorbed idiots.
I’m not a fan of Shane jones – at all, but he succeeded where labour failed miserably in speaking for the public against corporate interest. Now the fisheries Shane.
So am I – what a great summary.
Loved her reference to Jones as a combine harvester:
Jones is like a political combine harvester. Let loose on a controversy, he wanders all over the paddock reaping and threshing but usually producing something that is valuable.
BUT re Jones as heir apparent – sorry, nah. He has indicated on a number of occasions that he is not interested. I think he has found his niche in his role as Champion of the Regions, and would hate the constraints that being Leader of a Party brings.
I have been watching NZF closely for years and IMO the heir apparent was chosen a couple of years ago and has been groomed over that period – Fletcher Tabuteau.
Despite his young age (44/5?) he has been involved with NZF since its beginning when he was quite young, and as well as now being Deputy Leader, he is also Under Study to both Peters and Jones as Parliamentary Under Secretary for both Foreign Affairs and Regional Development. Those roles could have been split over two MPs but weren’t.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher_Tabuteau
Just read this …. Veutoviper, made me think of the Wurzel’s song …
“The Combine Harvester” on utube. LOL
Interesting and timely given I’ve just been assisting with the TOTAL reconditioning of an actual combine harvester (every bearing on the thing, plus its very sucky motor with new barrels and eings)
I’m bloody sure a Shane is capable of adaptation/repurpose/rearrangement as any political expediency kicks in.
Now is the time for the Green Party, the only party of principle in our parliament, as far as I can see, to stand up for New Zealand.
They disagree with CPTTA and will not vote for it. But that is simply not good enough. With National’s backing the so-called free trade treaty will pass.
But (relying on reports) climate change is not mentioned once in the entire 5000 page document! And the ISDS provisions still allow overseas corporations to sue NZ government if any climate change legislation gets in the way of their profits.
If this is indeed so, it is not enough for the Green to vote against CPTTA. That will achieve nothing, except ensure their right to say ‘I told you so!’ sometime in the future.
No, they must DEMAND a climate change assessment of the CPTTA and threaten to withdraw Confidence and Supply if this doesn’t happen.
The ‘troughers’ in Labour and NZ First will be appalled by the prospect of another election and a possible National victory (as so would I) but it is great leverage.
The Greens, a party of principle, MUST act in the interests of all the people in this country.
The problem with that idea is that the Left would be seen as unstable and National/ACT would romp home. Is that what you want?
The alternative is little effective progress on mitigating the effects of climate change – which is worse?
But I wouldn’t see the Greens shouting this from the rooftops – merely putting pressure on Labour and NZ First behind closed doors.
Labour/NZ First could simply announce a climate change audit of CPTPPA – and that would sink the treaty once and for all.
All too late.
Labour and NZF have already said they are supporting the CPTPPA. In government keeping ones word is supposed to mean something. People and other nations rely on it.
So there is nothing the Greens can do (other than terminating the government) that can stop NZ ratifying the CPTPPA. And if they did terminate the government a new National/Act government would be the likely outcome
Or a Labour/NZF government.
And don’t you love it you vile autocrat!
Against the wishes of the majority of voters the braindead Gnats have locked us into a remarkably bad deal – at the same time reducing faith in the democratic process – a win for the forces of infamy!
But NZ pays as usual.
Why can’t the TPPA legislation go through the same CC assessment as other legislation that affects the environment?
100% correct weka; – why not indeed?
You should make that an article soon.
I don’t know enough about it (hence the question to Wayne). Drop me some links if you find anything interesting 🙂
“In government keeping ones word is supposed to mean something.”
Well I never! You mean, like no asset sales?
He means like a Sir John Key kinda keeping one’s word.
In fact EVEN his own and a number of his colleagues
“All too late.” – what’s in it for Wayne, I wonder?
Would keeping one’s word extend to pre-election ‘promises’?
If (and it’s a big IF) NZ is still a sovereign country, then the Government is free to act at anytime in the evolving ‘balanced best interests’ of all citizens. Signing the CPATPP serves the interests of very few NZers.
The EU seems to have dodged their own TTIP bullet, at least for now, but corporates, like rust, never sleep.
Our note to Government today on the sixth anniversary of the washout that closed Gisborne rail.
Protecting our environment & health.
In association with other Community Groups, and all Government Agencies since 2001.
Public COMMUNITY letter; : 6th Anniversary of Gisborne rail washout 24th March 2012.
24th March 2018; – On this day the sixth anniversary of the rail washout that closed Gisborne rail link to the rest of NZ.
Dear rail stakeholders,
Please review these past considerations of NZ Rail for your re-consideration to re-open the Gisborne rail link to the rest of NZ.
We should curtail trucking as now it is harming the environment and use * General Manager of NZ Rail Trevor Haywood’s plan to use rail for “social benefit” again. 1971.
Read below, History of rail.
In 1971, the Government commissioned United States consultancy firm Wilbur Smith & Associates to look at Railways. It also recommended that road transport meet the “resource costs” incurred and social costs such as accidents, pollution and the loss of utility caused by heavy vehicles.
We must use these considerations also when restoring Gisborne’s rail freight again.
Our justification is;
As we say it is justified that rail services must resume, because Gisborne is the most isolated community of its size in NZ without a rail service; – ministers please note.
http://www.kiwirail.co.nz/about-us/history-of-kiwirail/150yearsofrail/stories/road-transport-regulation.html
Hi Cleangreen (9) … have you by any chance contacted Shane Jones about restoring rail to your region?
As you know, Jonesy is on a roll at the moment with regional air transport, which is proving very popular. Could well be a good time to contact him and tell him your case re Gisborne rail, while he’s fired up championing regional transport.
Good for you Cleangreen for keeping this issue out there. All the best in getting a positive outcome.
Clean mught miss the question, but rest assured he, and partners have done their bestEST to contact every1/body
Yes mary-a; – thanks for the question.
I have sent 10 emails to all senior Labour NZ First and green party ministers including Shane and Winston.
Once was Tim; – is absolutely correct they have had so many emails from us they are having trouble handling them since they were jammed with thousands of emails from national at the beginning of the parliament so national have caused a “email road block” we were told by the MP’s PA’s.
But we every second day now call the parliamentary office requesting for those appropriate ministers to come to HB/Gisborne to discuss the rail issue with all our community groups now before they make final decisions here.
As we all are representative as the most affected amongst the regions without rail and roads now “gridlocked with trucks” it is ruining our narrow windy roads and makes driving very dangerous now so rail is needed seriously now more than ever.
Please heed our community call to return our gisborne rail as you did other regions as our regions are now booming and truck traffic is raising annually at a staggering 6% a year. This is unsustainable for our environment and our futures..
Remember the dire warnings about state abuse of collected meta-data.
Well, Silicon Valley’s tech billionaires have been hard at it.
https://twitter.com/dylanmckaynz/status/976368845635035138
Die, Facebook.
Facebook’s mounting image problems hit a whole other orbit on Friday.
Tech icon Elon Musk appeared to delete the official Facebook pages for two of his companies, SpaceX and Tesla, Inc.
Musk’s moves come days after a whistleblower revealed that a data analysis firm tied to President Donald Trump’s campaign had harvested data off Facebook, resulting in widespread criticism and sparking government investigations.
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/spacex-founder-elon-musk-piles-facebook-s-woes-continue-n859506
#deleteFacebook
I’d love it if FB died, and something ethical and functional replaced it. Not sure how possible that is.
I read McKay’s tweets. The thing that amazes me is that people are surprised FB have been doing this.
Fuck yea!!!!
We might actually get to real, rather than virtual community where humans interact in real time. A place (oops…. I mean ‘space’) where humans interact in real time and between one another. Sometimes, like the most exotic of animal, their lives depend on it (going forward, to coin a phrase, ez a meta a fek, ekshully)
Sadly this isn’t satire….
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/102559500/us-district-arms-teachers-with-rocks-in-case-of-school-shooter
If you have the time, a real story of a cab driver. The impact of deregulation and the cost on real people. Time 29 minutes long. The new Gig economy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1nkwR6ywVU&ab_channel=RTAmerica
A couple of days ago I made a comment on the “Russian to Judgment” post, pointing to an article on globalresearch.ca which reported that Russian Army chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, claimed to have received reliable information that the US was planning an attack on Damascus, and which seemed to be connected to the Salisbury incident. A more recent article on voltairenet claims that this was in fact a plot concocted by the British government in collusion with Rex Tillerson, but without the knowledge of either Donald Trump or the Pentagon, and which seems to be the reason for Tillerson’s sacking.
voltairenet.org/article200232.html
The plan seems to have been for the British to fabricate a nerve gas attack on Skripal blaming it on the Russians, and then follow it up with a nerve gas attack in Ghouta, blaming that one on Assad. Gerasimov apparently contacted his American counterpart, General Dunford, with the information. From there it went to General Mattis, and then to Trump. CIA director Pompeio confirmed that the report was authentic. Tillerson was immediately recalled.
So… not only are we to believe that the Skripal attack was a false flag, but the Brits are to have been running black labs in Ghouta.
This is fatuous nonsense of the highest degree. May simply wouldn’t dare – one leaker anywhere in the chain and her government would fall and her career would end.
Russia and Assad have been dropping gas for years – if we look at other areas of British deployment they do not correlate with the use of gas. So what’s so special about Syria? Not the Brits.
“if we look at other areas of British deployment they do not correlate with the use of gas.”
Sure, but nerve gas didn’t really seem to be a thing in recent Afghanistan and Iraq wars that the Brits have been involved with. It’s has only cropped up since Syria was accused of using it on its own people and a basis to invade was formed.
May simply wouldn’t dare – one leaker anywhere in the chain and her government would fall and her career would end.”
Do you remember our very own “get some guts” moment, and how many times our public has been told bare faced lies. But she wouldn’t? You only need a couple of people at the top to form a lie and everyone else follows in behind, its not that hard.
For all that they currently have a pretty useless set of self-serving assholes in power, British democracy has greater institutional resilience than NZ – members regularly cross the floor and a frankly rotten piece of shit like Carter could never have been speaker.
You may point to Blair with some justice, but even at peak arrogance he never dabbled in chemical weapons – neither the public nor the press would have approved. He sought a mandate for the Iraq war, in large part to dilute his own culpability, but he would not have entered Iraq except as a ‘very close ally’ of George Bush.
It’s true that there is a certain amount of institutional fatigue in the armed forces at present, and some of them would quite like an option that simply made the enemy go away. May would never be so adventurous however – she’s only PM because Cameron quit, and that flakiness carries all the way through the command chain. Supposing you were a mid level organic chemist – would you travel to Ghouta to run black labs for May? You can bet she’d shaft you without a thought if things became sticky. May Breaks Bad would make a splendid sitcom, but Syria simply isn’t important enough to England to justify such extraordinary risks, even were she an espiophile like John Key.
And, one ought to limit one’s dependency on the Russian propaganda chain as a news source. It’s not produced for our benefit. RT’s days appear to be numbered, and Global Research seems set to take its place. I tolerated them when they limited their advocacy to telling the inconvenient parts of essentially truthful narratives – but now they are vehicles for barefaced lies – propaganda that only the hysterical could entertain for a moment.
PS:I should have mentioned that the plan was to be followed up with a request that the US attack Damascus.
Yes.
I’ve read similar. I can’t find the link atm. There is one common interest, and that the person charged with testing the so called evidence from Syria, and his involvement with nerve agent propaganda.
Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Nikki Haley et al are such a source of hilarity. Tragic as it is.
An alternative link is http://www.voltairenet.org/en where the article is titled Four days t start a cold war.
Yep. Saw that too.
But there’s this happiness happening
Damascenes celebrating the liberation of #EasternGhouta from the Islamist terror groups. 23/03/2018
https://twitter.com/KevorkAlmassian/status/977231647526531072
So the headlines in the WP, NYT, Grudian and independent over coming days (if not about facebook and whatever else) – celebrating peoples’ liberation and the defeat of terrorists? Or accusing Syria of crimes against humanity for guaranteeing terrorists and their families safe passage?
Well. Thinking Aleppo and so thinking the latter.
And again I’m going to point out that the so-called “Free Syrian Army” that western governments have openly backed, promoted and funded, is killing people from multiple ethnic and religious backgrounds in Rojava – Rojava where neither the Syrian government nor the Syrian Arab Army have any presence.
” Thinking Aleppo and so thinking the latter.”
Past practices are an insight into future practices.
Even this doesn’t seem to embarrass the BBC
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201712291060412907-syria-documentary-fakery-bbc/
One Man’s Quest to Expose ‘Absolutely Historic’ BBC Panorama ‘Fakery’
And as I can not reply to the lies spouted by Stuart Munroe in his reference to the alleged chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun on April 4th 2017, on the Russian to Judgement page, again I will quote the OPCW report
“The FFM’s mandate is to determine whether chemical weapons or toxic chemicals as weapons have been used in Syria; it does not include identifying who is responsible for alleged attacks. An advance team for the FFM was deployed within 24 hours of being alerted to the incident. For security reasons, the FFM was unable to visit Khan Shaykhun. The rapid deployment to a neighbouring country, however, enabled the team to attend autopsies, collect bio-medical samples from casualties and fatalities, interview witnesses and receive environmental samples. ”
The report explicitly states that FFM was unable to visit the site.
But without any challenge to the veracity of the samples, accepted them without question.
Samples supplied by ….well we aren’t told that, but considering the area was too dangerous for the OPCW mission to enter we can only deduce that they were supplied by the mercenary NATO Saudi, US funded terrorist headchoppers.
Link please.
More details on the Khan Sheikhoun attack.
https://medium.com/dfrlab/khan-sheikhouns-digital-footprints-41125e6a1c44
In fact you shouldn’t have mentioned any of this nonsense at all.
And what? You read the comment from Exkiwiforces that undermines that narrative so you decided to start the whole bullshit up somewhere that comment isn’t current? Did you think people would forget what ExKF said and give you the benefit of the doubt?
You’re suspiciously selective in which generals you believe and which ones you don’t. Lift your game.
I placed my comment here because “Russian to Judgment” was no longer on the front page. I thought no one would see my comment if I placed it on that posting.
I guess followers of this website can read our respective omments and make up their own minds. I won’t be commenting further unless I come across new information.
Besides that, my tablet’s battery needs recharging.
You presenting some information would be a good start. Thus far all you’ve done is pass on someone else’s massively conflicted reckons.
I see Lavrov now says the entire EU is ganging up on Russia, as though the vicious thieves he works for represent “Russia”.
Pot and kettle there OAB.
I hadn’t been aware of exkiwiforces comment, so thanks for the pointer.
The comment you linked to was a direct response to me pointing out that the canister containing the chemicals at Khan Sheikhoun had ruptured inwards, not outwards as happens with missiles, mortars etc.
Exkiwiforces comment doesn’t actually address that point (of how the casing of a delivered munition shows obvious signs of having being imploded – ie, punctured by an external explosive force)
Nothing in exkiwiforces comment (not the one you link to anyway) has anything to do with the narrative mikesh has linked to above.
Maybe you linked to the wrong comment?
In my opinion, ExKF’s knowledgeable comment undermines Gerasimov’s propaganda. Not to mention the various massive holes in it already identified by McFlock and Stuart Munro.
So…I get that you’ve been following whatever is being reported about what Gerasimov’s saying more closely than I have.
What has he said about the chemical delivery system at Khan Sheikhoun (which was all exkiwiforces comment was about) and how does whatever Gerasimov say about that marry up to any claims about eastern Ghouta and whatever allegations being made about expected chemical attacks there?
He didn’t say anything about the chemical delivery system at Khan Sheikhoun. What he did do though is tell stories about the UK and its allies readiness to use chemical weapons as false flag attacks.
ExKF’s said “the chemical weapon system had delay action fuse to off after the raid to off after the raid catching everyone in the open as it went off thence the small impact carter”.
Mikesh was using his truther beliefs about Khan Sheikhoun to support Gerasimov’s dubious credibility. ExKF undermined those beliefs.
Actually, Stuart was using Khan Sheikhoun to undermine Gerasimov’s claims. I attempted to refute his rebuttals relying on my own less than perfect memory. The event occurred a long time ago. However I’ve since remembered that, at the time, the Russians claimed to have bombed a warehouse which they believed contained weapons, not knowing that the weapons were in fact chemical weapons. Whatever. I don’t think that Khan Sheikhoun is particularly relevant to the present discussion.
Gerasimov’s claims have since been confirmed by CIA chief, Pompaeo, and they seem to have been the reason for Tillerson’s sacking.
You need to decide which bullshit story to tell – “A young woman associated with the rebels said that the gas was released as a result of a cock-up by the rebel forces” or “Russia bombed a warehouse”.
Gerasimov’s claims have since been confirmed by CIA chief, Pompaeo[sic].
[Citation needed]
Quote Pompeo (spelling his name correctly may help you) directly, please, and use a reputable source if you can.
“[Citation needed]”
I have given my own source above. I doubt whether a direct quotation from Pompeo is available. However I assume Thierry has his own informants.
Pompeo hasn’t confirmed it then. What a load of bullshit!
..You don’t know that. Or if you do let us know the source of your information.
I think your real problem is that if Pompeo did confirm then it tears to shreds your’s and Stuart’s claim that Gerasimov is lying.
The source of my information that Pompeo hasn’t said something? Are you on drugs? I don’t have any photos of your pet goat either, in case you were wondering.
I agree. Simply demanding a citation is just not an argument.
It is when it’s a response to an unsupported assertion like yours.
No it isn’t. The non availability of a citable source doesn’t prove the truth or falsity of an alleged “fact”. However, if that “fact” is coherent with other known facts, it’s reasonable to believe it, with or without a citation.
All you need now is a single fact then. So far you have zero. Lots of words but.
Both of you strayed from any political exchange hours ago. How’s about you both call it a day before things degenerate any further and one or the other of you step over a line?
At the moment you’re both just filling up space with lots of nothing.
OK
Not quite – Gerasimov’s claims are not based on evidence beyond his claim of “information”, thus they do not need to be rebutted.
If you could have produced something to substantiate his allegations you might have had a credible argument – but you asserted the presence of some female informant that you could not (or chose not to) produce.
I’ve been banned before now for not providing sources – I don’t see why you should be exempt from that requirement.
That all sounds a bit over-elaborate.
However, I do think the UK Tories took the Skripal poisoning as an opportunity to beat up the Russian regime is the ultimate evil.
The evidence shows that May and Johnson constantly exaggerated the novicok connection to Russia.
In fact, a High Court Judgement from a couple of days ago (22 March) includes evidence that states there was less certainty around the novichok nerve agent being responsible for the Skripal poisoning.
The High Court judgement was in response to a request to take more blood samples from the comatose Skripals (there’s no-one with authority to give such permission, given the Skripals certainly can’t).
The evidence presented was thus:
So “closely related agent” somewhat widens the possibility of where the nerve agent actually came from.
Any other conclusion from such evidence can probably be in the realms of fantasy.
These Tories do seem to have some fantastical ideas, but whether they actually would lead to them being put into practice is another matter.
This article from 2005, outlines a fantasy scenario floated as a promo for Strategic Communication Laboratories (SLC). They demonstrated how they could produce some psy-ops propaganda, and pass it off as real.
[SLC with strong Conservative Party connections, later spawned Cambridge Analytica.]
SLC’s propaganda scenario works to contain a small pox outbreak in London. SLC showed they could fabricate a fictitious scenario that would be put out to the media and online, to stop Londoners venturing outdoors.
Why anyone would bother with such an elaborate subterfuge is beyond me.
Russian Army chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, has received reliable information that the US working with the saucer people are planning an attack on Damascus, connected to the Salisbury incident. In fact the plan was concocted by the British government in collusion with Rex Tillerson, utilising the Black Helicopters to carry it out.
And if you believe that, then you probably also believe globalresearch.ca claim that the Tens of millions of protesters throughout the Arab World protesting the totalitarian regimes of Ben Ali, Mubarak and Assad were working for the CIA.
https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-arab-spring-made-in-the-usa/5484950
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXVE01oOTAM
Dominion Post getting its editorials from Kiwiblog.
Just plain lazy, but also just goes to show what precious snowflakes old white men are, and how sensitive establishment privilege is to challenge.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/102544535/editorial-genter-on-gender-maybe-a-little-gentler
I thought of Julie Anne Genter when I read this article this morning.
A former Cambridge Analytic exec, Brittany Kaiser, has come out and said the CA people have been lying.
Among other things, she said:
Brittany left CA a couple of weeks ago – I’m pretty sure I read she left due to an employment dispute. So she may have an ax to grind.
However, she says Cambridge Analytica people lied about not being involved in the Brexit leave campaign.
Well I suppose it’s pretty easy to identify what scares old white English and American men and motivates them to vote … loss of power and authority over how society is organised and in whose interest. Using their vote to freeze the nation back in time (nostalgic remembering) to how society was when they were young – thus heightened fear of change. Thus Brexit or Trump’s American first or we go isolationist.
Since it seems we are to be bombarded with Lavrov’s witless speculations about false flag attacks, it might pertinent to look at the modern event that popularized them for this generation.
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2012/11/22/finally-we-know-about-moscow-bombings/
I’m starting to understand Trump’s admiration for Putin. Trump …wish I could get away with doing all those things Putin does. Wouldn’t it be great. 👿
I’m pretty sure their conversation went something like “Let me show you how…”
A twofer for gun humpers.
Restricted By YouTube, Gun Enthusiasts Are Taking Their Videos To Pornhub
[…]
Starting next month, YouTube will ban videos that offer instructions on how to make firearms and accessories such as silencers and bump stocks. It will prohibit content in which firearms and accessories are sold, both directly and through other websites. Videos on how to install firearms modifications will also be barred.
[…]
InRangeTV, which has some 144,000 subscribers on its YouTube channel, has chosen to publish videos on an adult website called Pornhub, Bloomberg reported. A search on the site yields five videos currently uploaded by InRangeTV. Visitors can watch a video where hosts compare a Glock 19 and a Hudson H9, just as it appears on YouTube.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/22/596161899/restricted-by-youtube-gun-enthusiasts-are-taking-their-videos-to-pornhub
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/news
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12019434
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/mar/02/kleptocracy-tours-russia-ukraine-london
Whats wrong with this picture?
Nation this sexual harassment and bullying of Lady’s in our legal profession is unacceptable this day and age. This behaviour will stop Alot of Lady’s from entering this profession we need Lady’s in our legal professions to give that industry a more humane approach to the LAW OF THE LAND many thanks Lisa for having the courage to have this conversation on live TV3
KIA KAHA KA KITE ANO P.S It is a bad culture
Nation I’m a big fan of TED TALKs to that was a good interview on Education there is a lot of talented mokos missed by the education system at the minute.
Many thanks to all the the mokos around the World who are protesting the lack of good gun laws in America and because of this phenomenon alot of people are dieing. Kia kaha mokos Ka kite ano
Nation I totally agree with Liya opinions on the ttp11 and the unknown implications on the Internet and social media and your other people about the big Internet companies being almost God like in influence and power Ka pai Ka kite ano