Open Mike 24/06/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 24th, 2018 - 68 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

68 comments on “Open Mike 24/06/2018 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Robert Guyton 1
    24 June 2018 at 7:46 am

    Watched “The Old Curiosity Shop” last night. Daniel Quilp shoulda let go those money bags!

  2. marty mars 2
    24 June 2018 at 7:51 am

    Power is off all day for us so a swap/buy/exchange market up the road for us, then the beach – not bad practice for the times ahead where fun and experience will be had closer to home and closer to hand.

  3. Jenny 3
    24 June 2018 at 8:35 am

    Spin

    “…to reframe, reposition, or otherwise modify the perception of an issue or event, to reduce any negative impact it might have on public opinion…”

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin_(propaganda)

    Capitalist extremist identifies homelessness as democracy.

    During the Cold War, terms like ‘Democratic Society’, ‘The Free World’ became synonymous with capitalism. These terms were often used interchangeably, (and opportunistically, IMO), as antonyms in reference to Communist societies like Soviet Russia.

    In an extraordinary blast from the past, this cold war dog whistle is being dragged up to justify keeping families in cars, on the streets, or bunked up in motels at huge expense to the taxpayer, while tens of thousands of perfectly good houses stand empty.

    The problems of homelessness, housing stress, and the housing crisis in this country have been laid at the feet of the past National Government by the current Housing Minister, Phil Twyford. But that we should reverse this policy has been labeled, “Extremist nonsense” by Property Institute of New Zealand chief executive Ashley Church

    The notion that people should be penalised for owning empty homes is “extremist nonsense” in a democratic society, he says.

    Stuff.co.nz reporters Rob Stock and John Anthony debunk Ashley Church’s fallacious and self serving justification, noting that other democratic societies have implemented measures to crackdown on empty home owners.

    Vancouver in Canada recently introduced a tax on empty homes expected to bring in C$30m (NZ$32.8m) of revenue in its first year.

    I would encourage the current housing minister to push past the nasty bed baiting spin of Ashley Church, and other self interested parties, and copy Vancouver’s courageous, (and dare I say it, socialist) example.

    New Zealand’s Housing Minister Phil Twyford blames the National Government for the proliferation of ghost houses but has stopped short of offering up any measures to discourage the practice.

    • Jenny 3.1
      24 June 2018 at 8:58 am

      Related:

      The hidden homeless and the speculators

      Ashley Church gives the finger to the homeless

      See that? It’s the invisible hand of the market giving we the people the invisible finger…

      Anthony Robins – June 16, 2015

      To which I would add Anthony Robins’ invisible hand is attached to the very visible and self interested wrist of Ashley Church and the Property Institute, and the landlords and speculators whose interests his organisation exists to protect.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.2
      24 June 2018 at 10:10 am

      The notion that people should be penalised for owning empty homes is “extremist nonsense” in a democratic society, he says.

      Proof, if you needed it, that capitalists don’t give a shit about anybody but themselves.

      In a democratic society we’d ensure that everyone had a place to live and food on the table. It’s only in capitalism that we start accepting excuses from the capitalists as to why people need to be poor and oppressed.

      • Jenny 3.2.1
        24 June 2018 at 11:58 am

        In another context, it was Edward Snowden who once said he regarded meta-data as more valuable than personal data.

        The raw data tells the story.

        According to the 2013 census, New Zealand’s usually resident population count at 5 March 2013 was 4.242048 million.

        In Auckland, the 2013 census counted 33,360 vacant homes.

        Nation wide the census counted 36,597 overcrowded residences*

        Nation wide 203,820 people in total were recorded as living in these overcrowded residences

        Source: Statistics NZ, Census 2013
        last updated 26 February, 2018

        *Overcrowded means more than two people per bedroom, or bedrooms shared by adults other than couples or by opposite-sex children.

        • DH 3.2.1.1
          24 June 2018 at 1:43 pm

          That data doesn’t really tell us much Jenny. What we don’t know is how many of those 33,360 vacant homes are potentially available for rental/sale.

          At any given point in time there will always be a large quantity of vacant properties and the reasons they’re empty are many & varied as is the duration of their vacancies. That 33.36k were only vacant at the time of the census, it didn’t mean they were permanently vacant.

          Stats give this info;

          “An unoccupied dwelling is classified as ’empty’ if it clearly has no current occupants and new occupants are not expected to move in on or before census night. Unoccupied dwellings that are being repaired or renovated are defined as empty dwellings. Unoccupied baches or holiday homes are also defined as empty dwellings.

          A dwelling is classified as having ‘residents away’, where occupants of a dwelling are known to be temporarily away and are not expected to return on or before census night.”

          The data table for the census unoccupied dwelling count has this at note 1;

          “1. Unoccupied dwelling count is made up of ‘residents away’ and ‘empty dwelling’. ”

          Anyone on holiday at the time of the census would be ‘residents away’ if they left the house vacant (no-one left behind)

          • Jenny 3.2.1.1.1
            24 June 2018 at 4:25 pm

            Kia ora DH,

            The census recorded 36,597 cases of overcrowding, affecting 203,820 people.

            There were two main classifications for unoccupied homes in the census “empty dwelling” and “residents away”. Just as you say, it seems that there was no further breakdown.

            We can argue around the margins about how many houses might be empty for valid reasons, And I admit that I may be making a subjective call here, but I the sheer numbers, “empty dwellings” recorded, 141,366 nationally and 33,360 in Auckland, tells a story of unaffordability, in rents and house prices, that puts the majority of these “empty dwellings” out of the reach of many of the people captured in this survey suffering from housing distress.

            Maybe when we can get to compare the 2013 figures, with the latest 2018 census figures for housing we might be better informed.

            In the meantime we will have to go to other sources to get a handle on the problem.

            From an attached link to the main report, Stuff.co.nz reporter Colleen Hawkes asks; “Is it time to address the question of empty ‘ghost houses’?”

            Figures from the last census showed there were 141,366 empty dwellings in New Zealand, which are separate from houses that are vacant because their owners are away around census time.* More than 33,000 houses in Auckland were officially classified as empty in 2016.

            Colleen Hawkes – May 16, 2018

            *(My emphasis) J.

            Minister of Housing Phil Twyford stated earlier this month that New Zealand will not be following Vancouver’s example in introducing taxes on empty houses.

            “The Labour-led government has a comprehensive plan to address the housing shortage including cracking down on offshore speculators and changing rules around negative gearing,” Twyford said.

            Christchurch Progressive Network convenor John Minto, who is advocating such a scheme, has criticised the government’s “poor use of money”. “It is stupid for the government to spend tens of millions on motel accommodation for homeless families when we have 33,000 empty homes in Auckland (2016 figures).”

            I might ask Phil Twyford and Phil Goff both: is the suffering of middle and upper class bach owners, and housing speculators really comparable with the suffering of families living with overcrowding, insecurity and homelessness?

            • DH 3.2.1.1.1.1
              24 June 2018 at 9:05 pm

              I don’t dispute the seriousness of the lack of housing Jenny. I was just making the observation that the numbers look to be wrong on the empty houses and it may be a dead duck. Wrong numbers lead to wrong decisions.

              I honestly can’t see that many investors sitting on property like that, they exist for sure but my expectations are that it occurs in the high-wealth areas mostly. You’d need to be pretty cash rich to not need rental income, interest on borrowing chews capital and eats up profits real fast.

              • Jenny …
                24 June 2018 at 11:24 pm

                Kia ora DH, I strongly suspect that your expectations that many of the 33,360 “empty houses” recorded in Auckland in the census are at the high end of the market. (Of course it would be good to know for sure). But anecdotal evidence seems to back up this expectation.

                But forcing these houses back onto the rental or housing market should free up more houses further down the housing ladder. The sheer numbers guarantee it.

                Vancouver thought it was worth it.

                Vancouver’s tax on empty homes will bring in $30-million of revenue in its first year, but that will come from only a tiny proportion of homeowners.

                More than 5,000 properties out of 8,500 deemed vacant by city staff received exemptions under rules of the new tax bylaw, which is a first for Canada and is being watched closely around the world.

                https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-vancouver-mayor-outlines-effect-of-empty-homes-tax/

                Nearly 61% of the homes declared empty in Vancouver were condos, and other multi-family properties made up almost 6%, according to the city government. More than a quarter of the empty properties were in downtown Vancouver.

                https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/08/vancouver-declares-5-of-homes-empty-and-liable-for-new-tax

                This is how you do it.

                The City of Vancouver released a heat map Thursday showing the distribution of residential properties where owners haven’t yet made a declaration to avoid its new empty-homes tax, and the highest concentration is in condo-rich Yaletown.

                The city says about 182,000 residential property owners — about 98 per cent — have submitted their declarations but another 4,000 still haven’t. Most of the undeclared properties are in the downtown core and the highest concentrations are in Yaletown, Coal Harbour and the West End.

                Homeowners in the three condo-dense neighbourhoods who have not declared occupancy risk paying a one per cent tax on their properties’ assessed values. Assessed values of residential strata units — such as condos — in Metro Vancouver skyrocketed this year by five to 35 per cent.

                Residential property owners had until Feb. 2 to declare occupancy, however, the city extended the deadline to March 5 in order to give the 4,000 who had not declared a chance to avoid penalties and fines.

                The empty-homes tax, a nationwide-first, was approved by councillors in 2016 as a tool to spur owners to rent out their empty homes. Any property owner that fails to declare by March 5 is subject to the tax plus a $250 fee. Declarations will be subject to an audit process and false declarations could result in fines of up to $10,000 per day, according to the city.
                “With a near-zero vacancy rate in Vancouver, our key goal is to shift empty or under-used housing into the rental market. The city has done extensive advertising and notifications about the Empty Homes Tax for more than a year — all homeowners should know that they have to file a declaration, or their homes will be considered empty by default,” Mayor Gregor Robertson said in a news release.

                Andy Yan, director of Simon Fraser University’s City Program, who has been researching the distribution of empty homes in Vancouver, said the city’s heat map matches well with a map he generated from city data identifying private dwellings not occupied by usual residents. It also matches closely with a map of population density he prepared based on 2016 census data.

                http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/empty-homes-tax-city-of-vancouver-releases-heat-map-showing-clusters-of-undeclared-properties

                • Jenny …
                  25 June 2018 at 7:01 am

                  I was moved to make my original comment about this issue by the Stuff.co.nz report yesterday that mentioned Ghost Houses. And also because I had followed Victoria Crone and Phil Goff’s debate on this issue with keen interest. I was hardly aware of what was going on in Vancouver.

                  However, the more I read yesterday about the Vancouver example, the more fascinated I became. It’s incredible really, Many of the exact same arguments, for and against, that were made by Goff and Crone during the Auckland Mayoral debate were shadowed by the opponents and supporters of this scheme in Vancouver.

                  One of the arguments made by opponents of the scheme in Vancouver was that it would penalise owners of two homes.
                  Yes it would, that’s the point, you will be penalised if you keep one of them empty, while other people are struggling to find accomodation.
                  The lack of self awareness of the ridiculous nature of this objection, as seen by families without any home at all, is breathtaking.

                  One of the biggest criticisms made here by Goff of Crone’s proposal, was that there would be no method of telling which homes were being left empty.

                  In reply Crone suggested that water usage would give a good indication of which houses were being left idle and unused.

                  In opposition to Crone’s suggestion that water use would give a good indication of whether a house was being parked up, I remember one numpty commenting at the time on this website, criticising Crone’s suggestion, writing that this would just encourage absent owners to leave the taps running.

                  In the end, it seems that Vancouver settled on using the lack of electricity consumption as an indicator of an empty address.

                  More Innovatively Vancouver also did a poll on property owners asking them to declare whether their properties were empty or not.

                  This gave some very interesting results, for instance the first thing revealed was that contrary to the racist scape goating of Asians and immigrants as being behind the Ghost House problem, many of the owners of these empty houses were revealed as being Canadians or Americans from across the border. Another thing revealed was that most of the empty properties were in condominiums.

                  Revealed by the tax itself, was that (in line with DH’s expectations above) many of these empty homes were higher valued properties. Another thing revealed is that the owners of these high end properties were prepared to pay the tax rather than let them out, or put them on the market. (Some paying as much as $250,000 for the 2018 tax period.)
                  In total the owners of the these properties paid the city $30 million for the privilege of keeping these properties empty.

                  But Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson is pleased with the results anyway.

                  “Thank you for contributing to Vancouver’s affordable-housing fund,” the mayor said wryly at a news conference outlining the details of the new tax. He acknowledged it’s not clear yet whether the tax has caused any owners to rent out their apartments or houses, which is one of the city’s goals.

                  But, he said, the city needed to do something to ensure that desperately needed housing is available.

                  “It’s unacceptable to have homes sitting empty when so many people are looking for a place to live.”

                  The 1,200 to 2,300 homeowners who may eventually pay the tax are far less than the numbers that have circulated for years about empty units.

                  Two years ago, the city said 10,800 units were unoccupied for a year or more, after a comprehensive study of electrical use.

                  Vancouver’s empty-homes tax to rake in $30-million in first year; many properties exempted

        • Jenny 3.2.1.2
          24 June 2018 at 1:59 pm

          “Nothing is sacred…..”*

          And it seems that nothing is profane, either.

          GHOST HOMES

          At last count, 7 per cent of Auckland’s homes sit empty.

          New Zealand’s Housing Minister Phil Twyford blames the National Government for the proliferation of ghost houses but has stopped short of offering up any measures to discourage the practice.

          Maybe Phil Twyford instead of stopping short of offering up any measures to discourage the practice, could take a leaf out Victoria Crone’s mayoral campaign

          In 2016 Independent Mayoral Candidate, Victoria Crone championed action to address Ghost houses as part of her Mayoral campaign.

          Labour Party candidate Phil Goff vehemently opposed Crone over this policy, characterising it as unfairly affecting “bach owners”.

          (For God’s sakes, as if bach owners hardships could be anyway comparable to the hardships faced by families with out any home at all, let alone a spare one to go to on for holidays.)

          “Crone would up rates on empty baches”

          Instead Phil Goff, echoing the Trump Presidential campaign, chose a more traditionally Right Wing strategy; scapegoating immigrants for the housing crisis.

          “Phil Goff: Limit immigration to fix housing crisis”

          Not only was Goff’s anti-immigrant strategy Right Wing, it was dishonest – immigration policy is set by central government not by the Auckland Region, a fact which he well knows.

          * (Except it seems, the interests of property developers, landlords and speculators and other wide boys. A fact we may all come to regret when the housing market is flooded with even more empty and unaffordable houses.)

          http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2531852/Exorcising-Irelands-ghost-estates-Demolition-begins-housing-projects-built-economic-boom-left-country-300-000-homes.html

  4. AsleepWhileWalking 4
    24 June 2018 at 8:51 am

    This TED talk is inspiring as hell. Ft. Curtis “Wall Street” Carroll. *must watch* (although best bits 3 or 4 mins in)

    https://youtu.be/F89eycANUrQ

  5. Pat 5
    24 June 2018 at 9:21 am

    ‘A collection of research published last week in a special edition of the major scientific journal Nature showed that Antarctica has lost 3 trillion tonnes of ice over the past 25 years. Half of that melting has happened in the past 5 years. Professor Tim Naish is from the Victoria University of Wellington’s Antarctic Research Centre says we have less than a decade to stop a catastrophe.’

    https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/2018650659/tim-naish-says-we-can-still-save-antarctic-ice

    a timely and well conducted interview on RNZ this morning.

  6. Ad 6
    24 June 2018 at 9:35 am

    Top work Ireland taking out Australia in their Rugby series.
    I’m really, really sorry about the last-minute decision by the ref.
    Really, really sorry not.

    Ireland! Celebrate long and hard!

  7. reason 7
    24 June 2018 at 9:48 am

    Spiritual sunday tune

  8. reason 8
    24 June 2018 at 9:50 am

    another

  9. reason 9
    24 June 2018 at 9:54 am

    3rd uplifting hymn from the good oils

  10. Anne 10
    24 June 2018 at 10:43 am

    Q&A (TV1) had a very good panel this morning.
    I’m hopeless remembering names so you will need to link through yourselves.

    Subjects: Business confidence taking a dip… the Mexican Border fiasco fallout… and EU Trade negotiations. No babies.

    An inherent message to the Labour-led government:

    You will need to do a much better job explaining your policy positions/decisions if you want to avoid confusion among voters and mischievous spin from your political opponents gaining traction.

    Could not agree more. At the moment those opponents are having a free run on misrepresentation because ministers (with a few exceptions) are not stepping up to properly counter them. If they can’t do the political side of the job, then they need to be replaced with those who can. My cent-worth for the day.

  11. Anne 11
    24 June 2018 at 10:44 am

    Q&A (TV1) had a very good panel this morning.
    I’m hopeless remembering names so you will need to link through yourselves.

    Subjects: Business confidence taking a dip… the Mexican Border fiasco fallout… and EU Trade negotiations. No babies.

    An inherent message to the Labour-led government:

    You will need to do a much better job explaining your policy positions/decisions if you want to avoid confusion among voters and false spin from your political opponents gaining traction.

    Could not agree more. At the moment those opponents are having a free run on misrepresentation because ministers (with a few exceptions) are not stepping up to properly counter them. If they can’t do the political side of the job, then they need to be replaced with those who can. My cent-worth for the day.

    • Wayne 11.1
      24 June 2018 at 10:58 am

      Anne,

      Yes, an interesting Q & A. Not one of Grant’s better performances. Very monotone, he looked tired and listless.

      On business confidence, and in fact on forward spending/investment plans, as mentioned by Barnett, I can’t think of one thing the government has done to encourage business.

      But I can think of plenty of government decisions that will increase regulatory burdens, that look capricious (oil and gas virtually out of the blue) and which will increase costs (fuel taxes, $20 min wage, a lot more union control, proposed CGT).

      In these circumstances, it is not surprising that business are not making new investments, it looks too risky. Safer to keep spare capital in passive investments (either in NZ or offshore) or alternatively not borrow. The business will operate at a lower but safer level.

      The cost is lower growth, lower taxes, less employment growth.

      • Ad 11.1.1
        24 June 2018 at 11:18 am

        Why should business expect to be led by the government?

        New Zealand business has had oblique and small policy markers from central government under National’s 9 long and directionless years.

        Under Labour’s government, they are being led by the public sector through construction and transport funding, which are the economic policy areas this government really care about anyway. Those areas will continue to boom under this government for the foreseeable future.

        Unless your business is rent, housing rent, in which case you are about to be shown the door. The Productivity Commission would firmly encourage landlords to find something else more productive to invest in.

        Broadly speaking, this government seeks to tilt real estate capitalism, and that’s about it.

        Business organizations in New Zealand don’t want to be led. They’ve been clear about that for a while. They are virulently and relentlessly anti-Labour and they don’t care who knows it, and it won’t change. It’s on business to determine if they want to make something useful out of this Labour-led government.

        Meanwhile, headline unemployment is great, property prices are stabilizing, the governments’ investment direction and savings culture are fantastic, and the government is really popular.

      • bwaghorn 11.1.2
        24 June 2018 at 11:19 am

        ”(fuel taxes, $20 min wage, a lot more union control, proposed CGT).””
        How dare a govt actually do shit . And try make the country function ,I long for the days we had a bunch of greasy middle management tossers doing fuck all other than tell us how good they are.

      • Incognito 11.1.3
        24 June 2018 at 11:20 am

        On business confidence, and in fact on forward spending/investment plans, as mentioned by Barnett, I can’t think of one thing the government has done to encourage business.

        How could you say that, Wayne? This Government signed TPPA-11!

        And there are proposals for an ‘Amazon Tax’ and for R & D tax loss credits for companies that spend more than $100k pa on R & D.

        • Wayne 11.1.3.1
          24 June 2018 at 1:10 pm

          CPTPP 11I will concede, although it has a sting in the tail with the new restrictions on foreign investment. The R& D tax credit is essentially the Callaghan growth grant repackaged (though expanded somewhat).

          The furore over the Te Arai exemption just illustrated the problems. Quite a few proposed tourist resort projects had the intent of selling the units to overseas investors as a means of raising the capital.

      • Draco T Bastard 11.1.4
        24 June 2018 at 11:35 am

        Not one of Grant’s better performances. Very monotone, he looked tired and listless.

        And there’s the standard RWNJ ad hominem.

        I can’t think of one thing the government has done to encourage business.

        The government isn’t actually there for business – it’s there for the people.

        But I can think of plenty of government decisions that will increase regulatory burdens

        That’s good. A market system can’t work without proper regulation. It was the lack of regulation and then followed by bad regulation that brought us the ‘legal highs’ fiasco.

        and which will increase costs (fuel taxes, $20 min wage, a lot more union control, proposed CGT).

        You don’t seem to be concerned with the rising costs of living that needs to be covered by wages. Costs that the capitalists almost always ignore which is why we need a minimum wage in the first place. It would actually be better to have a universal income rather than a minimum wage to ensure that everyone has a good living standard. Although, considering how greedy the capitalists are, I think we’d still need a minimum wage to ensure that they actually paid.

        The cost is lower growth, lower taxes, less employment growth.

        Which is, of course, a load of bollocks. We’ve been cutting taxes and regulations for the last thirty years and it’s made us all worse off. It’s cut productivity increases and wages while rewarding the bludging shareholders and speculators.

        • Wayne 11.1.4.1
          24 June 2018 at 11:44 am

          Maybe Grant Robertson needed a Redbull drink to pep him up before the interview. I have seen him give plenty more energetic and therefore more engaging interviews than this mornings on Q & A.

        • JohnSelway 11.1.4.2
          25 June 2018 at 5:40 am

          Saying grant looks tired listless is not at an ad hom. You throw it round so often I am beginning to think you don’t know what words mean.

          An ad hom would be “Grant is fat/lazy/stupid therefore his argument is invalid”. Ad hom means to attack the person to denigrate the argument or point they are putting forward. Saying someone looks tired and listless is not an ad hom.

          This is the second time I have had to point this out to you. Please try harder

          • Draco T Bastard 11.1.4.2.1
            25 June 2018 at 10:35 am

            Within context, within the opening statement, yeah it is. It was a declaration that he can’t handle the job.

            • JohnSelway 11.1.4.2.1.1
              25 June 2018 at 11:11 am

              No, it was a comment on how he appeared in the interview. Maybe you disagree with the statement but it was a statement, not an argument.

              It was not an ad him however much you want to believe it was.

      • Graeme 11.1.5
        24 June 2018 at 11:44 am

        “In these circumstances, it is not surprising that business are not making new investments, it looks too risky. Safer to keep spare capital in passive investments (either in NZ or offshore) or alternatively not borrow. The business will operate at a lower but safer level.”

        There’s also the actions of a lot of New Zealand business that are causing these reactions as well. Take the actual and perceived losses of around 4 billion from Fletcher Building and Fontera, along with the M. Bovis debacle and there’s more than enough to give business the willies. This occurred under the leadership of the previous National government.

        I look around Queenstown and see a lot of similarity to the situation in 2007 with a lot of developments that are unlikely to be profitable first time around. This has a chilling effect on business confidence.

        Maybe New Zealand business, and the National Party, should look at their own actions and leadership before trying to blame someone else for their problems.

        Unfortunately our “business leaders” and National politicians won’t be terribly affected by the fallout from the fuck-ups above, that will fall on the workers, subcontractors and share-milkers who will have their lives destroyed.

      • Pat 11.1.6
        24 June 2018 at 11:45 am

        “The cost is lower growth, lower taxes, less employment growth.”

        Did you ever stop and consider that the problem may be growth?

      • Tricledrown 11.1.7
        24 June 2018 at 11:49 am

        Wayne increasing wages means more money in businesses where this money is spent.
        $880 million to bail out farmer’s.
        Business confidence is over 50 which means business ha got over National loosing the election.

    • AB 11.2
      24 June 2018 at 1:04 pm

      Just business leaders doing their expected “it’s a Labour government” hissy fit.
      Saw it in 2000, same again.
      Put Thompson & Clark onto them as they clearly need monitoring as a threat to the democratic process.

      • Draco T Bastard 11.2.1
        24 June 2018 at 10:15 pm

        Just business leaders doing their expected “it’s a Labour government” hissy fit.

        QFT

  12. Venezia 12
    24 June 2018 at 11:31 am

    the Prime Minister’s baby name just announced: Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford. I am so proud of this Kiwi family, with both Jacinda and Clarke new role models of how men and women can be in the world – in my life time.

    • Macro 12.1
      24 June 2018 at 12:34 pm

      Aww that’s nice.
      Irish and Maori – love pure as snow

    • One Two 12.2
      24 June 2018 at 1:34 pm

      You’ve made that comment entirely about yourself…Despite the vicarious nature of the comment…

      Focus on your own journey, family and personal development…

      Don’t look outward for inward inspiration…

    • David Mac 12.3
      24 June 2018 at 2:50 pm

      Millsy came 2nd in the Sweep, they guessed Aroha a few days ago.

  13. veutoviper 13
    24 June 2018 at 12:02 pm

    It has finally been revealed. Little Prime Miniature’s real name is – Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford. (Snap -I now see Venezia has already announced the name.)

    An uncommon first name which apparently is ( or maybe from) from an Old Irish feminine name “Niamh” pronounced Neev, meaning “bright” or radiant”, according to Wikipedia.

    The first part of this bit in the Wikipedia entry made me laugh vis a vis the proud new father –
    ” In Irish mythology, Niamh is the daughter of the god of the sea, Manannán mac Lir and one of the queens of Tír na nÓg, the land of eternal youth. She was the lover of the poet-hero Oisín” .

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niamh

    As mentioned by Jacinda Ardern in the press conference at 11am at the hospital before the Ardern Gayford family left for home, “Neve” also means “snow” in some languages – eg Latin, Italian and Portuguese.

    Here is a link to the TVNZ article which includes video of the short press conference.

    Mum looked radiant and not at all like someone who had had very little sleep over the last few days; and Dad is as proud as punch. Baby slept …

    For the fashion conscious:

    Neve was wearing a soft green home knitted hat, which virtually matched the jacket (and shoes) of one of their DPS minders. (LOL)

    Mum wore a white top and black pants and white sneakers.

    Dad wore his “trial father’s cardigan” as it was described in a (rather funny double act) video some months ago when he wore it for the first time. According to JA it was bought in an op shop.

    https://www.facebook.com/1NEWSNZ/videos/10155101511151218/

  14. Herodotus 14
    24 June 2018 at 12:13 pm

    With the need for additional workers within some sectors e.g. “While the construction sector is set to get policy tweaks to allow for more migrant workers, the aged-care sector has been lobbying Lees-Galloway for more people.”
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104863218/government-set-to-greenlight-skilled-foreign-workers-for-construction-sector
    Can anyone out there point out if this will still be requirement ?
    “Construction firms will be exempt from applying the existing labour market test to bring in up to 1,500 foreign tradespeople at any one time if employers promise to take on a local apprentice for every migrant under a new ‘KiwiBuild Visa’ proposed by Labour.”
    https://www.interest.co.nz/news/88240/labours-immigration-policy-targets-kiwibuild-workers-and-apprentice-boost-aims-cut-20000
    Fine to source overseas works BUT shouldn’t we also expect the same industries to “future proof” themselves and give a little back in exchange for this govt intervention ?

  15. patricia bremner 15
    24 June 2018 at 12:36 pm

    Jacinda and Clarke with their daughter, showed wonder grace happiness and kindness.

    In her speech and answers she acknowledged all the kindness they had received, mentioning some had come from loss and sadness as well as open acceptance from NZers who had given love freely, from home made gifts to names, to the offer of placenta burial by Ngapui.

    They looked a lovely wee family we can be proud of. I have had the good fortune to meet her prior to the election. She has gone from strength to strength and does us all proud, along with her clearly loving supportive partner.

    Their selection of names shows a nod to their own choices coupled with a strong connection to love. “Love and happiness” the expectations for their daughter, Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford, are simple but profound.

  16. AsleepWhileWalking 16
    24 June 2018 at 12:40 pm

    https://youtu.be/aBkHb8e3UAk

    OK, it SAYS “Flying car”, but it functions more like a human carrying drone. A car would surely be a more apt description if it had wheels and used the air current to lift about a meter or so off road so to speak.

    Even so the Kitty Hawk is cool. Needs a roll bar type device.

    • DH 16.1
      24 June 2018 at 2:40 pm

      It will be interesting to watch how this all develops. Safety will be a big concern I’d think, the potential for midair collisions will magnify very quickly if/when they become mainstream. Lots to think about.

      I can imagine the rozzers scratching their heads wondering how they’ll get speed cameras up there…

      • Draco T Bastard 16.1.1
        24 June 2018 at 5:04 pm

        Safety will be a big concern I’d think, the potential for midair collisions will magnify very quickly if/when they become mainstream.

        You can’t have flying cars while humans pilot them. Far too dangerous.

        I can imagine the rozzers scratching their heads wondering how they’ll get speed cameras up there…

        Acoustic detection, tracking and classification of Low Flying Aircraft

        Abstract:
        Low Flying Aircraft (LFA) may be used to smuggle illicit drugs or illegal immigrants across borders. Sound radiated by LFA was used for their detection, tracking and classification by the developed Acousto Seismic Air Detection (ASAD) system. ASAD consists of several nodes, where each node has five microphone clusters and three geophones. Single ASAD node can detect aircraft sound, determine their bearing, and classify the target. Two or mode nodes provide target localization. Extended tests of various small aircraft flying according to planned test patterns were conducted in difficult mountainous areas. The comparison of acoustic detection and tracking with ground truth from the GPS carried by the targets allowed the estimation of acoustic detection, bearing and localization distances and their accuracy.

        Yeah, not difficult.

  17. Louis 17
    24 June 2018 at 5:01 pm

    Where is Weka? Is Weka ok?

    • Anne 17.1
      24 June 2018 at 8:06 pm

      Weka disappeared at least two months ago. I recall ‘tracey’ responding to the same question with words to the effect “Weka is fine”.

      I don’t know why she has left TS but suspect it might have something to do with some stoush in what is termed “the backend”. But that is no more than a guess and could be wrong.

  19. Ad 19
    24 June 2018 at 5:43 pm

    Wrap up warm New Zealand.

    Pile your firewood inside so you don’t have to go out.

    Next three days is going to be incredibly cold; snow between 100 and 200 metres above sea level from Stewart Island and Fiordland right through Otago, and a long cold snap all the way up the centre and east of the North Island.

    http://www.metservice.com/maps-radar/rain-forecast/rain-forecast-3-day

  20. eco maori 20
    25 June 2018 at 7:31 am

    Good morning The Am Show one should not count there chickens Peter Burling came second .
    Loyd would have still celebrated as a Kiwi salior won the race on Chinese boat Dong Fang and Blair Tuke came 3rd Ka pai.
    Duncan everyone knows that buildings construction slow down in the winter one just makes a mess when you dig holes in the rain also the timber framing don’t pass there moisture test so there cladding cannot be installed many other reason that construction slows in winter less day light hours. Thats were prefab house increase house building productivity . These prefab building could target using the renewable resource we have a lot of laminated timber this product is alot less energy in producing this laminated timber products
    The Kiwi Rugby League team and management are in rebuild mode you wait and see they will get back to there best form .
    With the Roseanne Show in the USA that shows that te Papatuanuku has had enough of the racial discriminating slander Ka pai but the show gives US a view into the reality’s of common tangata in the USA and how hard they have it just to survive in the USA the big picture is we were heading in that direction till the changes we have had with the new Labour lead Coalition Government. Duncan Te kumara never tells how sweet it is
    Ka kite ano P.S it is a super food loaded with good minerals good for the mokopunas

  21. eco maori 21
    25 June 2018 at 7:59 am

    Many thanks to Saudi Arabia for granting the rights for ladies to drive cars this is a win for Ladies Equality around Papatuanuku as Saudi ladies have won the right to drive there are many more rights these ladies need to be granted to get to Equality its all about a bright healthy future for all Tangata link below.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/24/saudi-arabia-women-celebrate-as-driving-ban-lifted Ka kite ano

    • Gosman 21.1
      25 June 2018 at 11:43 am

      Pity the rest of the laws in that country are based on a brutal and backward religion.