Want to see what grotty little man the act leader is ,? Watch him on the am show pin lasts nights murder in Epsom on labour for allowing people to be bailed on a leg bracelet, with absolutely no evidence this is the case so far, slimy little creep.
You know up until now I was prepared to give Seymour the benefit of the doubt as regards the infiltration of ACT by conspiracy theorists, gun lovers and other nutters, but no more. The wonder boy and his party now look as self-serving and shady as NZ First and so-called "Democracy NZ".
I hope voters who are thinking of voting ACT know what kind of unholy alliance they will be supporting.
Seymour has been dog whistling up all the fringe lunatics but now Peters is back. Slimy Seymour will see less support.Hologram empty vessel vlaimed last night on TV that he represents all the Jewish people yet he has been courting the right wing fascists in his Dog whistle. Many antivaxxers are from the far right.Seymour is trying the Trump bs I am the least racist person you know ,yeah right.Seymour would grovel to any fringe lunatic to get votes.
Is it a curious thing that those who loudest proclaim how they stand for "democracy" are actually the least democratic in reality.
Like the "Democratic" Republic of Korea (yeah right, it would be hard to get a state less democratic than North Korea).
Like "Democracy New Zealand" – some of whose supporters are anarchists and support armed insurrection and overthrow of the state – not very democratic I think. These worthies do not know the meaning of real democracy, although they are sure they do.
[mod note for everyone: I will ask Lprent and Micky to say how this can be discussed on TS, because it’s an ongoing legal matter and name suppression is still in place. In the meantime please don’t name the person, and follow No Right Turn’s lead in being careful. Read the NRT post before commenting – weka]
Well done Rawiri, outing under privilege is justified in some cases, regardless that he will likely be on legal thin ice for the very fact of being a Te Pāti Māori leader.
Context: mass vandalism across Aotearoa NZ of TPM election billboards, including a vehicular attack (crashing through a fence) on a Taranaki TPM sign, while nearby Act billboards stood unscathed. Now those two realities obviously may not be linked…but yes Rawiri–they are out to get you!
Mr Seymour has a motley crew of MPs and wannabe MPs indeed. Time for Act’s planned attacks on working class people’s recent gains to be revealed to voters by media channels.
If I recall correctly there were a couple of main arguments put forward for name suppression:
Naming the person would lead to hardship. Whatever you think about relative hardship and why wealthy people on serious criminal charges should be protected against it, this has been used a lot under NZ's peculiarly strong name suppression convention. It's kinda standard.
Naming the person would be used politically in an election year. So fucking what? Why the court should even consider this is beyond me and, if it is a precedent, it is a worrying precedent. For a court to consider political implications surely erodes the very independence they and the political class crow so long and hard about.
Imagine if the party in question was, for example, Labour. The hints, innuendos, barefaced glee coming from the Right would have been spread far and wide.
In the NRT blog there is a link to some questions Seymour asked in Parliament seeking to justify his comments about blowing up a Ministry and accusing Hipkins of making it political and that he is the victim here. Strewth, a wise man would have put it behind him and quickly moved on. Not Seymour.
Shot down by a surface to air missile. Putin is a murderous monster. I feel sorry for the innocent people on the aeroplane. Russia is a mafia state with gangster "justice".
The crew were innocent. Not that the inconvenience of ending the lives of completely innocent three flight crew would trouble the criminal Putin at night. The bastard is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths already.
Also, Flight Radar reports final data received at 15:20:14 UTC at an altitude of 19,725 feet so the aircraft was probably beyond the range of portable weapons.
Russian journalist Andrey Zakharov: "As for Prigozhin, I can say for now: today he really flew to Russia from Africa, with him was the entire command staff of the Wagner PMC. It will be a miracle if he is on another plane, they tell me" https://t.me/zakharovchanne
Russia's aviation agency has confirmed Yevgeny Prigozhin, his deputy Dmitry Utkin and his head of security, Valery Chekalov, were on board the Embraer jet that crashed just north of Moscow.
If their deaths are confirmed, that is the top ranks of the mercenary group's leadership gone, in one fell swoop.
I would also suggest that 'Western' interests in Africa should not be dismissed as possible suspects in this event….as always, my first thought is 'who has the most to gain, at this time?
"Must admit I had a bit of a chuckle when saw the headline this morning"…..are you are seriously saying on a public forum, that the thought of a human death made you chuckle?..holy shit, that is fucked up.
Lucky you, I hope it is of slightly better construction than the extensive and totally shit lime stone bike paths they (we) have built here in the Hawkes Bay…every time there is any type of half bad weather event they get washed away….time and again and again etc…if the investment in some serious construction had been made from the beginning it would have paid for itself by now….but I guess it perfectly encapsulates the criminally short term thinking of centrist politics.
Lucky for me I only ride the road..but Siobhan rides the paths every day (commutes Napier-Hasting and back) so I get the regular updates….anyway hope you enjoy your new cycleway…you live in the perfect city for them thats for sure.
The assassination of Prigozhin would have catastrophic consequences. The people who gave the order do not understand the mood in the army and the morale at all.
A post by Grey Zone, a Wagner-connected social media channel, claimed Russian anti-aircraft defences had shot down the plane. It said that residents heard “two bursts of characteristic air defence fire” before the crash. “This is confirmed by inversion traces in the sky in one of the videos,” it added.
Act's current MPs, apart from the leader and deputy, have always seemed to be kept silenced by Seymour, so have often wondered what their background is. One would barely know who they are or that they are even in Parliament. Good that their current list hopefuls have had their backgrounds exposed.
Act from way back has attracted the weird and extreme. No change it seems.
Hilary Calvert (her eyes used in brothel sign artwork), Donna Awatere Huata (magic weight loss turned out to be a stomach staple job, ripped off an education trust, husband threatened to bash Sue Bradford), David Garrett (stole deceased child’s identity), Rodney Hide (threatened man in urinal), John Boscawen (Lamington head), Banksy (forgot a helicopter ride to Dotcom’s mansion, election campaign cheque splitting)…the ignominy goes on…
Act are essentially still with us because the Natzos need an MMP friend, and some new gens and warm gun lovers like their culture wars buy in. I wonder how many Act supporters really know much about libertarianism, the Chicago School, Hayek etc.?
Farmers fear the "cards are stacked against" them after a crucial report backed significant change to how much water they take from the Manuherikia River.
This "fear"…despite the Science Recommendation and the fact that they have dug in hard about their rights..to drain the Manuherikia near dry to carry on with their unsustainable water take.
Matakanui Station owner and Manuherikia Catchment Group interim chairman Andrew Paterson….
"There’s a lot of worried farmers.
"There’s been a concerted campaign against the Manuherikia leading up to this
And he's not totally negative. He also offers a solution.
I have met Mike Joy..and heard him speak at meetings, and on media. IMO he is proactive with Positive ways forward. Always with OUR NZ Environment foremost.
"Some" Farmers etc….dont like "their water rights" being examined…as to the harm they are causing.
This must be "the war against farmers" that the National Party keep telling us about. They should have a shadow cabinet portfolio for imaginary wars. Would be the busiest shadow portfolio in the National caucus.
Michael Laws and ex ACT MPs sit on the board of the otago regional council they are pushing a right wing agenda.Why because of extremely low voter turnout.Its easy to get their stooges on the board .The old miners rights to water are being exploited at no cost to those doing so.Water should be allocated evenly leaving enough water in the river for recreational users and last but not least the rivers health.Those who have historic use of the water are being selfish.
Whenever I hear the rural elite and their champions talk about local control, is actually about white farmer control of water and environmental regulation.
While local body politics might not be able to be accused of direct voter suppression, there certainly is a suppressed vote.
Central government could require 70+% turnout or put commissioners in. (Or threaten to.) Give local government some money to improve turnout up to target levels and encourage local solutions as long as they are non-discriminatory. Call it the "Enabling Local Democracy" initiative – and make sure there are lots of Maori words in the promotional material to piss the b*ggers off even more.
Cr Michael Laws said he believed a change in government after the October election could change the national freshwater management directive "which really sets the agenda on this issue".
Last Christmas we were holidaying at Oturehua (The Power Of the Dog place) and paid a visit to some in-laws at their holiday cottage in Ophir. The first thing we noticed was that they had stacks and stacks of bottled water brought with them from Dunedin.
The reason – the local regional council had allowed a dairy farm to operate in the town's water supply catchment and thus severely contaminate the supply!!
Yea..there is much to read about all of that…ORC….not a good situation.
Heres some…
a decision by a slim majority of councillors to delay setting a minimum flow for the Manuherekia River in Central Otago last week and wait for more scientific evidence.
Councillor and former ousted chair Marian Hobbs was one of the four councillors who voted against the motion, saying more than $4 million and 26,587 staff hours had already gone into creating thorough scientific reports for councillors to base their decisions off.
ORC are just starting to put constraints around the water take now, but the farmers and their elected reps have dragged it through the courts for years, and the damage is well and truly done.
The 5000 year old European who grew up in South Tyrol was Anatolian.
The new study also offers new information about Ötzi’s appearance. “The genome analysis revealed phenotypic traits such as high skin pigmentation, dark eye color, and male pattern baldness that are in stark contrast to the previous reconstructions that show a light skinned, light eyed, and quite hairy male,” said Johannes Krause of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
Contrary to previous studies, we found no detectable Steppe-related ancestry in the Iceman. Instead, he retained the highest Anatolian-farmer-related ancestry among contemporaneous European populations, indicating a rather isolated Alpine population with limited gene flow from hunter-gatherer-ancestry-related populations.
A few weeks ago there was an unconvincing display of pearl-clutching (not least on here) when Jan Tinetti was admonished by the Privileges Committee for … <checks notes> … not correcting the record quickly enough. Proof that it was all falling apart, apparently.
Luxon obviously did NOT deal with it "decisively".
The incident happened on June 29. Labour MPs informed the National whip immediately. Luxon chose to do nothing.
He waited for … the Speaker to receive a complaint, for the issue to be referred to the Privileges Committee, for an independent barrister to be called in, and after nearly two months for the Committee to (in effect) tell Luxon what had happened and what to do.
Reminder: this is the leader who has constantly told us that he would deal with issues by picking up the phone and making it happen, the big CEO who gets things done.
In reality, he couldn't even face up to a problem with one member of a small team, who is in the same building every working day.
Luxon saw the orange lights on the dashboard and decided to deliver. He immediately gathered together the best and brightest of his team in the war-room and conducted a laser-like analysis of evidence, implications, risks, strategic import, ideological congruence with his total commitment to getting tough on crime, rediscovering mojo, being ambitious, and getting to carbon net zero by leaving it to the market and the genius of great NZ farmers. He said: "Team is there any potential here to identify wasteful spending? Is the Privileges Committee the inward-looking creation of the hermit kingdom, is it red red tape that should be swept away and should its members be getting ahead by starting a business? Is this process economic mismanagement like the world has never seen before, will it cause inflation? We must decide to deliver a decisive outcome that is decisive in its delivery. My suggestion is that we do nothing for a couple of months until the committee reports back and hope everyone loses interest". Awed by the great man's lucid emanations of brilliance, they fell prostate on the floor at his feet.
"Awed by the great man's lucid emanations of brilliance, they fell prostate on the floor at his feet."
Funny, that. People used to talk about my prostrate cancer, and I'm perfectly upstanding…..
As for the van de Molen issue. We were discussing bullying in our party rooms before the news was announced. Many people have been bullied in our country. Wouldn’t it be great if the voters just said to the bullies- fuck off, don’t want you, we can do better and then the parties concerned might …. just…. listen.
Take back our parties from the grifters, the narcissists, the sociopaths, the egoists. the damaged and the deranged.
If this guy (a New Zealander whose work has appeared in many international newspapers) is still living in Ukraine , he might think about heading back over to Moldova soon
Zelensky's PR machine early on had him tricked out in military looking garb, although not the Ukrainian uniform.The company who makes his olive green gear is M-TAC, whose owner is given to some colourful statements, example following:
“I will also celebrate the day of the Holocaust. Happy holidays to all!” he declared on International Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2017, reacting to an image of Jewish children in a concentration camp.
Johnson goes some way to explain why a significant minority of far right nationalists has such disproportionate sway in Ukraine
Another article Timidity in New Zealand , originally published in Le Monde diplomatique, looks at how the massive mandate Labour had going into it's second term (without the odious Winnie)was squandered.
This is a post about the Mountain Tui substack, and small tweaks - further to the poll and request post the other day. Please don’t read if you aren’t interested in my personal matters. Thank you all.After oohing-and-aahing about how to structure the Substack model since November, including obtaining ...
This transcript of a recent conversation between the Prime Minister and his chief economic adviser has not been verified.We’ve announced we are the ‘Yes Government’. Do you like it?Yes, Prime Minister.Dreamed up by the PR team. It’s about being committed to growth. Not that the PR team know anything about ...
The other day, Australian Senator Nick McKim issued a warning in the Australian Parliement about the US’s descent into fascim.And of course it’s true, but I lament - that was true as soon as Trump won.What we see is now simply the reification of the intention, planning, and forces behind ...
Among the many other problems associated with Musk/DOGE sending a fleet of teenage and twenty-something cultists to remove, copy and appropriate federal records like social security, medicaid and other supposedly protected data is the fact that the youngsters doing the data-removal, copying and security protocol and filter code over-writing have ...
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tuneBird fly high by the light of the moonOh, oh, oh, JokermanSong by Bob Dylan.Morena folks, I hope this fine morning of the 7th of February finds you well. We're still close to Paihia, just a short drive out of town. Below is the view ...
It’s been an eventful week as always, so here’s a few things that we have found interesting. We also hope everyone had a happy and relaxing Waitangi Day! This week in Greater Auckland We’re still running on summer time, but provided two chewy posts: On Tuesday, a guest ...
Queuing on Queen St: the Government is set to announce another apparently splashy growth policy on Sunday of offering residence visas to wealthy migrants. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, February 7:PM Christopher ...
The fact that Waitangi ended up being such a low-key affair may mark it out as one of the most significant Waitangi Days in recent years. A group of women draped in “Toitu Te Tiriti” banners who turned their backs on the politicians’ powhiri was about as rough as it ...
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The 119th Congress comes with a price tag. The oil and gas industry gave about $24 million in campaign contributions to the members of the U.S. House and Senate expected to be sworn in January 3, 2025, according to a ...
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Thanks folks for your feedback, votes and comments this week. I’ll be making the changes soon. Appreciate all your emails, comments and subscriptions too. I know your time is valuable - muchas gracias.A lot is happening both here and around the world - so I want to provide a snippets ...
Data released today by Statistics NZ shows that unemployment rose to 5.1%, with 33,000 more people out of work than last year said NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Economist Craig Renney. “The latest data shows that employment fell in Aotearoa at its fastest rate since the GFC. Unemployment rose in 8 ...
The December labour market statistics have been released, showing yet another increase in unemployment. There are now 156,000 unemployed - 34,000 more than when National took office. And having thrown all these people out of work, National is doubling down on cruelty. Because being vicious will somehow magically create the ...
Boarded up homes in Kilbirnie, where work on a planned development was halted. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in our political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, February 5 are;Housing Minister Chris Bishop yesterday announcedKāinga Ora would be stripped of ...
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Catching you up on the morning’s global news and a quick look at the parallels -GLOBALTariffs are backSharemarkets in the US, UK and Europe have “plunged” in response to Trump’s tariffs. And while Mexico has won a one month reprieve, Canada and China will see their respective 25% and 10% ...
This post by Nicolas Reid was originally published on Linked in. It is republished here with permission. Gondolas are often in the news, with manufacturers of ropeway systems proposing them as a modern option for mass transit systems in New Zealand. However, like every next big thing in transport, it’s hard ...
This is a re-post from The Climate BrinkBoth 2023 and 2024 were exceptionally warm years, at just below and above 1.5C relative to preindustrial in the WMO composite of surface temperature records, respectively. While we are still working to assess the full set of drivers of this warmth, it is clear that ...
Hi,I woke up feeling nervous this morning, realising that this weekend Flightless Bird is going to do it’s first ever live show. We’re heading to a sold out (!) show in Seattle to test the format out in front of an audience. If it works, we’ll do more. I want ...
From the United-For-Now States of America comes the thrilling news that a New Zealander may be at the very heart of the current coup. Punching above our weight on the world stage once more! Wait, you may be asking, what New Zealander? I speak of Peter Thiel, made street legal ...
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Back in 2023, a "prominent political figure" went on trial for historic sex offences. But we weren't allowed to know who they were or what political party they were "prominent" in, because it might affect the way we voted. At the time, I said that this was untenable; it was ...
I'm going, I'm goingWhere the water tastes like wineI'm going where the water tastes like wineWe can jump in the waterStay drunk all the timeI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayI'm gonna leave this city, got to get awayAll this fussing and fighting, man, you know I sure ...
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Subscribe to Mountain Tūī ! Where you too can learn about exciting things from a flying bird! Tweet.Yes - I absolutely suck at marketing. It’s a fact.But first -My question to all readers is:How should I set up the Substack model?It’s been something I’ve been meaning to ask since November ...
Here’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s political economy on politics and in the week to Feb 3:PM Christopher Luxon began 2025’s first day of Parliament last Tuesday by carrying on where left off in 2024, letting National’s junior coalition partner set the political agenda and dragging ...
The PSA have released a survey of 4000 public service workers showing that budget cuts are taking a toll on the wellbeing of public servants and risking the delivery of essential services to New Zealanders. Economists predict that figures released this week will show continued increases in unemployment, potentially reaching ...
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Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on UnsplashHere’s what we’re watching in the week to February 9 and beyond in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty:Monday, February 3Politics: New Zealand Government cabinet meeting usually held early afternoon with post-cabinet news conference possible at 4 pm, although they have not been ...
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What seems to be the common theme in the US, NZ, Argentina and places like Italy under their respective rightwing governments is what I think of as “the politics of cruelty.” Hate-mongering, callous indifference in social policy-making, corporate toadying, political bullying, intimidation and punching down on the most vulnerable with ...
If you are confused, check with the sunCarry a compass to help you alongYour feet are going to be on the groundYour head is there to move you aroundSo, stand in the place where you liveSongwriters: Bill Berry / Michael Mills / Michael Stipe / Peter Buck.Hot in the CityYesterday, ...
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..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.As far as major government announcements go, a Three Ministers Event is Big. It can signify a major policy development or something has gone Very Well, or an absolute Clusterf**k. When Three Ministers assemble ...
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Photo by Mauricio Fanfa on UnsplashKia oraCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm today.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with myself , plus regular guest David Patman and ...
I don't like to spend all my time complaining about our government, so let me complain about the media first.Senior journalistic Herald person Thomas Coughlan reported that Treasury replied yeah nah, wrong bro to Luxon's claim that our benighted little country has been in recession for three years.His excitement rose ...
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Mr Mojo Rising: Economic growth is possible, Christopher Luxon reassures us, but only under a government that is willing to get out of the way and let those with drive and ambition get on with it.ABOUT TWELVE KILOMETRES from the farm on the North Otago coast where I grew up stands ...
You're nearly a good laughAlmost a jokerWith your head down in the pig binSaying, 'Keep on digging.'Pig stain on your fat chinWhat do you hope to findDown in the pig mine?You're nearly a laughYou're nearly a laughBut you're really a crySongwriter: Roger Waters.NZ First - Kiwi Battlers.Say what you like ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Climate denial is dead. Renewable energy denial is here. As “alternative facts” become the norm, it’s worth looking at what actual facts tell us about how renewable energy sources like solar and wind are lowering the price of electricity. As ...
SIR GEOFFREY PALMER is worried about democracy. In his Newsroom website post of 27 January 2025 he asserts that “the future of democracy across the world now seems to be in question.” Following a year of important electoral contests across the world, culminating in Donald Trump’s emphatic recapture of the ...
The Government hasn’t stopped talking about growth since the Prime Minister made his “yes” speech at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce last week. But so far, the measures announced would seem hardly likely to suddenly pitch New Zealand into the fast-growth East Asian league. The digital nomad announcement hardly deserved ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
Labour is relieved to see Children’s Minister Karen Chhour has woken up to reality and reversed her government’s terrible decisions to cut funding from frontline service providers – temporarily. ...
It is the first week of David Seymour’s school lunch programme and already social media reports are circulating of revolting meals, late deliveries, and mislabelled packaging. ...
The Green Party says that with no-cause evictions returning from today, the move to allow landlords to end tenancies without reason plunges renters, and particularly families who rent, into insecurity and stress. ...
The Government’s move to increase speed limits substantially on dozens of stretches of rural and often undivided highways will result in more serious harm. ...
In her first announcement as Economic Growth Minister, Nicola Willis chose to loosen restrictions for digital nomads from other countries, rather than focus on everyday Kiwis. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to stand firm and work with allies to progress climate action as Donald Trump signals his intent to pull out of the Paris Climate Accords once again. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has achieved significant progress in completing applications for New Zealand citizenship. “December 2024 saw the Department complete 5,661 citizenship applications, the most for any month in 2024. This is a 54 per cent increase compared ...
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop. “The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads. “National campaigned on ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced Budget 2025 – the Growth Budget - will be delivered on Thursday 22 May. “This year’s Budget will drive forward the Government’s plan to grow our economy to improve the incomes of New Zealanders now and in the years ahead. “Budget 2025 will build ...
For the Government, 2025 will bring a relentless focus on unleashing the growth we need to lift incomes, strengthen local businesses and create opportunity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today laid out the Government’s growth agenda in his Statement to Parliament. “Just over a year ago this Government was elected by ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes students back to school with a call to raise attendance from last year. “The Government encourages all students to attend school every day because there is a clear connection between being present at school and setting yourself up for a bright future,” says Mr ...
The Government is relaxing visitor visa requirements to allow tourists to work remotely while visiting New Zealand, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Tourism Minister Louise Upston say. “The change is part of the Government’s plan to unlock New Zealand’s potential by shifting the country onto ...
The opening of Kāinga Ora’s development of 134 homes in Epuni, Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015. I ...
Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay will travel to Australia today for meetings with Australian Trade Minister, Senator Don Farrell, and the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF). Mr McClay recently hosted Minister Farrell in Rotorua for the annual Closer Economic Relations (CER) Trade Ministers’ meeting, where ANZLF presented on ...
A new monthly podiatry clinic has been launched today in Wairoa and will bring a much-needed service closer to home for the Wairoa community, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“Health New Zealand has been successful in securing a podiatrist until the end of June this year to meet the needs of ...
The Judicial Conduct Commissioner has recommended a Judicial Conduct Panel be established to inquire into and report on the alleged conduct of acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken in an incident last November, Attorney-General Judith Collins said today. “I referred the matter of Judge Aitken’s alleged conduct during an incident ...
Students who need extra help with maths are set to benefit from a targeted acceleration programme that will give them more confidence in the classroom, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Last year, significant numbers of students did not meet the foundational literacy and numeracy level required to gain NCEA. To ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced three new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ...
Ki te kahore he whakakitenga, ka ngaro te Iwi – without a vision, the people will perish. The Government has achieved its target to reduce the number of households in emergency housing motels by 75 per cent five years early, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The number of households ...
The opening of Palmerston North’s biggest social housing development will have a significant impact for whānau in need of safe, warm, dry housing, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. The minister visited the development today at North Street where a total of 50 two, three, and four-bedroom homes plus a ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced the new membership of the Public Advisory Committee on Disarmament and Arms Control (PACDAC), who will serve for a three-year term. “The Committee brings together wide-ranging expertise relevant to disarmament. We have made six new appointments to the Committee and reappointed two existing members ...
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Kia ora, good morning, talofa, malo e lelei, bula vinaka, da jia hao, namaste, sat sri akal, assalamu alaikum. It’s so great to be here and I’m ready and pumped for 2025. Can I start by acknowledging: Simon Bridges – CEO of the Auckland ...
The Government has unveiled a bold new initiative to position New Zealand as a premier destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) that will create higher paying jobs and grow the economy. “Invest New Zealand will streamline the investment process and provide tailored support to foreign investors, to increase capital investment ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced the largest reset of the New Zealand science system in more than 30 years with reforms which will boost the economy and benefit the sector. “The reforms will maximise the value of the $1.2 billion in government funding that goes into ...
Turbocharging New Zealand’s economic growth is the key to brighter days ahead for all Kiwis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. In the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation Speech in Auckland today, Christopher Luxon laid out the path to the prosperity that will affect all aspects of New Zealanders’ lives. ...
The latest set of accounts show the Government has successfully checked the runaway growth of public spending, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. “In the previous government’s final five months in office, public spending was almost 10 per cent higher than for the same period the previous year. “That is completely ...
The Government’s welfare reforms are delivering results with the number of people moving off benefits into work increasing year-on-year for six straight months. “There are positive signs that our welfare reset and the return consequences for job seekers who don't fulfil their obligations to prepare for or find a job ...
Jon Kroll and Aimee McCammon have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission Board, Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “I am delighted to appoint these two new board members who will bring a wealth of industry, governance, and commercial experience to the Film Commission. “Jon Kroll has been an ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hailed a drop in the domestic component of inflation, saying it increases the prospect of mortgage rate reductions and a lower cost of living for Kiwi households. Stats NZ reported today that inflation was 2.2 per cent in the year to December, the second consecutive ...
Two new appointed members and one reappointed member of the Employment Relations Authority have been announced by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden today. “I’m pleased to announce the new appointed members Helen van Druten and Matthew Piper to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) and welcome them to ...
Health NZ's CEO has resigned, but frontline healthworkers are sceptical that installing new leadership will make any difference to a system grappling with problems. ...
Gail Duncan, Chairperson of the St Peter’s on Willis Social Justice Group, one of the organisations invited to submit on the Bill, says the Government’s actions are unprecedented. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amani Kasherwa, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland In late January, a rebel group that has long caused mayhem in the sprawling African nation of Democratic Republic of Congo took control of Goma, a major city of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yee-Fui Ng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Monash University An ad falsely depicting independent candidate Alex Dyson as a Greens member.ABC News/Supplied The highly pertinent case of a little-known independent candidate in the Victorian seat of Wannon has exposed a gaping ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland Nik/Unsplash You might have heard that eating too many eggs will cause high cholesterol levels, leading to poor health. Researchers have examined the science behind this myth again, and ...
Everything you missed from the third day of the Treaty principles bill hearings, when the Justice Committee heard four hours of oral submission. Read our recaps of day one of the hearings here, and day two here. Parliament was quiet on Friday for the third day of hearings on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University Tijana Simic/Shutterstock The news last week that three people in Sydney were hospitalised with botulism after receiving botox injections has raised questions about the regulation of the cosmetic injectables industry. The ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jens Blotevogel, Principal Research Scientist and Team Leader for Remediation Technologies, CSIRO Mino Surkala, Shutterstock Lithium-ion batteries are part of everyday life. They power small rechargeable devices such as mobile phones and laptops. They enable electric vehicles. And larger versions store ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edith Jennifer Hill, Associate Lecturer, Learning & Teaching Innovation, Flinders University Netflix Netflix’s new limited series, Apple Cider Vinegar, tells the story of the elaborate cancer con orchestrated by Australian blogger Annabelle (Belle) Gibson. The first episode opens with Gibson’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dee Ninis, Earthquake Scientist, Monash University Greece’s government has just declared a state of emergency on the island of Santorini, as earthquakes shake the island multiple times a day and sometimes only minutes apart. The “earthquake swarm” is also affecting other ...
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 Western Australian state election will be held on March 8. A Newspoll, conducted January 29 to February 4 from a sample ...
She’s back behind the wheel, and this time, she wants to find out what it is that makes us tick. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. After a prolific career on stage and screen, 83-year-old Miriam Margolyes is on the road again. ...
A new poem by Jordan Hamel. Real Poet Every word earned its place and so did he, so should you. Real poet lives in the capital but writes himself into the Mackenzie country golden hour, man of the paper land, he neglects to mention his pollen ...
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 Understanding Te Tiriti by Roimata Smail (Wai Ako Press, $25) No better time to get ...
The committee has published this list to inform the public about its work, and to give clarity to submitters who have contacted the committee asking if they will be invited to make an oral submission. ...
Alex Casey and Gabi Lardies dissect their Laneway 2025 experience. Gabi Lardies: Hi Alex :))))))) Congratulations on not getting sunburnt. Everyone I talked to at Laneway yesterday was braving the sun for one thing. Charli XCX. How was your brat experience?Alex Casey: We will talk about the rest of ...
The US President's suggestion, which sparked enormous debate globally, has been labelled as a threat, not a proposal, by the Federation of Islamic Associations. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine McCarthy, Senior Lecturer in Interior Architecture, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Interior of Auckland South Men’s Prison.Getty Images Prisons are not colourful places. Typically, they are grey or some variation of a monochrome colour scheme. But increasingly, ...
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Remembering the renowned New Zealand writer, who died on February 5, 2025. The Stopover When the trout rise like compassion It is worth watching when the hinds come down from the hills with a new message it will be as well to listen. – Brian Turner Poet, environmentalist, sportsman, journalist, ...
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Are we too modest when it comes to celebrating our putrid plant life?She’s beauty. She’s grace. She smells like a decaying corpse and lurks in the backrooms of Auckland Zoo, wallowing tragically in a bucket. In recent weeks an Australian corpse plant named Putricia has captured the noses and ...
Politicians from the coalition government received a frosty reception at Waitangi this year, but Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says the pōwhiri that received so much attention was just one part of many events throughout the week. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Allen, Postdoctoral research associate, Griffith University A humpback whale mother and calf on the New Caledonian breeding grounds.Mark Quintin All known human languages display a surprising pattern: the most frequent word in a language is twice as frequent as ...
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The clock is ticking in the great chain chase. 2025 is an election year in New Zealand. Not the general variation, obviously, but the local form. If you’re thinking of running, nominations open in just five months, and your chances are good – about 50% across the various races; in ...
Want to see what grotty little man the act leader is ,? Watch him on the am show pin lasts nights murder in Epsom on labour for allowing people to be bailed on a leg bracelet, with absolutely no evidence this is the case so far, slimy little creep.
You know up until now I was prepared to give Seymour the benefit of the doubt as regards the infiltration of ACT by conspiracy theorists, gun lovers and other nutters, but no more. The wonder boy and his party now look as self-serving and shady as NZ First and so-called "Democracy NZ".
I hope voters who are thinking of voting ACT know what kind of unholy alliance they will be supporting.
Seymour has been dog whistling up all the fringe lunatics but now Peters is back. Slimy Seymour will see less support.Hologram empty vessel vlaimed last night on TV that he represents all the Jewish people yet he has been courting the right wing fascists in his Dog whistle. Many antivaxxers are from the far right.Seymour is trying the Trump bs I am the least racist person you know ,yeah right.Seymour would grovel to any fringe lunatic to get votes.
Is it a curious thing that those who loudest proclaim how they stand for "democracy" are actually the least democratic in reality.
Like the "Democratic" Republic of Korea (yeah right, it would be hard to get a state less democratic than North Korea).
Like "Democracy New Zealand" – some of whose supporters are anarchists and support armed insurrection and overthrow of the state – not very democratic I think. These worthies do not know the meaning of real democracy, although they are sure they do.
There to thick to know what democracy means, fuck they think labour is communist!!
Rawiri Waititi lobbed a hand grenade at David Seymour yesterday, really pricked his balloon…
Norightturn
[mod note for everyone: I will ask Lprent and Micky to say how this can be discussed on TS, because it’s an ongoing legal matter and name suppression is still in place. In the meantime please don’t name the person, and follow No Right Turn’s lead in being careful. Read the NRT post before commenting – weka]
Holy shit,
Well done Rawiri, outing under privilege is justified in some cases, regardless that he will likely be on legal thin ice for the very fact of being a Te Pāti Māori leader.
Context: mass vandalism across Aotearoa NZ of TPM election billboards, including a vehicular attack (crashing through a fence) on a Taranaki TPM sign, while nearby Act billboards stood unscathed. Now those two realities obviously may not be linked…but yes Rawiri–they are out to get you!
The Epsom twerker and claimed non property owner due to affordability, when he was a beneficiary of property trusts… https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/05/act-leader-david-seymour-admits-he-s-a-beneficiary-of-property-holding-trusts-after-years-of-saying-he-couldn-t-afford-to-buy.html
Mr Seymour has a motley crew of MPs and wannabe MPs indeed. Time for Act’s planned attacks on working class people’s recent gains to be revealed to voters by media channels.
If I recall correctly there were a couple of main arguments put forward for name suppression:
Imagine if the party in question was, for example, Labour. The hints, innuendos, barefaced glee coming from the Right would have been spread far and wide.
Name suppression is also used to protect victims of crime.
As much as I want to see act laid low, innocent till proven guilty.
I think suppression should be a right till proven guilty un all cases
not practical in some cases. eg high profile murders.
In the NRT blog there is a link to some questions Seymour asked in Parliament seeking to justify his comments about blowing up a Ministry and accusing Hipkins of making it political and that he is the victim here. Strewth, a wise man would have put it behind him and quickly moved on. Not Seymour.
Russian gravity strikes again… Yevgeny Prigozhin apparently killed in an air crash.
Must admit I had a bit of a chuckle when saw the headline this morning.
Was an ineviatable ending.
Shot down by a surface to air missile. Putin is a murderous monster. I feel sorry for the innocent people on the aeroplane. Russia is a mafia state with gangster "justice".
If you traveling on a private jet with that man ,what's the odds your innocent??
The crew were innocent. Not that the inconvenience of ending the lives of completely innocent three flight crew would trouble the criminal Putin at night. The bastard is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths already.
The crew were innocent.
We don't know that, do we.
Wagner group listed as the operator so likely not so innocent.
RA-02795 Wagner Group Embraer ERJ-135
https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/embraer-erj-135-ra-02795-wagner-group/r11z52
Also, Flight Radar reports final data received at 15:20:14 UTC at an altitude of 19,725 feet so the aircraft was probably beyond the range of portable weapons.
https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/russian-legacy-600-crashes-near-tver/
I am very surprised Utkin was on board as well those two should never have travelled togetther
Quite the blunder if true. And Wagner forces are spread far and wide so reining them will be no easy thing with their leadership gone.
@Faytuks
Russian journalist Andrey Zakharov: "As for Prigozhin, I can say for now: today he really flew to Russia from Africa, with him was the entire command staff of the Wagner PMC. It will be a miracle if he is on another plane, they tell me" https://t.me/zakharovchanne
https://twitter.com/Faytuks/status/1694405462567887211
Russia's aviation agency has confirmed Yevgeny Prigozhin, his deputy Dmitry Utkin and his head of security, Valery Chekalov, were on board the Embraer jet that crashed just north of Moscow.
If their deaths are confirmed, that is the top ranks of the mercenary group's leadership gone, in one fell swoop.
https://news.sky.com/story/yevgeny-prigozhin-trod-a-dangerous-tightrope-his-apparent-death-proves-no-one-is-indispensable-12946201
Ukraine's internal supporters would have at least as much motivation to take him out.
Ukraine have successfully launched strikes on Russian military aircraft from within Russia in the last week.
Ukraine would be the natural offload for Putin.
I'm picking the queue was long.
I would also suggest that 'Western' interests in Africa should not be dismissed as possible suspects in this event….as always, my first thought is 'who has the most to gain, at this time?
This "Putin did it!"nonsense is about as stupid as the "Clinton Crime Family's" supposed long list of homicides and faked suicides.
Putin is NOT the forgiving type.
"Must admit I had a bit of a chuckle when saw the headline this morning"…..are you are seriously saying on a public forum, that the thought of a human death made you chuckle?..holy shit, that is fucked up.
Made my day
In any case, russia didn't "kill" prigozhin, it "liberated" him!
Some more interesting background.
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/special-report-the-curtain-closes?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1351274&post_id=136347457&isFreemail=true&utm_medium=email
You've probably already read this.
Two factors, the inevitablity that some sort of 'accident' would lead to his untimely death and it couldnt of happened to a nicer guy.
Eagerly looking forward to the massive cycleway opening in Dunedin's Port Chalmers on Saturday.
Definitely one of the few big 'Planned by Labour Delovered by Labour' transport projects of these two terms.
All your walkers runners and cyclists in Dunedin make sure you get there 12 noon Sawyers Bay.
Hopefully the turnout is at least as big as the 1500 who turned out for the Beaumont Bridge one three weeks ago.
Lucky you, I hope it is of slightly better construction than the extensive and totally shit lime stone bike paths they (we) have built here in the Hawkes Bay…every time there is any type of half bad weather event they get washed away….time and again and again etc…if the investment in some serious construction had been made from the beginning it would have paid for itself by now….but I guess it perfectly encapsulates the criminally short term thinking of centrist politics.
Lucky for me I only ride the road..but Siobhan rides the paths every day (commutes Napier-Hasting and back) so I get the regular updates….anyway hope you enjoy your new cycleway…you live in the perfect city for them thats for sure.
"Asassination by Putin? Good, out of the door, line on the left, one missile each".
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/496443/wool-carpet-in-classrooms-campaign-gets-carpet-maker-bremworth-s-support
Common chippie , make a captains call and put biodegradable fire safe wool carpet under kids feet!!
Actual de-Nazification.
Michael A. Horowitz
@michaelh992
#Russian Channel VChK-OGPU says Dmitry Utkin, Prigozhin second in command, was also on the plane
https://twitter.com/michaelh992/status/1694398344540405922
The Grey Zone isn't happy.
The assassination of Prigozhin would have catastrophic consequences. The people who gave the order do not understand the mood in the army and the morale at all.
https://t.me/grei_zone/979
translate
A post by Grey Zone, a Wagner-connected social media channel, claimed Russian anti-aircraft defences had shot down the plane. It said that residents heard “two bursts of characteristic air defence fire” before the crash. “This is confirmed by inversion traces in the sky in one of the videos,” it added.
https://archive.li/https://www.ft.com/content/812c9da3-80f2-4fe1-8fad-0b4441d1977a
"A post by Grey Zone [sic], a Wagner-connected social media channel…"
You will, of course, provide evidence for that remarkable allegation against one of the few rigorous and respected news sites in America.
Telegram channel Grey Zone (https://t.me/s/grey_zone) ≠ News website the Grayzone (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grayzone)
Could you provide evidence that the Grayzone is rigorous and respected?
Read the posted article, clown.
/
A riposte worthy of the great journalist Mark Townsend. Well done, sir.
Act's current MPs, apart from the leader and deputy, have always seemed to be kept silenced by Seymour, so have often wondered what their background is. One would barely know who they are or that they are even in Parliament. Good that their current list hopefuls have had their backgrounds exposed.
Act from way back has attracted the weird and extreme. No change it seems.
You are not wrong Reality.
Hilary Calvert (her eyes used in brothel sign artwork), Donna Awatere Huata (magic weight loss turned out to be a stomach staple job, ripped off an education trust, husband threatened to bash Sue Bradford), David Garrett (stole deceased child’s identity), Rodney Hide (threatened man in urinal), John Boscawen (Lamington head), Banksy (forgot a helicopter ride to Dotcom’s mansion, election campaign cheque splitting)…the ignominy goes on…
Act are essentially still with us because the Natzos need an MMP friend, and some new gens and warm gun lovers like their culture wars buy in. I wonder how many Act supporters really know much about libertarianism, the Chicago School, Hayek etc.?
This "fear"…despite the Science Recommendation and the fact that they have dug in hard about their rights..to drain the Manuherikia near dry to carry on with their unsustainable water take.
Matakanui Station owner and Manuherikia Catchment Group interim chairman Andrew Paterson….
Yea Mr Paterson..never truer words spoken. Our Manuherekia river dying..for a few with very vested interest.
The farmers must certainly be worried; their free lunch (paid for by the community) is coming to an end.
It's not just the Manuherekia river that is being trashed. Prof Mike Joy discusses the national situation in his 2014 paper "Squandered: The degradation of New Zealand’s freshwaters ( https://waterqualitynz.info/squandered-the-degradation-of-new-zealands-freshwaters/)
And he's not totally negative. He also offers a solution.
I have met Mike Joy..and heard him speak at meetings, and on media. IMO he is proactive with Positive ways forward. Always with OUR NZ Environment foremost.
"Some" Farmers etc….dont like "their water rights" being examined…as to the harm they are causing.
Good work Mike Joy !
This must be "the war against farmers" that the National Party keep telling us about. They should have a shadow cabinet portfolio for imaginary wars. Would be the busiest shadow portfolio in the National caucus.
Michael Laws and ex ACT MPs sit on the board of the otago regional council they are pushing a right wing agenda.Why because of extremely low voter turnout.Its easy to get their stooges on the board .The old miners rights to water are being exploited at no cost to those doing so.Water should be allocated evenly leaving enough water in the river for recreational users and last but not least the rivers health.Those who have historic use of the water are being selfish.
Whenever I hear the rural elite and their champions talk about local control, is actually about white farmer control of water and environmental regulation.
While local body politics might not be able to be accused of direct voter suppression, there certainly is a suppressed vote.
In that sense, the system is majorly flawed.
Central government could require 70+% turnout or put commissioners in. (Or threaten to.) Give local government some money to improve turnout up to target levels and encourage local solutions as long as they are non-discriminatory. Call it the "Enabling Local Democracy" initiative – and make sure there are lots of Maori words in the promotional material to piss the b*ggers off even more.
What they are banking on…
And of course old 'glower face" ex Fed Farm head …is now an ACT candidate
Last Christmas we were holidaying at Oturehua (The Power Of the Dog place) and paid a visit to some in-laws at their holiday cottage in Ophir. The first thing we noticed was that they had stacks and stacks of bottled water brought with them from Dunedin.
The reason – the local regional council had allowed a dairy farm to operate in the town's water supply catchment and thus severely contaminate the supply!!
Yea..there is much to read about all of that…ORC….not a good situation.
Heres some…
Meanwhile..the River..was/is dying
+100
ORC are just starting to put constraints around the water take now, but the farmers and their elected reps have dragged it through the courts for years, and the damage is well and truly done.
The 5000 year old European who grew up in South Tyrol was Anatolian.
The new study also offers new information about Ötzi’s appearance. “The genome analysis revealed phenotypic traits such as high skin pigmentation, dark eye color, and male pattern baldness that are in stark contrast to the previous reconstructions that show a light skinned, light eyed, and quite hairy male,” said Johannes Krause of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.
https://www.archaeology.org/news/11689-230817-otzi-genome-sequenced
Contrary to previous studies, we found no detectable Steppe-related ancestry in the Iceman. Instead, he retained the highest Anatolian-farmer-related ancestry among contemporaneous European populations, indicating a rather isolated Alpine population with limited gene flow from hunter-gatherer-ancestry-related populations.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666979X2300174X?via%3Dihub
Amazing how even 5000 years later – almost every cell in your body continues to tell the truth!
A few weeks ago there was an unconvincing display of pearl-clutching (not least on here) when Jan Tinetti was admonished by the Privileges Committee for … <checks notes> … not correcting the record quickly enough. Proof that it was all falling apart, apparently.
They'll be needing smelling salts today, then.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/496507/national-mp-tim-van-de-molen-stood-down-from-all-portfolios
Rural Neanderthal picks on physically smaller urban gay guy–not a good look really!
To paraphrase Frank Zappa…“Some people behave as if intelligence were some sort of hideous deformity”…
It'll be buried in about 2-3 days – quicker than that in the more partisan media.
It will be buried within a day as Luxon has dealt with this decisively and Tim has already made in apology.
Luxon obviously did NOT deal with it "decisively".
The incident happened on June 29. Labour MPs informed the National whip immediately. Luxon chose to do nothing.
He waited for … the Speaker to receive a complaint, for the issue to be referred to the Privileges Committee, for an independent barrister to be called in, and after nearly two months for the Committee to (in effect) tell Luxon what had happened and what to do.
Reminder: this is the leader who has constantly told us that he would deal with issues by picking up the phone and making it happen, the big CEO who gets things done.
In reality, he couldn't even face up to a problem with one member of a small team, who is in the same building every working day.
Here's a bedtime story for you Westykev:
Luxon saw the orange lights on the dashboard and decided to deliver. He immediately gathered together the best and brightest of his team in the war-room and conducted a laser-like analysis of evidence, implications, risks, strategic import, ideological congruence with his total commitment to getting tough on crime, rediscovering mojo, being ambitious, and getting to carbon net zero by leaving it to the market and the genius of great NZ farmers. He said: "Team is there any potential here to identify wasteful spending? Is the Privileges Committee the inward-looking creation of the hermit kingdom, is it red red tape that should be swept away and should its members be getting ahead by starting a business? Is this process economic mismanagement like the world has never seen before, will it cause inflation? We must decide to deliver a decisive outcome that is decisive in its delivery. My suggestion is that we do nothing for a couple of months until the committee reports back and hope everyone loses interest". Awed by the great man's lucid emanations of brilliance, they fell prostate on the floor at his feet.
That'll go over Wk's head AB. He won't know what you're talking about.
"Awed by the great man's lucid emanations of brilliance, they fell prostate on the floor at his feet."
Funny, that. People used to talk about my prostrate cancer, and I'm perfectly upstanding…..
As for the van de Molen issue. We were discussing bullying in our party rooms before the news was announced. Many people have been bullied in our country. Wouldn’t it be great if the voters just said to the bullies- fuck off, don’t want you, we can do better and then the parties concerned might …. just…. listen.
Take back our parties from the grifters, the narcissists, the sociopaths, the egoists. the damaged and the deranged.
But did he mean it ya think?
This just came in from Scoop.
If this guy (a New Zealander whose work has appeared in many international newspapers) is still living in Ukraine , he might think about heading back over to Moldova soon
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL2308/S00045/post-vilnius-nato-summit-it-has-been-all-downhill-for-zelensky.htm
Zelensky's PR machine early on had him tricked out in military looking garb, although not the Ukrainian uniform.The company who makes his olive green gear is M-TAC, whose owner is given to some colourful statements, example following:
“I will also celebrate the day of the Holocaust. Happy holidays to all!” he declared on International Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2017, reacting to an image of Jewish children in a concentration camp.
Johnson goes some way to explain why a significant minority of far right nationalists has such disproportionate sway in Ukraine
Another article Timidity in New Zealand , originally published in Le Monde diplomatique, looks at how the massive mandate Labour had going into it's second term (without the odious Winnie)was squandered.
https://mondediplo.com/outsidein/timidity-in-new-zealand
Stop interfering with my mother tangi.
Cheeeeeeese!
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/25/ten-dollars-for-a-block-of-cheese-who-is-making-the-supermarkets-do-this?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Let’s hope the new commissioner makes a difference.