The US is probably the worst place for that sort of thing.
Not sure if it is leaks from the inside or just a freedom of information thing, but anyone gets arrested for a semi-high profile crime their names, pictures, mental health info’, military info’, pictures of evidence seems to be splashed on the front pages within about 12 hours.
A virulent disease is infecting the brains of our less fortunate citizens:
Spare a thought for these folks who will have a miserable Christmas.
As anyone will know who has stumbled onto a right wing site recently, the virulent brain disease known as “Jacinda Derangement Syndrome” continues to rage amongst National’s hapless supporters.
Here’s a random, and entirely representative, sample from our friends on Kiwiblog yesterday….
Tall Man: You don’t have to have a big tag on your forehead proclaiming yourself to be an idiot…look at ardern the liar, thick as pig shit but she looks almost normal. Thumb up 32 Thumb down 0 9:52AM
Chris2: I’m waiting for Ardern to announce through teary eyes that travelers passing through Gatwick Airport ought to be safe and that she is sorry they did not feel safe. Thumb up 42 Thumb down 9:03AM
burt: She is more likely to ask why they didn’t all get their own individual airforce 757. Thumb up 26 Thumb down 1 9:15AM
Tall Man: …. ardern is a liar
Thumb up 26 Thumb down 2 10:05AM
Prince: Amongst the annual political reviews there are two shiboleths that leave me as bewildered as a New Zealand First voter
1) Ardern has been an international star.
How ? When ? Every leader going to a UN talkfest is taken on a round of late night talk shows, for the benefit of their country’s media. Exactly how and where has Ardern achieved anything on the international stage ? Reading a speech to an empty UN auditorium ? Visiting Nauru and finding no one else there ? Sitting next to Mrs Pence ? Seems to me Ardern and Peters have achieved the remarkable feat of pissing off both the US and China.
Thumb up 87 Thumb down 0 8:08AM
Monique Watson: JA’s frightened. Not necessarily a SLG though that was a timely sledge. I’ve been watching her Question Time responses. Mark my words. Another nail in the coffin of the COL.
Thumb up 59 Thumb down 1 8:20AM
mandk: From an opposition point of view, I think it is a waste of time asking Ardern anything at Question Time. She is quite adept at turning questions into opportunities to grandstand, and she is allowed to get away with not answering the questions put to her. Far better to attack the CoL where it is weakest, and that probably includes most of the Front Bench.
Thumb up 51 Thumb down 0 8:32AM
sooty: Yep. There is too many dumb one’s to worry about Comrade JacinDUH! Leave her there without questions except patsys from her idiots. She can’t just not turn up as much as she wants too.
Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0 12:38PM
Piniwi: Hard as it is to listen to the SLG she often tells more than intended or lets a gem slip out. Or by the selected defense being held on hard to often like a life-support loosing it’s buoyancy. like the “text came AFTER the decision.”
Of bigger concern is acknowledgement of how out of the loop she is when she confesses to only learning about so many in the media. We can only speculate that so much time is wasted creating all her excuses, defending dud decisions and creating word walls leaving little time to do what she should be doing. Another first for the SLG being the first PM to follow rather than lead her Government only keeping up through the Media party.
Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0 1:55PM
Biscuit: Indeed, Prince, if you read the leftist rabble that ‘write’ for the ‘Horrid’, you’d almost believe that Ardern is going to be unanimously proclaimed Trougher in Chief at the Non-United Nations.
Thumb up 47 Thumb down 0 8:24AM
DigNap15: Ha! John Roughan says in todays Herald that most of Ardern’s speeches are forgettable and that she does not really say much worth of note. Is the worm starting to turn?
Thumb up 73 Thumb down 2 8:19AM
KevOB: Speeches? She’s barely liderate. The rest of the COL with rare exceptions r even vurse.
Thumb up 50 Thumb down 1 8:26AM
Biscuit: One can but hope, DigNap! If even a wrong clock can be ‘right’ twice a day, there’s a chance that a ‘newspaper’ like the Horrid might get things ‘right’ once in a while, too!
Thumb up 21 Thumb down 1 8:27AM
Justitia: Ardern is vacuous.
Thumb up 41 Thumb down 0 8:35AM
calendar girl: Yes, she is certainly vacuous in what she projects, as well as being the least intelligent NZ Prime Minister whom I have seen in action during my lifetime.
She also has her “vicious’ streak”, as she showed towards the end of 2018’s final Question Time when she targeted her deliberate personal insult at the Leader of the Opposition:
“…. it’s simple, Simon!”
When, and how, is the Opposition going to repay Ardern in spades for that well-rehearsed personal slight against the National Leader? Bridges – unlike herself – actually has a trained and well-proven intellect that operates (and has operated professionally) at a level to which hers could never aspire.
Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1 3:06PM
IF you read THIS BLOG and look at the coments made about Key when he was you will see as bad – if not worse.
So whats your point?
and for the record – I think the worse I have call Jacinda is C**dy – which I stopped post people getting all upset about it as they interrepted it to be mysgonistic.
I wonder whats the worse you said about Key, English or Bridges is – perhaps you have your own virulent brain disease combined with a wee bit of ‘holier than tho’ and forgetfulness.
Nonsense. Key was rightly attacked for his lying, his repeated harassment of that young woman in an Auckland cafe, and for allowing his parliamentary office to be used as the base for Whaleoil’s scurrilous, illegal campaign of character assassination. You’d know all that, of course, if you had bothered to read Nicky Hager’s Dirty Politics.
The National Party’s attacks against Jacinda Ardern, in stark contrast, are rarely anything other than the crudest misogyny and personal ridicule. I left out from that random selection the lengthy thread where a whole lot of these National stooges slung off at her as a “horse” and a “bag of bones.”
The attacks against Clarke Gayford were pathetic enough, but now they are starting to target baby Neve as well.
I guess it’s something we’ll just have to adjust to for the next eight years, at least.
My goodness.
Key Derangement Syndrome is still very strong in Morrissey.
He really should be getting over it by now.
Key left the job of PM 2 years ago.
It is not a National Party campaign. It is the toxic commenters that all too frequently inhabit Kiwiblog.
As I noted the other day David’s posts are pretty much always reasonable. He often gives Jacinda credits for various things she has done. But some of the commenters are extreme. If a particular thread gets besieged by them, it is best to stay away. Sometimes the misogyny is just awful.
The Standard has similar problem. There are a group of commenters who are frequently quite/very abusive. They think National (John Key in particular) are complicit in all sorts of heinous crimes, and are motivated by the basest of motives. And most of it had nothing to do with the waitress. Just about everything John Key did would trigger the abuse. Hence the term “Key derangement syndrome”.
1. In the early days, long before he became PM, I saw first hand on the net sufficient evidence to strongly suggest he had fudged timelines on his CV to cover up some less than lily-white dealings.
All this was many years back and I made links at the time, although they’ve long gone.
2. If you have worked for a large global corporate you will have encountered his type, the senior management surfer who rides from one role to another, making himself look good with short-term actions, but when you look deeper they achieve little of long-term value; and often a trail of damage behind them that doesn’t show up until they’ve moved on.
They’re the big-swinging alpha male in the room, all charm and sociability, but we used to call them ‘suited sharks’, you could never trust them to do anything but serve their own appetites.
I think I made those points and then shut up; events have largely proven me right on the second point at least. But on the whole I agree with you, becoming obsessed with a personality is unseemly at best, and usually counterproductive.
Yep. Some of those comments made by those he used to work with (such as half the time they could barely understand him – the Smiling Assassin Era), are a now a bit hard to find, or his tough solo-mum upbringing – as if I ever wanted to waste my time trying to do so.
When we think of Paula Bennett being the ladder puller upper, Paula really has nothing on Johnny Wideboy
If I dug deeply into my computer files and bookmarks and was so inclined, I could probably still find most of those old links. I am an archivist by nature as well as a pedant … LOL.
Moderating is a significant problem for any blog. I suspect that DF places a very high value on freedom of expression and finds the whole idea of moderating very unappealing.
The cost is that he has to put up with some commenters indulging in their worst natures. And he certainly doesn’t have that problem on his own.
You have essentially stated his policy. Much more light handed than The Standard. Virtually no-one gets banned, unless they are an extreme racist. I know DPF well enough to know he does not share the views of the contributors. His views are in the articles.
He also has the problem of volume. Sometimes his General Debate has 500 comments. Kiwiblog (going by the number of comments) is at least twice as well read as any other blog.
I was “banned for life” 3 times by DPF. Ousted from Keeping Stock as well. Homepaddock too. And now, Pete George’s place 🙂
It’s strange; I’m a polite and reasonable sort of guy.
I want arguments attacked, not people. As an example it will be unacceptable to call someone a moron, but it will be acceptable to say their argument is moronic. That may seem a fine distinction, but an important one. However don’t try and push the distinction to breaking point. If you say that someone’s argument has the integrity of a syphilitic pygmy (for example), then that would find you with a warning or strike.
There is greater latitude when it comes to public figures such as MPs. They can and should be criticised, but not to a degree when it is just nasty abuse.
Virtually no-one gets banned, unless they are an extreme racist.
If you don’t think the constant stream of brutal, demeaning and disgusting attacks against Māori, Aboriginal Australians, African-Americans, Arabs, Somalis, Palestinians, “Pakis”, and many other groups is not “extreme racist” then you must move in some horribly insalubrious circles.
Oh that’s right—you were in cabinet with John Banks and John “Hone” Carter, weren’t you! Compared to them, even the vilest ranter on Kiwiblog is Albert Schweitzer.
I’ve never visited the site @ Wayne, but would many of those 500 comments be visits and revisits by MSM journalists and opinionistas preparing for their weekend spots on Television current affairs programmes or weekdays with a Mora.
HE, (the Farrar) is the voice of reason for that ‘moderate’ center right.
The guy is truly exceptional, you’d have to agree, despite the overwhelming impediments he’s had to overcom. And the most reliable of statistics – in terms of visits to his site, verify that (going forward).
I’ve been researching various penguin species though, and I can’t seem to identify him. He doesn’t fit your Emperor, your Yellow Eyed (though he comes close), or Northern Rockhopper, or most of the other ‘types’).
I wonder if he might not be some sort of exceptional freak derivative of the Royal (Holier Than Thou) species. Or has he fooled us all and is in fact a wolf dressed up in a penguin’s clothing.
I wonder @ Wayne….could you pontificate a little, and provide us all with an opinion as to what makes this little penguin such a reasonable, affable and well-liked little fella
Yes James we did say stuff about key, but most often on this blog people back up what they say with some sort of evidence. Morrissey quotes from kiwi blog appear to be the ignorant putting down someone in power with no actual eg of why they think that way. It could not be used as evidence in court.
Many on here myself included called John k a prick and worse, but it would be in response to say him pulling a waitresses pony tail or denying their was a housing crisis.
Or not even justify himself Millay. Key would just lie. Remember how he said about the waitress “yeah I gave her a couple of bottles of wine and she said yeah all good”. Or words to that effect.
I hope those people are not my neighbours. Possibly their spitefulness spills over (or from?) to the National MPs who are known for their spitefullness like P Bennett, Collins, Bridges, that gardening woman, and more.
Possibly. Do you have any neighbours that sit around all day listening to talk radio, and never read anything more challenging than a Big Mac wrapper?
Possibly their spitefulness spills over (or from?) to the National MPs who are known for their spitefullness like P Bennett, Collins, Bridges, that gardening woman, and more.
They take their lead from the National Party/talk radio complex.
I like to believe in the best of people but some are just cunts, take Moz for example…his long time paramour Longhair is outed and he discards him like yesterday’s paper.
I think those hate filled vile comments illustrate the important place kiwiblog has become. Without it I suspect some of those unhinged folk could be wandering the streets causing mayhem.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Standard admins, posters and commenters. I know I haven’t been posting as much as I should, but I always read what people have to say, some of it good, some not so good.
And Morrissey – I don’t know why you go on Kiwiblog. The comments there are as depressing as duck.
One final word. If you are at a family Xmas gathering and someone starts running Jacinda down, you need to defend her honour at all costs.
The sad gits are the ones who join in those witless disparaging comments. They’re a small minority, however, and in normal company usually have to keep their diseased thoughts to themselves.
There are going to be hordes of right wing Gammon and their dolled up wives at every Xmas gathering complaining about how Jacinda is going to raid their retirement nest egg and give it all to the ‘poor’. They need to be put in their place accordingly.
Generally a bad idea to turn a family Christmas event into a political bunfight. Stay away from it. Only in jest, and even then only if you know it will be safe to do so.
Well if there was a “Tall Man” (probably a 5 foot loser with short mans syndrome) in my family calling Jacinda Ardern “thick as pig shit” I certainly wouldn’t let it go unchallenged.
Me either – they’d get the message pretty sharpish. Stand up for your values millsy and don’t let wankers bully good people. Be strong and don’t cower in fear like some.
Why put your family first, Bob McKoskrie does that and I wouldn’t want to share his lack of values. Some family would be worth disowning. Personally if I’m related to any of the regular RWNJ who come here with the sole reason to cast shade on the government I would happily drop them from any family gatherings. Just because you’re related to someone doesn’t mean you have to like them.
2. Check with any women present first; they may have put a lot of effort in and have an opinion on the likely outcome of your political re-education efforts.
No, RBO, you don’t always agree with family, but if you love your partner you stand the rellies for their sake, and you keep constant and just agree to disagree. Change the subject to how much work has been done by family to get the party started.
Dancing is good, or choose where you sit or stand carefully with a view to harmony. Tell yourself to count blessings, quietly, jacinda being one of them.Do something kind or thoughtful. Be glad to be alive.Be grateful all the family are there.
For those facing a first Christmas without someone. Kia kaha, this will be the worst year. Be kind most of all to yourself. Think of those faced with sudden loss, and hug your children, partner or friends.
Life is short and should be shared. Happy holiday season to you all.
I’m getting a new hip in my Santa sack, I hope you are getting in something you need in yours. Cheers.
ROFL – certainly is hard work and needs an understanding of what a billion is!
Even using the US definition of a thousand million (1,000,000,000), her calculations are out by a couple of 00s; much more using the UK definition of a million millions (1,000,000,000,000)! Dream on ….
While I’ve long been aware that to some people a billion is 10^12, I’ve never actually come across anyone using billion that way, it’s always meant 10^9.
Yes, if there’s been the slightest possibility of that miscommunication I’ve checked; I’ve seen too many cockups in my engineering career from units and definitions misunderstandings.
I have rechecked and now realise that the UK definition I used, while technically the correct old UK definition, has largely been overtaken by use of the US definition – for example, according to the Oxford Living Dictionary
You don’t appear to know too many pure mathematicians.
Any Professor of PURE Mathematics would happily tell you that 1 was a first approximation for infinity.
Well they are not going to get it from the Dems! And the Mexicans sure as hell arn’t going to pay, and The Chump has so many investigations to defend, that he has to employ an army of lawyers, so he’s not gonna pay, and despite constant assurances from Huckabee-Sanders that they have all the money they need – (But not enuf to pay Govt employees over xmas) there is no money in the bank to “BUILD THE WALL!” 🙁
So the Trumpkins are going to fund a little https://fundly.com/build-the-trump-wall-foundation https://www.fundthewall.com/
If you’re going to do the authoritarian thug thing, you do it away from prying eyes.
/
“I am extremely alarmed by the announcement by the Nicaraguan Government that it has told two key human rights institutions set up by the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights (IACHR) to leave the country.
[…]
In addition, the Government has said it will no longer accept visits by the IACHR itself.
Coupled with the parallel clamp-down on independent media, including last weekend’s raids on media outlets, the net result is a country where civil society is in danger of being shut out altogether, and international organizations are also struggling to keep operating.
lurcher1948 said:
“Fellow poster beware when you go out on the turps,it happens….drive safely and keep posting,
Yesterday I went to a Christmas party. I had a few beers, followed by a few cocktails, followed by a few shots….
I still had the sense to know that I was over the limit. That’s when I decided to do what I have never done before: I took a cab home.
Sure enough, there was a police road block on the way home, and since it was a cab, they waved it past. I arrived home safely without incident. This was both a great relief and a surprise because I had never driven a cab before. I don’t even know where I got it from and, now that it is in my garage, I don’t know what to do with it.”
Yours being the last cab off the rank, Alwyn (for this political term anyway).
Have a merry Christmas, ol’ curmudgeon (he’s our curmudgeon and therefore, special 🙂
One Christmas eve in Melbourne, in a time long ago, magic elves spirited a tree onto the mainmast of a ship.
“Not me, not me” said all the elves, when plod arrived Christmas morning.
(The Myers sign on the big concrete pot, sort of giving the game away).
“Get it down” said plod.
“Not safe” said the elves. “The pot, and tree, are too big to move”.
Plod walked away, after his Christmas beer was drunk, Shaking his head
Two weeks later, in NZ, we bribed a mobile crane driver, with even more beer, of course, to get it down
I must have been one of the culprits, but to this day, I cannot remember how we got it up there. We certainly couldn’t, and wouldn’t, have done it sober.
In today’s more puritan times, we would have all been sacked, for not following the procedure, and not filling in the checklist!
Some of us will keep doing it over the Christmas to New Year period, Pucky, giving us the advantage over part-timers like you 🙂
Merry Christmas to you and may your embarrassing crush desert you before the 2019 year gets under way.
I expect a year of poetic output of epic proportions worthy of your paramour!
In an epic along the lines of the Táin or The Cattle Raid of Cooley. Queen Iudhaith Collaínns ní Cruisheer wants the services of a stud bull and decides to rent one from a neighbouring powerful magnate but the deal turns sour when it is found out by the owner, Sean Cí, that she would have stolen it anyway to “get it”. After a long row, in which Queen Iudhaith is banished to the benches at the back of the Great Hall, the trichotillomaniacal Cí abdicates and Liam Shasanna of Diptonnaigh captures the great bull.
War ensues, and the young hero, Pu Cuíllish óg Rogaínn, fights many battles singlehanded to win her favours. Amongst his adversaries whom he vanquishes is the queen of the Fairies, Paúllauch Ban Neitt, and the mercenary Machus M’Cheil who he kills with his legendary spear, Seamus Bolga.
A three day single handed combat with the chief, Simbhon Brighe, is complicated by the intervention of Pu Cuíllish’s charioteer, Seamus-Leoigh Rossaig, whose dealings with the underworld have given him special information that could cause Brighe’s doughty bodyguard to desert him.
However, Queen Iudhaith’s overseas alliances trump the charioteer Seamus-Leoigh and the saga ends with a new order restored thanks to the heroic exploits of Pu Cuíllish óg Rogaínn and the rightful accession by Queen Iudhaith Collaínns ní Cruisheer to the leadership of the aptly named Sinn Faíl.
Kia ora Newshub I do support MPI having more tools to help control our fisheries conservation and keep themselves safe while preforming there duties .
With kevin spacey some people have a view that’s not acceptable they don’t think we can figure out the motive behind ones actions like someone else in the Media.
Those are cool words our Queen said in her Christmas speech Ka pai.
I do agree that hogget meat is better than lamb to eat and we should market that fact about our sheep meat it would be better for the environment to export me higher value hogget meat.
Helping refugees is, cool Idea
CHOSE LOVE I would use that to help the poor people If we have a branch here in Aotearoa many thanks to the organisers of this brilliant Idea.
Our Coalition government has achieved a lot of good deeds so far Ka pai. Ka kite ano P.S On the Farm with our Tamariki and Mokopunas
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
…it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisitionNOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same?Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question?Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...
You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
OF all the talk relating to name supression in NZ of late – Here is a great example of why its not a bad idea:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/23/press-christmas-drone-suspects-gatwick-media
This poor couple had their lives turned upside down – and photos and area that the live published – and it turns out it might not be them at all.
The US is probably the worst place for that sort of thing.
Not sure if it is leaks from the inside or just a freedom of information thing, but anyone gets arrested for a semi-high profile crime their names, pictures, mental health info’, military info’, pictures of evidence seems to be splashed on the front pages within about 12 hours.
She is a free for all
The US media, a joke mostly, anyone who loves freedom would not watch the uniform bullshit that passes a news… …yet they do.
Hmm i wonder if the same can be said about the “chinese hackers”
James really agree with you on this one.
The only way to have innocent until proven guilty is to have full automatic name and photo suppression until the end of the trial and any appeals.
Agree. Trial by media is rarely fair or balanced.
Once found guilty however, name suppression should only occur for the protection of the victims privacy.
Especially for white collar crimes.
Absolutely agree, it protects us all.
A virulent disease is infecting the brains of our less fortunate citizens:
Spare a thought for these folks who will have a miserable Christmas.
As anyone will know who has stumbled onto a right wing site recently, the virulent brain disease known as “Jacinda Derangement Syndrome” continues to rage amongst National’s hapless supporters.
Here’s a random, and entirely representative, sample from our friends on Kiwiblog yesterday….
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2018/12/general_debate_23_december_2018.html
Tall Man: You don’t have to have a big tag on your forehead proclaiming yourself to be an idiot…look at ardern the liar, thick as pig shit but she looks almost normal. Thumb up 32 Thumb down 0 9:52AM
Chris2: I’m waiting for Ardern to announce through teary eyes that travelers passing through Gatwick Airport ought to be safe and that she is sorry they did not feel safe. Thumb up 42 Thumb down 9:03AM
burt: She is more likely to ask why they didn’t all get their own individual airforce 757. Thumb up 26 Thumb down 1 9:15AM
igm: Chris2: I am awaiting her reply to this disgusting carry-on. This is what happens when ferals are paid to breed, and she has increased the incentive because it stops poverdy . . . what a fucken disgrace she is!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/109484033/synthetic-cannabis-smoking-mum-slammed-for-reprehensible-act-of-self-interest
Thumb up 9 Thumb down 0 12:44PM
Tall Man: …. ardern is a liar
Thumb up 26 Thumb down 2 10:05AM
Prince: Amongst the annual political reviews there are two shiboleths that leave me as bewildered as a New Zealand First voter
1) Ardern has been an international star.
How ? When ? Every leader going to a UN talkfest is taken on a round of late night talk shows, for the benefit of their country’s media. Exactly how and where has Ardern achieved anything on the international stage ? Reading a speech to an empty UN auditorium ? Visiting Nauru and finding no one else there ? Sitting next to Mrs Pence ? Seems to me Ardern and Peters have achieved the remarkable feat of pissing off both the US and China.
Thumb up 87 Thumb down 0 8:08AM
Monique Watson: JA’s frightened. Not necessarily a SLG though that was a timely sledge. I’ve been watching her Question Time responses. Mark my words. Another nail in the coffin of the COL.
Thumb up 59 Thumb down 1 8:20AM
mandk: From an opposition point of view, I think it is a waste of time asking Ardern anything at Question Time. She is quite adept at turning questions into opportunities to grandstand, and she is allowed to get away with not answering the questions put to her. Far better to attack the CoL where it is weakest, and that probably includes most of the Front Bench.
Thumb up 51 Thumb down 0 8:32AM
sooty: Yep. There is too many dumb one’s to worry about Comrade JacinDUH! Leave her there without questions except patsys from her idiots. She can’t just not turn up as much as she wants too.
Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0 12:38PM
Piniwi: Hard as it is to listen to the SLG she often tells more than intended or lets a gem slip out. Or by the selected defense being held on hard to often like a life-support loosing it’s buoyancy. like the “text came AFTER the decision.”
Of bigger concern is acknowledgement of how out of the loop she is when she confesses to only learning about so many in the media. We can only speculate that so much time is wasted creating all her excuses, defending dud decisions and creating word walls leaving little time to do what she should be doing. Another first for the SLG being the first PM to follow rather than lead her Government only keeping up through the Media party.
Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0 1:55PM
Biscuit: Indeed, Prince, if you read the leftist rabble that ‘write’ for the ‘Horrid’, you’d almost believe that Ardern is going to be unanimously proclaimed Trougher in Chief at the Non-United Nations.
Thumb up 47 Thumb down 0 8:24AM
DigNap15: Ha! John Roughan says in todays Herald that most of Ardern’s speeches are forgettable and that she does not really say much worth of note. Is the worm starting to turn?
Thumb up 73 Thumb down 2 8:19AM
KevOB: Speeches? She’s barely liderate. The rest of the COL with rare exceptions r even vurse.
Thumb up 50 Thumb down 1 8:26AM
Biscuit: One can but hope, DigNap! If even a wrong clock can be ‘right’ twice a day, there’s a chance that a ‘newspaper’ like the Horrid might get things ‘right’ once in a while, too!
Thumb up 21 Thumb down 1 8:27AM
Justitia: Ardern is vacuous.
Thumb up 41 Thumb down 0 8:35AM
calendar girl: Yes, she is certainly vacuous in what she projects, as well as being the least intelligent NZ Prime Minister whom I have seen in action during my lifetime.
She also has her “vicious’ streak”, as she showed towards the end of 2018’s final Question Time when she targeted her deliberate personal insult at the Leader of the Opposition:
“…. it’s simple, Simon!”
When, and how, is the Opposition going to repay Ardern in spades for that well-rehearsed personal slight against the National Leader? Bridges – unlike herself – actually has a trained and well-proven intellect that operates (and has operated professionally) at a level to which hers could never aspire.
Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1 3:06PM
RF: Stupid bitch
Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1 6:54PM
….ad nauseam, ad absurdum…
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2018/12/general_debate_23_december_2018.html
IF you read THIS BLOG and look at the coments made about Key when he was you will see as bad – if not worse.
So whats your point?
and for the record – I think the worse I have call Jacinda is C**dy – which I stopped post people getting all upset about it as they interrepted it to be mysgonistic.
I wonder whats the worse you said about Key, English or Bridges is – perhaps you have your own virulent brain disease combined with a wee bit of ‘holier than tho’ and forgetfulness.
Nonsense. Key was rightly attacked for his lying, his repeated harassment of that young woman in an Auckland cafe, and for allowing his parliamentary office to be used as the base for Whaleoil’s scurrilous, illegal campaign of character assassination. You’d know all that, of course, if you had bothered to read Nicky Hager’s Dirty Politics.
The National Party’s attacks against Jacinda Ardern, in stark contrast, are rarely anything other than the crudest misogyny and personal ridicule. I left out from that random selection the lengthy thread where a whole lot of these National stooges slung off at her as a “horse” and a “bag of bones.”
The attacks against Clarke Gayford were pathetic enough, but now they are starting to target baby Neve as well.
I guess it’s something we’ll just have to adjust to for the next eight years, at least.
My goodness.
Key Derangement Syndrome is still very strong in Morrissey.
He really should be getting over it by now.
Key left the job of PM 2 years ago.
Errrr, the subject under review here is the National Party’s hare-brained campaign of ridicule directed against Jacinda Ardern.
It was our good friend james who brought in the unpleasant reminder of that dead-eyed currency speculator.
It is not a National Party campaign. It is the toxic commenters that all too frequently inhabit Kiwiblog.
As I noted the other day David’s posts are pretty much always reasonable. He often gives Jacinda credits for various things she has done. But some of the commenters are extreme. If a particular thread gets besieged by them, it is best to stay away. Sometimes the misogyny is just awful.
The Standard has similar problem. There are a group of commenters who are frequently quite/very abusive. They think National (John Key in particular) are complicit in all sorts of heinous crimes, and are motivated by the basest of motives. And most of it had nothing to do with the waitress. Just about everything John Key did would trigger the abuse. Hence the term “Key derangement syndrome”.
I had two problems with Key.
1. In the early days, long before he became PM, I saw first hand on the net sufficient evidence to strongly suggest he had fudged timelines on his CV to cover up some less than lily-white dealings.
All this was many years back and I made links at the time, although they’ve long gone.
2. If you have worked for a large global corporate you will have encountered his type, the senior management surfer who rides from one role to another, making himself look good with short-term actions, but when you look deeper they achieve little of long-term value; and often a trail of damage behind them that doesn’t show up until they’ve moved on.
They’re the big-swinging alpha male in the room, all charm and sociability, but we used to call them ‘suited sharks’, you could never trust them to do anything but serve their own appetites.
I think I made those points and then shut up; events have largely proven me right on the second point at least. But on the whole I agree with you, becoming obsessed with a personality is unseemly at best, and usually counterproductive.
Yep. Some of those comments made by those he used to work with (such as half the time they could barely understand him – the Smiling Assassin Era), are a now a bit hard to find, or his tough solo-mum upbringing – as if I ever wanted to waste my time trying to do so.
When we think of Paula Bennett being the ladder puller upper, Paula really has nothing on Johnny Wideboy
If I dug deeply into my computer files and bookmarks and was so inclined, I could probably still find most of those old links. I am an archivist by nature as well as a pedant … LOL.
“It is not a National Party campaign. It is the toxic commenters that all too frequently inhabit Kiwiblog.”
If this were true they would have their comments moderated. The lack of moderation suggests their comments are welcome and encouraged.
Moderating is a significant problem for any blog. I suspect that DF places a very high value on freedom of expression and finds the whole idea of moderating very unappealing.
The cost is that he has to put up with some commenters indulging in their worst natures. And he certainly doesn’t have that problem on his own.
Redlogix,
You have essentially stated his policy. Much more light handed than The Standard. Virtually no-one gets banned, unless they are an extreme racist. I know DPF well enough to know he does not share the views of the contributors. His views are in the articles.
He also has the problem of volume. Sometimes his General Debate has 500 comments. Kiwiblog (going by the number of comments) is at least twice as well read as any other blog.
heh … DF damned nearly banned me once. But I have to admit I was being monumentally obnoxious 🙂
I was “banned for life” 3 times by DPF. Ousted from Keeping Stock as well. Homepaddock too. And now, Pete George’s place 🙂
It’s strange; I’m a polite and reasonable sort of guy.
So to summarize; there is moderation at kiwiblog if one is left leaning.
Kiwibank comments policy
Not sticking to the policy then?
Virtually no-one gets banned, unless they are an extreme racist.
If you don’t think the constant stream of brutal, demeaning and disgusting attacks against Māori, Aboriginal Australians, African-Americans, Arabs, Somalis, Palestinians, “Pakis”, and many other groups is not “extreme racist” then you must move in some horribly insalubrious circles.
Oh that’s right—you were in cabinet with John Banks and John “Hone” Carter, weren’t you! Compared to them, even the vilest ranter on Kiwiblog is Albert Schweitzer.
I’ve never visited the site @ Wayne, but would many of those 500 comments be visits and revisits by MSM journalists and opinionistas preparing for their weekend spots on Television current affairs programmes or weekdays with a Mora.
HE, (the Farrar) is the voice of reason for that ‘moderate’ center right.
The guy is truly exceptional, you’d have to agree, despite the overwhelming impediments he’s had to overcom. And the most reliable of statistics – in terms of visits to his site, verify that (going forward).
I’ve been researching various penguin species though, and I can’t seem to identify him. He doesn’t fit your Emperor, your Yellow Eyed (though he comes close), or Northern Rockhopper, or most of the other ‘types’).
I wonder if he might not be some sort of exceptional freak derivative of the Royal (Holier Than Thou) species. Or has he fooled us all and is in fact a wolf dressed up in a penguin’s clothing.
I wonder @ Wayne….could you pontificate a little, and provide us all with an opinion as to what makes this little penguin such a reasonable, affable and well-liked little fella
300 000 children in poverty is not a heinious crime, eh Wayne?
Though, both National and Labour, were complicit
Key is a crook in reality.
Just because his dealings were legal, doesn’t mean they were less damaging.
Farrar’s “Greens to slaughter national cow herds” post wasn’t “reasonable” – straight-out dishonest scare-mongering.
Morrissey didn’t bring Key up, James did
Leave it, FGS – what is today – and tomorrow – again?
Try a little kindness and good will to all men – meaning everyone.
Who the hell are you? The Xmas Police?
Yes James we did say stuff about key, but most often on this blog people back up what they say with some sort of evidence. Morrissey quotes from kiwi blog appear to be the ignorant putting down someone in power with no actual eg of why they think that way. It could not be used as evidence in court.
Many on here myself included called John k a prick and worse, but it would be in response to say him pulling a waitresses pony tail or denying their was a housing crisis.
The thing about the whole ponytail pulling thing was that he never accepted what he did was wrong. He always tried to justify himself.
Or not even justify himself Millay. Key would just lie. Remember how he said about the waitress “yeah I gave her a couple of bottles of wine and she said yeah all good”. Or words to that effect.
[citation needed]
I hope those people are not my neighbours. Possibly their spitefulness spills over (or from?) to the National MPs who are known for their spitefullness like P Bennett, Collins, Bridges, that gardening woman, and more.
I hope those people are not my neighbours.
Possibly. Do you have any neighbours that sit around all day listening to talk radio, and never read anything more challenging than a Big Mac wrapper?
Possibly their spitefulness spills over (or from?) to the National MPs who are known for their spitefullness like P Bennett, Collins, Bridges, that gardening woman, and more.
They take their lead from the National Party/talk radio complex.
For a moment there, I thought you were having a go at satire.
I’ve had many goes at satire, my friend. But that selection of quotes is beyond satire. I just quoted it all verbatim, without adding a single thing.
I like to believe in the best of people but some are just cunts, take Moz for example…his long time paramour Longhair is outed and he discards him like yesterday’s paper.
Nice one Morrisey I think ‘KevOB’ is a classic.
“KevOB: Speeches? She’s barely liderate. The rest of the COL with rare exceptions r even vurse.”
Definitely, the outstanding winner of ‘Brain (if any) Dead Fuckwit of the Year.’
Half crown lol
Kev’s a man of god, too.
I think those hate filled vile comments illustrate the important place kiwiblog has become. Without it I suspect some of those unhinged folk could be wandering the streets causing mayhem.
Indeed – this blog serves a similar purpose.
False equivalence, you fool.
Ah Moz – second rate wit, third rate stenographer and forever the cuckold at the Northcote cottaging party, what would we do without you.
Second rate wit? That’s harsh. I for one could never aspire to the heights of comedy mozzie achieves so effortlessly. Without trying, even.
Thanks, Andre. Appreciate the support.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Oh wait a minute….
So that is where Watson is these days. God she is a poster I cannot stand.
We were on to her back in 2012, when she won a Banksy Award….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/dum-quote-of-week.html
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Standard admins, posters and commenters. I know I haven’t been posting as much as I should, but I always read what people have to say, some of it good, some not so good.
And Morrissey – I don’t know why you go on Kiwiblog. The comments there are as depressing as duck.
One final word. If you are at a family Xmas gathering and someone starts running Jacinda down, you need to defend her honour at all costs.
“One final word. If you are at a family Xmas gathering and someone starts running Jacinda down, you need to defend her honour at all costs.”
Sad.
The sad gits are the ones who join in those witless disparaging comments. They’re a small minority, however, and in normal company usually have to keep their diseased thoughts to themselves.
On NewstalkZB and the Whaleoil blog, OTOH….
Explain why have we got to defend her honour. Enlighten us?
There are going to be hordes of right wing Gammon and their dolled up wives at every Xmas gathering complaining about how Jacinda is going to raid their retirement nest egg and give it all to the ‘poor’. They need to be put in their place accordingly.
Generally a bad idea to turn a family Christmas event into a political bunfight. Stay away from it. Only in jest, and even then only if you know it will be safe to do so.
millsy … I have to agree with Wayne. Put your family first mate; they’re way more important than politics.
Well if there was a “Tall Man” (probably a 5 foot loser with short mans syndrome) in my family calling Jacinda Ardern “thick as pig shit” I certainly wouldn’t let it go unchallenged.
Me either – they’d get the message pretty sharpish. Stand up for your values millsy and don’t let wankers bully good people. Be strong and don’t cower in fear like some.
Those were the types of people I was referring to. And there will be a lot of people like those.
Why put your family first, Bob McKoskrie does that and I wouldn’t want to share his lack of values. Some family would be worth disowning. Personally if I’m related to any of the regular RWNJ who come here with the sole reason to cast shade on the government I would happily drop them from any family gatherings. Just because you’re related to someone doesn’t mean you have to like them.
Why put your family first, Bob McKoskrie does that and I wouldn’t want to share his lack of values.
Does he though? I heard him pontificating about how “good parents” should be allowed to hit their toddlers with a hair-brush.
Well if you’re going to have a go then:
1. Read this: https://www.abc.net.au/life/how-to-make-christmas-with-the-family-better-for-you-and-them/10588592
2. Check with any women present first; they may have put a lot of effort in and have an opinion on the likely outcome of your political re-education efforts.
Just saying 🙂
No, RBO, you don’t always agree with family, but if you love your partner you stand the rellies for their sake, and you keep constant and just agree to disagree. Change the subject to how much work has been done by family to get the party started.
Dancing is good, or choose where you sit or stand carefully with a view to harmony. Tell yourself to count blessings, quietly, jacinda being one of them.Do something kind or thoughtful. Be glad to be alive.Be grateful all the family are there.
For those facing a first Christmas without someone. Kia kaha, this will be the worst year. Be kind most of all to yourself. Think of those faced with sudden loss, and hug your children, partner or friends.
Life is short and should be shared. Happy holiday season to you all.
I’m getting a new hip in my Santa sack, I hope you are getting in something you need in yours. Cheers.
Some xmas advice from Bill
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10152534875267297&id=62507427296
This MAGA business is hard work.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DvHrGSwX4AA__CJ.jpg
ROFL – certainly is hard work and needs an understanding of what a billion is!
Even using the US definition of a thousand million (1,000,000,000), her calculations are out by a couple of 00s; much more using the UK definition of a million millions (1,000,000,000,000)! Dream on ….
While I’ve long been aware that to some people a billion is 10^12, I’ve never actually come across anyone using billion that way, it’s always meant 10^9.
Yes, if there’s been the slightest possibility of that miscommunication I’ve checked; I’ve seen too many cockups in my engineering career from units and definitions misunderstandings.
I have rechecked and now realise that the UK definition I used, while technically the correct old UK definition, has largely been overtaken by use of the US definition – for example, according to the Oxford Living Dictionary
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/explore/how-many-is-a-billion/
I can fully understand the moving to a common definition to reduce confusion and cock-ups. Nevertheless I enjoyed the cock-up in the link!
You don’t appear to know too many pure mathematicians.
Any Professor of PURE Mathematics would happily tell you that 1 was a first approximation for infinity.
Well they are not going to get it from the Dems! And the Mexicans sure as hell arn’t going to pay, and The Chump has so many investigations to defend, that he has to employ an army of lawyers, so he’s not gonna pay, and despite constant assurances from Huckabee-Sanders that they have all the money they need – (But not enuf to pay Govt employees over xmas) there is no money in the bank to “BUILD THE WALL!” 🙁
So the Trumpkins are going to fund a little
https://fundly.com/build-the-trump-wall-foundation
https://www.fundthewall.com/
Meanwhile…
https://www.gofundme.com/ladders-to-get-over-trump039s-wall
😂
Thread about the RWNJ behind the con.
Could Hillary not help out? Maybe one section funded by the Clinton Foundation with a little plaque?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlFi0QUboxs
Careful, Siobhan, you’ll get the boot if you don’t pay her due homage.
http://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-clobbering-machine-strikes-again.html
Ha ha
If you’re going to do the authoritarian thug thing, you do it away from prying eyes.
/
“I am extremely alarmed by the announcement by the Nicaraguan Government that it has told two key human rights institutions set up by the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights (IACHR) to leave the country.
[…]
In addition, the Government has said it will no longer accept visits by the IACHR itself.
Coupled with the parallel clamp-down on independent media, including last weekend’s raids on media outlets, the net result is a country where civil society is in danger of being shut out altogether, and international organizations are also struggling to keep operating.
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24041&LangID=E
lurcher1948 said:
“Fellow poster beware when you go out on the turps,it happens….drive safely and keep posting,
Yesterday I went to a Christmas party. I had a few beers, followed by a few cocktails, followed by a few shots….
I still had the sense to know that I was over the limit. That’s when I decided to do what I have never done before: I took a cab home.
Sure enough, there was a police road block on the way home, and since it was a cab, they waved it past. I arrived home safely without incident. This was both a great relief and a surprise because I had never driven a cab before. I don’t even know where I got it from and, now that it is in my garage, I don’t know what to do with it.”
LOL !
HA Ha Robert. Read it to my family – great hilarity, especially from my two sons who had already celebrated Christmas two days ago.
Brilliant Robert (6) Love it … Many thanks for sharing 🙂
So that is where my taxi got to!
Bring it back immediately. I may need it to get home tonight.
Yours being the last cab off the rank, Alwyn (for this political term anyway).
Have a merry Christmas, ol’ curmudgeon (he’s our curmudgeon and therefore, special 🙂
One Christmas eve in Melbourne, in a time long ago, magic elves spirited a tree onto the mainmast of a ship.
“Not me, not me” said all the elves, when plod arrived Christmas morning.
(The Myers sign on the big concrete pot, sort of giving the game away).
“Get it down” said plod.
“Not safe” said the elves. “The pot, and tree, are too big to move”.
Plod walked away, after his Christmas beer was drunk, Shaking his head
Two weeks later, in NZ, we bribed a mobile crane driver, with even more beer, of course, to get it down
I must have been one of the culprits, but to this day, I cannot remember how we got it up there. We certainly couldn’t, and wouldn’t, have done it sober.
In today’s more puritan times, we would have all been sacked, for not following the procedure, and not filling in the checklist!
Those elves were in high spirits, I’m guessing.
Ski-ing on the piste!
Wishing all contributors to TS the compliments of the season, whether you celebrate the festival of Christmas or not. Take good care and stay safe.
Looking forward to some healthy debate again in 2019.
Meri Kirihimete
Merry Christmas everyone, keep safe and let’s do it all again next year 🙂
Some of us will keep doing it over the Christmas to New Year period, Pucky, giving us the advantage over part-timers like you 🙂
Merry Christmas to you and may your embarrassing crush desert you before the 2019 year gets under way.
Likewise, Merry Christmas to everyone! We may not always agree, but at least we turn up to debate and hopefully learn something from time to time.
Puckish Rogue, Merry Christmas to you too.
I expect a year of poetic output of epic proportions worthy of your paramour!
In an epic along the lines of the Táin or The Cattle Raid of Cooley. Queen Iudhaith Collaínns ní Cruisheer wants the services of a stud bull and decides to rent one from a neighbouring powerful magnate but the deal turns sour when it is found out by the owner, Sean Cí, that she would have stolen it anyway to “get it”. After a long row, in which Queen Iudhaith is banished to the benches at the back of the Great Hall, the trichotillomaniacal Cí abdicates and Liam Shasanna of Diptonnaigh captures the great bull.
War ensues, and the young hero, Pu Cuíllish óg Rogaínn, fights many battles singlehanded to win her favours. Amongst his adversaries whom he vanquishes is the queen of the Fairies, Paúllauch Ban Neitt, and the mercenary Machus M’Cheil who he kills with his legendary spear, Seamus Bolga.
A three day single handed combat with the chief, Simbhon Brighe, is complicated by the intervention of Pu Cuíllish’s charioteer, Seamus-Leoigh Rossaig, whose dealings with the underworld have given him special information that could cause Brighe’s doughty bodyguard to desert him.
However, Queen Iudhaith’s overseas alliances trump the charioteer Seamus-Leoigh and the saga ends with a new order restored thanks to the heroic exploits of Pu Cuíllish óg Rogaínn and the rightful accession by Queen Iudhaith Collaínns ní Cruisheer to the leadership of the aptly named Sinn Faíl.
Slainte.
That’s hard to read with a raging hangover 🙂
I hope you have recovered , PR. I am of an age where I have forgotten the severity of the symptoms, but not the cause…… 🙂
More from the glorious George Galloway. A marvelous man.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNyRWxzMSTA
Happy Chrismas to to all
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mOFvJVroAJE&feature=youtu.be
Kia ora Newshub I do support MPI having more tools to help control our fisheries conservation and keep themselves safe while preforming there duties .
With kevin spacey some people have a view that’s not acceptable they don’t think we can figure out the motive behind ones actions like someone else in the Media.
Those are cool words our Queen said in her Christmas speech Ka pai.
I do agree that hogget meat is better than lamb to eat and we should market that fact about our sheep meat it would be better for the environment to export me higher value hogget meat.
Helping refugees is, cool Idea
CHOSE LOVE I would use that to help the poor people If we have a branch here in Aotearoa many thanks to the organisers of this brilliant Idea.
Our Coalition government has achieved a lot of good deeds so far Ka pai. Ka kite ano P.S On the Farm with our Tamariki and Mokopunas