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/
The guy behind #GoFundTheWall didn't mention the right-wing sites he owned that were banned by Facebook two months ago, or his Fight4FreeSpeech group (also accepting donations!) in his GoFundMe for the wall.
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
Just in case you don’t have a seven-year-old boy in your house (in which case this will be obvious) a well-known brand of breakfast cereal here in NZ is currently coming with All-Blacks stats cards. Perfect for finding out your favourite rugby player’s height, number of caps, and how much ...
Over the past month we've heard some horrificstories about bullying in the police. The police's response? Try to bully people into silence:The police have told a whistleblower to retract his statements to RNZ about being bullied or face legal action. The demand came just hours after Police Commissioner Mike ...
Today is a Member's Day, which should see the final part of the committee stage of David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill. The big question today is the referendum clause: will it be necessary, or can the bill pass without it? While the majorities for his amendments during the ...
One of the key arguments used by trans ideologists is that some male-bodied people (ie men) are women because they ‘feel’ they are women. To make this hocus-pocus sound a bit more credible, some will argue that such men have a ‘female brain’. But this is thoroughly anti-scientific too. . ...
Canadians went to the polls today in parliamentary elections, and appear to have re-elected blackface wearer Justin Trudeau. Unfortunately, they use first-past-the-post, and they've provided a perfect demonstration of how unfair this system is:PartySeats% Seats% VoteLiberal15746.4%33.1%Conservative12135.8%34.4%Bloc Québécois329.5%7.7%New Democratic Party247.1%15.9%Green Party30.9%6.5%Other10.3%2.4% [Results from Elections Canada] Yes, the Liberals got fewer votes ...
A few days ago, a friend sent me a link to a health-related FB page that had published a post from a homeopathist, offering homeopathic “vaccination”¹ against measles (using something called a “Morbillinum nosode” at a “potency” of 200C, which I’ll explain shortly). I followed the link, left a comment ...
by Gearóid Ó Loingsigh This year marks the 20th anniversary of the La Gabarra massacre. The community organised an event to remember the most well-known of the horrendous heart-breaking events that befell the communities of this area of the municipality of Tibú: the massacre carried out on August 21st 1999. ...
There was another police chase in Christchurch this morning, resulting in a crash which killed one person and injured five more. Because someone died, the chase is being investigated by the Independent Police Conduct Authority. And based on previous reports by the IPCA, we know how it will go: the ...
Just a month ago we saw the biggest protest in a generation as people marched to demand stronger action on climate change. A core demand of the protesters was to strengthen the Zero Carbon Bill's target to net-zero by 2040. So what is the government's response? Judging by the ...
Back in 2010, I wrote about the strange tale of the zombie ants, which do the bidding of their fungal overlords. (They’re not an isolated example; a range of parasites change their hosts’ behaviour. See here and here for example – though as you’ll find, the toxoplasmosis story may be ...
Shouldn't That Be: "Wrong White Crowd"? Rather than apportion guilt, would it not have been wiser for the makers of Land Of The Long White Cloud to accept that the Pakeha of 2019 are not – and never will be – “Europeans”? Just as contemporary Maori are not – and ...
One, Two, Many Truths: With the collapse of “actually existing socialism” in 1991, the universities of the West found themselves saddled with a new mission. With their ideological competitors now soundly defeated they were no longer required to demonstrate the superiority of capitalist values. Their job now was to cement ...
by the Council of Disobedient Women We call on the Council of Trade Unions to show some fortitude and take a stand with your sisters. Unionists know that there is a material world, otherwise workers could simply identify out of poverty. They could declare themselves Well Paid. Why stop ...
I spent some time reading the Regulatory Impact Statement and Bill of Rights Act advice for the government's odious control order scheme today. I am not impressed with either of them. Starting with the RIS, it is built on some pretty questionable assumptions. For example:Unless individuals have been convicted of ...
#NoFly: Walking the talk on climate change, by Shaun Hendy. BWB Texts, 2019. Reviewed by Robert McLachlan In June 2018, Swede Maja Rosén founded We stay on the ground with a pledge not to fly in 2019, and a goal of persuading 100,000 other Swedes to join her. In August, ...
We all know that NZ First is a party of and for old people who hate the young. But they've topped their previous pedophobia with a proposal that all young people be forced to do 100 hours community work:NZ First wants all young people to do 100 hours of community ...
A couple days ago the NZ Herald published a story with the headline, “Science says Bella Hadid is world’s most beautiful woman“, and followed up with the ridiculous statement that Supermodel Bella Hadid has been declared as the world’s most beautiful woman following a scientific study into what constitutes as ...
A Sustainable Proposition: With as much as 18 percent of the electorate declaring itself “undecided” about who to vote for, there is obviously plenty of space for a party like former Green Party member, Vernon Tava's, about-to-be-launched "Sustainable NZ Party" to move into. The most hospitable political territory for such ...
Keir Starmer has hinted that Labour might vote in favour of the Johnson government's shoddy deal, with the proviso that a second referendum is attached:Speaking to BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show, he said: “We will see what that looks like but it makes sense to say that by whatever ...
In 1994, I was the editor for an issue of Planet magazine focused on cannabis, its culture and the prospects for the end of its prohibition. Part of that issue was an interview with 'Ringo', an experienced cannabis dealer.I recently posted my essay from that issue, and I figured it ...
Dr Helen Waite, sports sociologist and former elite athlete, on the invasion of women’s sport by men and the anti-scientific and misogynist ideology used to rationalise it. ...
As Brexit comes to a grisly conclusion (perhaps) people on all sides are saying intemperate and uwise things. Some, like the Daly Mail, have been doing it for years.People as normally level headed as Jon Lansman are calling for automatic deselection of MPs who vote against a (likely) Labour three ...
I've got one source saying more Labour MPs than expected are mulling whether to vote for the deal - including names who were not on the letter to Juncker and Tusk— Emilio Casalicchio (@e_casalicchio) 17 October 2019 I've compiled a list of possible reasons why Labour ...
On Wednesday, the government was loudly telling us that it needed to legislate to allow it to impose "control orders" - effectively a parole regime, but imposed without charge, prosecution, conviction or real evidence - on suspected terrorists because they couldn't be prosecuted for their supposed crimes. Today, it turns ...
On Monday, the Hit and Run inquiry heard from NZDF's former director of special operations, who claimed that the defence Minister knew everything about the Operation Burnham raid. Today, the inquiry heard from that (former) Minister - and it turns out that he didn't know nearly as much as NZDF ...
Yoga gurus and cult leaders – I’ve seen a few. Two weeks ago, I unknowingly joined an alleged new-age cult at the Kāpiti coast, together with a giant kraken and some neatly dressed pensioners who would make any book club proud.They were among the two hundred people of all ages ...
The last decade has seen a trend of increasing weapons availability to police. Assault rifles. Tasers on every hip. Guns in cars. And following the march 15 massacre, pistols on every hip, all over the country. At the same time, its also seen an increase in the abuse of force: ...
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been busy preparing for our summer paper on Science Communication. Looking for something amusing about ‘risk’ in science, I came across this neat xkcd.com cartoon about why so many people come knocking on my door (or phoning me, or emailing me) desperately wanting ...
by John Edmundson The International Socialist Organisation (ISO) have recently reposted a February article, by Romany Tasker-Poland, explaining ISO’s position in the “trans rights” debate. It is available on their website and on their Facebook Page. The article sets out to explain why “socialists support trans rights”. It reads more ...
"Auckland City Mission: 10% of Kiwis experiencing food insecurity", RNZ, 16 October 2019:About half a million people are experiencing food insecurity, according to new research from the Auckland City Mission. Food insecurity, or food poverty, is defined as not having enough appropriate food. The City Mission said over the last ...
Media Statement for Immediate Release 16th October 2019 “Fake News” from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers Despite comments from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers—Herald Newspaper Tuesday Oct 15th–there is very little evidence ...
Would You Buy A Used Propaganda Video From This Man? Bridges and the National Party’s strategists have discovered that the ideas and attitudes considered acceptable by today’s editors and journalists are no longer enforceable. The rise and rise of the Internet and the social media platforms it spawned means that ...
There is plenty of evidence of the way the business mentality has permeated every level of society since the recrudescence of market liberalism 35 years ago. You only need to think of how citizens in need of help from their government, their state, their country, are now routinely described as ...
John MacCormickOver the last 40 years, New Zealanders – and people in other countries – have experienced big changes in the jobs they do and where they live and work. These changes include: a decline in manufacturing jobs an increase in jobs in ‘information-intensive’ industries (which are better paid ...
Nick Wilson, Leah Grout, Mereana Wilson, Anja Mizdrak, Phil Shoemack, Michael BakerProtecting waterways has the benefits of: (1) protecting water from hazardous microbes; (2) minimising cancer risk and other problems from nitrates in water; (3) avoiding algal blooms that are hazardous to health; (4) protecting mahinga kai uses (cultural ...
by The Council of Disobedient Women In a press release today Massey University announced it has decided to rebrand and reorientate after struggling to be a University for grown-ups. For some time the University has wanted to be a safe play space for wee-woke-misogynists who have been really badly triggered ...
After a brief dalliance with 'hard Revoke' it looks like the Lib Dems are changing ground on on Brexit, with leader Jo Swinson reverting to calling for a second referendum on Johnson's deal.The party has tabled an amendment to the Queen’s speech requesting that any deal brought back from Brussels ...
The government has decided that someone has done Something Bad. But despite their belief, there seems to be no evidence that they have actually broken the law. So the government's solution is to pass a retrospective law allowing them to be punished anyway, on a lower standard of proof. If ...
So, Judith Collins has done a Facebook rant about climate change, peddling the same shit National has been shovelling for the past twenty years: the impacts are overstated, there's no need to do anything about it, and its too hard anyway (oh, and its so unfair that people who peddle ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzThere is a lot of discussion on the benefits of ...
I came across this song quite by accident. If it isn't one of Greta Thunberg's favourites - it should be.Video courtesy of YouTube.This post is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
Last month, NZDF's shoddy coverup of what it knew about civilian casualties in Operation Burnham began to fall apart, with the revelation that a report on the matter, which NZDF claimed not to have, had been sitting in an NZDF safe for the past nine years. Yesterday, the man responsible ...
While many imagine that countries like the USA and Europe dominate space activities, in fact India is now a major player on this stage. It launches satellites for its own purposes and also commercially, and has constellations orbiting our planet and returning data of vital importance to that nation in ...
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...
For the past week, Extinction Rebellion has been peacefully protesting in London to demand action on climate change. The British government's response? Ban their protests:Police have banned Extinction Rebellion protests from continuing anywhere in London, as they moved in almost without warning to clear protesters who remained at the movement’s ...
An essay by Judith Collins MP reported on Carbon News yesterday seems to show an alarming shift in attitude within the National Party. Collins argues against the Zero Carbon Bill, the Paris Agreement, and downplays the magnitude of climate impacts. The Paris Agreement was adopted in December 2015 and ratified ...
When they were running for election, Labour promised to overhaul the Employment Relations Act and introduce fair pay agreements to set basic pay and conditions on an industry level, preventing bad employers from undercutting good ones. They followed this up by establishing a working group, which reported back in January ...
A list of indicators of bad science – many of these are found in articles promoted by anti-fluoride activists. Anti-fluoride activists have been pouring money into a scaremongering campaign warning pregnant women not to drink fluoridated water. They claim fluoride will lower the IQ of their future child. Fluoride ...
Nothing Left To Say: Labour's pollster, Stephen Mills, remains swaddled-up in the comforting myths of the 1980s. As if the experience of Roger Douglas’s genuinely radical post-Muldoon policy agenda was literally a once-in-a-lifetime thing – as much as the party could possibly absorb for at least the next 50 years.MEMO ...
The Royal Commission on abuse in care is very significant for the disability community. For many decades last century, thousands of disabled children, and adults who managed to survive, were locked away from families and communities. This was not for anything they had done, but for the perceived threat their ...
With an unfair voting system, uneven electorates and an un-elected upper house, the UK's "democracy" is barely worthy of the name. But now the government wants to make it worse:The government has been accused of suppressing voters’ rights with the potential disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of people after plans ...
Back in the 90's and early 2000's, the building industry was building leaky homes which should never have been granted consent. Now it turns out they've been building dodgy office blocks as well:New imaging technology has revealed hundreds of major buildings nationwide have defective or missing concrete or reinforcing steel. ...
Local body election results were released over the weekend, to joy or despair depending on where you live. In Auckland, Phil Goff trounced John Tamihere, who is muttering darkly about running for Parliament again (but which party would want him?) Wellington is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Weta Workshop, except ...
How could government evolve over the next decades? Reports of democracy’s imminent demise are greatly exaggerated. However, satisfaction with political systems in many countries is low, so there is much to do for governments of all political stripes to improve relevance and trust. Digital technologies are seen as one ...
Two years have now gone by since the Friday afternoon when my university-student son and I headed out of our Barcelona flat to a nearby primary school, designated as a polling station for the vote that was to be held the following Sunday: the referendum on Catalonia’s independence from Spain ...
Overruled: The joint decision of Finance Minister, Grant Robertson (Labour) and his Associate Minister, David Parker (Labour) arguably the two most powerful ministers in Jacinda Ardern’s government, to grant OceanaGold the consents which Land Information Minister, Eugenie Sage (Greens) had earlier denied them, offers bitter proof of how hard fighting ...
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...
A Statement on Abortion Law Reform by the Council of Disobedient Women On the eve of bringing an end to antiquated, anti-women abortion laws Green MP Jan Logie intends to write women out of the Bill. With a stroke of the pen, the woke are aiming for total erasure ...
Musings continue apace about “the experienced businessman!” soon to be taking up a National Party MP position. Or to be more accurate, being parachuted into a seat to shut down their former MP Jamie-Lee Ross, who despite his own shortcomings shed at least some more light on the inner workings ...
The Ugandan government wants to murder gay people:Uganda has announced plans to impose the death penalty on homosexuals. The bill, colloquially known as “Kill the Gays” in Uganda, was nullified five years ago on a technicality, but the government said on Thursday it plans to resurrect it within weeks. The ...
Hassan Vally, La Trobe UniversityWho doesn’t want to know if drinking that second or third cup of coffee a day will improve your memory, or if sleeping too much increases your risk of a heart attack? We’re invested in staying healthy and many of us are interested in reading ...
Freedom Of Speech? The Säuberung (cleansing by fire) was the work of the German Student Union which, on 10 May 1933, under the watchful eye of the Nazi Reichminister for Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, consigned 25,000 books to the flames in a ritual exorcism of “un-German thought”. According to the logic of the ...
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...
New Zealand has prided itself for decades with regard to its lack of pollution, and all will be aware that the ‘100% Pure New Zealand‘ meme is under threat through land, water and air pollution of various causes. There is another type of contamination that the country also faces: light ...
New Zealand’s media is doing its part in Japan, reassuring those in the path of the storm that they won’t miss any rugby while away from their flooded homes. New Zealand sports reporters stationed in Japan for the Rugby World Cup have had the rare and heartwarming opportunity to inform ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones is the only Cabinet member in favour of putting it all on green. As Finance Minister Grant Robertson finds himself with an enormous $7.5 billion surplus, the Government has begun intense, at times contentious conversations about whether to put the money on red or black at ...
by Susanne Kemp At the start of September close to 100,000 school teachers went on strike in Jordan. They demanded a 50% pay rise. A pay rise actually agreed to by the regime back in 2014. In early October, however, in the face of government repression and threats, the teachers’ ...
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nzWhy do people still think climate change isn’t real?David ...
Back in 2011, journalist Nicky Hager published Other People's Wars, an expose on NZDF's activities over the previous decade of the "war on terror". NZDF didn't like this, and especially didn't like the fact that it was base don leaks from their own. So, they had the SIS investigate him ...
The Zero Carbon Bill is due back from select committee in two weeks, and will likely pass its final stages in November. So naturally, farmers are planning a hate-march against it. But they're not just demanding lower methane targets so they can keep on destroying the planet; they're also demanding ...
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones has hit back at those who are upset over a change in approach to partnership visas. There has been a specific government directive to stop waiving requirements such as couples needing to have lived together for 12 months - a test Indian couples who have ...
The North Auckland Line rejuvenation kicks off with teams surveying the rail corridor and Northland construction contractors are showing interest in the project.KiwiRail provided an industry briefing for Northland contracting and construction companies about future work opportunities on rejuvenating Northland’s rail lines. The briefing session in Whangarei was held to ...
Journalist Andrew Dickens, reporting from the 2019 New Zealand First Conference, states that the Party once again proved “they are more than a sideshow”. In his op-ed article for NewstalkZB, Mr Dickens said he has always been an admirer of the Party, saying they are “a true centrist party”. “[NZ ...
New Zealand First's potential policy of compulsory community service for ages 15-19 years old has been getting support from those in the industry. A policy remit was passed during their recent Conference in Christchurch, gaining the support of a majority of its membership. Party leader Winston Peters has been talking ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the Party hopes to decide it’s stance pill testing at music festivals "before the season of concern", with festivals generally held during the summer months. Mr Peters' comments come in an interview with TVNZ's Q+A and follow a remit from the party's youth ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says he has been told to be "alert" to potential cost blowouts for the light rail project in Auckland. Mr Peters said no such concerns were raised with him from ministerial colleagues, including Transport Minister Phil Twyford of the Labour Party. He suggested that ...
Rt Hon Winston Peters Leader of New Zealand First The Benefits of having New Zealand First in the Centre: Security, Experience & Balance 2.00pm, 20th October 2019 Ladies and Gentlemen Thank you all for your warm welcome to this, the party’s 26thConvention. Speaking on behalf of caucus colleagues, it’s great to ...
Fletcher Tabuteau, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs Fletcher Tabuteau is travelling to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu this week to continue toadvance important bilateral relationships in our region consistent with thePacific Reset. Mr Tabuteau will engage in a range of bilateral meetings and visit New Zealand development ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is predicting a hard Brexit for the United Kingdom, as he believes British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won’t be able to negotiate terms before the October 30 deadline. The Minister, who was one of the first to publicly come out and predict British voters would leave ...
Speaking at the Council of Trade Unions' (CTU) biennial conference, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters told unionists that any future attacks on the Government won't work. "Now, we are being attacked by the union movement in this country. You can have your views but I'm here to say standing ...
We want every New Zealander to be happy, safe, and healthy. To do this, we need to support strong, safe communities, and a robust and efficient health system. ...
Defence Minister Ron Mark has used his powers to overrule a noise complaint ruling against Whenuapai airbase on the grounds of "national security". The Environment Court last month released a ruling in favour of a private developer, declaring the Auckland airbase had to comply with noise restrictions when it performs ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has opened fire against "unreconstructed morons" after NZ First MP Shane Jones was photographed on holiday holding an AR-15 rifle. Mr Peters is defending Mr Jones, telling Magic Talk host Peter Williams that his MP was just having fun "like most people do". "The ...
New Zealand First Deputy Leader and Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau was in attendance during the morning blessing of the Rotorua Lakefront development project. Around 60 people gathered on the shores of Lake Rotorua, including city mayor Steve Chadwick and deputy Dave Donaldson. The Lakefront development is a ...
Forestry Minister Shane Jones is considering reining in on conversions of farmland to forestry, and also issued a warning to foreign-owned forestry companies that make up nearly 75 per cent of the industry. He said too many foreign companies had not provided enough access for domestic processors to get timber. ...
Speaking to Radio NZ, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the tightening of the parental category visa is a direct result of the Party’s coalition negotiations with the Labour Party. He said the new changes switch the financial onus from the parent moving to New Zealand to the child ...
The Coalition Government is set to cut red tape in the building and construction sector in an effort to allow more houses to be built, including prefabricated houses. The changes will enable the mass factory production of "high quality" buildings, slash the likely number of building inspections for factory produced ...
Since coming into Government, we’ve worked hard to tackle homelessness and make sure everyone has a warm, dry home. And today, on World Homeless Day, we want to report back and update you on our progress so far. ...
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has hit back at National Party leader Simon Bridges who criticized the Coalition Government’s approach to crime, and said that the latter isn't credible in his attack on the Government over gang recruitment. "We've got as massive drug problem in this country. It is ...
New Zealand Mānuka honey exporters have welcomed an initiative by the Coalition Government to help secure the term “mānuka honey” to be used exclusively by Kiwi exporters, ensuring that our multimillion-dollar industry is protected. Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones had recently announced that a Provincial Growth Funding of $5.7 ...
Political commentator Mike Hosking has labelled New Zealand First leader Winston Peters as “the voice of reason in a government soft on drugs”, for the Party’s stance on drug testing at music festivals. “If common sense is worth a vote, Winston Peters is quids in,” Mr Hosking said. The Labour ...
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau has announced Provincial Growth Funding to ensure work opportunities in Turangi and Whanganui, through its skills and employment programme, Te Ara Mahi. A fund of $500,000 will go to Rafting NZ in Turangi for a 16-week river guide training course to train ...
Treasury has shown that the Coalition Government has a $7.5 billion surplus, which is $4 billion higher than what was expected in the 2019 Budget unveiled last May. It is also $2 billion higher than the actual surplus unveiled this time last year, and at a size that has not ...
Official Information Act figures released to NZME show there were 350 assaults on officers in the year to the end of June, 79 more than the year before. The increase in attacks have sparked calls for more legal protection for first responders to be enacted. The assaults included officers being ...
“Nobody wants to see babies uplifted”, this was the pronouncement of Minister for Children Hon. Tracey Martin as her department, Oranga Tamariki, faces multiple inquiries into the number of babies being taken from their families. “But a baby can die with a single punch, “the Minister continued. “So sometimes, Oranga ...
We're making progress on tackling the long-term challenges: from homelessness, to strengthening border security, to bringing banking back New Zealand's small towns. ...
Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones has backed the ambitious plan to move Auckland’s port to Northport, at Whangarei harbour, which he says will be the “King Kong of infrastructure”. The plan is part of the recommendations of a six-person independent working group, which has recommended the Ports of Auckland be ...
The Government’s Housing Dashboard released today confirms record numbers of state houses are under construction and shows the Government build programme is gaining momentum. “After nine years of inaction, and a hands-off attitude from the previous government we’re starting to see things move in the right direction for housing,” says ...
Mr Speaker, I wish to make a ministerial statement relating to the Auckland fire. The Government is closely monitoring the situation with the fire at the NZ International Convention Centre and is thankful that everyone is now safe. Firefighters are doing an incredible job managing the fire and bringing it ...
The Government is investing in ambitious research that will digitise Te Reo, grow the low-carbon protein efficient aquaculture industry, help interpret environmental trends, and large data sets says Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods. The four projects range from teaching Siri to speak Te Reo to crunching large environmental ...
A new education-to-employment brokerage service to strengthen connections between local employers and schools. Funding for more trades focused ‘speed-dating’ events to connect schools with employers. Promotional campaign to raise profile of vocational education. The Government is taking action to increase the number of young people taking up vocational education and ...
A Bill to improve prison security and ensure the fair, safe, and humane treatment of people in prison while upholding public safety has passed its third reading. Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says the Corrections Amendment Bill makes a number of changes to ensure the Corrections Act 2004 is fit for ...
Minister for Māori Development, Nanaia Mahuta, has selected Arihia Bennett MNZM, Chief Executive Officer of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, as the Te Puni Kōkiri appointed representative on the New Zealand-China Council. The New Zealand-China Council (the Council) was established in 2012 as a New Zealand led and funded organisation ...
Responsibility for processing the small number of Southern Response claims still to be settled will be transferred to EQC by the end of the year. “As claim numbers reduce, it no longer makes sense for the Crown to have two organisations processing the remaining Canterbury claims,” Grant Robertson says. “Since ...
Health Minister David Clark is encouraging Whanganui residents to take up the opportunity for free bowel screening, which can detect cancer early when it’s easier to treat. Over the next two years 12,000 Whanganui locals, aged 60 to 74 will be invited to participate in the National Bowel Screening ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio, heads to Oslo today to represent New Zealand at the sixth Our Ocean Conference, which is being hosted by the Norwegian Government from the 23-24 October. “The Our Ocean Conference mobilises real action on issues like marine plastic pollution and the impacts of ...
Two secondary-school initiatives are being expanded as part of the Government’s plan to see more young New Zealanders take up a trade to help close the skills gap. This includes the largest single increase in Trades Academy places in recent years. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris ...
Session 4: Pacific Connectivity – Youth, Media and New Opportunities Kia ora tatou katoa and Warm Pacific greetings to one and all. Representatives of Tainui, the local people of the land, or manawhenua – the indigenous peoples of this area – have welcomed you this morning in accordance with ...
The Government today announced its support for a project that could substantially reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions from cattle. The announcement was made as part of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor’s visit to Nelson’s Cawthron Aquaculture Park. The Cawthron Institute will receive $100,000 from the Government’s ...
Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni has welcomed the first reading of the New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension Legislation Amendment Bill. “Every New Zealander has a stake in New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension,” says Carmel Sepuloni. “They are our most common form of social assistance – nearly 800,000 New ...
Babies in Auckland aged six months and over can receive a free vaccination and children will all have access to vaccines, Associate Minister of Health Julie Anne Genter announced today at Papatoetoe High School. The move comes as part of Government efforts to step up the fight against measles. ...
***Check against delivery*** Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here, and to have the honour of opening this important conference on behalf of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. Let us take the opportunity to acknowledge all the people who have helped make today possible, including our special ...
Police Minister Stuart Nash says the safety of frontline officers and members of the public will be the focus of a new trial of specialist Police response teams in three of our largest urban centres. Police have this morning released details of an initiative to be trialled in Counties Manukau, ...
The Minister of Fisheries is calling for entries for a new public award to celebrate innovation in our seafood sector. “I have established the Seafood Sustainability Awards to recognise and celebrate those throughout industry, tangata whenua and communities who demonstrate outstanding dedication and innovation towards the sustainability of New Zealand’s ...
Minister for Women Julie Anne Genter welcomes leaders in the private sector taking action on closing their gender pay gaps to ensure a fairer workplace for all New Zealanders. Ms Genter today launched a new report, Addressing the gender pay gap and driving women’s representation in senior leadership, from the Champions for ...
Government Ministers today welcomed the release of a marine environment report highlighting the four key issues affecting our oceans, estuaries and coastlines. The release underlines the importance of government proposals to combat climate pollution, ensure clean freshwater, protect biodiversity, make land use more sustainable, and reduce waste and plastic. Environment ...
The Government has approved funding for a new acute mental health facility for Waikato which will provide better care and support to people with mental health and addiction issues. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Dr David Clark announced the $100 million project to replace the aging Henry Rongomau ...
The Government is making progress on its goal to integrate te reo Māori into education by 2025, with over 500 teachers and support staff already graduating from Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced today. Kelvin Davis made the announcement at an awards ceremony in Waikanae today, for ...
Statistics Minister James Shaw has welcomed the first release of 2018 Census data. The first release of data today, 23 September, includes key data on population, regional growth, the number of homes and the size of different ethnic groups in New Zealand. Data from the 2018 Census will support the ...
Minister for Statistics James Shaw today announced a public consultation on a proposed algorithm charter for government agencies. The charter has been developed by the Government Chief Data Steward in response to growing calls for more transparency in government use of data. Computer algorithms – procedures or formulas for solving ...
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, Climate Change Minister James Shaw and visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte co-hosted a business roundtable in Auckland this morning focused on working together to address climate change. “The Netherlands is an important partner for New Zealand. We share a strong agricultural history. Sustainable agribusiness and ...
The Government is taking action to build an inclusive economy where more of us receive our fair share at work and businesses can compete on great products and services, not undercutting wages and conditions, Immigration and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says. Two consultations launched today seek feedback ...
The future for New Zealand’s threatened indigenous freshwater fish looks brighter with the passing of the Conservation (Indigenous Freshwater Fish) Amendment Bill in Parliament today said Minister of Conservation, Eugenie Sage. “Until now, our freshwater fish legislation has been 20 years out of date. We have lacked effective tools to ...
At 1.30pm tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of Kiwis will join about 65 million people around the globe in ShakeOut, the world’s biggest earthquake drill. The annual drill is to remind people of the right action to take during an earthquake which is to Drop, Cover, Hold, and to practise their ...
Kiwis are benefiting from higher wage growth and low inflation under the Coalition Government. Stats NZ data out today shows the rise in the cost of living remains low, as annual Consumers Price Index (CPI) inflation fell to 1.5% in September from 1.7% in June. “The low inflation comes as ...
New Zealand’s economic strength and resilience has been recognised in a major update on the state of the global economy. The IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook released overnight shows a reduced global growth forecast over the next two years as issues like the US-China trade war and Brexit take hold. ...
Justice Minister Andrew Little has today introduced a new Bill to prevent terrorism and support the de-radicalisation of New Zealanders returning from overseas. The Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill gives the New Zealand Police the ability to apply to the High Court to impose control orders on New Zealanders who ...
A Bill that proposes targeted changes to simplify the processes for Māori land owners when engaging with the Māori Land Court has had its First Reading today. “The approach taken by the Government is to ensure that the protection of Māori land remains a priority as we seek to improve ...
Let me first thank all the new unionists and members in the room. There is nothing more important to improving people’s working lives than people making the decision to care, to get on board and help, to take up the reins and get involved. Congratulations to you. You bring the ...
Minister of Defence Ron Mark has signed a certificate exempting the activity of engine testing at Whenuapai Airbase from the Resource Management Act 1991. The Act gives the Minister of Defence the power to exempt activities for the purposes of national security. The certificate will mean the recent Environment Court ...
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has announced New Zealand will join the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action while attending APEC meetings in Chile. The objective of the 39 member Coalition is to share information and promote action to tackle climate change. It was formed in April this year, in ...
Feedback sought– Lyttelton commercial zone parking The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal to remove on-site car parking requirements for new developments in the Lyttelton commercial zone. The proposal, by Christchurch City Council, asks that powers under section 71 of the Greater ...
Hon Minister Poto Williams Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration MEDIA STATEMENT Tuesday 15 October 2019 Feedback sought – Hagley Oval The Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Poto Williams, is seeking feedback on a proposal about Hagley Oval. The proposal was developed by Regenerate Christchurch ...
Ladies and gentlemen, NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff, members of respective unions – thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. This might be preaching to the choir, but the importance of trade unions in New Zealand’s historical arch is difficult to understate. And it is my belief that ...
"Let’s start by acknowledging that it has been a huge year. " Police Association Annual Conference James Cook Grand Chancellor Hotel Wellington Nau mai, haere mai. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou katoa. President of the Police Association, Chris Cahill; Members of the Association and ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters and Minister of Defence Ron Mark have announced the New Zealand Government’s decision to again deploy a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 (P-3) maritime patrol aircraft to support the implementation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. New ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand continues to have serious concerns for peace and stability in north-east Syria. “Recent reports that hundreds of ISIS-affiliated families have fled from a camp are deeply concerning from a humanitarian and security perspective”, Mr Peters says. “While we acknowledge Turkey’s domestic security ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanessa Bowden, Postdoctoral research fellow, University of Newcastle It is becoming increasingly possible that sea-level rise of a metre or more will occur this century. You might expect this threat to preoccupy coastal homeowners. But many deny the need to act, for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chloe Watfern, Scientia PhD scholar, UNSW At Studio A, on the fourth floor of the Crows Nest community centre, a group of artists is working quietly. An occasional burst of laughter erupts from a corner of the studio. It makes its way ...
In response to Meghan Markle’s admission that she’s finding it a struggle to be a new mother in the media spotlight, columnists across the globe have banded together to launch a charity to support all those women who ‘have it worse’, Emily Writes can exclusively reveal.Meghan Markle – duchess, new ...
Will New Zealand’s largest construction firm have to write off yet more money over the troubled International Convention Centre project?Both Fletcher Building and SkyCity’s share prices have felt the impact of the devastating fire that has raged at Auckland’s half completed convention centre for over a day now. More than ...
The new and spectacular atlas We Are Here is page after page of haunting, hella beautiful visual data, each chapter introduced with an essay. This one, Lost in the Forest, opens the section on people. At some point in the 1990s, one of the creators of this book tried to impress ...
Kassie Hartendorp (Ngāti Raukawa) has been looking to Māori stories and storytellers to learn more about our gender identities before colonisation. There’s a lot to be read between the lines, she writes.Te ao Māori can be a very gendered place to be. In some settings, your gender can tell you ...
The Shouting Valley is a powerful group exhibition at the Gus Fisher Gallery in Auckland that interrogates and gives voice to the people caught between borders. But is the real paradox of this politically charged show the limit of what art can do? Lana Lopesi reviews. “What’s bad about borders?” asked ...
The future of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is under question again as majority owner, mining giant Rio Tinto, is reviewing the plant's future. ...
There will be another crucial vote for the voluntary euthanasia bill later today - whether or not a referendum will be held at the 2020 general election. ...
It was never intended that state owned enterprises should use their monopoly commercial or regulatory power to stifle competition, yet it is at least arguable that is what has happened says Peter Dunne. ...
Go Bus drivers in South Auckland will continue refusing to collect fares tomorrow as their protest continues with the intent of avoiding disruption to passengers while highlighting the need for fair wage negotiations with their employer, FIRST Union ...
Smoke continues to billow in downtown Auckland 24 hours after fire broke out in the incomplete complex.Shortly after 1pm yesterday came the first reports of a fire on the site of the SkyCity New Zealand International Convention Centre in central Auckland. That brought a massive mobilisation of emergency services, evacuations ...
He Kākano Ahau is a podcast by writer and activist Kahu Kutia (Ngāi Tūhoe) that explores stories of Māori in the city, and weaves together strands of connection. In episode one: the legacy of urban marae Tapu te Ranga.I grew up where the tarseal on the road crumbles away into ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australians are divided over whether the nation’s universities have too many foreign students, according to the Australian National University’s ANUpoll, released Wednesday. In the polling, 52.8% said the mix between foreign and domestic students was ...
National's leader Simon Bridges says a bill imposing restrictions on people returning after fighting for extremist groups would only keep New Zealanders "half safe". ...
Alex Casey talks to Leigh Hart about the return of Late Night Big Breakfast, the finest morning TV parody show New Zealand has ever made. Late Night Big Breakfast is set to return to TVNZ in 2020 after a five year hiatus, creator and comedian Leigh Hart has confirmed. Filmed in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Gordon, PhD candidate. Sydney University Physics Education Research (SUPER) group, University of Sydney If you want to get good marks in your exams, there’s no substitute for study. So do past exams, go over your notes, read what you need to ...
Otago University academic Chris Brickell wonders whether his new book on LGBT objects ought to be the sort of thing bookshops would want to have on their shelves. ...
South Aucklanders from Mangere to East Tamaki will be riding their Go Bus services to work for free tomorrow morning, as FIRST Union bus drivers opt out of collecting fares for their employer in an industrial action designed to show the wider public ...
What do we make of the Air New Zealand decision to quit the Auckland-Los Angeles-London route? Nothing much as it simply reflects the changing dynamics of the airline industry. Gone are the days when Air NZ took the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 into the fleet and began flying Los Angeles, then ...
Was the SkyCity Convention Centre construction site at higher risk of fire than any other construction site or building? Alex Braae asks the experts.A fire at the SkyCity Convention Centre construction site has continued to burn this morning, after a night of lighting up the Auckland CBD sky.The fire, which ...
Sky City and Fletcher Building see another "material delay" to opening of International Convention Centre as fire still rages. Plan B needed for APEC in November 2021, says Goff ...
First it was KiwiBuild, now it’s Auckland’s light rail that’s looking increasingly shambolic. Jenée Tibshraeny from Interest asks what’s going on, and how thin is that ice that transport minister Phil Twyford is skating on.The Opposition’s latest attack phrase aimed at the government is set to be one of its ...
At last, a break in the clouds for NZ’s dairy farmers : Fonterra suppliers could be looking at a sharp lift in income, as the co-op revises its forecast range for the milk price to $6.55-$7.55 kg/MS.And the signals are strong enough to underpin projections the milk price will rise ...
Members of the Indian community are angry at an immigration policy change making it harder for to bring spouses to NZ - but Shane Jones says anyone not happy should "catch the next flight home." ...
On October 7, New Zealand’s Labour Party-led coalition government announced draconian class-based restrictions on immigration. From February 2020, the government will reopen the Parent Category visa nearly four years after the previous National Party ...
Organise Aotearoa joined a rally held by the Chilean expatriate community on Tuesday outside the Chilean Embassy in Wellington, following widespread repression and brutality against protesters by President Sebastián Piñera’s armed forces. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Shine, Robinson Fellow, University of Sydney Have you ever sat down to complete your morning crossword or Sudoku and wondered about what’s happening in your brain? Somewhere in the activity of the billions of neurons in your brain lies the code ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehmet Ozalp, Associate Professor in Islamic Studies, Director of The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation and Executive Member of Public and Contextual Theology, Charles Sturt University The five-day ceasefire negotiated by US Vice President Mike Pence and Turkish President Recep Tayyib ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne The unprecedented blackout of front pages by Australia’s newspaper publishers this week is a highly significant event in Australian political and media history. It represents the completion of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Hansen, Chief of Staff, The Conversation In recent years coconut water has left the palm-treed shores of tropical islands where tourists on lounge chairs stick straws straight into the fruit, and exploded onto supermarket shelves – helped along by beverage giants ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Petterson, Professor of Geology, Auckland University of Technology CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d like an expert ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Newman, Professor of Sustainability, Curtin University A Greenpeace video of me plugging a trackless tram that went viral with 4 million hits has caused a few eyebrows to be raised over whether I think light rail is dead. So let me ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Asher, Associate Professor, UNSW Here’s the boldest idea the government’s inquiry into retirement incomes should consider but might not: no longer exempting all of the value of each retiree’s home from the pension assets test. The test would merely exempt part ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Sernack-Chee Quee, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Design, Architecture & Building, University of Technology Sydney 1973 was a remarkable year for Sydney, with the opening of two major cultural icons. The first was the Sydney Opera House. The second, possibly more important ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: In today’s edition: Serious ramifications likely from SkyCity fire, dozens of partnership visas being denied, and yet another police pursuit death.The fire at the SkyCity Convention Centre construction site has continued to burn overnight. Fire crews were forced to abandon the roof, ...
Orange-fronted parakeets will still get protection but some mohua populations miss out as DoC reduces the area of forest being covered by 1080 poison. ...
The main way small countries like New Zealand can lead on climate change is through our ideas. Policies developed here may help other countries with similar issues, writes David Frame. ...
By Rebecca Ananian-Welsh Australians picked up their morning papers yesterday to find heavily blacked-out text instead of front-page headlines. This bold statement was instigated by the “Your Right to Know” campaign, an unlikely coalition of Australian media organisations fighting for press freedom and source protection. A key reform advocated by a ...
Surrounding sites evacuated and one reported hospitalised in serious condition as blaze rips through two floors of the under-construction building in the Auckland CBDLast updated: 6.30pmParts of central Auckland have been brought to a standstill this afternoon after a major fire broke out shortly after 1pm at the Sky City ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phil McManus, Professor of Urban and Environmental Geography: Head of School of Geosciences, University of Sydney In the wake of a shocking ABC report on the dismal end of many racehorses’ lives in slaughterhouses, many Australians are questioning whether the horse racing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohiuddin Ahmed, Lecturer of Computing & Security, Edith Cowan University Machines and the internet are woven into the fabric of our society. A growing number of users, devices and applications work together to produce what we now call “big data”. And this ...
After an unusually nasty campaign for their country, Canada has gone to the polls. They’ve decided that Justin Trudeau will continue as prime minister, but just like in New Zealand, he’ll have to work with coalition politics. What’s happened?After a brutal and at times humiliating campaign, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has ...
“The Prime Minister must publicly support an immediate ban on Gay Conversion Therapy . If I was Jacinda I would feel morally obligated to give more confidence on where I stand, when I have asked for, and received, support from that community.” ...
New abortion law marks significant and needed progress for reproductive rights in New Zealand Amnesty International has today made its submission to the Abortion Legislation Committee in Wellington. The rights at stake in the legislation include the rights ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Transport Thomas Coughlan (Stuff): NZ Transport Agency to Phil Twyford: We should have done better ...
Crisis of Safety and Confidence in our Engineering, Building and Construction Industries Please find attached a copy of an Open Letter from Professor Maan Alkaisi, Spokesperson CTV Families Group. This was sent a short time ago to the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, ...
Safe speed limits are survivable speed limits and this is what AT has endorsed in its step change decision today. This decision is a landmark that sets the scene for a new focus on road safety in New Zealand. ...
The Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) says the inadequate treatment of urology patients in Southern District Health Board is distressing and should serve as a broad reminder to DHB management to listen when specialists raise concerns. ...
Informed via telegram that Netflix has released a full trailer for the new season of The Crown, Tara Ward puts on her best boxhat and white gloves to find out what round three will bring. The good Lorde told us we’ll never be royals, so the first full trailer for the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie has some sobering reading to do over the coming weeks: an 88-page Senate report into the government-sponsored bill to repeal the medevac law that allow refugees and asylum seekers in Papua ...
Eric Crampton has fun imagining a version of MBIE that worried it could be subject to cartel criminalisation provisions for the anticompetitive regimes it has established. ...
Criminologist Antje Deckert has just completed a two-year study of how women offenders are portrayed in New Zealand newspapers. The results show that journalists are telling very different stories abut Māori and Pākehā. That our criminal justice system is in desperate need of reform and that we need to reduce the ...
China continues its march into the Pacific with a China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum in Samoa this week. Ahead of the forum, Beijing has signed seven new agreements with Samoa covering education, trade, e-commerce, investment, infrastructure and agriculture. China’s Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua heads his delegation in Apia ...
It might be tempting to yell, but there are more effective ways to talk to doubters about the value of vaccines, write Julie Leask and Maryke Steffens.Your neighbour is telling you about his new baby. He feels nervous about vaccinating, and says he’s considering delaying Lucy’s vaccines.Your mother’s group is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Debra Wain, Academic in Professional and Creaive Writing, Deakin University Why do we tell stories, and how are they crafted? In this series, we unpick the work of the writer on both page and screen. Anna Spargo-Ryan’s debut novel, The Paper House ...
The Movies, a documentary series that celebrates movies and their impact on culture, is available on TVNZ OnDemand today. Sam Brooks pulls some of the best quotes from its galaxy of stars.Ever wanted to get a snapshot of cinematic history without leaving the comfort of your couch, or even your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ronald F Pol, Senior researcher NZ, La Trobe University Money laundering rarely gets as literal as the case in Thailand last week, where police raided homes of a ring suspected of laundering a billion baht (about A$48 million) of drug proceeds and ...
The NZTA chair has acknowledged the agency dropped the ball in its early handling of Auckland's light rail project, as the NZ Infra proposal grips ministers. ...
Open Mike 24/12/2018 
Just in case you don’t have a seven-year-old boy in your house (in which case this will be obvious) a well-known brand of breakfast cereal here in NZ is currently coming with All-Blacks stats cards. Perfect for finding out your favourite rugby player’s height, number of caps, and how much ...38 mins ago
Over the past month we've heard some horrific stories about bullying in the police. The police's response? Try to bully people into silence:The police have told a whistleblower to retract his statements to RNZ about being bullied or face legal action. The demand came just hours after Police Commissioner Mike ...4 hours ago
One of the key arguments used by trans ideologists is that some male-bodied people (ie men) are women because they ‘feel’ they are women. To make this hocus-pocus sound a bit more credible, some will argue that such men have a ‘female brain’. But this is thoroughly anti-scientific too. . ...5 hours ago
1 day ago
by the Council of Disobedient Women We call on the Council of Trade Unions to show some fortitude and take a stand with your sisters. Unionists know that there is a material world, otherwise workers could simply identify out of poverty. They could declare themselves Well Paid. Why stop ...2 days ago
Keir Starmer has hinted that Labour might vote in favour of the Johnson government's shoddy deal, with the proviso that a second referendum is attached:Speaking to BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show, he said: “We will see what that looks like but it makes sense to say that by whatever ...2 days ago
In 1994, I was the editor for an issue of Planet magazine focused on cannabis, its culture and the prospects for the end of its prohibition. Part of that issue was an interview with 'Ringo', an experienced cannabis dealer.I recently posted my essay from that issue, and I figured it ...4 days ago
Media Statement for Immediate Release 16th October 2019 “Fake News” from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers Despite comments from Auckland City Council CCOs Board Chairs re pay and performance bonuses for top managers—Herald Newspaper Tuesday Oct 15th–there is very little evidence ...6 days ago
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz There is a lot of discussion on the benefits of ...1 week ago
Thanks to a report from the Acting Inspector General of Intelligence and Security following a complaint by Nicky Hager, we have come to find out that the SIS illegally spied on Mr. Hager on behalf of the NZDF after publication of Hager’s 2011 book, Other People’s Wars. The NZDF justified ...1 week ago
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING MYTH 1: Global temperatures are rising at a rapid, unprecedented rate. FACT: The HadCRUT3 surface temperature index, produced by the Hadley Centre of the UK Met Office and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, shows warming to 1878, cooling to 1911, ...1 week ago
A list of indicators of bad science – many of these are found in articles promoted by anti-fluoride activists. Anti-fluoride activists have been pouring money into a scaremongering campaign warning pregnant women not to drink fluoridated water. They claim fluoride will lower the IQ of their future child. Fluoride ...1 week ago
More than double the number of people who will vote in this year’s local body elections have tried marijuana or urinated somewhere they shouldn’t have. As local elections look set for the lowest turnout in decades, with many regions falling well short of 40%, the Government is exploring a number ...2 weeks ago
Musings continue apace about “the experienced businessman!” soon to be taking up a National Party MP position. Or to be more accurate, being parachuted into a seat to shut down their former MP Jamie-Lee Ross, who despite his own shortcomings shed at least some more light on the inner workings ...2 weeks ago
“There can be no such thing as kaupapa Māori political parties or politics in Aotearoa” (Willie Jackson, Labour Party (2017). Māori TV, General/List Election Special) I begin with that claim because at the time, I was confounded at first that it fell out of Willie Jackson’s mouth, and then ...2 weeks ago
New Zealand First MP Shane Jones has hit back at those who are upset over a change in approach to partnership visas. There has been a specific government directive to stop waiving requirements such as couples needing to have lived together for 12 months - a test Indian couples who have ...26 mins ago
We're rebuilding our hospitals, protecting our oceans, and taking mental health seriously. ...5 days ago
The Government’s Housing Dashboard released today confirms record numbers of state houses are under construction and shows the Government build programme is gaining momentum. “After nine years of inaction, and a hands-off attitude from the previous government we’re starting to see things move in the right direction for housing,” says ...43 mins ago
Air New Zealand has revealed it will axe its flagship Los Angeles to London route, resulting in the loss of at least 130 jobs. ...1 min ago
As global economic risks continue to run high, there is increasing concern about the quality of debt in the corporate bond market. ...9 mins ago
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanessa Bowden, Postdoctoral research fellow, University of Newcastle It is becoming increasingly possible that sea-level rise of a metre or more will occur this century. You might expect this threat to preoccupy coastal homeowners. But many deny the need to act, for ...14 mins ago
In response to Meghan Markle’s admission that she’s finding it a struggle to be a new mother in the media spotlight, columnists across the globe have banded together to launch a charity to support all those women who ‘have it worse’, Emily Writes can exclusively reveal.Meghan Markle – duchess, new ...20 mins ago
The future of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is under question again as majority owner, mining giant Rio Tinto, is reviewing the plant's future. ...1 hour ago
There will be another crucial vote for the voluntary euthanasia bill later today - whether or not a referendum will be held at the 2020 general election. ...2 hours ago
It was never intended that state owned enterprises should use their monopoly commercial or regulatory power to stifle competition, yet it is at least arguable that is what has happened says Peter Dunne. ...2 hours ago
Go Bus drivers in South Auckland will continue refusing to collect fares tomorrow as their protest continues with the intent of avoiding disruption to passengers while highlighting the need for fair wage negotiations with their employer, FIRST Union ...2 hours ago
Otago University academic Chris Brickell wonders whether his new book on LGBT objects ought to be the sort of thing bookshops would want to have on their shelves. ...4 hours ago
What do we make of the Air New Zealand decision to quit the Auckland-Los Angeles-London route? Nothing much as it simply reflects the changing dynamics of the airline industry. Gone are the days when Air NZ took the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 into the fleet and began flying Los Angeles, then ...5 hours ago
Sky City and Fletcher Building see another "material delay" to opening of International Convention Centre as fire still rages. Plan B needed for APEC in November 2021, says Goff ...6 hours ago
The Sky City Convention Centre fire burns on this morning, with the Prime Minister planning to visit firefighters today. ...10 hours ago
Orange-fronted parakeets will still get protection but some mohua populations miss out as DoC reduces the area of forest being covered by 1080 poison. ...10 hours ago
Changes to how courts deal with meth-related offending can only go so far thanks to current laws. And that's how it's going to stay. ...10 hours ago
England's chirpy Aussie coach is in his element ahead of the World Cup semifinal. ...11 hours ago
Like the All Blacks, Kellie Bailey is hitting Japan this week at the top of her game - as a judge on the Olympic canoe slalom course. ...11 hours ago
David Seymour won't return a donation from a man who threatened to destroy mosques. ...11 hours ago
Sportsroom editor Steve Deane asks himself why he starts foaming at the mouth at the sight of a twit in a white shirt with a red rose on it. ...11 hours ago
The main way small countries like New Zealand can lead on climate change is through our ideas. Policies developed here may help other countries with similar issues, writes David Frame. ...11 hours ago
The hugely disproportionate number of disabled people on benefits is hidden by our low unemployment figures. ...11 hours ago
Eric Crampton has fun imagining a version of MBIE that worried it could be subject to cartel criminalisation provisions for the anticompetitive regimes it has established. ...1 day ago
China continues its march into the Pacific with a China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum in Samoa this week. Ahead of the forum, Beijing has signed seven new agreements with Samoa covering education, trade, e-commerce, investment, infrastructure and agriculture. China’s Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua heads his delegation in Apia ...1 day ago
Fonterra has increased its forecast farmgate milk price for the current dairy season, sighting strong demand for the co-op's milk. ...1 day ago
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?
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.
Happy Chrismas to to all
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