But doesn’t their sacrifice merit thanks? “Patriotic gloss,” responded Mr. O’Brien, an unofficial poet laureate of war who essentially elevates the issue to the philosophical; to him, we’re thanking without having the courage to ask whether the mission is even right.”
“I apologize to you for not doing more to keep our country from unnecessarily rushing into an elective war.” – comment posted in response to the above article
“Hur hur hur hur hur.”
Vanessa Redgrave’s bravery in 1978 amuses Jim Mora and co. The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 23 February 2015
Jim Mora, Stephen Franks, Ella Henry, Noelle McCarthy
Excitement is high this afternoon—the Academy Awards are on!
NOELLE McCARTHY: They still haven’t announced the Best Supporting Actress. I’ve been waiting for this for two hours.
JIM MORA: We’re going to be talking about acceptance speeches on The Panel.
NOELLE McCARTHY: Oh!
MORA: Is Neil Patrick Harris doing well as the MC?
NOELLE McCARTHY: Oh look, he’s having a bit of a SONG and a bit of a DANCE….
MORA: He’s talented!
NOELLE McCARTHY: He did an edgy joke about cross-dressing.
MORA: Hur hur hur hur hur!
NOELLE McCARTHY: Which he’s allowed to do of course, ‘cos he’s done a fair amount of that on Broadway. In the meantime, if you want something in the meantime, there’s a quite good round-up of some INFAMOUS Oscar moments in the New York Daily News today, including—talking of acceptance speeches—Vanessa Redgrave’s from 1978—
MORA: Oh yes.
NOELLE McCARTHY: Because of course she got up and gave that famous shout-out to the PLO—
MORA: The PLO!
NOELLE McCARTHY: She gave a shout-out to the PLO and denounced Israel as a fascist state!
MORA: That’s right! And didn’t some—there was a writer who got up and replied to her!
NOELLE McCARTHY: That’s right! He was a three time award-winning screenwriter and he said “I’d like to suggest to Ms Redgrave that her winning an Academy Award is NOT a pivotal moment in history, does NOT require a proclamation.”
MORA: Hur hur hur hur hur hur hur!
NOELLE McCARTHY:[archly] “And a simple ‘thank you’ might have sufficed.”
MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha! “A simple thank you” Ha ha ha ha ha!
STEPHEN FRANKS: Ha ha ha ha ha!
NOELLE McCARTHY: Elegantly put!
MORA:[heartfelt sigh]….. Back to the real world. …..[heartfelt sigh]…..
NOELLE McCARTHY: Yes. Back to the real world. Back to Bali, in fact. Indonesia is putting fighter jets in place for the transfer of these two Australians who are going to be executed….
…sigh..
i turned the tranny on this morn to hear the end of a monologue from our dear leader, spinning the role of nz troops overseas.
not a whimper from the interviewee.
i may have missed them, but i didnt hear any tough questions eg vote in parliament, is the whole cabinet in support of sending troops etc.
contrast this with what followed when andrew little was interviewed.
he seemed to be there only to acknowledge that he listened to the iraqi minister that visited recently.
ms fergusson hectored and hectored him like a hectoring thing.
i wonder if she pays secondary tax for the work she is doing for the government.
The Ferguson “interview” was a disgrace. A single issue that appeared to have Little conflicted over a remark he made last week. Has she been to Journalism School ?
That’s because he refused to answer the question, or even entertain her line of questioning, and in doing so, neatly illustrated Hager’s point – made later – that we’re already bombing people.
I take it when he handed back the $25,000 donation to Mr Lui, Jamie Lee Ross also gave back the interest the donation earned for National/ the Botany Cabinet Club, for more than twelve months?
Wouldn’t it be “stale” after 6 months? If so, there’d be no need to return it, just destroy the cheque, and I think they’d have described it differently.
A cheque is stale when it’s presented more than six months after the date on which it was drawn (dated). To receive payment, the cheque will need to go back to the Drawer (the person or company that wrote the cheque out) to have the date updated or to issue a replacement cheque.
Why would they say they returned $25,000, fifteen months after the donation was apparently made, if all that is being discussed is a piece of paper representing a dead cheque with no financial value? If the Cabinet Club never deposited the money into Ross’s or National’s campaign funds, what then did they return during the reported assessment of the campaign’s finances? Oh, one more thing – why would John Key be dancing around the topic refusing to answer questions? If it was just a dead cheque he would be stating that consistently. Why would they even mention it? Come on infused, you are better than that 😉
Listening to Sean Plunket on radio live this morning he was very critical of John Key ” deliberately misleading the public over the 25 k donation ” going as far as saying ” he doesn’t trust Key over the role Kiwi troops will play in the Middle East”.
It appears honest Johns teflon is worn out with Sean.
Seems msm’s love affair with the great dictator might be coming to a much awaited end ….. Plunkett, Armstrong …. let’s hope it snowballs and takes hold 🙂
Yes Mary it is refreshing to see the love affair taking a turn for the better. It happened with Helen and now it’s John’s turn. About bloody time too 🙂
So now John Key is sending us off to war and exposing us to retaliation…..
How long until we suffer our own warring in our land? How long until those we are targeting in the middle east decide that attack is the best form of defence to us? How long until a so-called “terrorist” attack is undertaken in NZ? (oh. other than the French, and right wing anti-unionists that is, who have already done so in NZ).
“Our rights are not granted by governments. They are inherent to our nature. But it’s entirely the opposite for governments: their privileges are precisely equal to only that which we suffer them to enjoy.”
” But here and there throughout history, we’ll occasionally come across these periods where governments think more about what they “can” do rather than what they “should” do, and what is lawful will become increasingly distinct from what is moral.
In such times, we’d do well to remember that at the end of the day, the law doesn’t defend us; we defend the law. And when it becomes contrary to our morals, we have both the right and the responsibility to rebalance it toward just ends.”
Edward Snowden, currently answering questions on Reddit
Thanks for link TMM. Snowden’s whole tract is worth reading in your link.
Western Civilization and protection of human rights have emerged from pushing the limits of what is allowed within the (prevailing) law.
This comment from Glenn Greenwald explains why Labour fucked up so bad on the anti-terrorism/surveillance legislation:
The key tactic DC uses to make uncomfortable issues disappear is bipartisan consensus. When the leadership of both parties join together – as they so often do, despite the myths to the contrary – those issues disappear from mainstream public debate.
Thanks One Anonymous Bloke, as I’ve given up on national radio.
Silly question I know – but doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome – after ten years. Whose the crazed killers here again?
Internationalism and open borders are not simply nice ideas, but vital things to fight for in order to advance the interests of workers as a class. The bosses unite across borders to exploit us more effectively; we need to unite across borders to defend our interests more effectively. The bosses also try to put workers against each other, based on nationality and country of origin, we need to avoid falling into the trap they try to set for us. Moreover, workers’ migration tends to lead to the sharing of experience which is in our interests – whether it’s food that’s new or different to us or whether it’s the fighting experience migrant workers often have and can usefully share with us. . . https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/02/23/workers-rights-internationalism-and-open-borders/
Everything else is globalised and so too must workers groups like unions.
Oh, but what about tax? and police and other laws? where does it end – at a new world order? Is that sustainable or even possible? nope. but we are going there pretty steadily..
I didn’t take Philip’s comment to be in any way referring to nomadic peoples. Nomadic peoples (eg the Kalahari) aren’t transient, they’re nomadic. In fact the Kalahari example supports my point. Nomadic people exist within specific territories and relationships with people from outside those territories is based around the existience of the territory ie before nation states we as humans still had ways of understanding geographical boundaries and relationships based on how the humans living there related with those boundaries. It wasn’t a free for all. Ignorance of those territories and boundaries has impacted hugely on many peoples.
And leaving aside a debate about sovereignty, yes nomadic peoples are a good example of how that works (not transient populations).
The point can be made that it’s farming peoples who are transient, always with the need for more land to expand their empire, whereas nomadic peoples tend to have very long (and I mean very long*) relationships with specific places.
Is it possible that we could have workers (and others) moving globally in truly nomadic ways? Maybe, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what was meant in the opening comment.
(not going to comment on the Romani because that’s a complex kete of ika).
*The San people have lived in the Kalahari for 20,000 years as hunter-gatherers
Blip might record this from Key under “You Misunderstood Me.” “Mr Key, who has previously said involvement in Iraq was “the price of the club”, said that his comments had been misinterpreted and that by “the club”, he had meant the 60 or so countries that were helping in the coalition against Isis.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11406714 (Last lines.)
Seem to remember his context being that we are members of the 5 Eyes Club so as members of the Club we must get involved as it is “the price of the club.”
My, even John Armstrong thinks it is an ‘outrage’ !!!!! Must be so ….
“Key’s insistence that he was referring to all of the members of the multi-national force as the “club” defies logic. How could contributing to that club be the price of being a member of that club when New Zealand has yet to become a member of that club?
Key’s desperate attempt to rewrite history is something of an outrage. But it is also a measure of his discomfort with the deployment which could well turn out to bite him severely politically.”
I hope AT LEAST now more of the right wing inclined people will SEE/REALISE what a lying, untrustworthy and dishonest disgraceful bull-shitter of a Prime Minister we have running our Government and leading our good country!
It just begins to make one wonder whether the SFO were showered with bullshit and lies all those years ago. This man must struggle to lie straight in bed even …
I don ‘t even wonder. I just know he lied again and again. The evidence is all there and one day some brave MSM writer will front a story on it. We have all been conned from the very beginning.
There are three great omnivores in the world – rats, cockroaches and humans. I heard that on Radionz talk this a.m. I thought you might like to know that.
But they are not as mighty as humans or as small and sneaky as rats and cockroaches. Or perhaps, with future cataclysmic changes in our environment, the cocroaches and rats might be mighty, and humans reverting to small and sneaky to survive. Sort of like those Star Wars scavengers Jawas. Some trivia – http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jawa
And some mindless fun for star wars fans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAXg0wdNsGs
6 mins of action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sa3Q-9Wt2k
I see all the Ma & Pa investors in Mighty River have suffered a blow with their share price about to tumble down after MR announce a much lower performance.
You mean it has slumped below the $2.50 they paid????? Nup. Currently paying $3.28 with an increased dividend. Do you not understand the share market or just jealous because you failed to get your share.s
$3.28 and heading downwards, back to $2.50 by Friday. Far better returns for my money thanks. Like most Kiwi’s I don’t trust the boom and bust cycle of the share market, especially with the insider trading and ponzi schemes that the National govt sollict.
Unlike you Wewege and your side kick Plucked Duck I have a moral compass. How would I wake up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror knowing I was profiteering off the honest toil of my fellow men and women. Anyway you enjoy your paper gains but please don’t start howling when the bubble bursts and ya get dealt a hiding by the Gorillas of Wall Street. Little bit players such as yourselves are the ones I take pity on, all ya life savings burnt on a black Friday. Tho I guess in your case its a karma thing.
It’s finally vanished up its own arse. It probably did so long ago.
Honestly, it was one of the great New Zealand blogs, a site full of lively and informed discussion. Now it’s just a few posts now and again plugging Russel Brown’s media ventures, music dads dance to at wedding receptions and parochial Grey Lynn/Pt Chev matters.
When journalism is in such dire straits, we need some energetic investigation and debate. PA once provided that, but everyone interesting has been driven away and the posts are utterly anodyne. I miss its spirit.
Andrew Little is asking the first question today and will skewer John Key. John Key will break down and cry and ask Andrew to lay off.
In the real world we will see the Prime Minister being Prime Minister and Andrew Little trying and failing again.
John Key will 1. lie, then 2. deflect. then 3. blame the opposition. then 4. refer to Helen Clark’s time then 5. rub his nose. Warning: the order and timing may vary according to how many lies.
All of this while looking sideways with an arrogant grin.
Are you proud of being a moral vacuum, or do you just not notice when you show everyone your emotional disability?
Most people would regard winning by unethical means to be cheating, and reprehensible. You probably still wear Lance Armstrong bracelets and call him a 7-time tour de france champion.
No, no, no, it is in fact a brave repurposing of words. “Win” can now be used to denote anything. “Lie” equals “win”. “I think I’ve got the flu” becomes “I’m winning!” “You have cancer” becomes “Congratulations you’re a winner!” If we extend the principle, anything can mean “win” in a grand situationist-dadaist enterprise. “Fish” equals “win”. “Spaghetti bolognese” equals “win”. Everything equals “win”.
Think of the money saved printing dictionaries!
(Personally, I prefer “Malkovich”, but there you have it.)
Rhinocrates, it’s more a brave ‘re-porpoising’ of words where like a school of porpoises words dip in and out of the water, popping up somewhere else meaning something else and then ducking under the surface again before a lexicon can draw a bead.
Childish and clumsy as fisiani is, they do, in their “innocent” way, reveal the kind of thinking that goes on in Nat and CT offices and what kind of people populate them – the unintelligent and emotionally shallow who think cynicism is virile.
Polished performance today by the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Why does Angry Andy think he will win when Clark, Goff Shearer and The Cunliffe were all thrashed by John Key?
Let’s see if your still swinging your silk undies wildy above your head cheerleading for John Key the day the shit hits the fan and a number of the troops get wasted by some crazy terrorist attack. Key’s name will be mud with every man and his dog in this country. If there is a torrorist attack in the country I will join in and riot on the streets throwing bricks through Bank windows for starters.
Mr Little needs to moderate his anger. It will serve him well in the future.
At the moment, when baited by journolists like P. Gower, he unleashes and shows his angry side. Patience, Mr Little.
Abby Martin spent the day with CIA torture whistleblower John Kiriakou fresh out of prison, stay tuned for the interview which should be broadcast tonight on RT http://rt.com/shows/breaking-set-summary/
Also, for those who don’t follow RT, Abby Martin is leaving their network soon to go out and do her own thing -which will no doubt be well worth keeping tabs on
Not sure if this is a ‘win’ as it was their money all along, but good on the Meatworkers Union for taking the case. The company concerned had claimed that they weren’t making 180 workers redundant, they just had no work to offer them:
If a country like China is going to join the fight against ISIS
(http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/china-about-declare-war-against-isis-12201)
then which countries are not standing up to these scum bags ? If ISIS is left unchecked ie others do nothing, then the spread of ISIS will continue. At what point is enough “enough” ? At what point does NZ say we will no longer sit on the sidelines ?
Nearly three-quarters of people living in the Wellington Region oppose being part of the proposed Super-City according to a new Nielsen Poll.
Support
All 26%
Wellington City 30%
Porirua and Kapiti 29%
Hutt Valley 18%
Wairarapa 17%
Will the horrendous Fran Wilde (Wellington Regional Council Chair and leading advocate of the super-city) listen to the democratic will ? Will our own local Mayor, the equally-horrendous Nick Leggett (Close confidante of Wilde), feel humble enough to concede ? Doubt it.
Just a few days ago, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint about a misleading Wellington Regional Council (WRC) pro-Super City newspaper advertisement which breached the advertising code of ethics.
The ad – which the ASA said presented assumptions and opinions as fact, was misleading and likely to exploit reader’s lack of knowledge and thus had not been prepared with a due sense of social responsibility – focussed on a non-existent problem with water pipes in Lower Hutt, using this to argue that residents should support a super-city so the wider region could help foot the bill.
Hutt City Council’s chief executive said the WRC’s Super-City campaign was “a shambolic con”, that “the single reason the Regional Council gives Hutt residents for joining….is a complete fabrication” and that the WRC “has tried to fool the public into supporting a super-city.”
Tragically, Fran has taken the whole episode very badly indeed, implying that the ASA decision may herald the end of democracy as we know it.
Having a squizz at the LGC “super city” pamphlet which states:
“…….The Commission will hold public hearings, and then decide whether to issue a final proposal or remain within the existing council arrangements.
If the Commission issues a final proposal, voters can then demand a poll. A poll will be held if ten percent of any voters in any affected council area sign a petition. The vote would be held across the whole region and the result would be binding”.
If the Commission does go ahead and issues a final proposal then we’ll need to rally together and give them the big thumbs down.
@ Rosie
That’s a great little icon with its moving alert eyes. A suitable symbol for anyone involved in political observing these days. Any blink must be short or something of importance will be missed.
The Supercity model is designed to undermine democracy (i.e. local government for the people). In Auckland the POAL, a supposedly council controlled organisation, regularly thumbs its nose at directions from the Council. The local “boards” don’t really have power they are just advisers. Maybe it’s more efficient, or maybe it’s privatisation by stealth.
I thought they were quite up front about the privatisation part of the project. Kinda have been in Auckland – Water Care ,AT, etc, money for the mates.
Personally what worries me about it is it’s a front for austerity by stealth. Water charges, increased in fares, and other costs passed onto the people who already paid for these services.
It seems hard to believe that this is the same person who introduced into the house the Homosexual Law Reform Act and the Adoption Reform Act. Frankly her local government career has been disappointing. Chris Laidlaw is another ostensibly left politician in Wellington that I find less than impressive.
Does beg the question if business is so good, why does it need hand outs all the time? Is not asking for a hand out bad under these Tory scum rules of engagement? So why do they keep making structures to give business a hand out of tax payers money?
Interesting to note the difference between Andrew Little’s solid speech in the House this afternoon about sending troops to fight ISIS and the whining, nasty, personal, vindictive diatribe that Russel Norman thinks passes for intelligent debate.
No wonder support for the Greens is so quickly transferring to Labour. The Greens will be well rid of Mr Norman as co-leader.
Really? Russel Norman systematically dismantled all of the flimsy justifications for war, showing exactly why the whole idea just won’t work. He was clear and articulate. Did you even watch that, or just tune out because the EVIL GREENS was speaking?
reposting in Open Mike as it goes to the wider issues facing our Parliament
Parliament is a theatre. One whose performances relay a script driven by protocol, performance and symbolism.
Solidarity is also driven by protocol, performance and symbolism.
To all members of all Parties who sit in the House in opposition to the Government’s decision to send our nation to war, I have a question –
Would it have been so terrible for your Party’s Elected Representatives to applaud at the conclusion of all the statements opposing the Prime Ministers Statement?
When Journalists get things wrong is deliberate or just journalistic incompetence?
Brook Sabin reporting on TV3 tonight about the Lui/ Cunliffe/Key issue, said,
“Cunliffe denied he’d supported his residency bid when a letter emerged proving he did.”
No Mr Sabin-he didn’t. He sent a letter 11 years ago simply making an inquiry.
It was not a letter of support for anybody’s residency bid.
The cumulative effect of these small fabrications which surely happen too often to be unintentional mean that the Cunliffe’s of this world still have to battle the small lies that our media tries to convince us is news.
Alex Coleman retweeted
Al Jazeera English @AJEnglish 3 hrs3 hours ago
Prime Minister Abbott says civil liberties must be sacrificed, as we enter a new ‘dark’ age. http://aje.io/b3td
Meanwhile the sleepy hobbits fire up the barbie and have another beer.
Talk about letting the terrorists win. The 0.1% are battening down the hatches because they know the living conditions for the 99% are going to greatly deteriorate.
No particular reason for sharing this except for a bit of reflection perhaps.
SPEAKING: THE HERO
Felix Pollak
I did not want to go.
They inducted me.
I did not want to die.
They called me yellow.
I tried to run away,
They court-martialed me.
I did not shoot.
They said I had no guts.
They ordered the attack.
A shrapnel tore my guts.
I cried in pain.
They carried me to safety.
In safety I died.
They blew Taps over me.
They crossed out my name,
And buried me under a cross.
They made a speech in my hometown.
I was unable to call them liars.
They said I gave my life,
I had struggled to keep it.
They said I set an example.
I had tried to run.
They said they were proud of me.
I had been ashamed of them.
They said my mother should also be proud.
My mother cried.
I wanted to live.
They called me a coward.
I died a coward.
They called me a hero.
Greek government has released a summary of reforms,
The main points of the summary of the proposals include:
Creating a fairer tax system
Combating tax evasion
Tackling corruption
Targeting fuel and tobacco smugglers
Implementing labour reforms on collective contracts and bargaining agreements.
Tackling Greece’s “humanitarian crisis” with housing guarantees and free medical care for the uninsured unemployed.
Greece’s creditors – the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund – are expected to deliver their verdict on the proposals later on Tuesday, before the reforms are discussed in a conference call with eurozone finance ministers.
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Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...
Swabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
What is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...
Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...
Chris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...
Graeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...
Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Performance Review King Luxon sat behind His massive polished oak desk. It is Performance Review time. There is a knock on the door. “Enter!” says the King. In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds. “I can explain everything …” she begins. “Fine,” says King Luxon, pressing the ...
The pair opened their first fully collaborative exhibition, Nina for Flowers, last Saturday. Gabi Lardies visited their studio to find out who Nina is and what working together was like.‘It didn’t start out like, ‘This is a show about Nina,’” says Josephine Jelicich, gripping a thermos of peppermint tea. ...
Thank you, Dr Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner, for your brilliant invention. I’m another mid-20s Kiwi who had an OE last year. I hopped on my bicycle where France meets the Atlantic and cycled east. I pedalled through the Loire Valley, down rivers lined with willows and ancient wisteria-draped chateaus. I relished ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
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happy happy daze 4 trp…eh..?
..the boys are off to war..!
the canadian tory prime minister promised canadians that their troops wd be non-combatant/’trainers’..
..as it turns out..
..that was just another pile of tory-lies..
..(does any of that sound familiar..?..)
the tv3 breakfast interview with key (online later..) is worth watching for an episode of peak-hubris from him..
..after his war-mongering ‘training-only!’ lies/bullshit..he is asked why he didn’t come clean about that fundraising dinner @ lius’ home..
..and that is when the peak-hubris kicks in..
..sneering-contempt-on-a-stick…
..’contempt’ for all of us..
..a rare glimpse behind the mask..
‘..i’m not gonna tell you..’..(he spat out..)
“..The Top 10 Bogus ISIS Stories..
..It’s important to note that much of the ISIS threat –
– has been habitually overstated by an uncritical media..”
(cont..)
http://www.alternet.org/media/top-10-bogus-isis-stories
Note that Australian PM said over a 100 have left Australia to join ISIS.
R.I.P. New Zealand’s once proud independent foreign policy.
John-we-were-missing-in-action-2003-speech-Key now has fulfilled his wish.
they were so jonesing for war then..
..that’s where/when simon power made his defining-political-statement..
..his ‘all the way with george w!’..
(not only gagging-inducing..but also a crib..)
Interesting
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/sunday-review/please-dont-thank-me-for-my-service.html
But doesn’t their sacrifice merit thanks? “Patriotic gloss,” responded Mr. O’Brien, an unofficial poet laureate of war who essentially elevates the issue to the philosophical; to him, we’re thanking without having the courage to ask whether the mission is even right.”
“I apologize to you for not doing more to keep our country from unnecessarily rushing into an elective war.” – comment posted in response to the above article
Granny earns her keep with an online edition filled with crashes, celebrity fluff, JK spin about not going to war and greens out spending labour etc
no sabin, skycity, lui ….no surprises there.
Prostituting politicians are not unique to NZ http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11406677
“Hur hur hur hur hur.”
Vanessa Redgrave’s bravery in 1978 amuses Jim Mora and co.
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Monday 23 February 2015
Jim Mora, Stephen Franks, Ella Henry, Noelle McCarthy
Excitement is high this afternoon—the Academy Awards are on!
NOELLE McCARTHY: They still haven’t announced the Best Supporting Actress. I’ve been waiting for this for two hours.
JIM MORA: We’re going to be talking about acceptance speeches on The Panel.
NOELLE McCARTHY: Oh!
MORA: Is Neil Patrick Harris doing well as the MC?
NOELLE McCARTHY: Oh look, he’s having a bit of a SONG and a bit of a DANCE….
MORA: He’s talented!
NOELLE McCARTHY: He did an edgy joke about cross-dressing.
MORA: Hur hur hur hur hur!
NOELLE McCARTHY: Which he’s allowed to do of course, ‘cos he’s done a fair amount of that on Broadway. In the meantime, if you want something in the meantime, there’s a quite good round-up of some INFAMOUS Oscar moments in the New York Daily News today, including—talking of acceptance speeches—Vanessa Redgrave’s from 1978—
MORA: Oh yes.
NOELLE McCARTHY: Because of course she got up and gave that famous shout-out to the PLO—
MORA: The PLO!
NOELLE McCARTHY: She gave a shout-out to the PLO and denounced Israel as a fascist state!
MORA: That’s right! And didn’t some—there was a writer who got up and replied to her!
NOELLE McCARTHY: That’s right! He was a three time award-winning screenwriter and he said “I’d like to suggest to Ms Redgrave that her winning an Academy Award is NOT a pivotal moment in history, does NOT require a proclamation.”
MORA: Hur hur hur hur hur hur hur!
NOELLE McCARTHY: [archly] “And a simple ‘thank you’ might have sufficed.”
MORA: Ha ha ha ha ha! “A simple thank you” Ha ha ha ha ha!
STEPHEN FRANKS: Ha ha ha ha ha!
NOELLE McCARTHY: Elegantly put!
MORA: [heartfelt sigh]….. Back to the real world. …..[heartfelt sigh]…..
NOELLE McCARTHY: Yes. Back to the real world. Back to Bali, in fact. Indonesia is putting fighter jets in place for the transfer of these two Australians who are going to be executed….
….ad nauseam….
Vanessa Redgrave 1978 Oscar speech…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeGWxHvKs48
…sigh..
i turned the tranny on this morn to hear the end of a monologue from our dear leader, spinning the role of nz troops overseas.
not a whimper from the interviewee.
i may have missed them, but i didnt hear any tough questions eg vote in parliament, is the whole cabinet in support of sending troops etc.
contrast this with what followed when andrew little was interviewed.
he seemed to be there only to acknowledge that he listened to the iraqi minister that visited recently.
ms fergusson hectored and hectored him like a hectoring thing.
i wonder if she pays secondary tax for the work she is doing for the government.
The Ferguson “interview” was a disgrace. A single issue that appeared to have Little conflicted over a remark he made last week. Has she been to Journalism School ?
I’ve heard in-house primary school radio that had more professional interviews
@gsays
Yep Ferguson hasn’t come across the word “balance” and seems to be in thrall to FJK……..”like a hectoring thing”…. LOL
PM: http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20168410
Litlte: http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20168412
That’s because he refused to answer the question, or even entertain her line of questioning, and in doing so, neatly illustrated Hager’s point – made later – that we’re already bombing people.
She loves Key because he lets her have more rental properties
I take it when he handed back the $25,000 donation to Mr Lui, Jamie Lee Ross also gave back the interest the donation earned for National/ the Botany Cabinet Club, for more than twelve months?
Where did they say they banked it?
Wouldn’t it be “stale” after 6 months? If so, there’d be no need to return it, just destroy the cheque, and I think they’d have described it differently.
ASB
I know, but they could have just returned it, regardless.
I don’t actually know the answer. Just haven’t seen anyone say they banked the money.
Why would they say they returned $25,000, fifteen months after the donation was apparently made, if all that is being discussed is a piece of paper representing a dead cheque with no financial value? If the Cabinet Club never deposited the money into Ross’s or National’s campaign funds, what then did they return during the reported assessment of the campaign’s finances? Oh, one more thing – why would John Key be dancing around the topic refusing to answer questions? If it was just a dead cheque he would be stating that consistently. Why would they even mention it? Come on infused, you are better than that 😉
Listening to Sean Plunket on radio live this morning he was very critical of John Key ” deliberately misleading the public over the 25 k donation ” going as far as saying ” he doesn’t trust Key over the role Kiwi troops will play in the Middle East”.
It appears honest Johns teflon is worn out with Sean.
@ Skinny –
And it appears Key’s popularity is also wearing thin with John Armstrong NZH’s chief political reporter, judging by his comments in today’s edition –
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11407096
Seems msm’s love affair with the great dictator might be coming to a much awaited end ….. Plunkett, Armstrong …. let’s hope it snowballs and takes hold 🙂
Yes Mary it is refreshing to see the love affair taking a turn for the better. It happened with Helen and now it’s John’s turn. About bloody time too 🙂
if they never cashed it, would it even count as a donation, or just an offer/promise of a donation?
So now John Key is sending us off to war and exposing us to retaliation…..
How long until we suffer our own warring in our land? How long until those we are targeting in the middle east decide that attack is the best form of defence to us? How long until a so-called “terrorist” attack is undertaken in NZ? (oh. other than the French, and right wing anti-unionists that is, who have already done so in NZ).
This will go down as John Key’s legacy
A valid concern vto. Who knows what may happen! A busy Lambton Quay on a Friday lunch time? Close enough to the seat of government?………….
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2wwdep/we_are_edward_snowden_laura_poitras_and_glenn/
Q and A with the Citizen Four
“Our rights are not granted by governments. They are inherent to our nature. But it’s entirely the opposite for governments: their privileges are precisely equal to only that which we suffer them to enjoy.”
Edward Snowden.
This is part of a very thoughtful answer in the q and a currently taking place on redditt following the Oscar win by Laura Poitras.
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2wwdep/we_are_edward_snowden_laura_poitras_and_glenn/
Hearing that Citizen Four won an Oscar for best documentary has cheered me up a little.
+1 SC.
” But here and there throughout history, we’ll occasionally come across these periods where governments think more about what they “can” do rather than what they “should” do, and what is lawful will become increasingly distinct from what is moral.
In such times, we’d do well to remember that at the end of the day, the law doesn’t defend us; we defend the law. And when it becomes contrary to our morals, we have both the right and the responsibility to rebalance it toward just ends.”
Edward Snowden, currently answering questions on Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2wwdep/we_are_edward_snowden_laura_poitras_and_glenn/
Thanks for link TMM. Snowden’s whole tract is worth reading in your link.
Western Civilization and protection of human rights have emerged from pushing the limits of what is allowed within the (prevailing) law.
This comment from Glenn Greenwald explains why Labour fucked up so bad on the anti-terrorism/surveillance legislation:
+1CR
“The sad truth is that societies that demand whistleblowers be martyrs often find themselves without either, and always when it matters the most.”
More from Snowden on the redditt discussion
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2wwdep/we_are_edward_snowden_laura_poitras_and_glenn/
+2
As Key and Little compete to see who can be a bigger hawk, Hager drops the elephant on them.
Short version: intelligence is the bloodiest part of this conflict, and we’re donkey deep in it.
Thanks One Anonymous Bloke, as I’ve given up on national radio.
Silly question I know – but doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome – after ten years. Whose the crazed killers here again?
RNZ, your cut ‘n’ paste is showing.
Across the channel France is now confiscating passports from those believed to be home grown jihadists.
🙄
Tahiti perhaps.
Or Hao.
Isn’t that a segue? Was the previous item about something in Britain?
“Updates on movements in the financial sector”.
Perhaps it worked in the audio.
Internationalism and open borders are not simply nice ideas, but vital things to fight for in order to advance the interests of workers as a class. The bosses unite across borders to exploit us more effectively; we need to unite across borders to defend our interests more effectively. The bosses also try to put workers against each other, based on nationality and country of origin, we need to avoid falling into the trap they try to set for us. Moreover, workers’ migration tends to lead to the sharing of experience which is in our interests – whether it’s food that’s new or different to us or whether it’s the fighting experience migrant workers often have and can usefully share with us. . .
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/02/23/workers-rights-internationalism-and-open-borders/
Phil
I couldn’t agree more.
Everything else is globalised and so too must workers groups like unions.
Oh, but what about tax? and police and other laws? where does it end – at a new world order? Is that sustainable or even possible? nope. but we are going there pretty steadily..
transient populations can destroy community.
open borders can be at odds with sovereignty.
Ironically, open borders can fuel the rise of the anti-immigrant right wing. Plenty of examples in the EU.
Transient populations can also be community/culture etc. eg – Romani, Kalahari San (Bush People).
They (transient populations) can also embody sovereignty – a thing we don’t have, no matter how loudly some liberals may protest to the contrary.
I didn’t take Philip’s comment to be in any way referring to nomadic peoples. Nomadic peoples (eg the Kalahari) aren’t transient, they’re nomadic. In fact the Kalahari example supports my point. Nomadic people exist within specific territories and relationships with people from outside those territories is based around the existience of the territory ie before nation states we as humans still had ways of understanding geographical boundaries and relationships based on how the humans living there related with those boundaries. It wasn’t a free for all. Ignorance of those territories and boundaries has impacted hugely on many peoples.
And leaving aside a debate about sovereignty, yes nomadic peoples are a good example of how that works (not transient populations).
The point can be made that it’s farming peoples who are transient, always with the need for more land to expand their empire, whereas nomadic peoples tend to have very long (and I mean very long*) relationships with specific places.
Is it possible that we could have workers (and others) moving globally in truly nomadic ways? Maybe, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what was meant in the opening comment.
(not going to comment on the Romani because that’s a complex kete of ika).
*The San people have lived in the Kalahari for 20,000 years as hunter-gatherers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalahari_Desert#Population
Blip might record this from Key under “You Misunderstood Me.”
“Mr Key, who has previously said involvement in Iraq was “the price of the club”, said that his comments had been misinterpreted and that by “the club”, he had meant the 60 or so countries that were helping in the coalition against Isis.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11406714 (Last lines.)
Seem to remember his context being that we are members of the 5 Eyes Club so as members of the Club we must get involved as it is “the price of the club.”
The cheek of that man!
oh, he meant this club
The club we are such a valued member of, they forgot to include us on their map. 🙂
My, even John Armstrong thinks it is an ‘outrage’ !!!!! Must be so ….
“Key’s insistence that he was referring to all of the members of the multi-national force as the “club” defies logic. How could contributing to that club be the price of being a member of that club when New Zealand has yet to become a member of that club?
Key’s desperate attempt to rewrite history is something of an outrage. But it is also a measure of his discomfort with the deployment which could well turn out to bite him severely politically.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11406716
I hope AT LEAST now more of the right wing inclined people will SEE/REALISE what a lying, untrustworthy and dishonest disgraceful bull-shitter of a Prime Minister we have running our Government and leading our good country!
It just begins to make one wonder whether the SFO were showered with bullshit and lies all those years ago. This man must struggle to lie straight in bed even …
I don ‘t even wonder. I just know he lied again and again. The evidence is all there and one day some brave MSM writer will front a story on it. We have all been conned from the very beginning.
There are three great omnivores in the world – rats, cockroaches and humans. I heard that on Radionz talk this a.m. I thought you might like to know that.
Possums are omnivores as well.
Don’t forget the awe-inspiring bear and the intelligent Kea and Pig
But they are not as mighty as humans or as small and sneaky as rats and cockroaches. Or perhaps, with future cataclysmic changes in our environment, the cocroaches and rats might be mighty, and humans reverting to small and sneaky to survive. Sort of like those Star Wars scavengers Jawas. Some trivia –
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jawa
And some mindless fun for star wars fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAXg0wdNsGs
6 mins of action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sa3Q-9Wt2k
I see all the Ma & Pa investors in Mighty River have suffered a blow with their share price about to tumble down after MR announce a much lower performance.
unlike Meridian who are returning nearly $1 billion in capital over the next five years !!
Meh, I’m in it for the long term performance and dividend return so its all good
Why do you think you should get to own those shares and not New Zealand?
NZ has the controlling share of the company so not sure where you’re coming from but the other option is for people to purchase shares
Just because I bought shares doesn’t mean you can’t (in case you didn’t know)
you received stolen property – it was sold against the wishes of its owners
but we all know you not so thick that you dont understand what people are saying.
Please dont start that game again
hi pr, i know its none of my business, but i will ask anyhows.
do you have a property portfoloio?
You mean it has slumped below the $2.50 they paid????? Nup. Currently paying $3.28 with an increased dividend. Do you not understand the share market or just jealous because you failed to get your share.s
Jealous sounds about right
do you actually think people opposed to asset sales are jealous?
nah – of course you dont.
Sure some are balanced, human nature and all that
umm.. does that even make sense?
$3.28 and heading downwards, back to $2.50 by Friday. Far better returns for my money thanks. Like most Kiwi’s I don’t trust the boom and bust cycle of the share market, especially with the insider trading and ponzi schemes that the National govt sollict.
I don’t trust the boom and bust either but power companies are a different matter entirely
Unlike you Wewege and your side kick Plucked Duck I have a moral compass. How would I wake up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror knowing I was profiteering off the honest toil of my fellow men and women. Anyway you enjoy your paper gains but please don’t start howling when the bubble bursts and ya get dealt a hiding by the Gorillas of Wall Street. Little bit players such as yourselves are the ones I take pity on, all ya life savings burnt on a black Friday. Tho I guess in your case its a karma thing.
RELIABILITY OF EYE WITNESS ACCOUNTS:
http://www.radiolive.co.nz/VIDEO-Hilarys-viral-video—The-Oscars-Lie-Witness-News/tabid/439/articleID/71990/Default.aspx
Is the internet destroying juries? Guardian article.
Now this is interesting:
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2015/02/2014_spend_per_vote.html
National and Labour were quite low, lower then I’d have thought
Farrar has found another way to lie with statistics, what else is new?
RIP Public Address. It was great once.
http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/sunday-in-the-city/
what?
It’s finally vanished up its own arse. It probably did so long ago.
Honestly, it was one of the great New Zealand blogs, a site full of lively and informed discussion. Now it’s just a few posts now and again plugging Russel Brown’s media ventures, music dads dance to at wedding receptions and parochial Grey Lynn/Pt Chev matters.
When journalism is in such dire straits, we need some energetic investigation and debate. PA once provided that, but everyone interesting has been driven away and the posts are utterly anodyne. I miss its spirit.
” it was one of the great New Zealand blogs”
That was a long, long time ago. And there weren’t that many blogs.
Andrew Little is asking the first question today and will skewer John Key. John Key will break down and cry and ask Andrew to lay off.
In the real world we will see the Prime Minister being Prime Minister and Andrew Little trying and failing again.
@ Fisiani.
John Key will 1. lie, then 2. deflect. then 3. blame the opposition. then 4. refer to Helen Clark’s time then 5. rub his nose. Warning: the order and timing may vary according to how many lies.
All of this while looking sideways with an arrogant grin.
In other words The Prime Minister will win again
Are you proud of being a moral vacuum, or do you just not notice when you show everyone your emotional disability?
Most people would regard winning by unethical means to be cheating, and reprehensible. You probably still wear Lance Armstrong bracelets and call him a 7-time tour de france champion.
If you call being a liar a winner……… If you’re happy that the PM is a liar…… If his being a winner means that the rest of NZ loses………
No, no, no, it is in fact a brave repurposing of words. “Win” can now be used to denote anything. “Lie” equals “win”. “I think I’ve got the flu” becomes “I’m winning!” “You have cancer” becomes “Congratulations you’re a winner!” If we extend the principle, anything can mean “win” in a grand situationist-dadaist enterprise. “Fish” equals “win”. “Spaghetti bolognese” equals “win”. Everything equals “win”.
Think of the money saved printing dictionaries!
(Personally, I prefer “Malkovich”, but there you have it.)
Rhinocrates, it’s more a brave ‘re-porpoising’ of words where like a school of porpoises words dip in and out of the water, popping up somewhere else meaning something else and then ducking under the surface again before a lexicon can draw a bead.
Malkovich!
Or plusgood.
Childish and clumsy as fisiani is, they do, in their “innocent” way, reveal the kind of thinking that goes on in Nat and CT offices and what kind of people populate them – the unintelligent and emotionally shallow who think cynicism is virile.
Six year old boys in other words.
Polished performance today by the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Why does Angry Andy think he will win when Clark, Goff Shearer and The Cunliffe were all thrashed by John Key?
Because he sees the cold sweat on your forehead, and senses the desperation in your words. And can smell the puddle that has gathered at your feet.
Let’s see if your still swinging your silk undies wildy above your head cheerleading for John Key the day the shit hits the fan and a number of the troops get wasted by some crazy terrorist attack. Key’s name will be mud with every man and his dog in this country. If there is a torrorist attack in the country I will join in and riot on the streets throwing bricks through Bank windows for starters.
So you missed that he doesn’t actually understand anything about the situation in the Middle East?
Why don’t you just fuck off fisiani. I believe in opposing opinions and points of view, but your juvenile posts are an insult to peoples intelligence.
fisiani, you idiot.
Enough said.
Yeah. He and Paula Bennett (yesterday on Garner’s show with Grant Robertson) constantly refer to Helen Clark as a way of deflecting pointed questions.
She left office seven years ago.
In the real world we get this.
Mr Little needs to moderate his anger. It will serve him well in the future.
At the moment, when baited by journolists like P. Gower, he unleashes and shows his angry side. Patience, Mr Little.
That might be gold for Mr Little, if that’s the way it is. Keep those positive hints coming.
Just a reminder from Abby Martin on how far the media have fallen…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK_q5OGfYW8
Abby Martin spent the day with CIA torture whistleblower John Kiriakou fresh out of prison, stay tuned for the interview which should be broadcast tonight on RT
http://rt.com/shows/breaking-set-summary/
Also, for those who don’t follow RT, Abby Martin is leaving their network soon to go out and do her own thing -which will no doubt be well worth keeping tabs on
Not sure if this is a ‘win’ as it was their money all along, but good on the Meatworkers Union for taking the case. The company concerned had claimed that they weren’t making 180 workers redundant, they just had no work to offer them:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/334044/meat-workers-win-payments
If a country like China is going to join the fight against ISIS
(http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/china-about-declare-war-against-isis-12201)
then which countries are not standing up to these scum bags ? If ISIS is left unchecked ie others do nothing, then the spread of ISIS will continue. At what point is enough “enough” ? At what point does NZ say we will no longer sit on the sidelines ?
If China is involved, they have abundant capability to destroy every military in the region. We’d just get in the way.
Nearly three-quarters of people living in the Wellington Region oppose being part of the proposed Super-City according to a new Nielsen Poll.
Support
All 26%
Wellington City 30%
Porirua and Kapiti 29%
Hutt Valley 18%
Wairarapa 17%
Will the horrendous Fran Wilde (Wellington Regional Council Chair and leading advocate of the super-city) listen to the democratic will ? Will our own local Mayor, the equally-horrendous Nick Leggett (Close confidante of Wilde), feel humble enough to concede ? Doubt it.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/66575300/wellington-region-largely-rejects-supercity-poll
Just a few days ago, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint about a misleading Wellington Regional Council (WRC) pro-Super City newspaper advertisement which breached the advertising code of ethics.
The ad – which the ASA said presented assumptions and opinions as fact, was misleading and likely to exploit reader’s lack of knowledge and thus had not been prepared with a due sense of social responsibility – focussed on a non-existent problem with water pipes in Lower Hutt, using this to argue that residents should support a super-city so the wider region could help foot the bill.
Hutt City Council’s chief executive said the WRC’s Super-City campaign was “a shambolic con”, that “the single reason the Regional Council gives Hutt residents for joining….is a complete fabrication” and that the WRC “has tried to fool the public into supporting a super-city.”
Tragically, Fran has taken the whole episode very badly indeed, implying that the ASA decision may herald the end of democracy as we know it.
From Scoop:
http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=75695
Lols. Yes, saw that. Reaction is:
http://www.freeallimages.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/grumpy-cat-good-1.jpg
Having a squizz at the LGC “super city” pamphlet which states:
“…….The Commission will hold public hearings, and then decide whether to issue a final proposal or remain within the existing council arrangements.
If the Commission issues a final proposal, voters can then demand a poll. A poll will be held if ten percent of any voters in any affected council area sign a petition. The vote would be held across the whole region and the result would be binding”.
If the Commission does go ahead and issues a final proposal then we’ll need to rally together and give them the big thumbs down.
Super City 🙄 It’s all so Rodney Hide
@ Rosie
That’s a great little icon with its moving alert eyes. A suitable symbol for anyone involved in political observing these days. Any blink must be short or something of importance will be missed.
The Supercity model is designed to undermine democracy (i.e. local government for the people). In Auckland the POAL, a supposedly council controlled organisation, regularly thumbs its nose at directions from the Council. The local “boards” don’t really have power they are just advisers. Maybe it’s more efficient, or maybe it’s privatisation by stealth.
I thought they were quite up front about the privatisation part of the project. Kinda have been in Auckland – Water Care ,AT, etc, money for the mates.
Personally what worries me about it is it’s a front for austerity by stealth. Water charges, increased in fares, and other costs passed onto the people who already paid for these services.
Fran Wilde at a public meeting last night successfully antagonised the majority present with her condescending and “I know best” demeanour.
It seems hard to believe that this is the same person who introduced into the house the Homosexual Law Reform Act and the Adoption Reform Act. Frankly her local government career has been disappointing. Chris Laidlaw is another ostensibly left politician in Wellington that I find less than impressive.
I don’t want to say they’ve sold out but…
Look on the bright side swordfish. You too could get your own cock and balls out of the supercity.
It’s what New Lynn got as it’s membership of the failed, waste of rate payers money – to prop up Nationals mates – we call a city council in Auckland.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11397385
Does beg the question if business is so good, why does it need hand outs all the time? Is not asking for a hand out bad under these Tory scum rules of engagement? So why do they keep making structures to give business a hand out of tax payers money?
Interesting to note the difference between Andrew Little’s solid speech in the House this afternoon about sending troops to fight ISIS and the whining, nasty, personal, vindictive diatribe that Russel Norman thinks passes for intelligent debate.
No wonder support for the Greens is so quickly transferring to Labour. The Greens will be well rid of Mr Norman as co-leader.
Really? Russel Norman systematically dismantled all of the flimsy justifications for war, showing exactly why the whole idea just won’t work. He was clear and articulate. Did you even watch that, or just tune out because the EVIL GREENS was speaking?
aye
reposting in Open Mike as it goes to the wider issues facing our Parliament
Parliament is a theatre. One whose performances relay a script driven by protocol, performance and symbolism.
Solidarity is also driven by protocol, performance and symbolism.
To all members of all Parties who sit in the House in opposition to the Government’s decision to send our nation to war, I have a question –
Would it have been so terrible for your Party’s Elected Representatives to applaud at the conclusion of all the statements opposing the Prime Ministers Statement?
When Journalists get things wrong is deliberate or just journalistic incompetence?
Brook Sabin reporting on TV3 tonight about the Lui/ Cunliffe/Key issue, said,
“Cunliffe denied he’d supported his residency bid when a letter emerged proving he did.”
No Mr Sabin-he didn’t. He sent a letter 11 years ago simply making an inquiry.
It was not a letter of support for anybody’s residency bid.
The cumulative effect of these small fabrications which surely happen too often to be unintentional mean that the Cunliffe’s of this world still have to battle the small lies that our media tries to convince us is news.
What a disgraceful decision by the Catholic Church.
NZ Catholic Bishops welcome decision to send troops to Iraq
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11407194
Alex Coleman retweeted
Al Jazeera English @AJEnglish 3 hrs3 hours ago
Prime Minister Abbott says civil liberties must be sacrificed, as we enter a new ‘dark’ age. http://aje.io/b3td
Meanwhile the sleepy hobbits fire up the barbie and have another beer.
Talk about letting the terrorists win. The 0.1% are battening down the hatches because they know the living conditions for the 99% are going to greatly deteriorate.
No particular reason for sharing this except for a bit of reflection perhaps.
SPEAKING: THE HERO
Felix Pollak
I did not want to go.
They inducted me.
I did not want to die.
They called me yellow.
I tried to run away,
They court-martialed me.
I did not shoot.
They said I had no guts.
They ordered the attack.
A shrapnel tore my guts.
I cried in pain.
They carried me to safety.
In safety I died.
They blew Taps over me.
They crossed out my name,
And buried me under a cross.
They made a speech in my hometown.
I was unable to call them liars.
They said I gave my life,
I had struggled to keep it.
They said I set an example.
I had tried to run.
They said they were proud of me.
I had been ashamed of them.
They said my mother should also be proud.
My mother cried.
I wanted to live.
They called me a coward.
I died a coward.
They called me a hero.
Citizenfour has been made available for download (free and presumably legal).
https://archive.org/details/LauraPoitrasCitizenfour
I’m so glad that they won the Oscar…and were able to attend the ceremonies and speak on stage!
Greek government has released a summary of reforms,
The main points of the summary of the proposals include:
Creating a fairer tax system
Combating tax evasion
Tackling corruption
Targeting fuel and tobacco smugglers
Implementing labour reforms on collective contracts and bargaining agreements.
Tackling Greece’s “humanitarian crisis” with housing guarantees and free medical care for the uninsured unemployed.
Greece’s creditors – the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund – are expected to deliver their verdict on the proposals later on Tuesday, before the reforms are discussed in a conference call with eurozone finance ministers.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31597181
It’s going to be a very big 72 hours. Greek banks are supposedly going to run out of liquidity this week…
hi cr, must be time to fire up the photocopier.
🙂
Can Greece afford to buy the ink?
😀
its only 20c a copy at the feilding library.
i’ll shout a few reams of paper.